Fashion in Italy Midterm

Purpose of Sociology

Develop a scientific understanding of the factors affecting group behavior

Practice

ways in which social beings make and transform the world in which they live

Social Relation

any relationship between 2+ individuals that directs their actions reciprocally.

Class

a group of individuals having homogenous features (power, wealth) and occupying the same hierarchical position in society.

Gender

a combination of cultural features differentiating between masculinity and femininity as sociocultural constructs.

Identity

a set of features that make an individual unique

Mass

a group of individuals sharing a uniform behaviour as related to specific stimuli

Fashion

a cultural practice related to the specification of our sense of self as individuals and members of a group.

Dress

item of clothing, apparel, garb; ornament or adornment of the body; everyday or functional mode [of dress].

Clothing

Garments collectively; Raiment, clothes, apparel, covering.

Style

A combination of silhouette, construction, fabric, and details that make the performance of an outfit distinctive.

Classic Style

A style that can last for an indefinite period of time

Fad

Short-term style that is fashionable for a moment but can quickly be discarded

Trend

The direction in which a fashion or style is heading

Fashion Cycle

a natural cycle (Introduction, Rise, Peak, Decline, Obsolescence)

Costume

Characterized by the respect of traditions. It changes little or none with the passing of time; it can change considerably in relation to space

Simmel's Theory

Trickle down Theory

Subculture- American Hippies in the 60s

• Direct contrast to the more formal older generation

• Patterns and bright colors represented the use of psychedelics

• rebel against the war in Vietnam, "peace and love"

• Individuality over conformity

• Flowy and gender neutral

The Renaissance sees an acceleration of change in the styles of dress, influenced by:

- Need for an indicator of social status & ethnicity
- Resistance of Sumptuary laws

Fashion is a Cultural Practice

• Related to the introduction of "new styles"

• based on change vs. stability (fashion cycles vs. classic styles)

1850s: birth of haute couture in Paris favoured by:

- The Industrial Revolution boosted production and consumption
- Department stores provide a variety of products
- The couturier as a job

Italian Style in the 1920s-1940s:

• Nationalization of production

• ambivalent identity politics: uniformity & differentiation

• mix of historical references and ethnic elements

Italian Style in 1940s-1950s:

• 1951: birth of Italian fashion in Florence

• Emancipation from French

• Industrial development

• Ddouble imagery for international recognition: aristocratic heritage vs popular culture

Italian Style in 1970s-2000s:

• Economic boom caused growth of consumer culture and new idea of fashion consumption

• Milan

• new generation of designer: entrepreneur + creative

Fashion can be conceived as a situated bodily practice a learnt behaviour/bodily performance dependent on:

- Body techniques: ways in which the body performs in terms of rules that both construct and constrain its behaviour

- Identity expression as a project about the body and its subsequent transformations/interactions with the context.

Simmel

- The upper class adopts a style, and when the lower class begins to imitate, they change the style so they are always differentiated (not as prevalent now)
- Fashion is determined by the need for unity and the need for isolation

Belfanti

1350s people started to dress for their social class
Some governments attempted to control fashion through legislation (Sumptuary laws), but enforcement was weak.

Muchova

- Charles Fredrick Worth is credited with making "fashion" and being the first "fashion designer."
- In order to get more dressmakers, he made the career have a high social standing in society
- Worth's fashion pushed the physical materials of fashion to always be innovated, which is reminiscent of the quick lifecycle of fashion we see today
- Muchova argues clothes carry artistic meaning, and are not only garments to be worn, but to be admired

Paulicelli

- In fascist Italy, there were parades where women were encouraged to wear some of their local garments as well as military uniforms to show Italy was tolerant, but one
- Fascist Italy wanted less French influence and even attempted to purge the language around fashion and replace them with words of Italian origin
- The use of fashion to create a unified state only works on the surface, but it did not change societally
- When Italy invaded Ethiopia, there were economic sanctions on them, so the textile industry became self-sufficient

White

• Italian women looked to Paris for their fashion inspiration

• In the 1930s, Italy wanted to create its own style and textiles but by WW2 there was no large fashion industry in Italy, nor an “Italian style”

• In the 1950s, Italy became more independent from Paris fashion

• The US liked the Italian style because it was cheap to export

• Italy was known for evening wear that was simpler than that of the French, but had great craftsmanship and intricate handwork

• Italy stood out from other countries' fashion with a boutique style

  • More in tune with the “modern American woman” who was active and working

• Italy then became big for sportswear. It was not “Italian sportswear”, just “sportswear”

• In 1960, French Vogue had a 6-page ‘Shopping in Italy” section, which was the first time they recognized that Italian fashion existed

• Italy really moved to ready to wear for US clients, which made them a staple