Author: Kristine Cirino Maloney

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 126

ISBN-13:

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the evolution of women's sport and athletic wear throughout history. What came out of necessity, over time became an integral part of the fashion industry. The thesis will show that starting in the mid-nineteenth century, the interest for women to have more liberating clothing was evident in their struggle to create a market that was currently unavailable. The double standards that were placed on women were clear in society's "moral code" of the way a woman should dress in private and public. From the mid-eighteen hundred's until the late twentieth century, women's sportswear was reconfigured many times and had many births and deaths. From the Dress Reform, to the Industrial Revolution, to the aftermath of wars, to the most important factor - the introduction of women's higher education - these many factors over time have led to the current dress code for women in sports and athletics today ... The research will demonstrate the transformation of American sportswear and athletic attire and project a better understanding of women's history and struggles in the fashion industry and the changes undergone during this time.