Faculty First Year Seminars 197HIST10 - From Cotton to Kevlar: Fashion

Clothing from any time and any place is a historical document: it sheds light on values, technologies, aesthetics, gender and class expectations, politics and economics associated with past cultures. From the boycotts of the American Revolution to the cotton market during the American Civil War to the 20th century development of high-performing fabrics like rayon and Kevlar, fashion history is inextricably entwined with larger developments in our history. Today, digital tools are helping scholars from a range of disciplines research and write about clothing and fashion history. Students in this course will expand their knowledge of and competencies with digital tools like high resolution imaging, database management and Internet publishing as they read and write the history of American apparel.? The aim of the course will be to excite students about the history of clothing and dress as a window onto larger historical themes, and to introduce them to the concepts and skills of digital humanities.

Freshmen Only