FSN 223 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Fine Art, Eurocentrism
Document Summary
Fashion concepts and theories chapter 1 and lecture notes. Clothing is a complex system of cultural communication. Expresses collective and individual identity, part of social performance. Some argue that fashion is a cultural practice that coincides with capitalism and consumer culture (we argue against this notion) The label of customary dress ignores individuality. Examples of early fashion shaped by individual taste: europe, canadian fur trade, japanese fashions in tattooing, etc: show that fashion impulses were not much different from those of today. Individual taste has been limited historically with sumptuary laws: color and fashion throughout time (p34) Color has historically been used to identify hierarchy or symbolism in societies: cost of dyes tied together color and social elites, chinese mourning rituals. The fashion impulse: difference between fashion , dress , clothing . Fashion and representation: how does fashion communicate ideas about sexuality, race, gender, class, etc. The eurocentric fashion system: the emergence of fashion capitals,