This course examines the phenomenon of dress and body as a site of social and cultural meaning, social competition, and self-expression. The course explores the social, psychological, and cultural aspects of dress, including the relationship of dress to social environments, aesthetic and personal expression, cultural ideals, and values. Students will use interpretive frameworks and key theories in fashion to evaluate a range of factors that influence fashion choices that they, as well as others, make. An opportunity to learn how dress can be used as a method of communication to express one’s personal and group identity will be offered. The course aims to develop in students an understanding of how dress can alter or enhance the form of the physical body to meet personal, cultural, and societal needs.