this has been a great project. i have learned a lot, mostly from what i have read so far in my book, "pantaloons and power" by gayle v. fischer. this book has proved a great resource in expanding my knowledge about pants and how they came to be so important, especially for women.
during the 19th century, only men wore pants. they were called breeches or pantaloons, and were tight-fitting articles worn with boots. the early dress reformers were forward-thinking people that were jumping on the bandwagon of all of the other social reforms going on at this time, such as the abolishment of slavery, the second great awakening, and the prohibition of alchohol.
dress reformers at this time argued that forcing women to conform to the dress standards of the day was demeaning and unhealthy to a woman's body. they debated what was appropriate attire for men and women, and the ideas about women's place in society in relation to men.
in 1851 the first public activist movement took place when women marched thru the streets of new york city wearing short skirts and trousers underneath. this action and the ones that followed shocked the country, society, and everyone's ideals about women's fashion and the power of the pants.
thanks to the efforts of these stalwart reformers, pants are now an acceptable article of clothing for both men and women. personally, i am grateful that i can wear jeans whenever i want, and i'm glad that i chose this topic and for all i have learned.
so what now? collecting this data and information has been useful for me, because i plan to work with textiles and fashion for the rest of my life. i want to go to grad school and earn a master's in textile science and engineering, so that i can research and develop new fibers and fabrics. knowledge about pants, who is wearing them, and how they are wearing them will help me in the future to design what the consumer wants, or dictate what they need.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
part V: dress and the future
a. the future of pants. hmm. i think that in the future, everyone will be wearing pants all of the time. i think that globalization, coupled with the general "dressing down" trend, will result in women wearing pants in more and more settings, including business and even church settings. personally, i think that pants are much more comfortable than skirts.
globally, pants will become more and more slimming and form-fitting, so that everyone will be wearing skinny jeans, basically. i think that other cultures outside the united states will take this practice and make it their own through cultural identification. everyone will be wearing it.
b. 
even the jonas brothers are ahead of their time.
Monday, November 9, 2009
part IV: the art of dress
part a: the dress practice of wearing pantaloons is body subordinate. pants draws attention away from the body because they were loose-fitting and do not conform to the body's curves.
part b: as far as aesthetics go...well, pants should be worn with one leg in each leg of the pants. this is the prescribed form. however, to be more specific in the case of women wearing pants in the 19th century, pants were not the prescribed form of dress at all. women were supposed to wear large skirts that covered their whole lower half. by wearing pants, they sent a very strong message of social defiance.
part c: women wearing pantaloons was a shocking act of defiance to what was attractive during this time in history. it was inappropriate for women to show even their ankles, let alone their legs.
part d: the social reforms of the 19th century were very important. women that did not conform and wore pants, and those who supported this movement, helped bring about social change that would alter america and the world forever. if these changes had not happened, women would still be wearing skirts, and who know if pants would have ever evolved. blue jeans might not even exist. fortunately, men and women can now showcase their individuality and wear pants as much as they like.
portfolio part III: dress and culture scale
part a and b: the dress practice of women wearing pants in the early 19th century has traits from teh commercial-scale culture, so that is what i am going to focus on for this portion of the portfolio.
polity/government: America was and is still a democratic republic at this time in history. there were many changes going on at this time regarding the abolishment of slavery and the right of women to vote. the social dress reform was just a small part of the large upheaval of ideas that would have required legislation to make those proposed changes into law and accepted practices.
ideology: at this time in history, women were seen as second-class citizens with few rights. social norms dictated by religious beliefs required them to adhere to certain vanities of the day, while at the same time criticizing them for doing so. the religious leaders considered the forward thinking women and dress reformers as heathens and heretics.
dress: pants at this time were made of cotton or linen. men wore breeches or pantaloons, and when women started wearing pants they were mainly worn under their shortened skirts. these pants were pre-shaped and decreased the gender differentiation. there was not a lot of room for individual taste or variety; the idea of women wearing pants was a change in itself.
society: in america at this time, industry and capitalism was expanding everywhere. cities were growing larger, and consumerism was just starting to take off. women wearing pants changed how society saw women, and how men and women viewed society. it seems that everyone, from doctors, religious leaders, social reformers, men, and women had an opinion about women's pants, one way or another.
economy: in america, capitalism was the norm. new businesses were starting up at this time, mass production of clothing and other goods and services, and people were working.
technology: during this time, industrial machines were able to mass produce goods and services, and factories were everywhere. pants were produced as men's clothings.
human population: the population in america during the social reforms of the 19th century was growing rapidly. urbanization was increasing.
part c: the dress practice of women wearing pants was definitely "zeitgist" the spirit of the times. there were so many social changes going on in america at this time; women were fighting for the right to vote and own property, and the radical change in dress practices was part of this cacophony of changes.
polity/government: America was and is still a democratic republic at this time in history. there were many changes going on at this time regarding the abolishment of slavery and the right of women to vote. the social dress reform was just a small part of the large upheaval of ideas that would have required legislation to make those proposed changes into law and accepted practices.
ideology: at this time in history, women were seen as second-class citizens with few rights. social norms dictated by religious beliefs required them to adhere to certain vanities of the day, while at the same time criticizing them for doing so. the religious leaders considered the forward thinking women and dress reformers as heathens and heretics.
dress: pants at this time were made of cotton or linen. men wore breeches or pantaloons, and when women started wearing pants they were mainly worn under their shortened skirts. these pants were pre-shaped and decreased the gender differentiation. there was not a lot of room for individual taste or variety; the idea of women wearing pants was a change in itself.
society: in america at this time, industry and capitalism was expanding everywhere. cities were growing larger, and consumerism was just starting to take off. women wearing pants changed how society saw women, and how men and women viewed society. it seems that everyone, from doctors, religious leaders, social reformers, men, and women had an opinion about women's pants, one way or another.
economy: in america, capitalism was the norm. new businesses were starting up at this time, mass production of clothing and other goods and services, and people were working.
technology: during this time, industrial machines were able to mass produce goods and services, and factories were everywhere. pants were produced as men's clothings.
human population: the population in america during the social reforms of the 19th century was growing rapidly. urbanization was increasing.
part c: the dress practice of women wearing pants was definitely "zeitgist" the spirit of the times. there were so many social changes going on in america at this time; women were fighting for the right to vote and own property, and the radical change in dress practices was part of this cacophony of changes.
Monday, September 21, 2009
part two: body, environment, & dress
a. pictures! the following is a collection of pictures displaying 19th-century pantaloons and pantalettes, as well as some modern-day pants.
http://www.suesoldfashions.com/photos/pantalettes.jpg
Fischer, Gayle. Pantaloons and Power: A nineteenth Century Dress Reform in the United States. Kent State University Press. 2001.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/pantalettes/GeneralOlde/Alice%20in%20Wonderland/AIW-112.jpg?o=4
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Pantalettes_godeys_1855.jpg
http://www.mediatinker.com/blog/images/pants-comfy-construct.jpg
these are all of my jeans.
this is my favorite pair of pants, my skinnies.
http://www.suesoldfashions.com/photos/pantalettes.jpg
Fischer, Gayle. Pantaloons and Power: A nineteenth Century Dress Reform in the United States. Kent State University Press. 2001.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/pantalettes/GeneralOlde/Alice%20in%20Wonderland/AIW-112.jpg?o=4
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Pantalettes_godeys_1855.jpg
http://www.mediatinker.com/blog/images/pants-comfy-construct.jpg
these are all of my jeans.this is my favorite pair of pants, my skinnies.b. cultural context: during the nineteenth century, many social changes were taking place all over the country. urbanization fueled the growth of hundreds of densely-populated cities, wars contributed to the need for new factories and jobs, and people started migrating west. many revolutions popped up. women struggled for more rights and fought for the end of slavery, new religions were formed, and controversy surrounding Native Americans raged. the nineteenth century was truly a chaotic time of change and disorder. as explained in the book "pantaloons and power" by gayle fischer, "bifurcated garment (that is, garments divided in two, such as pants with two legs) belonged strictly to men, and only women wore skirts...when women's pantaloons dress reformers entered the world of antebellum reform, they were seen as participants in the nation's social breakdown rather than as part of the solution." but i think that it was a solution; the changes associated with women wearing pants, such as voting rights, have changed america for the better.
c. classification: pantaloons can be classified as an enclosure to the body. they modify the body in several ways. wearing pants can add color to an ensemble, and they increase the volume of the legs. pants provide a new structure to the legs, because they are not form-fitting, and therefore add a ruffled shape. the texture of pants can be rough or smooth, and can make ruffly rustly sounds when you walk. it's a body modification that can change the shape of the legs and be the defining component of an outfit.
d. the dress practise of pantaloons relates to two legs underneath, separating them as a bifurcated garment. pantaloons are different from bloomers or breeches because they are a littel tighter around the leg. if we look at sheldon's somatotypes, i would say that the body that is wearing pantaloons is ectomorphic.
e. pantaloons could and can be worn in any climate. in the 19th century the occupation for wearing them was mainly in social functions. women wore them under their skirts, and so that would demonstrate a two-layer zone. in today's society, and specifically in utah, we wear pants almost everyday, especially in the winter, so our clothing extends into the three-layer zone.
part one: annotated bibliography
1. Steele, Valerie. Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Thomson Gale Publishing. 2005.
This encyclopedia is very thorough and detailed. The entries are described and examples are given for fashion around the world as well as through time. I think that this would be a good source to use for information regarding the fashion reform of women wearing pants.
2. Moore, Doris Langley. Fashion Through Fashion Plates 1770-1970. Clarkson N. Potter, Inc. 1971.
This source is not one that I think I would like to use for my research. It does not contain much detail on how, when, or why women started wearing pants. It mostly contains pictures, which may prove to be useful later on, perhaps.
3. Eubank K, Tortora P. Survey of Historic Costume. Fairchild Publications. 1998.
This source is also not so promising. It only briefly mentions the term of “pantaloons” as men’s clothing and how pantaloons were used to add bulk to the legs. There is not much said about the rise and change of fashion for women.
4. Fischer, Gayle. Pantaloons and Power: A nineteenth Century Dress Reform in the United States. Kent State University Press. 2001.
I think that this book will end up being my greatest resource. In fact, I think I’m going to use it as my Conversation Café book. It is an entire book researched and focused on how women defied convention and started wearing pants, and the resulting shift in social roles and expectations. I’m excited to read it.
This encyclopedia is very thorough and detailed. The entries are described and examples are given for fashion around the world as well as through time. I think that this would be a good source to use for information regarding the fashion reform of women wearing pants.
2. Moore, Doris Langley. Fashion Through Fashion Plates 1770-1970. Clarkson N. Potter, Inc. 1971.
This source is not one that I think I would like to use for my research. It does not contain much detail on how, when, or why women started wearing pants. It mostly contains pictures, which may prove to be useful later on, perhaps.
3. Eubank K, Tortora P. Survey of Historic Costume. Fairchild Publications. 1998.
This source is also not so promising. It only briefly mentions the term of “pantaloons” as men’s clothing and how pantaloons were used to add bulk to the legs. There is not much said about the rise and change of fashion for women.
4. Fischer, Gayle. Pantaloons and Power: A nineteenth Century Dress Reform in the United States. Kent State University Press. 2001.
I think that this book will end up being my greatest resource. In fact, I think I’m going to use it as my Conversation Café book. It is an entire book researched and focused on how women defied convention and started wearing pants, and the resulting shift in social roles and expectations. I’m excited to read it.
introduction
I want to know more about pantaloons because, as my roommate says, “You can’t go wrong with pantaloons,” and I am interested in the fashion shift and social reform that happened when women started wearing pants.
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