Course Description:
This study will survey the ways in which fashion in the United States has been shaped by major developments in American history. Beginning with the development of the textile industry, this course will place fashion and the fashion industry within social, cultural and economic frameworks, and will cover a variety of topics including: industrialization, immigration, "becoming American", labor movements, gender and the women's movement, class differentiations, haute couture, consumer culture, and the influence of the entertainment industry and globalization on American fashion. Students will develop an understanding of the trajectory of fashion in American history, which will require both a knowledge of various aspects of fashion and fashion industry and of major trends in American history. Students will gain theoretical and concrete knowledge of how fashion "works" within the context of American history - what purposes it serves, how it changes, how it reflects culture, and how it may be analyzed as a cultural and historical text.
Prerequisites: Advanced-level reading, writing, computer and research skills.
This course fully meets the General Education requirement in American History.
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