Semester 1: Pleasure and Pain: European Fashion as (Art) History 

In the words of Louis XIV, fashion is the mirror of history. This Ampersand seminar will explore what fashion in (art) history can tell us about gender, sexuality, class, race, and revolution. Incorporating a global perspective (although concentrating primarily on the West), further themes to be considered include the textile trade, commerce and empire, identity politics and nation-building. From the chopine to the corset, the pannier to the Pompadour pump, we will incorporate surviving examples of material culture as we explore the art and history of European fashion from the 15th to the 19th century. 

Semester 2: Fashioning America: A Cultural History of American Fashion, Shopping, and Advertising 

This Ampersand seminar will cross the ocean and pick up in 19th century America to explore the various social, cultural, economic, political, and personal meanings associated with fashion, shopping, beauty culture, and advertising in American history from the late 1800’s to the present. Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between consumption and gender, race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality. We will explore different modes and methods of field research to understand the cultural dimensions of fashion, including auto-ethnography, material and visual analysis, archival research, and oral history interviews. In the process, we will also connect with fashion professionals, historians, and curators.