Lecture on Material Culture

Today we attended a lecture on material culture delivered by Dr Frances Robertson from the GSA. The talk was very interactive and at some point the lecturer asked us to play a dress detective. This entailed swapping jackets with people around the room in order to examine them - for example the fabric, style, how it fits the body shape, etc - and then think about the history, potential influences and inspirations.

The students examine their jackets, talking about the fit, design, fabric and discussing what the different features can say about the people who wear them

The students being jacket detectives - some fabrics make rustling noises
We got down to work and soon the room was full of buzz, people feeling the jackets, turning them inside out to, and even smelling them. We discovered that some made sounds, crunchy or rustling; some were very soft to touch, some very loose while others were quite tight-fitting.

Once we were done with the analysis, Frances examined some of the garments for us to show us how much hidden history is behind each item and its components - for example, the fact that velcro fastenings are used instead of buttons, that the coat is beige in colour or that flowers are embroidered on the back of a military-inspired jacket. We learnt a lot of mysterious words like epaulette, raglan sleeve, bomber jacket, or shawl collar.

Dr Frances Robertson discusses one of the jackets in more detail, demonstrating how a piece of clothing can be a starting point for the discussion about society and culture

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This blog post was written by Ania Rolinska, one of the tutors. She also took the photos, asking first for the permission of the lecturer and the students.
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Many thanks to Frances Robertson for delivering such an inspiring lecture and with so much passion for the subject!
Location: 167 Renfrew St, Glasgow G3 6RQ, UK

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