Abstract

At Utah State University, students pursuing undergraduate degrees in programs across campus have the opportunity to take a general education course entitled: “Dress and Humanity”. In this course, students are challenged to think about dress as a product and process that distinguishes human beings from other animals. Specifically, dress is the intentional modification of the body of the design and/or shape of the body. Everyday individuals dress their body to maintain, manage, and alter personal appearance. Overtime, our dress practices change and norms for a society or culture evolve based on trends in technology, the economy, religion, the arts, notions of morality, social organization, and patterns of everyday living. This paper will illustrate methods for teaching students in a multidisciplinary course the basic design principles and practices used everyday through dress and fashion. Throughout the course, students are assessed based on critical thinking skills, problem solving, and teamwork. The course focuses on topics such as: why study dress, the environment and dress, dress and culture, the art of creating dress, and the future of dress. Due to the increased interdependence of our world, there is a great need to understand and appreciate cultures other than our own.