Queen for a Day

The purpose of this design was to visually represent the graceful wrought iron grillwork of the balconies which line the French Quarter in New Orleans and incorporate elements of historic dress worn by Mardi Gras queens

Negotiating an Appropriate Image: A Visual Analysis of Prom Magazine Editorials

Prom is a rite of passage in American society, a symbolic divide between youth and adulthood. The cultural importance of prom is felt by many young women who report feeling pressure to look and act in a certain manner to be suitable for the occasion (Zlatunich, 2009). Prom is used as a venue to construct and display an ideal feminine identity by adolescent girls. There is pleasure to be gained from interacting with beauty practices to achieve the feminine ideal for prom; however, there is a close relationship between enjoyment in feminine beauty rituals and pressure to engage in consumerism (Zlatunich, 2009). Prom is also one of the first and only times that adolescent girls are able to interact with their feminine sexuality

Pastoral dreams and quirky goats: An analysis of selling strategies of fiber farmers on Etsy

Small scale fiber farming is growing as a hobby and economic activity in the United States. Small fiber farms often focus on rare or heritage breed fibers. Fiber farmers have also adopted various online platforms to sell their goods, such as Etsy. The purpose of this research was to examine the selling strategies of farmers selling fiber goods on Etsy and explore how fiber farmers characterize their farms, animals, and lifestyles. The results were also examined using the concept of nostalgia and the principles of Slow Fashion. To investigate the purpose, data were gathered from Etsy. A total of 47 fiber farm product postings were analyzed. Three major themes emerged: farm history, motivations for farming, and buying farm fresh. The farmers used both nostalgia and principles from Slow Fashion to help sell their goods on Etsy

Elevating Scraps

This piece began with a large donation of fabric samples from a local furniture store to the designer’s university. Therefore, the purpose of this design was to create an up-cycled garment from pre-consumer textile waste utilizing a historic inspiration process as a statement about sustainability. The worn look of the samples, some even featured silver grommets and holes for hanging, brought to mind historic garments. The second source of inspiration came from the tonlet walking armor of Henry VIII. The designer cut all the samples into 2†strips and created a simple tent-shaped pattern for the vest using draping. Small amounts of leather remained after the vest was constructed. Thus, the designer decided to create laser cut leather flowers to adorn the hemline. A dress was created using flat pattern to go under the vest. The dress was constructed from an antique linen sheet

Motivations for participation in knitting among young women

2011 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.The purpose of this research was to understand the complex motivations of young women who choose to participate in knitting. The number of young women who knit has increased dramatically in the past ten years. However, there has been little research focused on understanding the culture of these young, female knitters and no research has concentrated its attention on the material culture of these women and the artifacts they produce. Fifteen young, female knitters (ages 18-30) who resided in Northern Colorado were identified to participate in the study. Data were collected from in-depth interviews, a material culture analysis of artifact(s) made by the participants, and a demographic data survey. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and artifacts made by the participants were photographed for later analysis. Validity was established through the use of multiple information sources and a secondary coder. Data gathered from the interviews were analyzed using constant comparative method. The knitted artifacts were analyzed using material culture and content analysis methods. Finally, the survey data were examined using frequencies and descriptive statistics. Thirteen subthemes emerged during the coding process of the interview data: creativity, multi-tasking, financial, alterations, information sources, social aspects, negative reactions, mistakes, expense, positive reactions, products, confidence, and relaxation. These themes were grouped into three main categories: incentives, barriers, and positive outcomes. The Taxonomy of Participation in Knitting was developed to graphically arrange the themes and subthemes. The data were then compared to an existing theory, Uses and Gratifications (UG), to determine if the categories of motivations described by Katz et al. (1974) were appropriate to describe the incentives for young women to participate in knitting. The categories of UG were very suitable and a second model, The Model of Motivations for Knitting among Young Women, was created to showcase the motivations that participants had for engaging in knitting

Polonaise meets Zero-Waste

This design began with a piece of vintage, red wool melton 58 wide by 144 long. A zero-waste approach was adopted so that none of the fabric would end up on the cutting room floor and because of the importance of sustainability. The present design was meant to visually demonstrate the connection between contemporary zero-waste approaches and historic low-waste garments. Specific inspiration came from polonaise gowns of the 1700s that typically feature a bustled skirt. Patternwork was done digitally in half-scale using a kimono-sleeved bodice. The half-scale pattern was fit on a half-scale form and then sized up. The fabric was overdyed with purple dye and the coat was assembled by machine. The coat was then free-motion embroidered using silk shantung strips and cut leaves. The embroidery was meant to be raw as a nod to raw edged ornamentation used in the 1700s

Decremental Analysis of Plus-size Women: Pant Drafting and Grading Implications

Two reasons that plus-size pants fit badly are: (1) the apparel industry assumes a single body shape for blocks and (2) simplified grading systems. The purpose of the study was to: determine the efficacy of a pant pattern drafting method and grading rules. Plus-size women were recruited for a longitudinal body scanning study. The participants came back for a follow-up scan after 10 pounds of weight-loss. Front and back pants were drafted for each scan. Eight women had usable scan pairs. Most of the pants did not allow for darts to be placed in one or both waists. No participants lost weight symmetrically, thus, a simplified grading system is not appropriate. Six of the participant\u27s pant drafts had shifts in the pants inseams following weight loss. Results produced implications in: pattern drafting, grading, and body scanning. New assumptions which address body shape need to be formulated for plus-sizes

Hyperbolic Honeycomb

The purpose of this design was to incorporate theory from non-Euclidian geometry and visual inspiration from a honeycomb into a garment for formal wear. Non-Euclidian geometry is a highly-theoretical geometry that works with the hyperbolic plane, which is a plane with constant negative curvature (Taimina, 2009). Non-Euclidian geometry can be modeled by employing shapes like pentagons, hexagons, and heptagons. The design was first modeled in paper on a half-scale form. Next, the shapes were cut from a caramel cotton. The decorative pieces sewn on the hem were made from designer cork tiles. Cork is sustainable and its fluid lines visually represented the honey in the honeycomb. The pattern for the cork was generated using Rhino 3D software and then exported to a computer numerical control (CNC) router. Each cork piece was then applied by hand to the dress. This piece is significant because it utilizes a novel material and theory

Fishy Finery

There is an abundance of fish scales that go to landfills, but have possible applications for the apparel industry. Scales of black drum fish were used for acid blue 45 dye absorption from textile wastewaters. The purpose of this design was to achieve a more sustainable outcome for the wastewater dyed fish scales by utilizing them on a garment. The aesthetics of the fish scales served as the inspiration for the garment. The design began with an exploration of methods for applying the scales. An evening gown was created to demonstrate the beauty of the scales. Up-cycled fabrics including one tulle and acetate wedding gown and ten additional wedding veils were used. The materials were then dyed in four different blues. The gown was draped on a dressform. Next, the fish scales were sewn onto the edges