IS 9010 IS03 (11345) 20th Century Dress and Culture

IS 9010 IS03 (11345) Tues/Wed/Thurs, 11:30 AM May 28 – July 2 (5 weeks) Online Synchronous

This independent study course examines the shifting landscape of fashion throughout the 20th century and into the early 21st century, with a focus on how dress reflects broader cultural, political, and social change. We will explore topics such as gender, race, colonialism, labor, and identity through the lens of clothing and fashion history. From the bustle period and Edwardian silhouettes to the jazz-inflected styles of the 1920s, the wartime austerity of the 1940s, and the expressive aesthetics of the 1960s and 1980s, students will gain a deeper understanding of how fashion operates as a cultural force.

Special attention is given to non-Western fashion histories, particularly from North and West Africa, and to the global supply chains, labor systems, and racial politics embedded in the production of garments today. Through weekly readings, discussions, and visual analysis, students will critically engage with fashion as both a material and symbolic form of expression.

All materials are available on our Manifold course site. No textbook is required.