History & Practice Session 1: The Historical Object

In this session, we focused on 'cultural texts'. Cultural texts can be works of design, art, film and so on; they are created by an individual or a group, but are informed by their surrounding society. This means that they often reflect, promote or even subvert cultural norms. We also looked at 'semiotics'; the study of signs, symbols... anything capable of conveying meaning.

     We thought in particular about clothing as both a cultural text and an example of semiotics in society. Clothes obviously have a practical function in protecting us from the elements, but they definitely serve other purposes as well. As a lover of symbolism and a writer who often designs outer appearance to reflect inward character, I found this quite interesting to think about.

• DISGUISE: clothes can conceal our bodies for modesty, and in some sense to mitigate our animalistic nature and origins. They can also affect visual impact by changing the way the body looks and moves; they can even change the way you feel (like "power dressing" to feel more confident).
• CULTURAL MARKERS: clothes show culture in flux; it is ever-changing. Clothes visually mark different time periods and eras (even down to how we commercially market certain clothes in "seasons" or "trends").
• PERSONAL EXPRESSION: clothes can express an individual's character, mood and identity. First impressions are often visual - we may not realise it but, subconsciously, what someone looks like and what they are wearing will contribute to our initial judgement.
• EXPRESSING ALLEGIANCE: clothes can signify an individual's bias, viewpoints and political leanings. They can mark separation from the mainstream, and allegiance to subcultures (eg. goth, punk, gangs, etc.).
• SOCIAL STATUS: visual appearance can directly correlate to social ranking, making clothes a mark of status which can be used as controlling devices (eg. workplaces, military uniform, etc.). They can also denote societal roles (eg. age, gender, career, religion, etc.).
• SYMBOLIC ENCODING: colour, pattern or the way something is worn can mean different things in different cultures. For example, we familiarise the colour white with weddings and sacrament, whereas in traditional Japanese culture it was used in mourning.

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BLOG TASK

I chose my burgundy bomber jacket to analyse for this task. Bomber jackets originated from military flight jackets; originally designed for the pilot's warmth at high altitude, they were made of heavy duty leather with a cinched waist and cuffs. Original jackets were a dark blue, evolving to sage green during the Vietnamese war for forest camouflage.

My jacket, however, is quite different from its original ancestors. It is still made of leather, but it is no longer heavy duty - it is lightweight, and would be rather impractical for flight. The colour has also diverged from the discreet sage green to a stand-out red. This suggests this jacket was designed for style rather than practicality (form over function).

     From a different perspective, despite the material being lightweight, it is still leather; a material with an ingrained connotation of toughness and durability in harsh conditions. This strikes me as symbolic for a "thick skin"; a hard shell masking a much more vulnerable interior. Personally, I feel this is rather accurate - I will often joke around or react defensively to hide my nerves. The colour adds to this idea; red is often associated with danger and warning, but burgundy is a rather muted shade. This could be interpreted as the wearer giving a "back off" signal, but likely because they are more nervous than aggressive.
 
     The shape of the jacket is rather gender-neutral and athletic. Its looseness and generous chest space can conceal a stereotypical feminine silhouette, accurately suggesting that I do not identify as a stereotypical female (or, in other words, a "girly girl"). The tailored waist and cuffs give off a sense of neatness.
  
     The manufacturer is a low-grade, practically unheard-of brand, suggesting that I am not one for capital pleasures and do not aim to impress or flaunt status. Bomber jackets are typically adopted by subcultures (eg. punk), implying a divergence from the mainstream.

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LECTURE NOTES