SOCIETY in STYLE:
Fashion, History & Culture
THTR 307v
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Instructor: Deborah Brunson
 by appointment 646-7354, Office: Rm 119, CFTA
 dbrunson@nmsu.edu
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Website:
http://www.nmsutheatre.com/thtr307V.php
(under construction)
theatre.nmsu.edu/thtr307/INDEX.htm
Resident Costume Designer
Dept of Theatre Arts
1987-present
BFA- The University of Alabama
MFA- The University of Texas at Austin
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Design for theatre and film
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Specialty Fabrication
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Clothing Historian & Consultant
YOU WILL LEARN:
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To identify the “visual stamp” of time periods chronologically from
the Egyptians to the future with specific emphasis on clothing—
including the general aesthetics of a period, plus fashion silhouette,
cut, color, fabric, decoration and accessories.
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To relate various dress practices to the social, economic, religious,
psychological, aesthetic and technical factors in the particular
society that produced them. To visually put yourself back in time, to
try to imagine what life was like in these time periods.
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To be able to accurately date paintings, sculpture or other primary
sources by identifying clothing details.
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To learn to accurately assess the quality of a source for study,
whether written, digital or extant.
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To relate technical concepts to their impact on clothing—whether it
be discoveries or inventions, or innovations in cut, fit, or wearing
practices.
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To understand the importance of costume and how it relates to all
aspects of the theatre, television, film, media, and digital
presentation, particularly how it affects the movement and behavior
of a performer or presenter, as well as it’s potential impact on an
audience.
YOU WILL BE EXPECTED
TO COMPLETE:
*Redrawings
2 Redrawings for each period--1 male and 1 female. (unless otherwise
noted)These are due at the beginning of class on the Tuesday of the
week following when the periods were covered. They will only be collected
at this time and place. If you forget them, you have lost your opportunity to
turn them in. If I agree to accept one late, you must send it to me
electronically by a specified time, and then follow up with a hard copy.
All Redrawings must be done from PRIMARY SOURCES and
must include required information
Pages should not be permanently bound, please use one side of full-sized
paper, only
*Exams.
There will be four exams throughout the semester, the fourth one
being at final time.
*Costume Film Analysis.
There are 2, which should be selected from the provided list.
A format for these reports is provided.
* Save all classwork until the end of the semester when grading is
completed.
***I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK. Please note that if you
turn in an assignment at any other time and place than is specified, I cannot
guarantee its security.
Attendance Policy:
There is no book--so the lectures, and visual
sources used in class are the bulk of the materials
presented, therefore, I recommend that regular
attendance be high on your priority list. More
than 2 absences will result in a lowering of your
grade at the discretion of the teacher. Please be
on time for all classes.
THE ULTIMATE NONPARTICIPATION
IS
NON-ATTENDANCE!!!
Grading:
Redrawings........................................100
4 Tests..............................100 each= 400
2 Film Analysis.....................50 each= 100
= 600 total points
÷ 6 = Your Grade
***Please note that with the fractional grading option, students with perfect
attendance and no late assignments may be bumped up to a plus, while
students with multiple absences and late assignments may be moved down with
a minus.
Technology:

I currently post my power point lectures on the website
for your assistance in study, HOWEVER, past
problems with technology have occasionally caused me
to be unable to post the latest version. You should
keep this in mind when determining the percentage you
choose to rely on the website.

PLEASE DO NOT HAVE YOUR CELL
PHONE ON IN MY CLASS

PLEASE DO NOT TEXT MESSAGE IN
MY CLASS
Costume Film REPORT REQUIREMENTS
Must be selected from the PROVIDED LIST. MUST BE TYPED! Must be
turned in--not emailed--at the beginning of class on the due date. Please edit AND
proofread for spelling, grammar and content. NO TXT FORMAT!!! Please use
complete sentences. The report should be written in the following format:

1. Title, Director, Production Company, Costume Designer, Year Released:

2. Why did you pick this movie to review?

3. Do you think the film makers wanted to accurately portray the clothing/period, or do you think they
wanted to make a theatrical statement by taking liberties with historical accuracy? Give me 2 reasons to
support your opinion.

4. Do you think that this movie could have just as easily gotten its point across set in modern times, or did
it need the historical setting to be most effective? WHY?
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5. Would you like to have lived in this time period---and WHY?

6. Name one clothing item from this period that you would have enjoyed wearing---and WHY?
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7. Name one clothing item from this period that you would NOT have enjoyed wearing---and WHY?

8. Did this film portray multiple tiers of society? Name two of them, and describe the differences between
them. Tell me which group you think you would have belonged to and WHY?
Redrawings
Re-drawing Checklist:
1. Did you use a primary source?
2. Did you include your name, the
period, the historical source and the
research source?
3. Did you highlight the pertinent
features on the figure?
4. Did you use a full-(but not over)
sized, un-lined, un-bound sheet of
paper?
5. Did you use only one side of the
paper?
6. Did you use only one figure per
paper?
The Other Official stuff….
Period Breakdown
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Egypt 4000 BC-30 BC
Greece 3000 BC-100 BC
Rome 735 BC-323 AD
Romanesque/Byzantine 9001200
Gothic 1200-1450
Renaissance 1450-1550
Elizabethan 1550-1625
Cavalier 1625-1660
Restoration 1660-1700
Georgian 1700-1795
Empire 1795-1815
Romantic 1815-1840
Crinoline 1840-1865
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Bustle 1865-1890
Fin de Siecle 1890-1900
Edwardian 1900-1908
Neo-Empire 1908-1914
World War I 1914-1919
20's 1919-1929
30’s 1929-1939
40's 1939-1947
50's 1947-1959
60's 1959-1971
70's 1971-1980
80's 1980-?
90's ?
New Millennium ?
CLASS SCHEDULE- Fall 2013
Aug
22 Introduction
27 The Study of Dress
29 Egypt
Sept
3
5
Greece / Rome
Romanesque / Byzantine
10 Gothic
12 Renaissance
17 TEST
19 Elizabethan
24 Cavalier
26 Restoration
Oct
1
3
Georgian
Empire
8
TEST
10
Romantic
15
17
Crinoline
Bustle 1st Movie Report due
22
24
Fin de Siecle / Edwardian
Neo-Empire / WW1
29 TEST
3 1 1920s
Nov
5
7
1930s
1940s
12
14
1950s
1960s
19 1970s 2nd Movie Report due
21 1980s
26-28
Dec
NO CLASS- THANKSGIVING !!!
3 1990s
5 The New Millennium & Beyond!
10 FINAL EXAM 10:30am-12:30pm
Some random
--yet relative—
things things that interest me right now…
Notable trends……

2 current trends reference historic
clothing:
 Steam punk
 Hipster
 (and they followed Goth…!)
 Plus vintage, retro, and “authentic”
 Plus gaming & “Fan” favorites
Technology:
“Google Glass”
Monitors muscle development
Lights up when you stop, goes dark when you walk
Collar turns to helmet on
impact
Detects and alerts presence
of greenhouse gas
3-D Printing!!!
www.shapeways.com
3-D printed gown designedfor Dita von Teese by
costume and jewelry designer Michael Schmidt and
architect Francis Bitoni (mostly over Skype!)
“Printed” in 17 sections, then hand-stitched together
and then covered with Swarovski crystals
http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/by-design-a-crystal-crusted-gownmade-with-a-3-d-printer/?_r=0
SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS
FASHION
The people vs………….
“Arab Spring”
99%..............1%
Recent controversy over the JC Penney
“Back-to-School” TV ad
Recent story of Oprah being told by a salesperson in
Zurich shop that she couldn’t see a purse because she
couldn’t afford it
“ECO FASHION”
Environmentally conscious
fashion
Bamboo
FIN
Waterless dyeing
Airdye
Micro-fiber
Charmone
Local….Local….Local……

“Think Globally, act locally”

Made-in-America

Farm-to-Table

“Slow Fashion”
FARM-to-TABLE
Alabama Chanin
INDIVIDUALISM in DESIGN
QUALITY and ARTISTRY in CRAFTSMANSHIP
“Value Authorship”
Fashion with a political message
Unlikely Style Icons…
“What Ali Wore”
http://alioutfit.tumblr.com
Photographer Zoe Spawton began to notice this
interestingly dressed gentleman walk by the café where
she works each day in Berlin. She bean to photograph
his outfits, and the whole thing has gone VIRAL.
Turns out—Ali , 83, is originally from Turkey but has
lived in Berlin for 44 years. He is a retired doctor, who
has 18 children, lives alone, and works 6 days a week as
a tailor. He two do not share a language, but have
formed this amazing friendship, and fashion admirers
worldwide….
The Sartorialist
Jak & Jil blogspot
Body Acceptance
Your Heroes?
Who Influences You?
Who Inspires You?
The 99%, worldwide…
 Sir Richard Branson * Elon Musk
 Bono
 Bill Gates * Jimmy Wales * Mark Zuckerberg
 Jon Stewart * Stephen Colbert
 Ai Weiwei * Aung San Suu Kyi
 William & Kate

ANNIE LENNOX
Costumes at the London Olympics
…..and while we are on the subject—kudos to London FOR the Olympics
Rick Owens
Rick Owens
Thom Browne
Stella McCartney
Barbara Igogini
Valentino
Titania Inglis