The University of Maine The University of Maine

DigitalCommons@UMaine DigitalCommons@UMaine

Honors College

Spring 5-2018

Constructing Identity Through the Lens of Fashion: An Honors Constructing Identity Through the Lens of Fashion: An Honors

Thesis Thesis

Cara P. Doiron University of Maine, caradoiron@gmail.com

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors

Part of the Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Fashion Design

Commons, Finance Commons, and the Graphic Design Commons

Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Doiron, Cara P., "Constructing Identity Through the Lens of Fashion: An Honors Thesis" (2018). Honors College. 328. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/328

This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors College by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact um.library.technical.services@maine.edu.

CONSTRUCTING IDENTITY THROUGH THE LENS OF FASHION

AN HONORS THESIS

by

Cara P. Doiron

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for a Degree with Honors

(Business Administration in Finance)

The Honors College

University of Maine

May 2018

Advisory Committee: Samantha Jones, Honors College Preceptor, Co-Advisor Andrea Mauery, Associate Professor of Art and Department Chairperson,

Co-Advisor Deborah Dall, Interior Designer and founder of Deb Dall Designs Lucia Williams-Young, Costume Shop Manager and Costume Construction, School of Performing Arts Jennifer Woodard, Adjunct instructor in History; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Honors College Preceptor

© 2018 Doiron

All Rights Reserved

ABSTRACT

Fashion is an artistic decision that every person makes every day. Even those who

say they don’t care about clothing are still portraying something about themselves to the

outside world with the stylistic choices they make. This creative Honors Thesis explores

the impact of fashion on self-representation, accomplished through the design and

construction of a capsule wardrobe line of clothing. Due to the project’s personal and

introspective nature, the intended wearer is the artist, and therefore the pieces are

specifically tailored to her, rather than the straight sized garments that are typically

produced in the fashion industry. This line consists of multiple pieces, each addressing a

particular event or situation, in which ostensible expectations for dress conflict with what

the wearer feels most authentically represented in. Examples include a high fashion take

on a winter coat, a pink version of a ladies business suit, and more. The project’s goal,

through the artist’s experience and sharing of this work, is to encourage viewers to

reconsider fashion and the ways it impacts each of us inside and out, including their own

personal style, the ways they feel they must conform, and how they can use fashion to

feel more authentic and confident in themselves.

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This thesis would not have been possible without the generosity and support of

various organizations and individuals, and thus, I would like to extend sincere thanks.

Grants provided by the Center for Undergraduate Research and the Slavin

Research Fund gave me the financial ability to make my creative works live up to and

beyond the visions I had for them.

I would never have had the courage to pursue this project if it were not for the

encouragement of Samantha Jones from the very beginning. Additionally, the time,

patience, and knowledge shared with me by Samantha and also Andrea Mauery, my

thesis co-advisors, have crucially contributed to my thesis experience. I would also like to

thank my other committee members, Dr. Jennifer Woodard, Lucia Williams-Young, and

Deb Dall, for their time and inputs throughout the process. My dear friend, Kate

Finnemore, served as a sounding board for many of my ideas throughout the project. She

also spent hours with me to take countless beautiful photos of my work, something I

could not have done without her. My late grandmother, Phyllis Christian, was one of the

people who made me interested in fashion, and for that I am eternally grateful. Lastly, I

would like to thank my family for their endless understanding and support throughout

this project, my academic career, and my entire lifetime.

v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1 THE IMPORTANCE OF DRESSING FOR SELF-REPRESENTATION 4 INHIBITORS OF DRESSING FOR THE SELF 9 WORKS AND PROCESS 17

Cold Weather 18 Everyday 21 Professional 26 First Impressions 29

CONCLUSION 33 WORKS CITED 34 APPENDIX 38 AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY 44

vi

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure A: Cold Weather - Blue Faux Fur Coat 21

Figure B: Everyday - Embroidered Top 25

Figure C: Everyday - Jeans 25

Figure D: Professional - Pink Suit (Blazer and Skirt) 28

Figure E: First Impressions - Dress 32

Figure F: First Impressions - Dress (back detail) 32

Figure G: Iris Apfel at One Kings Lane's NYC offices, 2014, by Ryan Dixon 39

Figure H: Woven Labels 41

Figure I: Otomi tenango (embroidery) from Mexico, Photo from the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences in Sydney, Australia 41

Figure J: Haring, Keith. Untitled. 1987. Silkscreen. The Keith Haring Foundation. 42

Figure K: Everyday - Embroidered Top (detail) 42

Figure L: My Grandmother in July of 1980 in her pink suit 43

vii

LIST OF TABLES

Table A: An Abbreviated List of Recommendations of Fashion Self Help Books 40

Table B: Pattern Sources, Adapted for Use 40

1

INTRODUCTION

Fashion is something that has been important to me for as long as I can remember.

Growing up, my mother and grandmother would love dressing me up, allowing my

personal sense of style to grow from a young age. Similarly, I began sewing when I was a

child, first learning at summer camps and later evolving into a self-taught practice. I

would make anything I could think of, including pillows, bags, or repurposing old clothes

into new, wearable works of art.

While I have had experience with fashion and sewing throughout my life, this

project actually evolved out of a smaller project in the Honors Tutorial course called The

Art of Failure, taught by Samantha Jones. Our assignment was to pursue a project that we

had always wanted to do but hadn’t out of a fear of failing. Fashion and sewing were two

strong interests of mine, but I had always feared making my own clothes (rather than just

altering existing clothes) because it felt like it required an amount of work and skill that I

wouldn’t be able to overcome. If I was somehow able to put the adequate effort into it, I

was worried the outcome would be so bad that I would be embarrassed and too defeated

to ever try again. It seemed easier to imagine design ideas and never make them than to

try it and fail.

The reason I was so interested in making clothing of my own was because I had

long wrestled with how to dress in a way that I could feel like the most authentic version

of myself, experiencing firsthand the uplifting moments of success, and the discomfort of

feeling like a look wasn’t representing the true me. I was inspired by the idea that

2

research on this topic paired with the personal creation and fitting of a design might help

me more concretely understand the emotional connection I have with clothes for better or

for worse. Additionally, I hoped I might be able to use the experience to move to a higher

level of self-awareness and authenticity, and to share it in a way that could also inspire

others to think about their fashion choices, the ways they choose to represent themselves,

and how it might impact them beyond simply a surface level. Working in the academic

environment of the Honors tutorial, which would accept failure as long as it was

accompanied by passion and effort, allowed me to push past that fear and not only

accomplish my goal, but to do so with great success. Making that one garment proved to

me that it was only the beginning of what I might be able to create, and thus, my thesis

project was born.

Identity and fashion are intrinsically connected. Everyone says something with

their style, and everyone makes decisions about how to present themselves on a daily

basis. Even the people who claim to not care about fashion still must buy their clothing

and choose how to wear it. In the essay “Fashioning a Femininst Style” in Fashion Talks,

author Astrid Henry references the words of Pamela Church Gibson, saying:

“No one can dress in a way that signifies nothing. One may be ‘fashion indifferent,’ an ‘anti-fashionist’ or crazy about fashion. But regardless, writes Gibson, ‘whether [people] follow current trends, ignore them and create their own style, are relatively uninterested in ‘fashion’ as such, or have little, if any, money to spend on clothes, they nevertheless, by the simple act of getting dressed in the morning, participate in the process of fashion’” (22).

Ideally, fashion could be used to represent one’s most true self as an aesthetic exterior to

represent the person within. For some, this process can be empowering and make a

notable difference in mood, confidence, and self-acceptance. The significance of these

benefits is examined more in Chapter I. However, for others, restrictions on clothing,

3

whether explicit, ostensible, or internal, can cause the wearer to feel oppressed. This may

not only eliminate the benefit that can come from dressing authentically, but could even

invert it, leaving one worse off than they felt before. Such factors could include fit,

money, weather, gender identity, body, culture, and more, discussed in more detail in

Chapter II. This thesis project takes this concept and examines it through the creation of a

capsule wardrobe of clothing designed and made for me, by me. Each look addresses

situation in which I have felt unable to dress in a way that made me feel like the best

version of myself, and attempts to find a solution that satisfies both the requirements of

the circumstance and of my own personal stylistic desires. Each situation and its

accompanying look, including cold weather, everyday, professional, and first

impressions, is discussed at length in Chapter III. This written component of the thesis

serves as an extended artist’s statement, discussing supporting research, the works I have

created, and the process of their formation.

4

CHAPTER I

THE IMPORTANCE OF DRESSING FOR SELF-REPRESENTATION

I have always felt some sense of duty to myself to dress in a way that feels

authentic. This is, of course, important in the sense that I want to convey something about

who I am to the outside world, but beyond that, I want to feel good about myself. This

vague notion is hard to concretely qualify and can sometimes seem to vary day by day.

However, it is something that we are all familiar with on some level. Whether it is a sense

of confidence in professional attire for a job interview, feeling relaxed in pajamas, the

excitement for warmer weather the first time one puts on sandals in the spring, or

countless other situations, each is unique to the specific wearer and situation.

Fashion is a major part of culture, not to mention an essential component of self-

expression. For many, however, it is overlooked, despite the fact that nearly every person

makes decisions on their clothing each day. Clothing inherently represents its wearer, and

therefore, fashion plays a large role in the lives of individuals and as a representation of

society. Perhaps Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner describes it best in her book You Are What

You Wear when she says:

“Our clothing is the physical representation of our perceptions, our dissatisfactions, and our desires. When we look beyond the physical to our internal workings, we can create a change at the core. Unlike change that occurs in therapy, these difficult internal examinations are softened by the light of the wardrobe makeover . . . Taking care of yourself begins with self-discovery. The clothing you put on your back is an incredibly accurate indicator of what you think of yourself and your life. Cracking open the closet doors can lead to great insight. When you strive toward self-discovery, improvement often follows.

5

Wearing clothing that makes you feel comfortable, happy, and good about yourself really does make life better” (xv-xvi).

It is worth noting that beyond the individual implications of what we choose to

wear, fashion in society says a great deal about its culture at large. As Diana Crane states

in her book titled Fashion and its Social Agendas: “tracing changes in the nature of

fashion and in the criteria for clothing choices is one way of understanding the

differences between the type of society that has been gradually disappearing and the one

that is slowly emerging” (Crane 236). This topic alone would be enough to write its own

thesis on, so while I will not expound upon it here, it is worth recognizing.

There is a constant back and forth between the desires of the internal self and the

expectations of society. Some believe that we should dress for ourselves, as Dr.

Baumgartner explains above, while others remain steadfast to the idea that because

“clothes are intended to be worn in public space; we dress for others not for ourselves”

(Crane 237). Crane’s statement here is, of course, in reference to the larger societal

impact of clothing as a part of material culture, as previously discussed, and how the

clothing may be used to fit into certain social groups or identities. However, I am of the

opinion that the latter statement, at its core, minimizes some of the individual

opportunities that dressing for oneself can provide. Fashion is not about seeking the

approval of others; it is first about seeking the approval of oneself. This is why some

choose to flaunt their personal style with courage, even when faced with the possibility of

questioning stares or judgmental commentary, with commendation from others serving as

icing on the cake, so to speak.

One of the best examples of someone who is living their life and using fashion to

represent her most authentic self is Iris Apfel. She is a 96-year-old fashion icon of New

6

York City, her life and perspective detailed in countless documentaries, notably the 2015

release Iris, directed by Albert Maysles. Apfel is known for her signature use of

accessories, adorned with giant beads, chunky bracelets, and owl-like circular glasses. A

photograph of her, serving as an example of her style, is shown in Figure G in the

Appendix. In the film, she emphasizes that her style is not intellectual, and it is all based

on her gut feeling, saying “it just has to feel right with me. Every time I do it, I do it a

different way,” referring to the daily evaluation of what pieces feel most authentic to who

she is and what she wants to present on that particular day.

Regardless of the level of outlandishness an outfit might display, the benefits of

dressing for one’s own truth of spirit often make worth it, in spite of the appraisals of

others. These advantages are too valuable to be written off as simply a means to seek

approval from others. The most obvious reward of dressing authentically is that it can

make the wearer feel happier, more confident, and comfortable in their own skin.

Discovering who we are in an aesthetic sense can be enlightening, and that greater

understanding of the self allows for that heightened sense of fun in what could like a

chore. In the text Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life, the author, George Brescia,

says:

“..you may feel your emotions surrounding your clothing become suffused with a lightness and a joy you haven’t felt since those high school days. Despite all the struggles you previously had with your clothing, you may rediscover a sense of fun . . . On a deeper level, you will certainly feel an increased sense of poise and self-confidence. An outfit you feel 100 percent proud of is an immeasurably powerful baseline with which to start your day. You will notice the difference the instant you step out of your door, and the benefits will only accrue through the days, weeks, and months that follow” (266-267).

We don’t need a book to tell us this, as it is something we all know is true. Whether it is

something experienced daily, once in a lifetime, or even if it is only experienced it in the

7

imagination, most people recognize the power of clothing. This is especially true for

special occasions like weddings, with white gowns holding a special place in the hearts of

many traditional brides in the U.S., or graduations, with a cap and gown denoting

accomplishment, etc. It is once we are able to go beyond this event-based celebration of

clothing, instead recognizing the daily power of our stylistic selections, that we can use

fashion for the purpose of self-discovery, representation, and love.

Even though this desire to represent oneself is internally motivated, and has

indisputable emotional benefits, the virtues may extend beyond how it makes one feel.

Fashion can be used to show the world who you are, and this sense of authenticity can

allow you to attract likeminded individuals, open new doors, and even strengthen

connections with others.

While some situations, such as those that I focus on in the creative body of work

for this thesis, do require meeting certain expectations, it remains my choice to adhere to

those expectations because I want to reap some of the benefits of doing so. A very simple

example of this is the choice to wear an adequately warm coat in the winter. It is clothing,

and therefore represents a stylistic choice, but the practical demands of the situation, such

as staying warm in frigid temperatures, are something that I also want to take advantage

of. Another example is choosing to wear business attire to a job interview. I want to show

the company something about myself, the person they are considering hiring, but I also

want to prove to them, on some level, within the context and expectations of our specific

culture and society, that I am a professional. Dressing well has been scientifically shown

to increase my chances of getting a job (Brescia 4), and because that is, of course, the

ultimate goal of my attending a job interview, I am willing to take into consideration the

8

ways in which I dress can help me achieve that objective. Therefore, I am continuing to

dress for myself, representing who I am, and while in pursuit of my own goals, I am

choosing to strategically abide by certain expectations the particular situation suggests. In

fashion, especially once the metaphorical door of designing and creating one’s own

clothes is unlocked, it seems there will always be a way to balance the need for personal

expression and the necessities of circumstance.

9

CHAPTER II

INHIBITORS OF DRESSING FOR THE SELF

In my life, I have become acutely aware of the impact clothing has on my mood,

and even how my mood impacts which clothing I choose to wear. During periods of my

life in which I have lost a sense of who I was, often due to struggles with emotional

mental health, it became more difficult to dress in ways that felt truly representative of

myself, likely because I no longer felt as sure of just who that person was. I would fall

into the rut of wearing the same so-called uniform every day, like jeans or leggings with a

simple shirt, no accessories, etc. I knew that I always felt better when I cared about my

appearance and worked to put together outfits, but the effort it required often felt

insurmountable. It was almost like it was easier just to give up and blend in, feeling

unhappy, than to put myself out there.

Thankfully, those times did not last forever for me, and every time I came out of

it, I was able to rediscover my love of fashion. However, it is because I love fashion and

care deeply about how I present myself and whether I feel authentic in what I choose to

wear that I can still sometimes find myself in an emotional struggle with my closet. In

many ways, I am very fortunate in my life to have the freedoms that I do, including my

freedoms of clothing choice. However, in discussing a topic such as this, it is essential to

acknowledge my own privilege and to recognize the perspectives and struggles of others.

There are countless reasons why one could feel inhibited or even completely prevented

10

from dressing for themselves, while still other factors exist as social or cultural norms

that one might independently choose to adhere to. Each individual topic within this

section could easily fill volumes on its own, and while they are not the predominant focus

of this project, it remains important to note and briefly discuss them here for the sake of

thoroughness.

A negative interaction of fashion and mood is one of the more apparent inhibitors

of authentic dress; an equally negative association with fashion occurs with the desire to

dress more fashionably, but not knowing where to begin. If anything indicates the

pressure many feel to dress in a certain way, it is the vast selection of fashion help books.

Unfortunately, the majority of these texts seem to focus on correcting a negative or

making the reader better, under a closed-minded definition of the word, according to

some vague, collective group of others, with promises of making the individual seem

skinnier, sexier, wealthier, more likable, etc. Certain texts push readers to feel shame

about their bodies, with titles like How Not to Look Fat by Danica Lo, Does This Make

Me Look Fat? by Leah Feldon, How to Never Look Fat Again by Charla Krupp, and

countless others. In fact, when visiting the library, this type of book dominates most of

the fashion help section. Others are thinly veiled attempts by stylists-turned-authors to

impose their own opinions upon those seeking advice. While there are some standout

written works that truly have the best interest of the reader in mind (see a brief list of

suggestions in the Appendix, Table A), they are few and far between, and it is the

potential reader’s inundation with these surface-level texts that makes the task of

discovering oneself through fashion feel impossible, and to some, perhaps no longer

worth pursuing.

11

As is implied by the previous listing of books, body type is a factor that can

impact clothing choice. For many years, fashion glamorized the ultra-thin, and as a result,

plus-sized clothing was harder to find, had fewer options, and was even more expensive,

according to Tim Gunn’s 2016 op-ed for the Washington Post. However, in the very

recent past, there has been a major shift, as companies are finally starting to recognize the

validity of this market segment, according to a 2017 article in The Economist titled “The

Forgotten Majority: The Fashion Industry Pays Attention to Plus-Size Women.” The

article states:

“A frequently-cited study . . . by Plunkett Research, a market-research firm, found that 67% of American women were “plus-size”, meaning size 14 or larger. . . in 2016, only 18% of clothing sold was plus-size, according to NPD Group, another research firm” (The Economist).

The article then goes on to discuss the beginnings of progress that the industry has shown

to become more inclusive to all body types, but that it is still not even close to the level

that it should be.

In addition to these concerns about the range of available sizes, there remains the

concern of the fit of the clothing in general. Most people realize how difficult it can be to

find something as simple as a pair of jeans that actually fit well. While it is certainly

cheaper for manufacturers to produce clothing in a single, standardized shape, large

groups of people are left with only ill-fitting options. Fit is a key component to feeling

good in clothing, as George Brescia states, “whatever your size and shape, well-fitting

clothes send the message that you’re confident about your body, where ill-fitting clothes

telegraph uncertainty and a lack of confidence” (53). Part of the complication of fit is the

issue of vanity sizing, as Time magazine discusses in the article “One Size Fits None”:

12

“The rise of so-called vanity sizing has rendered most labels meaningless. As Americans have grown physically larger, brands have shifted their metrics to make shoppers feel skinnier—so much so that a women’s size 12 in 1958 is now a size 6. Those numbers are even more confusing given that a pair of size-6 jeans can vary in the waistband by as much as 6 in., according to one estimate” (Time).

The U.S. once had a universal system of sizing that all clothing manufacturers adhered to,

but by the early 80s, it was no longer in use. Of course, there is no universal body type,

but lacking even a basic system of sizing means that the majority of people will have a

difficult time finding well-fitting clothes now, and the clothes that they do have may all

have different numeric sizes, according to the tag. Endlessly trying on clothes is often the

only option, and it can be frustrating to the point that many give up. Furthmore, the

option to try things on exists only in brick-and-mortar retail environments, which is

falling by the wayside with the rise of online shopping (Sanburn, Time).

Another important factor that contributes to or restricts one’s ability to dress in a

certain way is money. As Hadley Freeman puts it in The Meaning of Sunglasses, “That

fashion generally involves the expenditure of money is probably the most common

criticism of it” (168). It is true that fashion and money go hand in hand, with the industry

arguably being one of the strongest ties between business and art. Certain styles are

accessible only to the elite, for instance, luxurious designer brands, or “the fact that the

cost of furs makes them attainable to only the richest provides their wearers with the thrill

of exclusion” (Arnold 16). Even the line of clothing that I created for this project was

made possible through generous monetary academic grants, and without them I would

not have been able to accomplish anything even close what I was able to, because I

would not have been able to afford it. The financial demands that the fashion industry

13

places on the consumer permeate not only the ready-to-wear market, but even those who

try to circumvent it by making their own clothes.

With today’s interconnected global businesses and cultures, designs that start out

as available to only the upper echelon are quickly reimagined, sometimes ripped off, by

lower cost manufacturers, making way for the world of fast fashion we find ourselves in

today, dominated by players such as H&M and Forever21 (Bain, The Atlantic). For this

reason, fashion is more accessible than ever, but the environmental and ethical costs

sometimes associated with these brands can weigh heavily on the consumer. Therefore,

spending money on the higher end labels is financially unfeasible, and buying the lower

cost versions brings the aforementioned issues along with lower quality and durability, so

it is difficult to find a way to win.

Another obstacle in dressing for oneself is the consideration of practicality in

terms of the weather or activities. For instance, if one’s lifestyle demands that they walk a

lot, there is some necessity to wearing comfortable shoes. Another example is that in a

climate like the state of Maine’s, one must have clothing appropriate for all types of

conditions, from blizzards to beach days. For the sake of functionality, it is easy to feel

constrained by wearing certain pieces, and once those habits are established, it is even

more difficult to break away from them.

One of the biggest inhibitors of dressing for oneself stems from location. Location

has less to do with physical location (though that is incorporated when it comes to factors

like weather, discussed above), and more to do with the culture and society of that

particular area. For example, one wouldn’t expect to see someone going out to dinner in,

say, Topeka, Kansas in the same outfit as someone doing the same in New York City.

14

Some of this is self-selecting, as some people are able to move to areas where they feel

they fit in better, but when someone is brought up in a location that they feel they don’t

belong, it can be hard to branch and wear the kinds of fashion to which they might

someday aspire. This kind of constrictive homogeneity can take place on an even smaller

scale, such as the overabundance of Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister branded clothing

that I remember being surrounded by in middle school, or the hundreds of pairs of Bean

boots paired with Patagonia fleeces at the University of Maine. There is absolutely

nothing wrong with these stylistic choices, but when one wants to deviate from that norm,

it can feel uncomfortable, both for the wearer and the onlooker, sometimes enough to

discourage any deviation at all.

Relating to culture, religion can also play a role in the way that people dress.

Numerous religions around the world have norms related to clothing for people involved

at different levels. For discussion’s sake, a focus will be placed upon Islam, as it is

perhaps the religion most commonly associated with modest dress, especially for women,

who often wear garments such as the hijab head covering, or the loose abaya dress (Arabs

in America, University of North Carolina). While some may view this as oppressive,

many of the women who actually wear the garments do so out of personal preference.

They view it as a sign of respect for themselves, others, and Allah, and an essential part

of their culture, as discussed in Dr. John Turner’s Honors 112 lecture on the Holy Qur’an

in March of 2015. Furthermore, some of these Muslim women even take the opportunity

to enhance the style of their modest garments. This is discussed in the essay titled “Glam

Abaya: Contemporary Emirati Couture” by Jan C. Kreidler in the book Fashion Talks,

saying:

15

“In the search for modern styles that do not offend religious and cultural customs, most fashionable Muslim women wear conservative, more conventionally attractive abayat. A Gulf News reader writes, ‘We Emirati women wear the abaya because it is our cultural dress and our culture is defined by our religion, Islam. That is why it is a beautiful, conservative way to be a good Muslim and an elegant woman.’ . . . One design team claims, ‘The EFFA ‘Abaya Couture’ customer is an independent, active and modern woman that wants her abaya to reflect her personality whilst keeping her cultural identity’” (141).

This brief discussion on a subset of the fashion of Islam serves as a single example of

how the cultural norms of some religions influence dressing, but at the same time, they

may also encourage new ways of exploring personal style. This message, of course,

becomes more complicated for individuals that are involved in various religions against

their will, or out of fear of retribution. In any case, religion is a factor that influences the

ways people dress.

A final possible inhibitor of dressing for the self to be discussed here is the

individual’s gender identity. This topic is one that is especially broad and is an ever-

growing conversation in today’s society. In the essay “Dressing Left” in Fashion Talks,

author Shira Tarrant writes:

“Gender is a continuum of identities and presentations of self. As such, there is no binary, there is no Other. . . The even larger question that remains unanswered is whether it is ever really possible that mainstream images of fashion and style can move beyond a binary of masculine and feminine in opposition to each other . . . Or does the coding of masculinity and femininity run so deeply through our collective psyches that any attempt to subvert this phenomenon will remain incomplete?” (49).

While in some circles, acceptance of the multitude of identities grows, there is still a

great deal of prejudice, and this lack of acceptance makes it more difficult for many

individuals to come out, and when they do, they can often be faced with criticism or even

violence (Astor, New York Times). For trans people who are unable to come out, they

may feel as if the clothes they wear in their birth-assigned gender (as opposed to the

16

gender they identify as) are in betrayal of their true self. Furthermore, as the quote above

emphasizes, fashion and traditional gender roles have long been intertwined, so clothing

can feel especially restrictive for those who do not identify in that anachronistic binary.

The topics discussed here in relation to their impact on fashion, including

emotions, accessibility, body type and sizing, money, practicality, culture, religion, and

gender identity each carry their own weight, and often, it is likely that multiple categories

could apply to any one person. To conclude the discussion on restrictions of dress, one

final example should be acknowledged, and that is the significance of the uniform.

People wear uniforms in many circumstances, including service jobs, the military, and

even prison. The one commonality in each of these situations is that the uniform is

designed to remove the sense of individuality from its wearer. This practice alone is

enough to demonstrate the power of fashion for representation of the self, as well as how

restrictions on these choices can have an indisputable impact.

17

CHAPTER III

WORKS AND PROCESS

The predominant component of my thesis is the creative work that I have done in

the design and physical creation of a capsule wardrobe of clothing, to be discussed in this

chapter. The concept of the capsule wardrobe means that many of the pieces can be worn

together in different combinations to create multiple harmonious looks. This chapter is

broken down into sections for each situation: Cold Weather, Everyday, Professional, and

First Impressions. For each, I first provide a brief description of each piece that I have

created, and then an abbreviated history of the type of garment, as appropriate. Then, I

discuss the concept and reasoning of each finished piece(s), followed by a more in depth

discussion of the process, ending with a photo of the finished garment(s).

It should be noted that in the fashion design industry, patterns are typically used

as a starting point for garments, commonly referred to as slopers (Mahon 53). While I

have had years of experience in sewing, I am relatively new to the practice of making

clothing. Thus, an essential part of my process was the adaptation of basic patterns (listed

in Works Cited and in Table B in the Appendix). Beginning with the pattern as a general

starting template for a certain cut or style, I adapted each as needed to have the optimal fit

for my body, and to reflect the ideas I had for the design of each piece. Each piece

discussed in this thesis was constructed by me in my makeshift basement sewing studio at

my home in Bangor, Maine.

18

The color scheme for the line was established early on as an adapted primary, so

rather than the potentially childish red, yellow, and blue, it would be pink, yellow-orange,

and a rich cobalt blue, with the addition of white as a neutral. This functions as a sort of

grown up version of the palette, maintaining a sense of youthful fun, but applied to more

grown up pieces. Additionally, all pieces were finished with woven labels, showing my

name, Cara Doiron, in sparkly gold on a pink background (see Appendix, Figure H).

These furthered the idea of building a brand, and also forging a stronger personal

connection with the pieces as an extension of myself.

Cold Weather

The first piece created for this collection is a three-quarter length winter coat in

blue faux fur, with matching blue satin lining, a hidden Thinsulate interior lining, with

exterior, two-way, lined pockets. While coats for warmth and style have a long history,

this particular type stems from the 1920s cocoon coat (Vintage Dancer). They were

typically made of wool at the time, though fur was a common addition around necklines,

as well as making up entire coats. Particularly in the early to mid 1900s, fur was seen as a

symbol of status, and more recently, “the haute symbol of the Lady, the fur coat, the

emblem of both the aloof aristocrat and the kept mistress, has seen a tentative revival on

the catwalks of high fashion since the mid-1990s” (Arnold 15). More and more brands

are now declaring themselves fur-free, instead utilizing faux fur as I have done here. In

fact, after I had already made this piece, numerous fashion news outlets, declared brightly

19

colored faux fur coats a major trend at New York Fashion Week for Fall 2018, which

took place in February of 2018.

Concept

Winter is a big part of living in Maine, and most people have a winter coat that

they wear simply for the sake of staying as warm as possible. The stylistic options for

these ultra-warm coats are typically limited and very plain, as it is something we must

wear nearly every day for months at a time and therefore requires versatility. I was

intrigued by the idea of a coat that is just as warm as any coat by L.L. Bean or Canada

Goose, but far more high fashion and luxurious than any of the existing options that were

designed predominantly with practicality in mind. The resulting coat is very warm and

cozy, proven to keep its wearer comfortable in cold temperatures, while remaining a fun

and vibrant piece that might actually make someone look forward to winter.

Process

I had been seeing a lot of three-quarter length coats in my visual research, and

loved the polish they added to any outfit, and, of course, the extended length would

contribute to the warmth of the coat. I knew that I wanted to do a faux fur in a bright

color, and after ordering a myriad of samples from Mood Fabrics, a rich and vibrant

cobalt stood out to me in a way that I could not ignore. I remember leaving a meeting

with my thesis advisors in the evening during Fall of 2017, and the sky was the exact

color of the blue fur. It felt like just the inspiration I needed to move forward with the

design. The color feels fun, yet grown up and is truly a treat for the eyes. The pile of the

20

fur was short enough that it was fuzzy and fun, rather than the less desirable adjective of

hairy. I later acquired blue satin in a matching tone for the lining.

I started the process by cutting the gigantic spread of faux fur on my living room

floor, leaving some remnants of bright blue fuzz even after multiple rounds of

vacuuming. I sewed the thick fur exterior on my sewing machine. The next step was the

satin lining, which proved to be very slippery both to cut and to sew, so I ended up hand

sewing the entire satin lining. The coat was meant to be oversized to some extent, but it

was far too large for what I was envisioning, so I adapted the pieces, creating a narrower

collar in exchange for a more fitted profile. I incorporated two-way pockets into the

design as something very practical for the wearer. This means that one can put something

in the top of the pocket and put their hands in the side pocket, with each part of the

pocket separately lined in satin. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out the mechanics

of the design, but eventually each part was successfully constructed and sewn on by hand.

Before stitching the exterior and satin lining together, I decided to incorporate an

additional Thinsulate lining in between the layers. This was a low volume way to take the

coat from something for mildly cold weather to something that I could actually wear in

frigid winter temperatures. Essentially, I ended up making three coats: one fur, one satin,

and one Thinsulate. Then, I hand stitched them together to form the complete,

consolidated coat. Circular gold buttons were chosen as the finishing detail with hidden

sewn on snaps beneath them, as sewing a button hole through the three layers of the coat

would have been nearly impossible for my non-industrial sewing machine. Surprisingly,

choosing the buttons was one of the more difficult decisions in making this coat. I wanted

them to complement the simple shape of the coat, but they needed have at the same luxe

21

feeling that the coat itself

had. The circular shape is

simple but is made more

grand with the shiny gold

finish and hammered

appearance. The coat is

shown at right in Figure A.

Figure A: Cold Weather - Blue Faux Fur Coat

Everyday

This look consists of a white peplum top with embroidery on the sleeves and

stitched borders around the neckline and sleeve edges. The top is complemented by a pair

of custom fit high waist, skinny leg jeans with a zipper fly and back pockets. The T-shirt

and jeans is a staple of American dress, with their specific pairing a result of a 1950s film

archetype, the “working class rebel . . . a costume consisting of blue jeans, black leather

jackets, and T-shirts” (Crane 182). As discussed by Tim Gunn in his Fashion Bible, jeans

themselves have much older origins. Denim itself was invented in Genoa, Italy in the 16th

century. Designed as a sturdy garment for laboring, the first pair of jeans were patented

by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis in 1872. Gunn also notes that “that the only reason blue

22

jeans are blue today is that the fabric was easy to dye indigo” (Gunn, Tim Gunn’s

Fashion Bible 41). Gunn also examines the history of t-shirts, emphasizing that, though

they have existed as undergarments for hundreds of years, they only started being worn in

public in the 1940s. Since then, t-shirts have grown to become ubiquitous, available in

every iteration and design one could imagine, exemplifying casual clothing in America

and abroad.

Concept

For this look, I wanted something that I could wear on a normal day, when I

might be going to class, running errands, etc. but that would also feel special and true to

myself. T-shirts often seem too casual in a way that makes me feel sloppy, so this piece

has been elevated and personalized in style, with a peplum waist and embroidery, and

material, through the use of a thicker, slightly stretchy fabric. These details provide a

whimsical and artistic flair and help to represent some of my own personality.

I wanted to create a pair of jeans for an everyday look because they are one of the

items of clothing I wear most, but simultaneously one of the hardest to find, a challenge

that surely many can also attest to. I have found it to be especially true in my own life

that clothes that fit well feel very empowering, while clothes that do not fit feel frumpy

and can disintegrate my confidence. Therefore, tailoring was a key element in the success

of this piece. Essentially, I aimed to create the pair of jeans I always wanted but could

never afford, with custom fit, flattering and versatile dark wash, skinny leg, and high

waist. They are finished with a hammered appearance gold metal button, referencing the

23

buttons on the blue fur coat, and adding a sophisticated element to the otherwise casual

jeans.

Process

For the top of this look, I knew that I wanted to incorporate embroidery because it

would add a very unique, personal, handmade quality to the piece. Additionally, I have

long admired embroidery in its various forms, particularly the style of the Mexican

indigenous people, Otomi, and their tenango style (an example of this style is provided in

the Appendix, Figure I). In creating my embroidery designs, I was also inspired by the

heart motifs used by one of my favorite artists, Keith Haring (see Appendix, Figure J).

After a lot of sketching and planning, I eventually decided to locate the main

embroidered designs on the sleeve panels, a placement that made it feel more like a high-

end detail, rather than a graphic T-shirt. The borders are made up of adapted lazy daisy

stitch and French knots, visually tying the full piece together. The colors used in my

embroidery were chosen to reference the other pieces in the collection, adhering to the

aforementioned planned color scheme for the line as a whole. A detail photograph of the

embroidery can be seen in the Appendix, Figure K.

Before beginning the physical construction of the shirt, I completed all of the

embroidery on the cut fabric components that would later form the garment. One thing

that sometimes bothers me about wearing t-shirts is that I don’t feel as feminine in them

as I would like to, and thus I added a peplum waist which helped emphasize more of an

hourglass shape. This was achieved by using the gather technique on a piece of fabric

wider than the shirt’s body, purposefully puckering the stitches evenly across the seam.

24

The scoop neckline is both more comfortable and more polished than a standard crew

neck. The edge was covered with another piece of fabric to give it a smooth line, rather

than needing to cut notches, aided by the slight stretch in the chosen material. The sleeves

are fitted in a way to emphasize the embroidery, with similar edge covering to match the

neckline.

According to most denim jean size charts, I often find myself one size for my

hips, multiple sizes smaller for my waist, and drowning in too long inseams. When I do

find a pair that fits, the fabric usually incorporates stretch, but after wearing the pants for

even just a few hours, they are often stretched out and no longer fit well. The jeans

created for this project are one hundred percent cotton, and this lack of stretch means I

had to be sure they were tailored to exactly my body size. Working with the reference

pattern for this piece, I first cut the full pieces of the size supposedly required to fit the

widest part of my body, my hips, out of muslin material. Using these pieces, I created a

fabric pattern for the jeans as custom tailored to my body by pinning the pieces, basting

them together, checking for fit, and then repeating the process until the desired fit was

achieved. This took many iterations, but once the muslin pair was complete, I

deconstructed it and used the components as pattern pieces to cut out the denim pieces,

and I subsequently made the final pair of jeans.

I chose to forgo the side pockets, because not only do I never use them, but they

are also difficult to use, especially in high wasted pants. However, I made sure to

incorporate sizable back pockets because I habitually use those to hold items. I also did

not include belt loops because I don’t typically like wearing belts, and since the jeans are

fit to my body, I don’t need a belt to keep the pants up. They are finished with a zipper

25

fly, which I had to experiment with to figure out the mechanics of. I had sewn in zippers

before, but this was my first attempt at incorporating it as a part of a fly, so I kept

working with it until I figured out a way that was successful. The most difficult part of

the jeans beyond just getting the fit right was creating the buttonhole. The layers of denim

were so thick that it was hard to get my sewing machine to successfully stitch through,

and ripping the hole was also very difficult. I chose a button that was smaller but a

similar style to that chosen for the coat, gold metallic with a hammered texture,

referencing the blue and gold of the faux fur coat. It takes a few times wearing a pair of

jeans for the fabric to start to relax, so they are still somewhat stiff and the button can be

difficult to maneuver at times, but the more they are worn, the easier they become to

wear. The top and jeans are shown below in Figure B and Figure C, respectively.

Figure B: Everyday - Embroidered Top Figure C: Everyday - Jeans

26

Professional

The professional look for this collection is a pink ladies’ business suit, consisting

of a blazer and a skirt. The material is a printed linen cotton canvas. The blazer has

pockets and a gold button closure, and the skirt has a zipper closure with an additional

decorative button, matching that of the blazer. According to Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible,

the origin of the suit as we know it was likely a mandate made by King Charles II

requiring members of the English court to wear pants and a waistcoat, essentially a suit,

done in response to a similar decree of wardrobe standardization by France’s Louis XIV.

The modern suit that we know today stemmed from Londoner George Brian Brummell in

the early 1800s (Gunn 152-153), with the city’s Savile Row remaining the premiere

destination for bespoke suits to this day. These suits were all for men at that point,

serving as “the epitome of style that expresses social class distinctions” (Crane 173).

Women began to wear suits in the 1980s, and according to Gunn:

“traditional business clothes for woman originated from tailored menswear, and this is a trend that regrettably continues, even though women are a major presence in pretty much every sector of the working world . . . The most common thing I hear from women who wear male-tailored clothes to the workplace is that it’s because they don’t want to risk being unprofessional. However, it is possible to be both feminine and professional” (Gunn 164-166).

Concept

This suit was one of the first things I knew I wanted to create as part of this

collection. My field of study is business administration, more specifically finance, a field

still dominated by men to this day. In my academic and professional career, I have

attended numerous events in which the expectation has been for me to dress in a

27

professional way. However, when I discovered that the women’s suit was just an

adaptation of a man’s suit, I was inspired to make the most unapologetically woman-

centric business look that I could, while still maintaining the classic elements of a suit.

Pink is a color assigned as traditionally feminine, founded in the last century of fashion

history and instilled in our society from young age. Though that designation may

arguably be outdated, its power as a symbol of feminism persists in our culture. Thus, I

made a blazer and matching skirt in an undeniably bright pink hue.

In my own life, pink is one of my favorite colors, and I have a treasured

photograph of my grandmother wearing a pink suit (see Appendix Figure L). Once, at a

family gathering, I proclaimed that I hoped I could have a job one day that would allow

me to wear a pink suit, and a male member of my extended family replied that I would

“never be taken seriously in something like that.” Of course, this only motivated me

further to make that goal happen, and now I have the suit to do it in.

Process

Although this was one of the first concrete ideas I had for my collection, it was

one of the last to actually be constructed. I looked far and wide for the perfect fabric,

something with the right texture, weight, and most importantly, the right color pink. After

unsuccessfully searching for weeks, I came up with the solution of getting the exact pink

I wanted printed on fabric through the company Spoonflower. I selected a linen cotton

canvas out of their available options because it is sturdy enough for structured pieces

such as these, but it is still soft and breathable.

28

Much like the jeans, the suit’s skirt required a lot of modification from the pattern

sizing to fit properly. A zipper was installed on the side with a sewn on snap closure

added to further secure it, with a decorative button added on the exterior using the same

type as on the jeans. The blazer, though comprised of many pieces and likely the most

complicated construction of the pieces made in this thesis, went together much as

expected according to my research in the pattern and garment type with minimal

additional tailoring required. The most difficult part was getting the lapels to lay flat with

no puckers after attaching the facing and flipping it back to show the right side of the

fabric. I created a button closure on the blazer, again using the same type as on the other

pieces. Pockets were added on the front exterior as a stylistic element, but also as a

solution to never having

functioning pockets in blazers, as

they are usually stitched shut for

appearance. Interior edges were

finished using pinking shears to

prevent fraying. The completed

suit is shown here, in Figure D.

Figure D: Professional - Pink Suit (Blazer and Skirt)

29

First Impressions

This dress has a wide circle skirt and a scooped back with a bow across the top. It

is sleeveless and has a high waist. The top and bottom components of the dress are each

adorned with a custom designed print. It has a waistline reminiscent of the early 1800s

Napoleonic era’s empire waist, which saw more recent resurgences of popularity in the

1960s and 1990s, but when combined with the sleeveless bodice and boat neckline, it is

most aesthetically related to 1960s gowns (Gunn 50).

Concept

The title given to this situation is “First Impressions,” but the idea actually began

in consideration of what one might wear on a first date. In The Meaning of Sunglasses,

Hadley Freeman states, “Of course you want to look nice for your date. But do you know

what looks best of all? You feeling comfortable, relaxed and confident that you look

good” (Freeman 55). I sought to find a way to dress up but still feel like myself, and to

depict something about my personality through shape, color, and print. The voluminous

circle skirt is airy and playful, but the length makes it elegant as well, while the exposed

back paired with the high boat neck references 1960s fashion. The colors of the dress are

consistent with the line’s overall palette.

I wanted to use this dress as a canvas for a print designed by me. The circle motif

is emblematic of a solar eclipse, with a total eclipse on the top of the dress, and partial

eclipses in repeating block on the lower portion. I chose this imagery because I shared my

30

22nd birthday with the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. I witnessed it on the streets

of New York City with thousands of strangers, and I somehow felt connected to all of

them through that shared experience. In the July 4th, 2017 episode of the podcast The

Love Bomb with Nico Tortorella, the host interviewed astrology coach Jennifer Racioppi

and she made a statement that someone who shared their birthday with an eclipse would

have a “monumental year.” Despite not being much of a believer in astrology, I adopted

this phrase as my own, and as such it became somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy. In

the time since my birthday and the eclipse, I have had amazing opportunities and

experiences unlike I have ever had before, and the work I have done in this thesis is part

of that. Thus, the eclipse became very personally important to me because it is symbolic

of everything I have been able to accomplish this year and everything that is to come in

my future, so utilizing this imagery for the dress represents this special time in my life.

Process

This dress is the most structurally consistent with the sewing pattern used, and

thus I must credit its designer, Andrea Katz. However, the way that I made this design

my own was through the creation of the custom prints adorning the dress. I have had

previous experience designing prints, but this was the first time creating one to be put on

fabric. I knew I wanted to incorporate the eclipse motif, but it took a great deal of

sketching and planning to determine just how it might translate into a print, the placement

of the print on the dress, and the color layout within the print itself. I chose to portray a

singular total eclipse on the top portion of the dress because the total eclipse is, in the

lives of many, and especially for me as it fell on my birthday, a once in a lifetime event.

31

Partial eclipses are still special but are much more common, which is why they repeat in

more abundance in a repeating block on the lower half of the dress. Concentric circles as

well as gradating colors were common elements in 1960s design, so this tied into the

physical style of the dress as well.

To create the pattern, I designed a block to repeat in Adobe Illustrator, and

uploaded it to the Spoonflower website, the same site I used to print the custom pink

fabric for my suit. For the top component of the dress, I simply made one large block

with the single eclipse motif in the center, and had them print it one time, as opposed to

repeating it. I selected a sateen material because it was lightweight enough to have a

beautiful drape in the skirt, and it was slightly shimmery to add textural sophistication to

the dress.

This piece, like the blue coat, required large amounts of fabric and I once again

found myself with my fabric spread out across the living room floor. I incorporated

interfacing into the top of the dress to give it more structure. For the bow, I chose to make

it double sided, with the solid blue on one side and the partial eclipse print on the other,

so that the solid color would connect with the back panels of the dress, but the print

would peek through the bow when tied. The inside of the top of the dress was finished

with facing. For ease of wearing, I installed a zipper and hook-and-eye closure at the top

of the skirt. The dress and an image of the back with bow detail are shown on the

following page in Figure E and F, respectively.

32

Figure E: First Impressions - Dress

Figure F: First Impressions - Dress (back detail)

33

CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSION

This thesis project has provided me with the immensely valuable

opportunity for me to further explore the field of fashion design. Through its process, I

have grown in my skill and knowledge of various garments and their construction. I have

also learned about how fashion impacts my own life through self-discovery, and the

reflection required to make clothes that represent who I am while fulfilling various sets of

expectations. My research has shown that I am not alone in the experience of being

deeply impacted by the clothing I choose to wear, and the intertwined history of fashion

and self-expression is a testament to that.

Making clothing, especially for oneself, inherently forges a unique and very

personal connection with it. It is akin to creating a portrait of someone, and how after

studying their face so intently and recreating it with paint and a brush, you never see it

the same way again. The pieces I have made exist as a capsule wardrobe, but also as a

time capsule that represents who I am at this time in my life, represented through the

power of fashion. I struggled with the concept of being finished with the project, because

despite the countless hours of work I put into it, it somehow didn’t feel like enough.

Upon further reflection, it seems that this feeling stems not from a sense of inadequacy,

but instead from the feeling that the possibilities of what I could create in the future are

wide open. In that way, I recognize that the conclusion of this thesis is, in reality, only the

beginning.

34

WORKS CITED

"6035 Misses' Seven Sizes in One." New Look, n.d. Sewing Pattern.

"6736 Jacket & Coat." Burda Style, n.d. Sewing Pattern.

"8367 Pattern Hacking: Misses' Knit Top with Options for Design Hacking." Simplicity, n.d. Sewing Pattern.

Abstract: The Art of Design. Dir. Scott Dadich. Netflix, 2017. Documentary series.

Advanced Style. Dir. Lina Plioplyte. 2014. Documentary.

“A Human I Love Named Jennifer.” The Love Bomb with Nico Tortorella. From At Will Radio, 4 July 2017, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/e28-a-human-i-love-named-jennifer/id1151512926?i=1000389503193&mt=2.

Arnold, Rebecca. Fashion, Desire and Anxiety: Image and Morality in the 20th Century.

New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2001.

Ashelford, Jane. The Art of Dress: Clothes and Society 1500-1914. London: National Trust Enterprises Limited, 1996.

Astor, Maggie. "Violence Against Transgender People Is on the Rise, Advocates Say." 9 November 2017. The New York Times. 2018. <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/us/transgender-women-killed.html>.

Bain, Marc. "The Neurological Pleasures of Fast Fashion." 25 March 2015. The Atlantic. 2018. <https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/the-neurological-pleasures-of-modern-shopping/388577/>.

Baumgartner, Jennifer. You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal About You. Boston: Da Capo Press, 20012.

Bill Cunningham New York. Dir. Richard Press. Perf. Bill Cunningham. 2011. Documentary.

Brescia, George. Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life: Because You Can't Go Naked. New York: Gallery Books, 2014.

Crane, Diana. Fashion and its Social Agendas: Class, Gender, and Identity in Clothing. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000.

35

Dockterman, Eliana. "One Size Fits None: Inside the fight to take back the fitting room." n.d. Time. <http://time.com/how-to-fix-vanity-sizing/>.

“Eileen Fisher: Eileen Fisher.” How I Built This with Guy Raz. From NPR, 5 November 2017, https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/national-public-radio/how-i-built-this/e/52121494?autoplay=true.

Fox, Dan. Pretentiousness: Why it Matters. Minneapolis : Coffee House Press, 2016.

Freeman, Hadley. The Meaning of Sunglasses: And a Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable. New York: Viking, 2008.

Fresh Dressed. Dir. Sacha Jenkins. 2015. Documentary.

Gunn, Tim. Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2007.

—. "Tim Gunn: Designers refuse to make clothes to fit American women. It's a disgrace." 8 September 2016. The Washington Post. 2018. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/09/08/tim-gunn-designers-refuse-to-make-clothes-to-fit-american-women-its-a-disgrace/?utm_term=.6ab8a6b69bde>.

—. Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet. New York: Gallery Books, 2012.

Haring, Keith. "Untitled, 1987." 2018. The Keith Haring Foundation. 2018. <http://www.haring.com/!/art-work/812#.WslEwmaZMdV>.

Haynes, Christine. The Complete Photo Guide to Clothing Construction. Beverly, MA: Creative Publishing Int'l , 2014.

Iris. Dir. Albert Maysles. Perf. Iris Apfel. 2014. Documentary.

Krupp, Charla. How to Never Look Fat Again: Over 1,000 Ways to Dress Thinner-Without Dieting! . New York: Grand Central Life & Style, 2010.

Lo, Danica. How Not to Look Fat. New York: Harper Paperbacks, 2006.

"M7547 Misses' Jeans and Overalls." McCall's, n.d. Sewing Pattern.

Mahon, Joi. Designer Joi's Fashion Sewing Workshop: Practical Skills for Stylish Garment Design. New York: Fons & Porter, 2016.

Medine, Leandra. "We’re In It: The Era of Personal Style — but What Does That Mean?" 22 March 2016. Man Repeller. 2018. <https://www.manrepeller.com/2016/03/were-in-it-the-era-of-personal-style-but-what-does-that-mean.html>.

36

—. "When Do You “Know” Your Personal Style?" 18 May 2015. Man Repeller. 2018. <https://www.manrepeller.com/2015/05/personal-style-leandra-medine.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mr_owned>.

Oliva, Selene. "Coats for Winter 2018: trends and styles." 20 October 2017. Vogue Italia. 2018. <http://www.vogue.it/en/fashion/trends/2017/10/20/coats-for-winter-2018-trends-and-styles/>.

"Otomi tenango (embroidery) from Mexico." 2011. Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences. 2018. <https://collection.maas.museum/object/416031>.

Prescod, Danielle. "I Gave Away a Closet Full of Designer Clothes in Hopes of Finding “Me”." 3 October 2017. Man Repeller. 2018. <https://www.manrepeller.com/2017/10/closet-organization-with-a-former-fashion-editor.html?utm_source=dynamic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mr_owned>.

Pretty in Pink. Dir. John Hughes. Perf. Molly Ringwald, et al. 1986. Film.

Project Runway. Perf. Tim Gunn Heidi Klum. Lifetime, 2004-2017. TV Series.

Sanburn, Josh. "Why the Death of Malls Is About More Than Shopping." 20 July 2017. Time. 2018. <http://time.com/4865957/death-and-life-shopping-mall/>.

Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's. Dir. Matthew Miele. 2013. Documentary.

Sessions, Debbie. "History of 1920s Coats, Furs and Capes." 3 September 2013. Vintage Dancer. 2018. <https://vintagedancer.com/1920s/womens-coats-of-the-1920s/>.

Tarrant, Shira and Marjorie Jolles, Fashion Talks: Undressing the Power of Style. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2012.

That Girl. Perf. Marlo Thomas. ABC, 1966-1971. TV Series.

"The forgotten majority:The fashion industry pays attention to plus-size women." 13 July 2017. The Economist. 2018. <https://www.economist.com/news/business/21725029-revenue-category-outstripping-total-clothing-sales-fashion-industry-pays>.

“The Secret Emotional Life of Clothes.” Invisibilia. From NPR, 22 July 2016, https://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/485605882/the-secret-emotional-life-of-clothes.

Turner, John. “The Holy Qur’an.” HON 112 Course Lecture, 17 March 2015, Neville Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME. Lecture. "V1102 Misses' Back Bow Dress." Vogue Patterns, n.d. Sewing Pattern.

37

Vanderbilt, Tom. You May Also Like: Taste in an Age of Endless Choice. New York: Knopf, 2016.

Veblen, Sarah. The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting . Beverly, MA: Creative Publishing Int'l, 2012.

"What is the Hijab and Why do Women Wear it?" n.d. Arabs in America. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2018. <http://arabsinamerica.unc.edu/identity/veiling/hijab/>.

38

APPENDIX

39

APPENDIX: SUPPLEMENTARY CONTENT

Figure G: Iris Apfel at One Kings Lane's NYC offices, 2014, by Ryan Dixon

40

Table A: An Abbreviated List of Recommendations of Fashion Self Help Books

Title Author Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life: Because You Can’t Go Naked

George Brescia

You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal About You

Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner

Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste, & Style

Tim Gunn & Kate Moloney

Table B: Pattern Sources, Adapted for Use

Garment Pattern Company Pattern Number Pattern Title Cold Weather/ Blue Coat

Burda Style 6736 Jacket & Coat

Everyday/Top Simplicity 8367 Pattern Hacking: Misses’ Knit Top with Options for Design Hacking

Everyday/Jeans McCall’s M7547 Misses’ Jeans and Overalls

Professional New Look 6035 Misses’ Seven Sizes in One

First Impressions Vogue Patterns V1102 Misses’ Back Bow Dress

41

Figure H: Woven Labels

Figure I: Otomi tenango (embroidery) from Mexico, Photo from the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences in Sydney, Australia

42

Figure J: Haring, Keith. Untitled. 1987. Silkscreen. The Keith Haring Foundation.

Figure K: Everyday - Embroidered Top (detail)

43

Figure L: My Grandmother in July of 1980 in her pink suit

44

AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY

Cara P. Doiron was born in Bangor, Maine on August 21, 1995. She grew up in Bangor

as well, attending Bangor High School and graduating in 2013. After taking a year off

after high school, she attended the University of Maine beginning in Fall of 2014 and

graduating in May of 2018. Cara majored in finance and was recognized as the top

graduating student in that program when she received the Academic Achievement in

Finance Award. She also has a concentration in entrepreneurship, a minor in graphic

design, and in addition to this creative Honors Thesis, participated in the International

Collegiate Business Strategy Competition as her business capstone, serving as Chief

Financial Officer on the Maine Business School 2018 team. She has received grants from

the Center for Undergraduate Research Fellowship and the Slavin Research Fund to put

towards the completion of this Honors Thesis. Cara is also a member of Beta Gamma

Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi honors societies.

Professionally, Cara has worked with numerous Maine businesses as a part of the

Innovate for Maine Fellowship program, through the Foster Center for Student

Innovation. Upon graduation, she plans to travel to Italy and Greece, and then to begin

her business career.

Car

a D

oiro

n

Con

stru

ctin

gId

entit

y Th

roug

hth

e Le

ns o

fFa

shio

n

Con

stru

ctin

g Id

entit

yTh

roug

h th

e Le

ns o

fFa

shio

n

Ca

ra D

oir

on

Ph

oto

gra

ph

y b

y K

ate

Fin

ne

mo

re

Tabl

e of

Con

tent

sIn

tro

du

cti

on

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

..

Co

ld W

ea

the

r...

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

.

Ev

ery

da

y..

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

...

Pro

fessio

na

l...

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

Fir

st

Imp

ressio

ns..

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

.

Ack

no

wle

dg

em

en

ts..

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

...

Ab

ou

t th

e D

esig

ne

r...

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

1 2 6

10 14 18 21

Intr

oduc

tion

1

Ide

nti

ty a

nd

fa

sh

ion

are

in

trin

sic

all

y c

on

ne

cte

d.

Ev

ery

on

e s

ays

so

me

thin

g

wit

h

the

ir

sty

le,

an

d

ev

ery

on

e

ma

ke

s

de

cis

ion

s

ab

ou

t h

ow

to

p

rese

nt

the

mse

lve

s

on

a

d

ail

y

ba

sis

. E

ve

n

the

pe

op

le w

ho

cla

im t

o n

ot

ca

re a

bo

ut

fash

ion

sti

ll m

ust

bu

y t

he

ir

clo

thin

g a

nd

ch

oo

se

h

ow

to

w

ea

r it

. Id

ea

lly,

fash

ion

co

uld

b

e

use

d t

o r

ep

rese

nt

on

e’s

mo

st

tru

e s

elf

as a

n a

esth

eti

c e

xte

rio

r

to re

pre

se

nt

the

p

ers

on

w

ith

in.

Fo

r so

me

, th

is p

roce

ss ca

n b

e

empo

wer

ing

and

mak

e a

nota

ble

diff

eren

ce in

moo

d, c

onfid

ence

, a

nd

se

lf-a

cce

pta

nce

. H

ow

ev

er,

fo

r o

the

rs, re

str

icti

on

s o

n c

loth

ing

,

wh

eth

er

ex

pli

cit

, o

ste

nsib

le,

or

inte

rna

l, c

an

ca

use

th

e w

ea

rer

to

feel

opp

ress

ed, n

ot o

nly

elim

inat

ing

the

bene

fit t

hat

can

com

e fr

om

d

ressin

g a

uth

en

tica

lly,

bu

t e

ve

n in

ve

rtin

g it

, le

av

ing

o

ne

wor

se o

ff t

han

they

fel

t be

fore

. Suc

h fa

ctor

s co

uld

incl

ude

fit,

mo

ne

y, w

ea

the

r, g

en

de

r id

en

tity

, b

od

y,

cu

ltu

re,

an

d m

ore

.

Th

is t

he

sis

pro

ject

tak

es t

his

co

nce

pt

an

d e

xa

min

es it

thro

ug

h

the

cre

ati

on

of

a c

ap

su

le w

ard

rob

e o

f clo

thin

g d

esig

ne

d a

nd

ma

de

for

me

, b

y m

e.

Ea

ch

lo

ok

ad

dre

sse

s o

ne

in

a s

eri

es o

f sit

ua

tio

ns

in w

hic

h I

ha

ve

fe

lt u

na

ble

to

dre

ss i

n a

wa

y t

ha

t m

ad

e m

e f

ee

l

like

the

best

ver

sion

of

mys

elf,

and

atte

mpt

s to

find

a s

olut

ion

that

sat

isfie

s bo

th t

he r

equi

rem

ents

of

the

circ

umst

ance

and

of

my o

wn

p

ers

on

al

sty

listi

c d

esir

es.

Th

e w

ritt

en

co

mp

on

en

ts o

f

the

th

esis

se

rve

as a

n e

xte

nd

ed

art

ist’

s s

tate

me

nt,

dis

cu

ssin

g t

he

wo

rks I

ha

ve

cre

ate

d a

nd

th

e p

roce

ss o

f th

eir

fo

rma

tio

n.

23

WARM

3

45

Col

d W

eath

erW

inte

r is

a b

ig p

art

of

liv

ing

in

Ma

ine

, a

nd

mo

st

pe

op

le h

av

e a

win

ter

co

at

the

y

we

ar

sim

ply

fo

r th

e s

ak

e o

f sta

yin

g a

s w

arm

as

po

ssib

le.

Th

e

sty

listi

c

op

tio

ns

for

the

se

ult

ra-w

arm

co

ats

a

re

typ

ica

lly

lim

ite

d

an

d

ve

ry p

lain

, a

s i

t is

so

me

thin

g w

e m

ust

we

ar

ne

arl

y e

ve

ry d

ay f

or

mo

nth

s a

t a

tim

e a

nd

ther

efor

e re

quire

s ve

rsat

ility

. I w

as in

trig

ued

by th

e id

ea

o

f a

co

at

tha

t is

ju

st

as w

arm

as a

ny c

oa

t b

y L

.L.

Be

an

or

Ca

na

da

Go

ose

,

bu

t fa

r m

ore

h

igh

fa

sh

ion

a

nd

lu

xu

rio

us

tha

n a

ny o

f th

e e

xis

tin

g o

pti

on

s th

at

we

re

de

sig

ne

d p

red

om

ina

ntl

y w

ith

pra

cti

ca

lity

in

min

d.

Th

e re

su

ltin

g co

at

is v

ery

w

arm

a

nd

co

zy,

pro

ve

n t

o k

ee

p i

ts w

ea

rer

co

mfo

rta

ble

in c

old

te

mp

era

ture

s,

wh

ile

re

ma

inin

g a

fu

n

an

d v

ibra

nt

pie

ce

th

at

mig

ht

actu

all

y m

ak

e

so

me

on

e l

oo

k f

orw

ard

to

win

ter.

I h

ad

b

ee

n

se

ein

g

an

d

a

lot

of

thre

e-

quar

ter

leng

th c

oats

in m

y vi

sual

res

earc

h,

and

love

d th

e po

lish

they

add

ed to

any

out

fit,

an

d,

of

co

urs

e,

the

e

xte

nd

ed

le

ng

th w

ou

ld

co

ntr

ibu

te t

o t

he

wa

rmth

of

the

co

at.

I k

ne

w

tha

t I w

an

ted

to

do

a f

au

x f

ur

in a

bri

gh

t co

lor,

an

d a

fte

r o

rde

rin

g a

myri

ad

of

sa

mp

les f

rom

Mo

od

Fa

bri

cs, a

ric

h a

nd

vib

ran

t co

ba

lt s

too

d

ou

t to

me

in

a w

ay t

ha

t I

co

uld

no

t ig

no

re.

I

rem

em

be

r le

av

ing

a m

ee

tin

g w

ith

my t

he

sis

ad

vis

ors

in

th

e e

ve

nin

g d

uri

ng

F

all

o

f 2

017

,

an

d t

he

sk

y w

as t

he

ex

act

co

lor

of

the

blu

e

fur

an

d i

t fe

lt l

ike

th

e p

ush

I n

ee

de

d t

o m

ov

e

forw

ard

wit

h t

he

de

sig

n.

Th

e c

olo

r fe

els

fu

n

ye

t g

row

n u

p a

nd

is t

ruly

a t

rea

t fo

r th

e e

ye

s.

I lat

er a

cqui

red

blue

sat

in in

a m

atch

ing

tone

fo

r th

e l

inin

g.

I sta

rte

d

the

p

roce

ss

by

cu

ttin

g

the

gig

an

tic

sp

rea

d

of

fau

x

fur

on

m

y

liv

ing

room

floo

r, le

avin

g so

me

rem

nant

s of

brig

ht

blu

e

fuz

z

ev

en

a

fte

r m

ult

iple

ro

un

ds

of

va

cu

um

ing

. I

se

we

d t

he

th

ick

fu

r e

xte

rio

r o

n

my s

ew

ing

ma

ch

ine

. T

he

ne

xt

ste

p w

as t

he

sa

tin

lin

ing

, w

hic

h p

rov

ed

to

be

ve

ry s

lip

pe

ry

bo

th t

o c

ut

an

d t

o s

ew

, so

I e

nd

ed

up

ha

nd

se

win

g

the

e

nti

re

sa

tin

li

nin

g.

Th

e

co

at

is

me

an

t to

be

ov

ers

ize

d t

o s

om

e e

xte

nt,

bu

t it

wa

s f

ar

too

la

rge

fo

r w

ha

t I

wa

s e

nv

isio

nin

g,

so

I a

da

pte

d t

he

pie

ce

s,

cre

ati

ng

a n

arr

ow

er

colla

r in

exc

hang

e fo

r a

mor

e fit

ted

profi

le.

I in

co

rpo

rate

d

two

-wa

y

po

ck

ets

in

to

the

de

sig

n

as

so

me

thin

g

ve

ry

pra

cti

ca

l fo

r

the

w

ea

rer.

T

his

m

ea

ns

tha

t o

ne

ca

n

pu

t

so

me

thin

g i

n t

he

to

p o

f th

e p

ock

et

an

d p

ut

the

ir

ha

nd

s

in

the

sid

e

po

ck

et,

w

ith

e

ach

pa

rt o

f th

e p

ock

et

se

pa

rate

ly l

ine

d i

n s

ati

n.

It

took

a lo

t of

tria

l and

err

or t

o fig

ure

out

the

me

ch

an

ics o

f th

e d

esig

n, b

ut

ev

en

tua

lly e

ach

pa

rt w

as s

ucce

ssfu

lly c

on

str

ucte

d a

nd

se

wn

on

by h

an

d.

Be

fore

sti

tch

ing

th

e

ex

teri

or

an

d

sa

tin

lin

ing

to

ge

the

r,

I d

ecid

ed

to

in

co

rpo

rate

an

a

dd

itio

na

l T

hin

su

late

li

nin

g

in

be

twe

en

the

la

ye

rs.

Th

is w

as a

lo

w v

olu

me

w

ay to

tak

e

the

co

at

fro

m

so

me

thin

g

for

mil

dly

co

ld

we

ath

er

to

so

me

thin

g

tha

t I

co

uld

actu

all

y w

ea

r in

fri

gid

win

ter

tem

pe

ratu

res.

Esse

nti

all

y,

I e

nd

ed

u

p m

ak

ing

th

ree

co

ats

:

on

e f

ur,

on

e s

ati

n,

an

d o

ne

Th

insu

late

. T

he

n,

I h

an

d s

titc

he

d t

he

m t

og

eth

er

to f

orm

th

e

co

mp

lete

, co

nso

lid

ate

d

co

at.

C

ircu

lar

go

ld

butt

ons

wer

e ch

osen

as

the

finis

hing

det

ail

wit

h h

idd

en

se

wn

on

sn

ap

s b

en

ea

th t

he

m, a

s

se

win

g a

bu

tto

n h

ole

th

rou

gh

th

e t

hre

e la

ye

rs

of

the

co

at

wo

uld

’ve

be

en

ne

arl

y i

mp

ossib

le

for

my n

on

-in

du

str

ial

se

win

g m

ach

ine

. T

he

cir

cu

lar

sh

ap

e o

f th

e b

utt

on

s i

s s

imp

le b

ut

is

mad

e m

ore

gran

d w

ith t

he s

hiny

gol

d fin

ish

an

d h

am

me

red

ap

pe

ara

nce

.

67

CASU

AL

89

Ever

yday

For

this

lo

ok

, I

wa

nte

d

so

me

thin

g

tha

t

I co

uld

w

ea

r o

n

a

no

rma

l d

ay,

wh

en

I

mig

ht

be

go

ing

to

cla

ss, ru

nn

ing

err

an

ds, e

tc.

bu

t th

at

wo

uld

als

o f

ee

l sp

ecia

l a

nd

tru

e t

o

myse

lf.

T-s

hir

ts o

fte

n s

ee

m t

oo

ca

su

al

in a

wa

y t

ha

t m

ak

es m

e f

ee

l slo

pp

y,

so

th

is p

iece

ha

s b

ee

n e

lev

ate

d a

nd

pe

rso

na

liz

ed

in

sty

le

an

d m

ate

ria

l th

rou

gh

th

e u

se

o

f a

th

ick

er,

sli

gh

tly s

tre

tch

ma

teri

al,

a p

ep

lum

wa

ist,

an

d

em

bro

ide

ry. T

he

se

de

tail

s p

rov

ide

a w

him

sic

al

and

artis

tic fl

air

and

help

to

repr

esen

t so

me

of

my o

wn

pe

rso

na

lity

.

I w

an

ted

to

cre

ate

a

p

air

o

f je

an

s

for

an

e

ve

ryd

ay

loo

k

be

ca

use

th

ey

are

o

ne

of

the

it

em

s

of

clo

thin

g

I w

ea

r m

ost,

b

ut

sim

ulta

neou

sly

one

of t

he h

arde

st t

o fin

d,

a c

ha

lle

ng

e s

ure

ly m

an

y c

an

als

o a

tte

st

to.

I h

av

e fo

un

d it

to

b

e e

sp

ecia

lly tr

ue

in

m

y

own

life

that

clo

thes

tha

t fit

wel

l fe

el v

ery

empo

wer

ing,

whi

le cl

othe

s tha

t do

not fi

t fee

l fr

umpy

and

can

dis

inte

grat

e m

y co

nfide

nce.

T

he

refo

re,

tail

ori

ng

wa

s a

ke

y e

lem

en

t in

th

e

su

cce

ss o

f th

is p

iece

. E

sse

nti

all

y,

I a

ime

d t

o

cre

ate

th

e p

air

of

jea

ns I

alw

ays w

an

ted

bu

t

coul

d ne

ver a

ffor

d, w

ith c

usto

m fi

t, fla

tter

ing

an

d v

ers

ati

le d

ark

wa

sh

, sk

inn

y l

eg

, a

nd

hig

h

wai

st.

They

are

fini

shed

with

a h

amm

ered

a

pp

ea

ran

ce

g

old

m

eta

l b

utt

on

, re

fere

ncin

g

the

bu

tto

ns o

n t

he

blu

e f

ur

co

at,

an

d a

dd

ing

a

so

ph

isti

ca

ted

e

lem

en

t to

th

e

oth

erw

ise

ca

su

al

jea

ns.

Fo

r th

e t

op

of

this

lo

ok

, I

kn

ew

I w

an

ted

to i

nco

rpo

rate

em

bro

ide

ry b

eca

use

it

wo

uld

add

a ve

ry

uniq

ue,

pers

onal

, ha

ndm

ade

qual

ity t

o th

e pi

ece.

I h

ave

long

adm

ired

em

bro

ide

ry i

n i

ts v

ari

ou

s f

orm

s,

pa

rtic

ula

rly

the

sty

le o

f th

e M

ex

ica

n i

nd

ige

no

us p

eo

ple

,

Oto

mi, a

nd

th

eir

te

na

ng

o s

tyle

. In

cre

ati

ng

my e

mb

roid

ery

de

sig

ns, I w

as a

lso

in

sp

ire

d b

y

the

he

art

mo

tifs

use

d b

y o

ne

of

my f

av

ori

te

art

ists

, K

eit

h H

ari

ng

. I

ev

en

tua

lly d

ecid

ed

to

loca

te t

he

ma

in e

mb

roid

ere

d d

esig

ns o

n t

he

sle

ev

e p

an

els

, a

pla

ce

me

nt

tha

t m

ad

e i

t fe

el

mo

re

lik

e

a

hig

h-e

nd

d

eta

il,

rath

er

tha

n

a

gra

ph

ic T

-sh

irt.

Th

e b

ord

ers

are

ma

de

up

of

ad

ap

ted

la

zy d

ais

y s

titc

h a

nd

Fre

nch

kn

ots

,

vis

ua

lly t

yin

g t

he

fu

ll p

iece

to

ge

the

r.

Be

fore

b

eg

inn

ing

th

e

co

nstr

ucti

on

o

f

the

sh

irt,

I c

om

ple

ted

all

of

the

em

bro

ide

ry

on

th

e

cu

t fa

bri

c

co

mp

on

en

ts

tha

t w

ou

ld

late

r fo

rm

the

g

arm

en

t.

On

e

thin

g

tha

t

so

me

tim

es

bo

the

rs

me

a

bo

ut

we

ari

ng

t-sh

irts

is

th

at

I d

on

’t

fee

l a

s

fem

inin

e

in

the

m a

s I

wo

uld

lik

e t

o,

an

d t

hu

s I

ad

de

d a

pe

plu

m w

ais

t w

hic

h h

elp

ed

em

ph

asiz

e m

ore

of

an

ho

urg

lass s

ha

pe

. T

he

sco

op

ne

ck

lin

e i

s

bo

th m

ore

co

mfo

rta

ble

an

d m

ore

po

lish

ed

tha

n a

sta

nd

ard

cre

w n

eck

.

Acco

rdin

g

to

mo

st

de

nim

je

an

siz

e

char

ts,

I of

ten

find

mys

elf

one

size

fo

r m

y

hip

s,

mu

ltip

le

siz

es

sm

all

er

for

my

wa

ist,

a

nd

d

row

nin

g

in

too

lo

ng

in

se

am

s.

Th

e

jea

ns

cre

ate

d

for

this

p

roje

ct

are

o

ne

hu

nd

red

p

erc

en

t co

tto

n,

an

d

this

la

ck

o

f

str

etc

h m

ea

ns I

ha

d s

ure

th

ey w

ere

ta

ilo

red

to e

xa

ctl

y m

y b

od

y siz

e.

Wo

rkin

g w

ith

th

e

refe

ren

ce

pa

tte

rn f

or

this

pie

ce

, I

cre

ate

d a

mu

sli

n

pa

tte

rn

for

the

je

an

s

an

d

cu

sto

m

tail

ore

d i

t to

my b

od

y.

On

ce

I t

he

mu

sli

n p

air

wa

s co

mp

lete

, I

de

co

nstr

ucte

d it

a

nd

u

se

d

the

co

mp

on

en

ts a

s p

att

ern

pie

ce

s t

o c

ut

ou

t

the

deni

m p

iece

s, a

nd I

subs

eque

ntly

mad

e th

e fin

al p

air

of je

ans.

It t

akes

a f

ew t

imes

w

ea

rin

g a

pa

ir o

f je

an

s f

or

the

fa

bri

c t

o s

tart

to re

lax,

so

they

are

stil

l som

ewha

t st

iff a

nd

the

butt

on c

an b

e di

fficu

lt t

o m

aneu

ver

at

tim

es, b

ut

the

mo

re t

he

y a

re w

orn

, th

e e

asie

r

the

y b

eco

me

to

we

ar.

1011

SUIT

ED

1213

Prof

essi

onal

Th

e p

rofe

ssio

na

l lo

ok

fo

r th

is c

oll

ecti

on

is

a p

ink

la

die

s b

usin

ess s

uit

, co

nsis

tin

g o

f

a b

laz

er

an

d a

sk

irt.

Th

e m

ate

ria

l is

a p

rin

ted

lin

en

co

tto

n c

an

va

s.

Th

e b

laz

er

ha

s p

ock

ets

an

d a

go

ld b

utt

on

clo

su

re, a

nd

th

e s

kir

t h

as a

zip

pe

r clo

su

re w

ith

an

ad

dit

ion

al

de

co

rati

ve

bu

tto

n,

ma

tch

ing

th

at

of

the

bla

ze

r.

This

sui

t w

as o

ne o

f th

e fir

st t

hing

s I

kn

ew

I

wa

nte

d

to

cre

ate

a

s

pa

rt

of

this

colle

ctio

n.

My

field

of

st

udy

is

busi

ness

ad

min

istr

atio

n,

mor

e sp

ecifi

cally

fin

ance

, a

field

stil

l do

min

ated

by

men

to

this

day

. In

m

y

aca

de

mic

a

nd

p

rofe

ssio

na

l ca

ree

r,

I

ha

ve

a

tte

nd

ed

n

um

ero

us

ev

en

ts

in

wh

ich

the

e

xp

ecta

tio

n

ha

s

be

en

fo

r m

e

to

dre

ss

in

a

pro

fessio

na

l w

ay.

Ho

we

ve

r,

wh

en

I

dis

co

ve

red

th

at

the

w

om

en

’s su

it w

as ju

st

an

ad

ap

tati

on

of

a m

an

’s s

uit

, I

wa

s i

nsp

ire

d

to m

ak

e t

he

mo

st

un

ap

olo

ge

tica

lly w

om

an

-

ce

ntr

ic

bu

sin

ess

loo

k

tha

t I

co

uld

, w

hil

e

sti

ll

ma

inta

inin

g

the

cla

ssic

e

lem

en

ts

of

a

su

it.

Pin

k i

s a

co

lor

assig

ne

d a

s t

rad

itio

na

lly

fem

inin

e

an

d

tho

ug

h

tha

t d

esig

na

tio

n

is

en

tire

ly a

rbit

rary

, it

s p

ow

er

as s

uch

pe

rsis

ts

in

ou

r cu

ltu

re.

Th

us,

I m

ad

e

a

bla

ze

r a

nd

ma

tch

ing

sk

irt

in a

n u

nd

en

iab

ly b

rig

ht

pin

k

hu

e. In

my o

wn

lif

e,

pin

k i

s o

ne

of

my f

av

ori

te

co

lors

, a

nd

I h

av

e a

tre

asu

red

ph

oto

gra

ph

of

my g

ran

dm

oth

er

we

ari

ng

a p

ink

su

it.

On

ce

,

at

a

fam

ily

ga

the

rin

g,

I p

rocla

ime

d

tha

t I

ho

pe

d I

co

uld

ha

ve

a j

ob

on

e d

ay t

ha

t w

ou

ld

all

ow

m

e to

w

ea

r a

p

ink

su

it,

an

d a

m

ale

me

mb

er

of

my e

xte

nd

ed

fa

mil

y r

ep

lie

d t

ha

t I

wo

uld

“n

ev

er

be

ta

ke

n s

eri

ou

sly

in

so

me

thin

g

lik

e t

ha

t.”

Of

co

urs

e,

this

on

ly m

oti

va

ted

me

furt

he

r to

ma

ke

th

at

go

al

ha

pp

en

, a

nd

no

w I

ha

ve

th

e s

uit

to

do

it

in.

Alt

houg

h th

is

was

on

e of

th

e fir

st

co

ncre

te i

de

as I

ha

d f

or

my c

oll

ecti

on

, it

wa

s

on

e o

f th

e la

st

to a

ctu

all

y b

e co

nstr

ucte

d.

I lo

ok

ed

fa

r a

nd

wid

e f

or

the

pe

rfe

ct

fab

ric,

so

me

thin

g

wit

h

the

ri

gh

t te

xtu

re,

we

igh

t,

an

d m

ost

imp

ort

an

tly,

the

rig

ht

co

lor

pin

k.

Aft

er

un

su

cce

ssfu

lly

se

arc

hin

g

for

we

ek

s,

I ca

me

up

wit

h t

he

so

luti

on

of

ge

ttin

g t

he

ex

act

pin

k I w

an

ted

pri

nte

d o

n f

ab

ric t

hro

ug

h

the

com

pany

Spo

onflo

wer

. I s

elec

ted

a lin

en

co

tto

n c

an

va

s o

ut

of

the

ir a

va

ila

ble

op

tio

ns

be

ca

use

it

is

stu

rdy e

no

ug

h fo

r str

uctu

red

pie

ce

s s

uch

as t

he

se

, b

ut

it i

s s

till

so

ft a

nd

bre

ath

ab

le.

Mu

ch

li

ke

th

e

jea

ns,

the

su

it’s

sk

irt

requ

ired

a lo

t of

m

odifi

catio

n fr

om

the

patt

ern

sizi

ng t

o fit

pro

perly

. A

zip

per

was

in

sta

lle

d o

n th

e sid

e w

ith

a

se

wn

o

n sn

ap

clo

su

re

ad

de

d

to

furt

he

r se

cu

re

it,

wit

h

a

de

co

rati

ve

b

utt

on

a

dd

ed

o

n

the

e

xte

rio

r

usin

g

the

sa

me

ty

pe

a

s

on

th

e

jea

ns.

Th

e

bla

ze

r, t

ho

ug

h c

om

pri

se

d o

f m

an

y p

iece

s a

nd

lik

ely

th

e m

ost

co

mp

lica

ted

co

nstr

ucti

on

of

the

pie

ce

s m

ad

e i

n t

his

th

esis

, w

en

t to

ge

the

r

mu

ch

as e

xp

ecte

d a

cco

rdin

g t

o m

y r

ese

arc

h

in

the

p

att

ern

a

nd

g

arm

en

t ty

pe

w

ith

min

imal

add

ition

al t

ailo

ring

requ

ired.

The

m

ost

diffi

cult

par

t w

as g

ettin

g th

e la

pels

to

lay

flat

with

no

puck

ers

afte

r at

tach

ing

the

faci

ng a

nd fl

ippi

ng it

bac

k to

sho

w t

he r

ight

sid

e o

f th

e f

ab

ric.

I cre

ate

d a

bu

tto

n c

losu

re

on

th

e b

laz

er,

ag

ain

usin

g t

he

sa

me

typ

e a

s

on

th

e o

the

r p

iece

s.

Po

ck

ets

we

re a

dd

ed

on

the

fro

nt

ex

teri

or

as a

sty

listi

c e

lem

en

t, b

ut

als

o a

s a

so

luti

on

to

ne

ve

r h

av

ing

fu

ncti

on

ing

po

ck

ets

in

b

laz

ers

, a

s

the

y

are

u

su

all

y

sti

tch

ed

sh

ut

for

ap

pe

ara

nce

. In

teri

or

ed

ge

s

wer

e fin

ishe

d us

ing

pink

ing

shea

rs to

pre

vent

fr

ayin

g.

1415

DRES

SUP

1617

Firs

t Im

pres

sion

sT

he

ti

tle

g

ive

n to

th

is sit

ua

tio

n is

“F

irst

Imp

ressio

ns,”

bu

t th

e id

ea

actu

all

y b

eg

an

in c

on

sid

era

tio

n o

f w

ha

t o

ne

mig

ht

we

ar

on

a fir

st d

ate.

I so

ught

to

find

a w

ay t

o dr

ess

up

b

ut

sti

ll

fee

l li

ke

m

yse

lf,

an

d

to

de

pic

t

so

me

thin

g

ab

ou

t m

y

pe

rso

na

lity

th

rou

gh

sh

ap

e, co

lor,

an

d p

rin

t. T

he

vo

lum

ino

us c

ircle

sk

irt

is a

iry a

nd

pla

yfu

l, b

ut

the

le

ng

th m

ak

es

it e

leg

an

t a

s w

ell

, w

hil

e th

e e

xp

ose

d b

ack

pa

ire

d

wit

h

the

h

igh

b

oa

t n

eck

re

fere

nce

s

196

0s fa

sh

ion

. T

he

co

lors

o

f th

e d

ress a

re

co

nsis

ten

t w

ith

th

e l

ine

’s o

ve

rall

pa

lett

e.

I w

an

ted

to

u

se

th

is d

ress a

s a

ca

nv

as

for

a p

rin

t d

esig

ne

d b

y m

e.

Th

e c

ircle

mo

tif

is e

mb

lem

ati

c o

f a

so

lar

ecli

pse

, w

ith

a t

ota

l

ecli

pse

on

th

e t

op

of

the

dre

ss,

an

d p

art

ial

ecli

pse

s

in

rep

ea

tin

g

blo

ck

o

n

the

lo

we

r

po

rtio

n. I ch

ose

th

is im

ag

ery

be

ca

use

I s

ha

red

my 2

2n

d b

irth

da

y w

ith

th

e t

ota

l so

lar

ecli

pse

on

A

ug

ust

21,

2

017

. I

wit

ne

sse

d

it

on

th

e

str

ee

ts o

f N

ew

Yo

rk C

ity w

ith

th

ou

sa

nd

s o

f

str

an

ge

rs,

an

d I

so

me

ho

w f

elt

co

nn

ecte

d t

o

all

of

the

m t

hro

ug

h t

ha

t sh

are

d e

xp

eri

en

ce

.

In t

he

Ju

ly 4

th,

20

17 e

pis

od

e o

f th

e p

od

ca

st

Th

e L

ov

e B

om

b w

ith

Nic

o T

ort

ore

lla

, th

e h

ost

inte

rvie

we

d a

str

olo

gy c

oa

ch

Je

nn

ife

r R

acio

pp

i

an

d

sh

e

ma

de

a

sta

tem

en

t th

at

so

me

on

e

wh

o

sh

are

d

the

ir

bir

thd

ay

wit

h

an

e

cli

pse

wo

uld

h

av

e

a

“mo

nu

me

nta

l ye

ar.

” D

esp

ite

no

t b

ein

g m

uch

o

f a

b

eli

ev

er

in a

str

olo

gy,

I a

do

pte

d

this

p

hra

se

a

s

my

ow

n,

an

d

as

such

it b

ecam

e so

mew

hat

of a

sel

f-fu

lfilli

ng

pro

ph

ec

y.

In th

e ti

me

sin

ce

m

y b

irth

da

y a

nd

th

e

ecli

pse

, I

ha

ve

h

ad

a

ma

zin

g

op

po

rtu

nit

ies

an

d e

xp

eri

en

ce

s u

nli

ke

I h

av

e e

ve

r h

ad

be

fore

,

an

d th

e w

ork

I

ha

ve

d

on

e in

th

is th

esis

is

pa

rt o

f th

at.

Th

us,

the

ecli

pse

be

ca

me

ve

ry

pe

rso

na

lly

imp

ort

an

t to

m

e

be

ca

use

it

is

sym

bo

lic o

f e

ve

ryth

ing

I

ha

ve

b

ee

n a

ble

to

acco

mp

lish

th

is

ye

ar,

a

nd

e

ve

ryth

ing

th

at

is to

co

me

in

m

y fu

ture

, a

nd

u

tili

zin

g th

at

ima

ge

ry i

n t

his

dre

ss r

ep

rese

nts

th

is s

pe

cia

l

tim

e in

my l

ife

.

Th

is

dre

ss

is

the

m

ost

str

uctu

rall

y

co

nsis

ten

t w

ith

th

e s

ew

ing

pa

tte

rn u

se

d, a

nd

thu

s I

mu

st

cre

dit

its

de

sig

ne

r, A

nd

rea

Ka

tz.

Ho

we

ve

r, t

he

wa

y t

ha

t I

ma

de

th

is d

esig

n m

y

ow

n w

as t

hro

ug

h t

he

cre

ati

on

of

the

cu

sto

m

pri

nt

ad

orn

ing

th

e d

ress.

I h

av

e h

ad

pre

vio

us

ex

pe

rie

nce

de

sig

nin

g p

rin

ts,

bu

t th

is w

as t

he

first

tim

e cr

eatin

g on

e to

be

put

on f

abric

. I

kn

ew

I

wa

nte

d

to

inco

rpo

rate

th

e

ecli

pse

mo

tif,

bu

t it

to

ok

a g

rea

t d

ea

l o

f sk

etc

hin

g

an

d p

lan

nin

g t

o d

ete

rmin

e j

ust

ho

w i

t m

igh

t

tra

nsla

te i

nto

a p

rin

t, t

he

pla

ce

me

nt

of

the

pri

nt

on

th

e d

ress, a

nd

th

e c

olo

r la

yo

ut

wit

hin

the

pri

nt

itse

lf.

I ch

ose

to

po

rtra

y a

sin

gu

lar

tota

l e

cli

pse

on

th

e t

op

po

rtio

n o

f th

e d

ress

be

ca

use

th

e to

tal

ecli

pse

is

, in

th

e li

ve

s o

f

ma

ny,

an

d e

sp

ecia

lly f

or

me

as i

t fe

ll o

n m

y

bir

thd

ay,

a o

nce

in

a

li

feti

me

e

ve

nt.

P

art

ial

ecli

pse

s a

re s

till

sp

ecia

l b

ut

are

mu

ch

mo

re

co

mm

on

, w

hic

h i

s w

hy t

he

y r

ep

ea

t in

mo

re

ab

un

da

nce

in

a r

ep

ea

tin

g b

lock

on

th

e l

ow

er

ha

lf o

f th

e d

ress.

To

cre

ate

th

e p

att

ern

, I

de

sig

ne

d a

blo

ck

to r

ep

ea

t in

Ad

ob

e I

llu

str

ato

r, a

nd

up

loa

de

d

it to

the

Spo

onflo

wer

web

site

, th

e sa

me

sit

e I

use

d to

p

rin

t th

e cu

sto

m p

ink

fa

bri

c

for

my

su

it.

I se

lecte

d

a

sa

tee

n

ma

teri

al

be

ca

use

it

wa

s l

igh

twe

igh

t e

no

ug

h t

o h

av

e a

be

au

tifu

l d

rap

e in

th

e s

kir

t, a

nd

it

wa

s s

lig

htl

y

sh

imm

ery

to

ad

d t

ex

tura

l so

ph

isti

ca

tio

n t

o

the

d

ress.

Fo

r th

e b

ow

, I

ch

ose

to

m

ak

e it

do

ub

le s

ide

d,

wit

h t

he

so

lid

blu

e o

n o

ne

sid

e

an

d t

he

pa

rtia

l e

cli

pse

pri

nt

on

th

e o

the

r, s

o

tha

t th

e s

oli

d c

olo

r w

ou

ld c

on

ne

ct

wit

h t

he

ba

ck

pa

ne

ls o

f th

e d

ress,

bu

t th

e p

rin

t w

ou

ld

pe

ek

th

rou

gh

th

e b

ow

wh

en

tie

d.

1918

Th

is t

he

sis

wo

uld

no

t h

av

e b

ee

n p

ossib

le w

ith

ou

t th

e g

en

ero

sit

y

an

d

su

pp

ort

o

f v

ari

ou

s

org

an

iza

tio

ns

an

d

ind

ivid

ua

ls,

an

d

thu

s,

I w

ou

ld l

ike

to

ex

ten

d s

ince

re t

ha

nk

s.

Gra

nts

pro

vid

ed

by t

he

Ce

nte

r fo

r U

nd

erg

rad

ua

te R

ese

arc

h

and

the

Slav

in R

esea

rch

Fund

gav

e m

e th

e fin

anci

al a

bilit

y to

m

ak

e m

y c

rea

tiv

e w

ork

s l

ive

up

to

an

d b

eyo

nd

th

e v

isio

ns I

ha

d

for

the

m.

I w

ou

ld n

ev

er

ha

ve

ha

d t

he

co

ura

ge

to

pu

rsu

e t

his

pro

ject

if

it w

ere

not

for

the

enco

urag

emen

t of

Sam

anth

a Jo

nes

from

the

v

ery

be

gin

nin

g.

Ad

dit

ion

all

y,

the

tim

e,

pa

tie

nce

, a

nd

kn

ow

led

ge

shar

ed w

ith m

e by

Sam

anth

a an

d al

so A

ndre

a M

auer

y, m

y th

esis

co

-ad

vis

ors

, h

av

e c

rucia

lly c

on

trib

ute

d t

o m

y t

he

sis

ex

pe

rie

nce

.

I w

ou

ld a

lso

li

ke

to

th

an

k m

y o

the

r co

mm

itte

e m

em

be

rs,

Dr.

Jen

nif

er

Wo

od

ard

, L

ucia

Wil

lia

ms-Y

ou

ng

, a

nd

De

b D

all

, fo

r th

eir

tim

e a

nd

in

pu

ts t

hro

ug

ho

ut

the

pro

ce

ss.

My d

ea

r fr

ien

d,

Ka

te F

inn

em

ore

, se

rve

d a

s a

so

un

din

g b

oa

rd

for m

any o

f my i

deas

thro

ugho

ut th

e pr

ojec

t. Sh

e al

so sp

ent h

ours

w

ith

me

to

ta

ke

co

un

tle

ss b

ea

uti

ful p

ho

tos o

f m

y w

ork

, so

me

thin

g

I co

uld

no

t h

av

e d

on

e w

ith

ou

t h

er.

My l

ate

gra

nd

mo

the

r, P

hyll

is

Ch

risti

an

, sh

ow

n a

t ri

gh

t in

he

r p

ink

su

it,

wa

s o

ne

of

the

pe

op

le

wh

o m

ad

e m

e i

nte

reste

d i

n f

ash

ion

, a

nd

fo

r th

at

I a

m e

tern

all

y

gra

tefu

l. L

astl

y,

I w

ou

ld l

ike

to

th

an

k m

y f

am

ily f

or

the

ir e

nd

less

un

de

rsta

nd

ing

an

d s

up

po

rt t

hro

ug

ho

ut

this

pro

ject,

my a

ca

de

mic

ca

ree

r, a

nd

my e

nti

re l

ife

tim

e.

Gra

titud

e

20

Ca

ra P

. D

oir

on

wa

s b

orn

in

Ba

ng

or,

Ma

ine

on

Au

gu

st

21,

19

95

.

She

grew

up

in B

ango

r as

wel

l, at

tend

ing

Bang

or H

igh

Scho

ol

and

grad

uatin

g in

201

3. A

fter

tak

ing

a ye

ar o

ff a

fter

hig

h sc

hool

, sh

e a

tte

nd

ed

th

e U

niv

ers

ity o

f M

ain

e b

eg

inn

ing

in

Fa

ll o

f 2

014

and

grad

uatin

g in

May

of 2

018.

Car

a m

ajor

ed in

fina

nce

and

was

re

co

gn

ize

d a

s t

he

to

p g

rad

ua

tin

g s

tud

en

t in

th

at

pro

gra

m w

he

n

she

rece

ived

the

Aca

dem

ic A

chie

vem

ent

in F

inan

ce A

war

d. S

he

als

o h

as a

co

nce

ntr

ati

on

in

en

tre

pre

ne

urs

hip

, a

min

or

in g

rap

hic

de

sig

n, a

nd

in

ad

dit

ion

to

th

is c

rea

tiv

e H

on

ors

Th

esis

, p

art

icip

ate

d

in t

he In

tern

atio

nal C

olle

giat

e Bu

sine

ss S

trat

egy

Com

petit

ion

as

her

busi

ness

cap

ston

e, s

ervi

ng a

s Ch

ief

Fina

ncia

l Offi

cer

on t

he

Mai

ne B

usin

ess

Scho

ol 2

018

team

. She

has

rece

ived

gra

nts

from

th

e Ce

nter

for U

nder

grad

uate

Res

earc

h Fe

llow

ship

and

the

Slav

in

Re

se

arc

h F

un

d to

p

ut

tow

ard

s th

e co

mp

leti

on

o

f th

is H

on

ors

Thes

is.

Cara

is a

lso

a m

embe

r of

Bet

a G

amm

a Si

gma

and

Phi

Ka

pp

a P

hi h

on

ors

so

cie

tie

s.

Pro

fessio

na

lly,

Ca

ra

ha

s

wo

rke

d

wit

h

nu

me

rou

s

Ma

ine

bu

sin

esse

s

as

a

pa

rt

of

the

In

no

va

te

for

Ma

ine

F

ell

ow

sh

ip

prog

ram

, thr

ough

the

Fost

er C

ente

r for

Stu

dent

Inno

vatio

n. U

pon

gra

du

ati

on

, sh

e p

lan

s t

o t

rav

el

to I

taly

an

d G

ree

ce

, a

nd

th

en

to

be

gin

he

r b

usin

ess c

are

er.

21

Abo

ut th

e D

esig

ner

© 2

018

Ca

ra D

oir

on

All

rig

hts

re

se

rve

d.

Ca

raD

oir

on

@g

ma

il.c

om

lin

ke

din

.co

m/in

/ca

rad

oir

on

Ph

oto

gra

ph

y b

y K

ate

Fin

ne

mo

re a

nd

Ca

ra D

oir

on

, w

ith

assis

tan

ce

by K

en

ne

th D

oir

on

Bo

ok

De

sig

n b

y C

ara

Do

iro

n

Prin

ted

by U

nive

rsity

of M

aine

Prin

ting

Serv

ices

Gra

nt fu

ndin

g pr

ovid

ed b

y th

e U

nive

rsity

of M

aine

Cen

ter f

or U

nder

grad

uate

Res

earc

h Fe

llow

ship

and

the

Slav

in R

esea

rch

Fund