Clothing knowledge and economic improvement2016

Clothing is important in

today's world!Personal Development, Economic Empowerment

and Creative Development incorporating elements of STEAM

Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, Ph.D.

Oklahoma State Clothing Specialist

Assistant ProfessorDesign, Housing, and

Merchandising

Objectives• Historical to contemporary view of

textiles and apparel• Clothing is important: Top

misconceptions• Sewing as a gateway • Barriers• Takeaways• Resources

History: Neolithic sewers

•Bronze age (c. 3150 BCE.)• Skirt

• corded fringe• Woven waistband

• Woven Top • sleeves,• pulled over the head

• Houppe Belt with fringe on one end and a metal disk on the other.

The first sewing needle! First needle with a hole, 22,000-1700 BC

Used long horse hair or reindeer tendons.

History:Late 1700s – 1800s

• Power loom• First factory • Urban

development• Employment of

women outside of the home

History: Mid-1800s• The invention of the sewing machine• 14 times faster than by hand

History Late 1800s - Today• First Unions• Triangle Shirtwaist Fire• Textile factory fire, Pakistan• Textile Factory collapse,

Bangladesh

Textile Innovation Changed the World

• Jacquard Loom • Basis for the

computer• Binary system

Jacuard CardComputer Card

Key Facts: The U.S. Textile and Apparel

Industry • One of the largest manufacturing employers in the US.

• The third largest exporter of textile products in the world.

• Supports textile and apparel platform created by NAFTA/CAFTA/Andean free trade areas.

• Supplies +8,000 different textile products each year to the U.S. military.

• Invested + $15 billion in new plants and equipment , 2001 - 2009.

• Increased productivity by 45 percent over the last 10 years.

Government & Textile Trade

• Executive Branch of the Government• Office of the United States Trade Representative

• Assistant to the USTR for Textiles• …will be responsible for supervising negotiations

affecting textile and apparel products, advising Ambassador Kirk on textile and apparel trade policy matters and working to expand the industry's access to foreign markets.

• The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA)• Departments of Commerce, State, Labor, and Treasury and

the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's Office

Government & Textile Trade

• United States International Trade Association’s OFFICE OF TEXTILES AND APPAREL (OTEXA)• US IMPORTS IN 2011

• $92,727,734,058: Ninety-two billion • US EXPORTS IN 2011

• $19,719,001,369: Nineteen billion• Imports and Exports

• Quotas• Tariffs• Regulations

• Trade Agreements• Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)

• Trade Preference Programs

Today’s world• People have SO MUCH information.

• Consumerism is pushing us • NEW is better• CHANGE is better

• Automation and free trade agreements have reduced the price of ready-to-wear clothing

• Inexpensive clothing is also cheaply made and wears out quickly.

• Textile waste is filling the landfills• 75% of textiles produced do not

biodegrade

• Creativity has been proven to be one of the drivers of economic development

misconceptions about clothing1:

• Clothing is personal• You may think that what you wear is important to you and you

alone, but clothing is the strongest, most public communication tool we use every day.

• How we dress tells others what we think about ourselves, what we think about others, what we fill our time with, and often is the subtle element that can make or break an opportunity.

• Watkins (1995) defines clothing as a portable environment, one that “is carried everywhere with an individual, creating its own room within a room and its own climate within the larger climate of our surroundings” (p. 47).

• Clothing mediates relationships between the self and others (Keane, 2005).


• If it’s cheap I should buy it Balance this statement with: you have to be rich

to buy cheap because inexpensive clothing is often prone to damage early in the wearing cycle. The fabric can get holes seams come undone the surface of the fabric often gets small balls

called pilling the color often fades quickly buy-back thrift stores do not generally pay much

for cheap clothing.


• If it’s expensive, (and a name brand) I should save up and buy it• Paying more than is comfortable for your budget for

clothing or accessories should be done with extreme care. Check the quality VERY carefully. High price does not always mean high quality

• High prices CAN mean high quality, and carefully chosen, can result in a wise investment that endures over time.

• Be sure your purchase/investment is driven for the right reasons – don’t get caught in the brand image trap unless you are financially capable and fully aware of WHY you are attracted to the brand. • Status shopping is ok, as long as it’s mindful and purposeful.


• If I wear it once, I must wash it Clothing worn in an indoor environment can often be

worn several times before laundering is required. Laundering puts strain on the garment and uses a lot of electricity and water. Wearing an undergarment such as a slip or a t-shirt

can protect a garment from body oils and perspiration. Create a space in your home where you can air out

clothes, especially those that do not touch your body directly.

Spot clean small soiling on the surface.


• If it doesn’t fit I should throw it away Never throw away clothing! If a garment doesn’t

fit, run it through the wardrobe test Can you redesign it? Turn a skirt into a top, for example. Can you tailor it? Let out seams or add panels?

If it fails the wardrobe test Can you give it to a friend or family member? Take it to a buy-back thrift store such as Plato’s closet Give it to a thrift store (Goodwill, the Salvation Army, etc.) and

get a tax deduction form


• Clothes must be new to be fashionable Aside from the fact that we see cycles in the fashion

system – who has not had a teenager buy clothes similar to what we wore as teenagers? Clothes can be updated with just a few adjustments and/or additions.

Consider changing buttons, length, width, or color to update.

Buying classics such as a black turtleneck, a white blouse, and a navy straight, knee-length skirt will also guarantee longevity.


• Clothes must be new to be fashionable Aside from the fact that we see cycles in the fashion

system – who has not had a teenager buy clothes similar to what we wore as teenagers? Clothes can be updated with just a few adjustments and/or additions.

Consider changing buttons, length, width, or color to update.

Buying classics such as a black turtleneck, a white blouse, and a navy straight, knee-length skirt will also guarantee longevity.


•More is better Most wardrobe authorities agree that the best

approach to dressing well economically is to establish a set of basic wardrobe pieces and some accent pieces.

Some people actually function with only 30 pieces in their closet and look diverse and great every day!

Besides, when we have so many clothes, we forget what we have and often times end up wearing the same pieces over and over. Think about it.


•You need to be thin to look fashionable Fashion is about having a style that is aesthetically

pleasing and modern. Granted, it is often easier to combine an ensemble

without having to keep in mind all kinds of restrictions, like not emphasizing the waist, or covering the upper arm, but on the other hand we are so lucky that we can manipulate our clothing choices to make us look aesthetically pleasing and modern no matter what our body type, with some careful planning and wise shopping.


• Just because people wear it, it’s ok.• Leggings are pants

Never wear leggings under a top that is shorter than mid-thigh, unless you are in a dance studio.

Leggings lack opacity and hug the skin so strongly that they look like a second skin. Show every imperfection Movement creates unpleasant image

Even if you don’t notice in the mirror when you get dressed, the person behind you on the stairs will have a different opinion.

Consider leggings to be in the same category as panty hose. Pajamas are ok to wear in public

Planning for our appearance in public is as important for ourselves as it is for ourselves. Despite their comfort, wearing pajamas in public can send the message that you don’t care about yourself. See point 10 below.

Sewing as a gateway• Sewing is Empowering • Sewing Enables financial savings• Sewing Creates community• Sewing Skills for Youth Development

• Science• Technology• Engineering• Arts• Math

• Barriers

Sewing will…• Empower

• Individual expression• Self confidence• Self-esteem

• Life skills• Patience• Focus • Process thinking• Compartmentalization • Self-efficacy • Self-reliance

Sewing will…• Empower

• Save time• Family sharing

• Update those hand-me-downs• Building wardrobe wisely for

specific occasions• Flexibility to buy where you want/

can get the best deal. • Thrift stores• Online• Regular size if you are

• Small• Short• Off-standard sizing

Sewing will…• Enable financial savings

• Repair instead of throw away• Simple

• Buttons, hems, seam tears, belt loops

• Fill in/hide holes• Replace a zipper

• Complex• Shorten jacket sleeve• Enlarge or reduce

waistband

Sewing will…• Enable financial savings

• Redesign instead of reject• Stay fashionable, using that

knowledge and creativity• Skirt into a dress, wrap, etc.• Shorten sleeve, skirt• Jacket into a vest• Jean into skirt, jacket,

accessories • So many things…

Sewing will…• Create community

• American Sewing Guild http://www.asg.org• “a national non-profit

organization dedicated to people who believe sewing is a rewarding and creative activity.”

• Join people across the lifespan• 4-H and OHCE

• American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences• http://www.aafcs.org/

Students/CareerFCS.asp

http://www.asg.org/

http://www.asg.org/

Sewing will…• Develop our minds in important ways. • To sew you must know:

• Science• Technology• Engineering• Arts• Math

Sewing will…• Develop our minds in important ways

• Science• Textile knowledge is based on scientific

exploration. Understanding polymer chains, crystalinity, and hydrogen bonds are only some of the examples.

• Chemical Structure• Yarn formation• Dye-ability and color retention• Abrasion resistance and durability• Moisture absorbency and comfort• Making textiles more sustainable


• Technology• Technological innovation

• 3-D body scanning• 3-D printing• Sewing machines


• Engineering • Engineering specific fabrics around the body • Creating a 2-d pattern to make a 3-D garment• Systems thinking

Sewing will…• Develop our minds

in important ways • Arts

• Creative thinking • Aesthetic principles

• Elements and principles of design

• Sociology• Capturing the spirit of the

times• Psychology

• Developing personal expression

• Understanding how individual decisions impact others.


• Mathematics• Algebra• Geometry• Measuring

Barriers • Why learn to sew when

buying clothes is so cheap? • Compare sewing to

cooking. • Cooking at home vs. fast

food• The new paradigm sees

sewing differently.

Takeaways• Textiles and clothing are essential to

economic, political, and human development• Rethink your conception of clothing• Sewing Skills are a gateway to

empowerment: economic and personal.• Economic Empowerment and personal financial

savings• Creates community• Develop our minds in important ways across the lifespan

• Personal Development• Creative Thinking • Problem Solving• STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math

Resources• Watkins, S. M. (1995). Clothing: The portable environment

(2nd ed.). Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press.• Keane, W. (2005). The hazards of new clothes: what signs

make possible. The Art of Clothing: A Pacific Experience, 1-16.

• http://sweetpotatoesandsocialchange.com/4-reasons-basic-sewing-skills-are-important/

• http://www.soyoustudio.com/why-sewing/• http://www.sewcountrychick.com/why-should-you-learn-to-

sew/

http://sweetpotatoesandsocialchange.com/4-reasons-basic-sewing-skills-are-important/




http://www.soyoustudio.com/why-sewing/

http://www.soyoustudio.com/why-sewing/

Clothing Matters!Spread the Word!

Mary [email protected]

http://fashionmatters2.blogspot.com Instagram/Twitter @mystyle4u@cwesst #cwesst• Center for wearable electronic

sensing systems#dhmokstate#clothingmatters#fashionmatters

http://fashionmatters2.blogspot.com/

http://fashionmatters2.blogspot.com/