Clothing carries stories of materials, labour, culture and environmental impact. This course explores where clothes come from, how fashion systems operate, and what garments reveal about identity and consumption. We examine sustainability, ethics and personal choice, encouraging participants to look at their wardrobes with fresh awareness. Ideal for anyone interested in fashion, wellbeing and making more informed everyday decisions. Accessories (hats, ties, handbags, scarves), shoes and underwear are not covered in this course.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face / Online

SUGGESTED READING

• Amy de la Haye & Valerie D Mendes, World of Art, Fashion since 1900
• Lynn Schnurnberger, Let There be Clothes, 40,000 Years of Fashion, 1991, Workman Publishing
• Nigel Cawthorne, The New Look, The Dior Revolution, 1996, Hamlyn
• Valerie Steele, The Black Dress, 2007, Harper Collins
• Mike Evans Ed, Key Moments in Fashion, the Evolution of Style, 1998, Hamlyn
• Christopher Breward, Fashion, Oxford History of Art, 2003, Oxford University Press
• Bonnie English, A Cultural History of Fashion in the 20th Century, 2007, Berg Publishing

COURSE OUTLINE

• Introduction to the history of fashion
• Timeline for the history of fashion in the 20th and 21st century
• Context of historical events, culture, inventions, style influencers that influenced what we wear
• What are wardrobe essentials?
• Origin stories (include history, culture, influencers, inventions) for: Little black dress (women); Suit, Jeans, T-shirt, Blazer, White shirt, Trenchcoat (men and women)

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand the key events, inventions and cultural impacts throughout history that influence how we dress in the 21st century
2. Identify the wardrobe essentials for men and women
3. Understand the origin stories of your wardrobe essentials