What is this unit about?
Three words, dress, costume, and fashion, have been used interchangeably often in writings about what children and adults wear or how they have covered or modified their bodies, for many reasons, such as modesty, decoration, display, warmth, or hygiene. Some of the writings relate to history, others to the importance or meaning of dressing the body, or signifying personal and/or cultural identity. Distinguishing types of people and describing who they are often involves understanding their dress. Many scholars, including anthropologists, art historians, costumers, economists, historians, psychologists and sociologists all study dress, even psychiatrists who want to know more about their patients.
What will students learn from this unit?
This unit focuses on the similarities and differences among dress, costume, and fashion, how different scholars view these three words and how the ideas involved in them are used in the Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion and the Berg Fashion Library. In addition, other words are related, such as ethnic and national dress and world fashion. This learning module begins with articles providing definitions and concepts followed by other articles that connect to these ideas.