is a reason that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin looks especially well-dressed
these days. The Republican National Committee has reportedly spent
about $150,000 on the vice presidential nominee's wardrobe over the past couple of months. Although
the RNC says the clothing will be donated to charity following the
election, the huge expense has raised a few eyebrows for many Americans
worried about their own shrinking pocketbooks and content with wearing
last year's fashions.
Regardless of the cost of the shirt on your back or the shoes
on your feet, clothing is generally a need that all humans share. Some
form of clothing has been worn by humans for millennia. We can only
guess that our ancestors likely wore what was readily available, such
as animal skins or simple coverings woven from local plants. Over the
generations, our need for better-suited coverings spurred human
ingenuity. Eventually, humans spun fibers using animal fur or cotton to
create yarn. Yarn was woven into durable cloth, which was sewn together
into fitted garments that a person could easily reuse for months or
longer. A person might even have different garments for different
purposes (for example, a thick, wool coat for cold, rainy weather and a
light, airy shirt for the summer's heat).
Over the years, clothing has become
decorative as well as functional. Cloth can be
used for other purposes, too. Purses, blankets, rugs, tablecloths,
and other kinds of items can be made using fabric.
During this week's lesson, you will cut away to the basics of how
textiles are made and for what purpose. You will also travel to the
United Kingdom to explore how the Industrial Revolution was driven
by the textile industry.
Your first stop is at the Textile
Museum. Enter the exhibit
Threads: Unraveling the World of Textiles. Watch the introduction,
and then click to unravel the story of the Overtunic from Guatemala.
As you explore the garment, click underlined terms to read the definition.
For a more complete glossary, you can also open and print an
introduction to Textile
Learn more about the overtunic's Function, including its decoration and
special use. In the garment's Artistry, why is using a backstrap
loom helpful? What is the difference between a plain weave and a supplementary
weft? Also, discover how the textile maker may be influenced in her fabric's
Design by neighbors as well as outside factors.
What do the
fibers used tell about the maker's Environment? Lastly, what
does the garment say about the Identity of the garment's
maker and wearer? To the right of the Identity menu button, click
the circle to browse the gallery of Related Garments.
Now, move on to another part of the world. Unravel the story about
the Raincloak from Bhutan. As you did for the Guatemalan garment,
explore the raincloak's Function. What exactly is yathra and
what makes it ideal for this purpose? What is a twill weave? How does the frame loom used here compare to
the loom used in Guatemala? What influences Bhutanese artisans?
are the typical elements in this garment's Design? What motifs
might a weaver use and why? What do weavers have to think about when
considering design placement? What does the raincloak illustrate
about this culture's Environment and Identity? Be
sure to browse through the region's Related Textiles gallery
before leaving the exhibit.
List five favorite garments you own. For each item, write a short
paragraph answering the following questions: From what type of materials is
it made? What purpose does it serve? Do you know where it was made?
What characteristics do you especially like about it?
The Textile Revolution
For many years, Europe and
the rest of the world produced clothing similar to the examples you
explored from Guatemala and Bhutan. Cloth and clothing was created
by hand in homes. Your next stop at the Science Museum in
the United Kingdom will show you how this scene changed rapidly in
the 18th and 19th centuries. In the museum's exhibit Making
the Modern World, discover the history of Textiles:
From domestic to factory production. Read the introduction
about how the conversion of textile manufacturing from small homes
to factories represents a powerful illustration of the Industrial Revolution.
At the bottom of the introduction page, launch the Rich Media Scene
showing how Spinning Yarn
was automated. At the bottom of this page and other pages within this
exhibit, feel free to browse through any of the related materials provided.
Close the scene, and then step into the next section, which explains more
about the importance of The
Industrial Revolution. As you read through the page, launch
the two scenes showing A
fashion revolution and The
trade web. As you continue, you will see how the rapidly shifting
textile industry affected Changes
in everyday life. Domestic
manufacture changed dramatically because of Innovations in the textile industry, such as Richard
production, textile makers could manage their work time
any way they pleased. This is evident in the diary entries
of weaver Cornelius Ashworth. Complete the activity, responding
domestic production lifestyle. Contrast this to Factory
production. Launch the scene showing conditions
North Mill. Read the mill's rules, and then complete the activity,
reflecting on The factory worker's lifestyle.
compare the Contemporary illustrations: Domestic production and Contemporary illustrations: Factory production. Complete the Factories
and power activity.
Also, take a look at the Evidence
of buildings: Domestic production, including the large-scale
Hall in Halifax. Compare and contrast that with the Evidence
of buildings: Factory production.
in childhood was likely something done in domestic production
to some extent, but factory production brought a horrific side to the
term "child labor." Read the written evidence provided by factory worker
Samuel Coulson, and then complete the activity Examining evidence
of child labor.
Finish up your tour of textile industrialization with the Conclusion and review the scene Cottonopolis:
A Wonder of the Age.
By yourself or with a partner, brainstorm two lists: characteristics
of how people lived, worked, engineered buildings and machinery, and
how they dressed when textiles were made through domestic manufacturing.
Your second list should include the characteristics when textiles
moved to factory production. Discuss your lists with classmates.
Start your own fashion review magazine of sorts by pulling three
to five photos from current or archived issues of the e-edition.
Each photo should clearly show, preferably in color, how
a person is dressed. Try to pick photos in which people are dressed
more distinctly than simply wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Cut out the
person's figure so that your model stands or sits alone, with little
background. Think carefully about what exactly the person is wearing.
From what types of fiber was each item made? What colors of
dye were used? Is a pattern printed on it? In reviewing any decorative
features, what may have influenced the artistic design choices? What
purpose may each garment serve? Write up a review of the model's outfit,
telling a story as you answer these and similar questions that relate
to this lesson