BODY PART CONNECTIONS

For this class my partner and I had the task of restricting the body in some way by connecting one part of the body to another. We decided to focus on muscular extensions of strength from the ability of human stretch and the literally the stretch in the fabric, by attaching off areas of the hand connecting to the feet. Deciding to connect my head within the tubes was decision connected to the idea that all strength and force is derived from the power of the mind. 

The outcome lead parallels to my lose concept for the design study relating to(dance/tenacity of materials &body). I will continue to explore this concept and how it creates rhythm on the body with the fluid lines of the tubes extending/ draping to the connections. 
In the experiment we used scrap fabric with graphic lines on it-It  wasn't until the final outcome that it was realised that these `graphic' lines assisted in creating a sense of movement/ rhythm. I look forward to exploring this concept more.
 

(all images from Batsis i-phone)

Research & analysis of ideas so far for future desihn study.

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS OF IDEAS FOR DESIGN STUDY

-       I have decided to go back to the definition of stretch and what it now means to me in terms of my investigation processes throughout the generics.  I have realized I am curious about:

-       To extend- beyond the usual or proper limits ( play on proportions/silhouettes) - Straining

-       To extend- over a given period of time

-       To lengthen- widen or distend.

``To extend over a given period of time’’ I aim to challenge the definition and stretch the boundaries of the stretch materials in order to achieve an interesting process.  

 

The generic garment _process has feed me some interesting design processes I will continue to use this sort of documentation in my personal design study. I was fond of cut/copy/paste variation of the singlet. I researched 1930’s 1940’s sportswear/dance wear (reference: Movement &Modernity.E-journal) The article looked closely at the change of Body image thru the decade and how it was of the up most importance to train your physique as swimsuits, dance wear etc. was getting briefer. There were major aspects that I was really interested in from the article. 1. -  ` The notion of replication as a positive attitude was reinforced…suggesting it was desirable to be apart of this mirroring of uniform feminine ideal’ – I feel this `ideal’ has  not changed people continue to lose to express their individual identity in _the sportswear segment.

This is where my personal area of interest lies- to free individual personal style in the sportswear segment ( I am currently working on this in Professional practice with how everything looks the same and there is a market for innovative sportswear )  This symbolic concept lies in all fashion arenas assisting to express individual and collective identity having both a `social, pscyhologial, and physical ‘… impact on the wearer. I am intrigued by the psychological state a garments can have on the wearer and how the wearer feel they are perceived and are perceived from the external world. I want to analyse this within my body of work.

 

I hope to adapt generic sportswear items and use the generic looks of sportswear+ materials to create completely new sportswear items that are so often the mundane, typical/generic sport items.

 (above ballet images from American ballet.1930's.com)

2. `The leotard idea’ Ballet from the 30’s was HUGE, `variations were made based on every ballet dancers rehearsal costume’ (Harper's Bazaar_) Adapting stylistic features for purely integral decoration. I adapted the singlet into a new variation inspired by the leotard idea changing it to reflect a classic sport tank top with a racer back and finishes such as bold line work with binding and over stitch finishes to give off a sporty `feel’

The article lead me to look at corsets and form fitting lingerie as it stated `women unwilling to devote themselves to exercise regimes, alternatives such s corsets and shaping garments could be made) Women were encouraged to use both

 

-A fight against the natural and machine movement contradictory tenets of naturalism & control- --RESTRICTION Vs FREEDOM of movement----FREE FROM MATERIAL CONSTRAINTS??

 Restriction???

Freedom??

In contrast of looking at the form fitting for the generic legging I looked at the definition of stretch of `extending and enlarging proportions beyond the usual’ around the crutch area of the legging, resulting in a `baggy’ look. I will continue to look at the idea of juxtaposing the form fitting and the nature of the over-sized garments. This process is to see how the body can be perceived differently to the exterior and wearer and how over-sized garments can often encourage comfort/freedom to the wearer. I will continue to explore these possibilities with positioning geometric shapes that don’t necessarily lie within the natural contours.

The fig of the American football player is a great play on extending different regions of proportion and the distinctive and easily identifiable lines in his jersey. I will continue to look at materials used in sportswear like the drawstrings with my generic leggings with how it can feed thru the garment becoming a stylistic decorative feature as well as creating excessive volume  and research some other techniques and finishes used and typical fabrics used in sportswear mesh, zips ,pockets , fastenings.  

 

- A great quote of what I am look to juxtapose ` A well-controlled body is much more beautiful than a body with artificial support pushing it around. ‘

legging documentation film clip

legging experiment

the foam inserted inhibited my walk-it was almost nearly impossible to turn around smoothly so i jumped each turn... so glad i dont have to wobble like this all day...I am intrigued to take this added volume in this area in some way for the legging.

Decoration- cupcakes

I was inspired by surface /integral(the icing) decoration of the cupcakes...I am going to put this on the Nanna!

 EXCESSIVE DECORATION. on the knicker to look like a cupcake- a little kitch and very OTT.

How we percieve things...interesting..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ1evHUAmh8

`The leotard idea'

``A well controlled body is much more beautiful than a body with artificial support pushing it around. '' -Mc Cardell (source: Movement & Modernity)

I am exploring this idea & the juxtapositon  of it.

Sportwear,Dance & Excercise

I need to look up this reference in the library but have googled and found some interesting things to get the mind ticking... back to my first theory of incorporating modern feminity in relation to the body and fashion combined with the constraints on the body in exercise in the 1930's-1940's .  In particular dance.

First I think its important to talk a little about what kinds of exercise ladies were doing in the first half of the 20th century. Dancing (particularly ballet), swimming, tennis, horseback riding, golf, gymnastics and a whole score of now forgotten methods of keeping oneself in top form. Sportswear back then meant an entirely thing than what it means today. The actual term `sportswear' could be just what you wore for any casual leisure activity from badminton to sailing. With a new passion for sports, sunbathing and even nudisim invited briefer sportswear-bathing suits were backless and slashed.

Some funny exercise techniques from the 30's-40's.


 

Work it out in le singlet

Work outs in variations of the basic singlet-What do you wear when you work out, go to dance class and so on?? Have you choosen your type of exercise because of its outfit??

Singlet & dance

 

Images Bernard Vilhem. 

Love the movement of the last images and how the singlet is not inhibiting the wearer when stretching or controlling the way they moved like some of the other dance wear that controlled the wearer in the 1930's-1940's.

Singlet

Singlets for me relate with exercise- comfort and ease are probabbly the most two important factors of the modern day singlet to exercise in.

Image from the satorilist.com . This image asks me...can our workouts in `the basic singlet' be translated to our own personal style? Is this a movement for the modern womans exercise routine?
The other question it poses to me is excercise the main/only way we now discipline our body to achieve similar end results such as the corset did to the body?  I want to explore this theory more about how this relates to modern feminity in relation to the body and fashion. 

Definition.

Stretch has many definitions, I have included some I find relevant

Stretch.

verb. stretched, stretch·ing, stretch·es

To lengthen, widen, or distend:

To extend (oneself or one's limbs, for example) to full length 

To extend or enlarge beyond the usual or proper limits 

To last or cause to last longer than expected

noun, a stretch

The act of stretching or the state of being stretched.

The extent or scope to which something can be stretched; elasticity

 adj.

Made of an elastic material that stretches easily.  

White T-shirt Project.

Project white t-shirt- http://www.projectwhitetshirt.com/ contemporary fashion designers reinventing the white t-shirt…

After researching the white t-shirt project and looking at how contemporary fashion designers are using it and reinventing it. Personally I would say that the majority of the time it still had the two crucial elements of the t-shirt in terms of construction; that being a neckline and somewhere for the arms to come thru.  For example designer Andrea Crewes’ innovative t-shirt demonstrated two t-shirts that had their neck and sleeves repositioned. Thus, I came to some sort of lose conclusion (for now) that for the t-shirt to be a t-shirt it just has to appropriate some sort of neckline to pop the head thru and appropriate armholes of some sort. 

http://vimeo.com/7860844

Check this link out .... http://vimeo.com/7871330

From the label `REcycle or Die' really cool stuff- Not just buying and throwing away.

The designer talks about how hyper consumerist fashion limits creativity,that each piece is special and unique.

 

The boyfriend factor.

Ive been thinking is it still a t-shirt if say on your boyfriend it is the standard size/fit but on you it falls to cover your backside where most dresses short dresses sit. Where do you draw the line or (quite literally the hemline) between short mini dress or t-shirt?

         So off to uni this morning?  

Why do us women feel the need to steal the boyfriends t-shirt? Despite the obvious attachment reasons -there is a feeling of extreme comfort from this relaxed loose style they wear which make them just plain comfortable to wear.  This brought me to look thru my own wardrobe and in comparison the guys t-shirts. Mine had a common similarity between them, being that they are mostly tight fitting to the body, casual and in a jersey fabric that is mostly associated to the warm summer months.  -leaving them to hibernate in the draw thru the winter season . Where as guys seem to wear them all year round and it seem that us girls are limited to a seasonal time frame to wear the t-shirt.  This brought me to the idea of why we don’t we have a warm winter t-shirt in the wardrobe?  It could still be as comfortable but perhaps made from a wool? Is it still called a t-shirt if I make it from wool? 

What defines a t-shirt is it the cut /construction or is the fabric used?