Style Tribe Choices in Historical Context Project

Abstract

The style tribe project is the cumulative project in a combined undergraduate/graduate Costume History course. The project asks students to connect modern fashion movements to past styles. A style tribe is a social counter­culture that has a defined style of dress that differs from societal norms. An example of a style tribe would be the Teddy Boys in 1950s Britain. For this project, students are asked to pick a modern style tribe and define the characteristics of the group’s dress. Once the students have a clear understanding of the style they pick three garments associated with the group and connect those garments to earlier style trends throughout costume history. The students then present their findings in a short paper and visual presentation. The learning outcome for this project is to help students draw connections between modern styles and the clothing of the past. Through tying the garments to a specific subculture with a clearly defined style attitude, the students learn how the garments have signified different things to specific cultures throughout history.
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