Fashion history and theory

Ever since the 1350s, when modern fashion was first established, the look and style of fashion have changed as society has developed. Throughout history, fashion, philosophy, and societal developments have often interconnected with one another. Shifts in beliefs and ideals have often manifested themselves in new fashion trends and clothing design. The course examines fashion’s relationship to clothes, to the structure of class society, and to gender distinctions. The importance of clothing as a social marker is discussed, but also the way that fashion has been used to facilitate social mobility in a society that has become increasingly fluid. The historical emergence of fashion as a system in a historical Western context is highlighted, as well as its global and political dimensions.