I wrote a number of academic essays as part of my MA course, and all but one were on lingerie. The remaining piece was on the history of women's swimwear and I found it so interesting to write that I thought I'd cut it down to the highlights and share with you here. I've spared... Continue Reading →
Knowing that I have an academic interest in fashion history and a love of mid-twentieth century clothing, a friend of mine recently asked if I had seen a recent 1950s themed episode of the Great British Sewing Bee. Now in its third season, the basic premise of the format is much the same as the... Continue Reading →
Before I started working at London College of Fashion, I'd not really thought much about fashion in a broader social context. I'd never considered how people engage with fashion and how it can be used as a 'way in' to discuss more complex topics. Fashion touches our minds, bodies and environment - often without us... Continue Reading →
Ever since I finished my first degree, I always wanted to go on to further study. I got a place on a full-time MSc straight after my BSc but then, before enrolment, decided that I didn't want to get myself into more debt. A few years later, I applied for another MSc (part-time), but then... Continue Reading →
Recently I had the pleasure of speaking to the fantastic Helen Zaltzman for her new podcast about language called The Allusionist. As Helen was discussing the etymology of the word bra in the second episode, she wanted to speak to someone about the history of the garment and Amber Butchart very kindly pointed her in... Continue Reading →
Earlier this month, I was alerted to a new project on the SHOWstudio website, entitled Girly. Created by editor Lou Stoppard and director Nick Knight, Girly aims to unpick fashion's relationship with overt, cartoon femininity and it does so in typical SHOWstudio style via a series of essays and interviews, a fashion film and a... Continue Reading →
As part of the research for my MA dissertation, I headed to Leeds earlier this year to visit the Marks & Spencer Company Archive. Housed in the Michael Marks Building on the University of Leeds campus, the archive contains more than 70,000 items from the company's history, including clothing, packaging and company documentation. On my... Continue Reading →
On Friday, I attended an exhibition talk as part of the first major exhibition from the The Costume Institute of the African Diaspora (CIAD). Made possible by a Heritage Lottery Fund award, Tartan: Its Journey Through the African Diaspora uncovers the fascinating voyage that this famous cloth has taken from its origins in Scotland; exploring... Continue Reading →
You may have noticed that I have not been posting as much as I have in the past, and that's because I've been busy beginning the research for my MA dissertation. I have already visited the Marks and Spencer Company Archive in Leeds, and the Symington Collection which is held at Leicestershire County Council's Collections... Continue Reading →
I have always had a passion for clothing and, more recently, underwear. A personal search for a decent suspender belt a decade ago began an obsession with the design of lingerie, and my subsequent discovery of several UK-based retro brands gave me a surprising insight into the lingerie styles and tastes of the mid 20th... Continue Reading →