MDSE 3370: Fashion Theory

MDSE 3370: Fashion Theory

Spring, 2015

ENV 125, Tuesday/Thursday 2:00 – 3:20

Course Description: / Theoretical frameworks are examined and used to interpret the meaning of dress in cultural patterns, social organizations, social interactions, and personal identities. Current fashion trends are analyzed and interpreted through the study of popular culture and everyday life.
Learning Outcomes: / By the end of this class students will able to…

Understand the role of dress and appearance in understanding the self and others, and how dress reinforces existing cultural patterns.
Distinguish key terminology in social-psychology of dress
Demonstrate a basic understanding of theory
Identify the various psychological, sociological, anthropological and business models as applied to dress behavior
Apply theory to the explanation of human behavior/social behavior/creation of personal identities
Analyze dress and appearance changes in relationship to broad societal changes
Formulate research questions
Conduct a literature search using library research data bases
Construct a comprehensive literature review
Develop/Adapt an instrument and collect data
Analyze data
Organize a well-structured, APA formatted research paper
Learn to work with others in groups and create cohesive/comprehensive work
Learn to look outside the box and be open-minded. Be curious rather than judgmental.

Professor: / Dr. Kinley
Office: Chilton 342D
Phone: 940.565.4842
Email: - Please put “3370” in the subject line of the email. I will also use Blackboard to communicate with you, but note that I do not check Bb email every day.
Office Hours: / 10:00-11:30 and 3:30-4:30, Tuesdays and Thursdays
Other appointments available by appointment
Required Texts: / Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). (2010). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Mandatory readings for this class are posted on Black Board in the READINGS folder. Sub-folders named after sections of the class contain weekly readings. READINGS MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO CLASS.
Grade Determination: / Exams(approximately 400 points). Content will be included from both lecture and assigned readings.
Research Project (300 points). Students will conduct a research study that includes a review of current research literature, data collection and analysis, and pertinent conclusions. More details will be presented in class.
Homework(variable points) not related to the research project will be assigned as needed to accomplish course objectives.
Graded Quizzes (variable) may also be given in class. A pop-quiz, by definition, cannot be made-up later.
Other assignments will be given as necessary to meet course objectives.
Grade Scale / Grades are not curved. The final semester grade will be determined as follows:
A = 90 - 100%C = 70 - 79% F = 59 and Below
B = 80 - 89% D = 60-69%
Grades are computed as Points Earned  Points Possible. Graded papers will be returned and test grades will be posted. You will need to keep up with your grades. Computing your course grade is a simple mathematical operation; you should be able to compute your own grade at any point in time.
Electronics Policy / Ear buds are forbidden.
You also do not have need of a tablet, cell phone, or laptop in this class unless we are completing a workshop where a screen is relevant. You will be given notice in advance if an upcoming lesson would benefit from a tablet or laptop.
Phones should be turned off or in Airplane Mode for the duration of class. Your friends and family should respect your education enough to allow you to concentrate on your studies during the time you are in class. You can check messages, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and catch up on Trivia Crack when class is over.
Phones should be stored in your backpack or purse for the duration of class. If you have a situation necessitating that your phone be on your desk during class, it must be cleared with the teacher in advance. If there is not a rare situation necessitating that you be connected to the world outside, your phone is a distraction.
Research indicates that phones, tablets and laptops are more of a distraction than a help. Not only are they a distraction to you, your devices are a distraction to everyone around and behind you.
Exam Days / Personal belongings will be left at the front of the classroom. Cell phones will be turned OFF on exam days. The only thing you will need for the exam is a pencil. If a phone rings or vibrates or otherwise makes a noise during the exam, 10 points will be deducted from each person’s exam grade.
No hats or beverages are allowed during the exams. They must be left at the front of the room with your bag.
Make-up Exams: / You are responsible for taking all exams and quizzes at the scheduled times. If for any reason under the sun you must miss an exam, you can make it up on the day of the final.
Office of Disability Accommodation / The University of North Texas and the College of Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism make reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. Students are strongly encouraged to deliver letters of accommodation during faculty office hours or by appointment. Faculty members have the authority to ask students to discuss such letters during their designated office hours to protect the privacy of the student. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.
Emergency Notification & Procedures / UNT uses a system called Eagle Alert to quickly notify youwith critical information in an event of emergency (i.e., severe weather, campus closing, and health and public safety emergencies like chemical spills, fires, or violence). The system sends voice messages (and text messages upon permission) to the phones of all active faculty staff, and students. Please make certain to update your phone numbers at Some helpful emergency preparedness actions include: 1) ensuring you know the evacuation routes and severe weather shelter areas, determining how you will contact family and friends if phones are temporarily unavailable, and identifying where you will go if you need to evacuate the Denton area suddenly. In the event of a university closure, your instructor will communicate with you through Blackboard regarding assignments, exams, field trips, and other items that may be impacted by the closure. Be sure to check Balckboard!

MDSE 3370: Fashion Theory

Tentative Calendar, Spring 2015

Tuesday / Topic / Thursday / Topic / Readings
Jan. 20 / Introduction to the Class; project overview; Fashion Theories and Terminology / Jan. 22 / Fashion Theories / • Body Rituals of the Nacirema
• Basic Research Guidelines
• Cultures and Communities Online
• Musical Identities Online
• Polhemus: Intro & Chapter 1
•Teachers Give Better Grades to More Attractive Students
• Social Theory
Jan. 27 / Fashion Theories
-Project Role Survey / Jan. 29 / Fashion Theories
Feb. 3 / Project Details
Research Methods Overview
-Scientific Method
-Qualitative Research
-Quantitative Research
- Group Sign-up Opens at 10:00 PM for Lit Review Leads. Any who have not signed up by 10:00 AM Thursday morning (2/5) will be assigned by the teacher. / Feb. 5 / The Body in a Cultural Context
Group Sign-up Opens at 10:00 PM for Compliance Leads. Any who have not signed up by 10:00 AM Tuesday morning (2/10) will be assigned by the teacher. / • Guys Have Body Image Issues Too
• Plus Size Readers
• Little Girls Losing Love for Barbie
• The New Barbie Doll
•Enigmas of Beauty
•You Are What you Wear
• Forced to Be Fat
• Age Before Beauty
• Gay Men’s Body Image
• Some Swimwear Plays Peekaboo
•Plastic Surgeons Worried
Wednesday, February 4 – Executive + Scholar Lecture (Kip Tindell, Container Store). Attendance encouraged but not required for this class.
Feb. 10 / The Body in a Cultural Context
Groups will have 15 minutes in class to put a face with a name and make a communication plan. Decide where and when to meet (live or virtually) to complete Table 3. / Feb. 12 / The Body in a Cultural Context
- Research Projects selection begins at 7:00 AM in the Bb Discussion Board. Any group who has not selected a project by 10:00 AM Friday morning (2/13) will be assigned one by the teacher. First come, first served; no duplicate projects.
Feb. 17 / Exam 1 / Feb. 19 / Dress and Relationships
WORKSHOP: How to Read a Research Article
WORKSHOP: Research Statistics Crash Course
TABLE 3 DUE AT 2:00 PM IN CLASS. TURN IN THE ORIGINAL HARD COPY. ALL GROUP MEMBERS SHOULD RETAIN A PHOTOCOPY. / (The readings below will not be on the exam.)
• Subcultural Style
• Youth Subcultures
•Bronies, Adult Male Fans Of 'My Little Pony
• Polhemus: Chapters 2 & 4
• Japanese Teens
•Hipster Urbanism and the Transformation of Our Cities
• The Week that Seapunk Broke
• LA’s Derby Dolls
Feb. 24 / Dress and Relationships
PROJECT OVERVIEW (TABLE 1) DUE by 10:00 PM / Feb. 26 / Dress as Nonverbal Communication –
March 3 / WORKSHOP: Group Work. Every person in your group has one hour and 20 minutes already scheduled to meet on this day. A live, face-to-face 1-hour-20-minute group meeting is expected. / March 5 / Guest Speaker from Library
SURVEY INSTRUMENT and ANALYSIS PLAN (TABLE 2) DUE
March 10 / Dress as Nonverbal Communication
WORKSHOP: APA Basics
WORKSHOP: Writing / March 12 / Dress as Nonverbal Communication
REFERENCE LIST DUE / APA Manual
• Polhemus: Chapter 3
• Body Art as Visual Language
• What Your Clothes Say About You
• Proudly Bearing Elder’s Scars
• Russian Criminal Tattoos
• Tattoo Checks
• Keeping Their Art to Themselves
• The Body Art Dilemma
•Medical Tattoos
March 17 / SPRING BREAK! / March 19 / SPRING BREAK!
March 24 / Dress as Nonverbal Communication / March 26 / WORKSHOP: Data Collection
DRAFT 1 DUE
March 31 / Appearance and Gender / April 2 / WORKSHOP: Data Analysis
ALL DATA MUST BE COLLECTED BY 2:00 PM. / • No ‘him’ or ‘her’
• What’s so Bad About a Boy Who Wants to Wear a Dress?
•When Sissy Boys Become Mainstream
• Germany To Allow Parents To Choose No Gender
• Arrests by Fashion Police
•Jill Peters ‘Third Gender’
•Slutty Halloween Costumes
•'Gender Bender Day' At School Stirs Controversy
• Why I’ve Given up on Hooking Up
April 7 / Appearance and Gender / April 9 / Exam 2
April 14 / Dress & the Lifecycle: Adolescence / April 16 / Dress & the Lifecycle: Adulthood
Consumer Experience Symposium – Attendance encouraged but not required for this class. / •As Kids get Savvy
•The French Government Bans Child Beauty
•A Generation Born to Buy
• Plus Size Clothing
• Adult-Inspired Lingerie
• Why 6 Year Old Girls Want to be Sexy
• Why Your Teen Insists on Dressing
•Midlife Eating Disorders
•Men give up on their appearance at the age of 46
• Polhemus: Chapter 5
•Ageing fashionistas
•Age Is Just a Number
April 21 / WORKSHOP: Peer Review / April 23 / Dress & the Lifecycle: Adulthood
April 28 / Race and Ethnicity / April 30 / Race and Ethnicity
RESEARCH PROJECT IS DUE! Grades will be posted by Friday, May 15. / • The Sapeurs of the Congo
• Asian Patients seeking plastic surgery to appear more ‘western’
•Can you Wear Native Fashion
•Do Clothes Define Your Ethnicity?
• What is Latino
•Wearing a Kilt
• Unhappy Campers
• Being Comfortable in Your Own Skin (Tone)
•American Gypsy Wedding Dresses
May 5 / Modesty, Dress & Religion / May 7 / Modesty, Dress & Religion / • Black Executive Allegedly Fired From BP For Braided Hair And Ethnic Clothing
• Polhemus: Chapter 6
•Afghan Boys are Prized
• In a Ban, A Measure of European Tolerance
•Letter From Africa
•The New Demure
•Skullcap as Fashion Statement
• Albuquerque High School Bans Rosaries
• Attitudes & Rationalizations
Final Exam: Thursday, May 14, 1:30 to 3:30