Western fashion, laundering and style reflected the racialized politics dramatically shaped by profound global transformations bound up with slavery, colonialism and modernization.
Articles on Fashion history
Displaying 41 - 60 of 68 articles
The Kimono is a distinct cultural symbol of Japan and for that reason, it has a complicated reputation around much of Asia.
Issey Miyake’s clothing is both theatrical and practical. The Japanese designer has died aged 84.
When Max Chandler-Mather rose to speak in question time, he was criticised for not wearing a tie. But Australian men have been going tie-less for decades.
The Victorians are to blame for our conservative ideas about how a pregnant body should look
Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe’s dress for five minutes at the Met Gala. That’s showbiz.
While men wrote about women “deforming” their bodies in corsets, there is very little writing from women themselves about what the experience was like.
The former creative director and editor-at-large of the fashion magazine has died aged 73.
People have always wanted others to know they’re smart, and what better way to do that than with clothes?
How an item of traditional Afghan dress became a staple of western “hippie” fashion from the 1960s right up to today.
Drainpipe, torn or skinny, denim jeans have a history of unsettling the powerful.
Billie Eilish received criticism for wearing an ‘oppressive’ corset on the cover of Vogue. But for centuries, the clothing gave women support in work, and in play.
Ties do many things. Though they express identity, they can just as readily act as a ‘uniform’ for their wearers. And they give power to some, while taking it from others.
The history of men’s workwear is clothed in ideas of masculinity, style and comfort. Reforms have happened following times of turmoil in the past and business attire may be due for another shake up.
With protection underfoot and ventilation on top, the thong is the perfect summer shoe for Australian conditions. Pity it’s not really Australian.
Far from mere underwear, singlets have many cultural meanings. Once worn chiefly by shearers, laborers and soldiers, they have been embraced on dance floors and in the gym.
In the 1910, the ready-made blouse market was booming and Leicester’s knit giants tried their hand at manufacturing easy to launder, practical blouses.
Masks have a chequered history in western fashion. Some silenced women in the name of beauty, others provoked sexual desire.
How did a punchline about bad middle-aged fashion become a trendy must-have for women of all ages?
From the bird masks of plague doctors and large voluminous skirts to hat pins and face masks, this video provides a quick tour through the history of protective fashion.
Top contributors
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Lecturer, Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, Deakin University
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Distinguished Professor of Design History, UTS, University of Technology Sydney
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Fashion historian, Edith Cowan University
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Associate Professor, Fashion History, De Montfort University
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Senior Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University
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Associate Professor of Fashion, University of Technology Sydney
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Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University
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PhD Candidate, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney
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Research Associate, Australian Catholic University; Adelaide University
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Lecturer, Fashion Design, School of Design and Architecture, Swinburne University of Technology
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Lecturer in Design Cultures, De Montfort University
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Chancellor’s Indigenous Research Fellow, Faculty of Design and Society, University of Technology Sydney
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Senior Lecturer, Cultural History, University of New England
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Lecturer, Language and Culture, Keele University
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PhD Candidate in History, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington