The Dress Detective is the first practical guide to analysing fashion objects, clearly demonstrating how their close analysis can enhance and enrich interdisciplinary research. This accessible book provides readers with the tools to uncover the hidden stories in garments, setting out a carefully developed research methodology specific to dress, and providing easy to use checklists that guide the reader through the process.
Beautifully illustrated, the book contains seven case studies of fashionable Western garments – ranging from an 1820s coat to a 2004 Kenzo jacket – that articulate the methodological framework for the process, illustrate the use of the checklists, and show how evidence from the garment itself can be used to corroborate theories of dress or fashion.
This book outlines a skillset that has, until now, typically been passed on informally. Written in plain language, this book will give any budding fashion historian, curator or researcher the knowledge and confidence to analyse the material in front of them effectively.
Alexandra Kim
Alexandra Kim is a dress historian and museum professional based in Canada. Kim has spent many years working in UK museums as a curator in a range of institutions including the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and Chertsey Museum, and Surrey Museum, home to the Olive Matthews dress collection. For six and a half years she was the Keeper of Art, Clothing and Textiles at Buckinghamshire County Museum, and most recently she worked as a Curator of Collections at Kensington Palace, home to the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. Kim has written an article on work, class and dress for the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion and is an editor for Costume, the UK Costume Society journal.
Ingrid Mida
Ingrid Mida is the Collection Co-ordinator of the Ryerson Fashion Research Collection in Toronto. Mida is a popular speaker on topics of dress history, the intersection of fashion and art, and collection access. Mida has also written for publications including Worn, Modeconnect, Fashion Projects, and Worn Through. Mida has also edited issues of the Costume Journal for the Costume Society of Ontario in 2013.
List of illustrations
Acknowledgments
Foreword, Jean Druesedow
Introduction
Chapter 1: A Brief History of Object-based Research with Dress Artefacts
Chapter 2: How to Read a Dress Artefact
Chapter 3: Observation
Chapter 4: Reflection
Chapter 5: Interpretation
Chapter 6: Case Study of a Yellow Woollen Pelisse
Chapter 7: Case Study of a Grey-blue Sateen Corset
Chapter 8: Case Study of a Brown Velveteen and Wool Bodice
Chapter 9: Case study of a Man's Evening Suit Tailcoat and Trousers
Chapter 10: Case Study of a Lanvin Wedding Dress and Headpiece
Chapter 11: Case Study of a Ruby Red Velvet Jacket by Christian Dior New York
Chapter 12: Case study of a Kimono-Style Jacket by Kenzo
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Index
Other versions by this Author
