Â鶹´«Ã½

1875: A Presentation of Historical Dress

April 7 | 7:30pm 
Joseph Strug Concert Hall
Tickets: box office fees will apply

A presentation of historical dress by Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s graduating Costume Studies students, showcasing the iconic silhouettes and sumptuous designs worn 150 years ago.

Exactly 150 years ago, Western fashion was at a key point of transition between the complex, highly structured silhouettes of the first bustle period and the more streamlined, sweeping styles of the ‘natural form’ era.

This significant shift reflected broader changes in how people thought about dress and consumption, and the relationship between dress and the body. On one hand, new technological innovations made fashion ever more efficient to produce and less expensive to obtain, and prevailing styles and silhouettes changed quickly and dramatically. On the other, movements like Arts and Crafts and Artistic Dress promoted greater simplicity of style and a slower approach to production that rejected mechanization.

The outfits made by graduating Costume Studies students this year reflect all of these differing approaches and movements, showcasing the fascinating complexity of day-to-day dress in this transitional era.