Social History of Fashion and Custom

The course is held at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris, France).

The course aims at providing skills and knowledge about the development of fashion and costume in Contemporary age. The first module will be devoted to the field of socio-historical research concerning fashion and the establishment of its system in connection to the cultural and economic transformations occurred from the Second Industrial Revolution to the first half of the Twentieth Century.

During the course students will investigate the relationship between fashion and the main social, economic, political and cultural conditions and processes succeeded in the European society with a specific node to France and Italy.

The aim is to give the skill to read analytically documents, apply appropriate tools and methodologies in order to understand and critically interpret the historical dynamics of the relationship between social changes and fashion.

The second module of this course will focus on social, cultural, and economic aspects of fashion and costume from the early 1900s until the end of the century. Through the study of historical processes and events, students will be able to critically analyze contemporary societal phenomena and issues related to the fashion industry.

Students will be encouraged to reflect on the evolution of gender norms in relation to garments and fashion. We’ll exam the connections between the construction of the female and male silhouette and the transformations in occidental society in the 20th century.

Significant changes to the fashion industry will be addressed, as the progression of the fashion media and the rise of sportswear.

Throughout the course, students will develop their:
•    Understanding of the methodological foundations for historical studies.
•    Knowledge of the social, economic, political and cultural transformation occurred in contemporary age.
•    Ability to critically interpret the development of fashion phenomena.

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