“I Can Study That?!”: The Minor in Fashion History and Culture at the University of Delaware

The Minor

This week’s featured program is the Minor in Fashion History and Culture at the University of Delaware. From the website:

The Minor in Fashion History and Culture provides a unique opportunity for students to develop an understanding of the origins and evolution of dress and fashion in relation to global societies and cultures. Clothing and a​ppearance (i.e. dress) are forms of non-verbal communication. Varying social, national, ethnic and gender groups project their identities through their dress. When examined from both historical and contemporary perspectives, as well as through analysis of cultural differences, clothing and appearance contribute to our understanding of the world. As an interdisciplinary subject, the development and importance of dress and fashion from prehistoric times until present day incorporates historical, economic, aesthetic, technological, social and cultural factors that influenced clothing change.

Students enrolled in the minor take a three-course core sequence in the development of fashion and then select three electives to complete the minor. 

Two Interesting Courses

FASH 213 – Development of Contemporary Fashion: Cultural Expressions

Examines the culture and clothing practices of various ethnic groups and their influences on Western apparel fashion and textile arts during the 20th and 21st Centuries.

ANTH 344 – Anthropology of Clothing and Fashion

This course takes clothing as a starting point for examining broad themes in anthropology, including gender and sexuality, race and the body, history and colonialism. We look at the ritual significance of clothing and other practices of bodily adornment in traditional societies and the role of style in constituting contemporary social movements and identity categories. We investigate the globalization of the fashion industry, from design and production to branding and marketing, in order to understand the relationships among citizenship, consumption, labor, and power in the global economy. The course encourages students to reflect on their relationship to the wider society and economy as producers and consumers of material culture through the lens of clothing.

Five Possible Complementary Majors at the University of Delaware

• • Anthropology
  • Art History
  • Fashion Design & Product Innovation
  • Fashion Merchandising & Management
  • Global Studies

Unique Opportunities within the Minor

Students can enroll in FASH 426 – Fashion and Textile Collection Management:

Practicum at the University of Delaware Fashion and Textile Collection. Cover all aspects of proper care, storage and exhibition techniques for flat textiles, apparel and accessories. Experiences may include museum education, object accession, and database management.

Sample Similar Programs

• • Fashion Institute of Technology: Fashion History, Theory, and Culture Minor
  • Iowa State University: Fashion, Culture, History, and Social Justice Minor
  • Northeastern University: Global Fashion Studies Minor