Major
Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design
Advisor
Hannel, Susan
Advisor Department
Textile, Fashion Merchandising and Design
Date
5-2011
Keywords
Androgyny; Feminine; Masculine; Gender; Fashion; Design
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Abstract
Gender, as I have come to understand it, is a vast, variable and personal response to one’s society and culture. As an interpretation of one’s biological sex it is a prominent aspect in our lives. Because of this prominence, attributes of gender are revealed in many forms. In relevance to fashion gender is manifested visually. Traits of femininity, androgyny and masculinity are rendered in dress and appearance.
I have portrayed these traits by using editorial fashion images to create a visual gender continuum. Using images from a compilation of current fashion magazines, whose target consumers are either men or women, I have come to distinguish visual characteristics that are typically masculine and typically feminine.
I then used these characteristics as inspiration for the design and construction of poly-sex clothing. Studying these images I drew conclusions about the human body, the fit of garments, and how gender is depicted through styling. Using these concepts along with further research into men and women’s patternmaking, I have created a line of garments that have multiple uses and offer a variety of fit. The final presentation is comprised of six garments that are being shown on three women and two men. In addition, the end result can also be considered an alternative bridal line.