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The Body-dress Symbiosis of Eighteenth-century Menswear: Demonstrating the Need for Digital Technology via George Washington Artifacts

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Abstract

What to do with artifacts and how to draw and share knowledge from them was addressed by Harris in 1977 when she stated how dress artifacts “can be studied and examined by students and scholars for construction and other design details; or they can be placed on exhibit to be viewed and appreciated by the general public” (Costume Display Techniques, 1977). She reminded her reader that safety is paramount but textiles are intrinsically fragile and many garments survive in poor condition. “Exhibitability” can affect their ability to be collected and displayed (Scaturro and Fung, 2016). Others have discussed the use of digital surrogates and how digital technology is “enabling new forms of collecting and conserving […] and dissemination” (Eastop and Brooks, 2016). Using George Washington garments, the research demonstrate the body-dress symbiosis in eighteenth-century menswear and the difficulty of conveying dress practices accurately unless this is done using digital technology.

Keywords: Body-dress Symbiosis, Eighteenth-century Menswear, Digital Technology, George Washington Artifacts

How to Cite:

Bissonnette, A. M., (2024) “The Body-dress Symbiosis of Eighteenth-century Menswear: Demonstrating the Need for Digital Technology via George Washington Artifacts”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 80(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.17329