Abstract
This article argues for an updated theoretical framework in fashion studies. It proposes that perspectives emphasizing the social role and the technological nature of dress should be considered complementary, and that their joint application can contribute to new understandings of fashion history. Employing ethnographic methods, this stance is explored through a comparative analysis of the sartorial practices of two groups of women living or working in Amsterdam during the 1950s and the 2010s. A theoretical framework integrating theories of identity (mainly based on the writings of Georg Simmel and Gabriel Tarde) and the philosophy of technology (in this case the device paradigm of Albert Borgmann) allows us to uncover a paradoxical history of fashion in which clothing shifts roles, transforming from “things of imitation” into “devices of differentiation.”.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 69-84 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Fashion Theory - Journal of Dress Body and Culture |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 23 Apr 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2018 |
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Keywords
- fashion theory
- history of dress
- identity
- materiality
- philosophy of technology
Cite this
}
From “Things of Imitation” to “Devices of Differentiation” : Uncovering a Paradoxical History of Clothing (1950–2015). / Maldini, Irene; Manz, Ragna Luciana.
In: Fashion Theory - Journal of Dress Body and Culture, Vol. 22, No. 1, 04.2018, p. 69-84.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - From “Things of Imitation” to “Devices of Differentiation”
T2 - Uncovering a Paradoxical History of Clothing (1950–2015)
AU - Maldini, Irene
AU - Manz, Ragna Luciana
PY - 2018/4
Y1 - 2018/4
N2 - This article argues for an updated theoretical framework in fashion studies. It proposes that perspectives emphasizing the social role and the technological nature of dress should be considered complementary, and that their joint application can contribute to new understandings of fashion history. Employing ethnographic methods, this stance is explored through a comparative analysis of the sartorial practices of two groups of women living or working in Amsterdam during the 1950s and the 2010s. A theoretical framework integrating theories of identity (mainly based on the writings of Georg Simmel and Gabriel Tarde) and the philosophy of technology (in this case the device paradigm of Albert Borgmann) allows us to uncover a paradoxical history of fashion in which clothing shifts roles, transforming from “things of imitation” into “devices of differentiation.”.
AB - This article argues for an updated theoretical framework in fashion studies. It proposes that perspectives emphasizing the social role and the technological nature of dress should be considered complementary, and that their joint application can contribute to new understandings of fashion history. Employing ethnographic methods, this stance is explored through a comparative analysis of the sartorial practices of two groups of women living or working in Amsterdam during the 1950s and the 2010s. A theoretical framework integrating theories of identity (mainly based on the writings of Georg Simmel and Gabriel Tarde) and the philosophy of technology (in this case the device paradigm of Albert Borgmann) allows us to uncover a paradoxical history of fashion in which clothing shifts roles, transforming from “things of imitation” into “devices of differentiation.”.
KW - fashion theory
KW - history of dress
KW - identity
KW - materiality
KW - philosophy of technology
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85018830437&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/1362704X.2017.1316577
DO - 10.1080/1362704X.2017.1316577
M3 - Article
VL - 22
SP - 69
EP - 84
JO - Fashion Theory - Journal of Dress Body and Culture
JF - Fashion Theory - Journal of Dress Body and Culture
SN - 1362-704X
IS - 1
ER -