Sean Dollete

Elizabeth Morano

Robert Cremins

History of Fashion

27 September 2017

Final Paper Topic Choices

 

First Choice:

 

• • Type of Dress: Traje de Mestiza
  • Date: 1915
  • Designer: Pacita Longos
  • Filipina Girl in Filipiniana Postcard
  • Pictured: Miss Letitia Cardena
  • Era: American Era: 1900’s-1920’s
  • America became the 2nd country to colonize the Philippines. For the first 5 years, fashion remained the same in the Philippines. But it began to change due to American influence to a more modernized style versus their usual conservative style. The women wore a traje de mestiza, a more modern version of the classic Maria Clara. The dress had bigger sleeves, a narrower floor length skirt accompanied by a saya de cola replacing a full wide skirt, a reflection of  Edwardian fashion of the West. By the 1920’s, the style of skirt was maintained, influenced by the flapper dress.
  • At the end of WWII, the Philippines was in a wreckage. Many Filipina women became war brides, migrating to the US with their spouses who were now part of the US Army. Due to their efforts, Filipinos in the US Army gained free US citizenship. This produced the second generation of “baby boom” Filipino Americans. Upon their arrival, they faced the anti-Asian sentiments that were previously faced by the Chinese and Japanese that came before them. Due to their colonial relationship with the US, Filipinos were considered “nationals”. Those who were not serving in the army were ineligible for citizenship and could not own property. There were laws in place that banned them from marrying Whites. And because of the scarcity of Filipino women, the rise of a full fledged community and the emergence of a second generation was prevented.

2. I find this image/ these images compelling because this is where I come from, this is my culture, this is my heritage, my roots. I feel like under this new administration, every minority, every person of color has embraced their origins in a way that I have never seen before. This type of embrace is louder, prouder, and more unified. Ever since coming back from the Philippines this summer, I feel like a came back a different, more grounded person. I went back home, I re-learned the language and became (mostly) fluent in it again, and returned to living the simple life I lived as a little boy. Because of that experience, I’ve never been more proud to be Filipino. Back home, I was introduced by my aunt to a bunch of strangers as her “American nephew”, and I corrected her and said that despite having a US citizenship, I will always and forever be from the Philippines. I use to always have a hard time remembering my childhood, which mostly took place to the Philippines. But now, when I eat Filipino food or hang out with other Filipinos, I get a sense of nostalgia that takes me back to my childhood and suddenly I remember. That feeling of nostalgia and being taken back to my roots is the feeling that these images give me, which is why I find them compelling. In addition, I never really appreciated traditional Filipino attire, but after going back home, and coming back to New York, I really look to traditional Filipino attire as inspiration, and there’s a beauty and elegance in these garments that is unlike anything I’ve seen. And to be able to learn more about the history, the influence of American colonization on Philippine fashion, and how it’s changed has really opened my mind and has inspired me even more.
3. I  feel as though my this time around is very heavily influenced by traditional Filipino attire, and modern Filipino fashion. I am currently designing a collection for my Design Studio class and one of the inspirations is actually this specific garment and Filipino butterfly sleeves.

Second choice:

• Title: “Newest Fashions for May 1829, Morning and Evening Dresses” from World of Fashion
• Engraving by W. Alais
• Date: May 1829
• Evening Dress: The rightmost outfit, with its skimpier sleeve coverage, non-whitish color scheme, and slightly lower neckline. Day Dress: The lady on the left is wearing a version of the classic late 1820’s “salad plate” hat

2.  I find the image compelling because from a fashion standpoint, I’m very inspired by the silhouette of the dresses, especially by the exaggerated sleeves and the extremely tight waist. I also love the little details from the ruffles on the neckline to the intricate work on the skirt. I also adore the drama of the headgear. As someone who is really
3. What I would ideally like to do in the future is couture, so this picture really resonates with me because couture is really all about the intricate details. I’m a details kind of person versus a big picture type of person. I also would like to explore making accessories during my time here at Parsons, especially headdresses. This style actually inspires a lot of my designs from the dramatic shoulder/sleeve to the the corsetry.

Third Choice:

• Date: September 1904
• Fashion plate from La Mode Illustree
• Woman in the blue dress
• The blue two-pieced dress with the bodice tucked into the skirt, is decorated with ruffles and lace. The large picture hat counterbalances the fullness at the hem of the skirt. This is an excellent example of the S-silhouette, with a full chest, narrow waist, and full back created from the full skirt.

2. Stylistically, I find the image compelling because I’m inspired by the S- silhouette of the dress, especially by the monobosom look juxtaposed with the extremely corseted waist. As someone who loves and analyzes detail, I love the lace details on the upper half of the garment and the print of the skirt.
3. What I would ideally like to do in the future is couture, so this picture really resonates with me because couture is really all about the intricate details. I’m a details kind of person versus a big picture type of person. This style actually inspires a lot of my designs from the dramatic shoulder/sleeve to the the corsetry.