As part of Barnard’s plans for fall, faculty have reimagined how to approach their courses in the new flexible, hybrid system that will continue to offer the academic rigor for which the College is known.
One of these innovative courses is called “Clothing.”
In it, professor of art history Anne Higonnet — whose work has been supported by Getty, Guggenheim, and Social Science Research Council fellowships, as well as grants from the Mellon, Howard, and Kress foundations — will reintroduce students to the concept of “Clothing” by centering their voices and perspectives.
The topic is especially timely right now, given how dramatically clothing was altered after health professionals deemed face coverings a necessary protection against the novel coronavirus. “Now we need a wardrobe of masks!” Higonnet quipped. “More seriously, COVID-19 has taken athleisure to the next level and made it the new gender-neutral clothing of the future.”
Each of Higonnet’s 70-minute class sessions will introduce students to a fascinating exploration of how fashion has changed over time as well as the many ways clothing intersects with anthropology, architecture, economics, the environment, history, psychology, and sociology. “‘Clothing’ is about something we all already do and can all think about more analytically and consciously,” Higonnet said. “Plus, clothing can be a lot of fun.”
To learn more about Higonnet’s “Clothing” course, watch the video above.