I used to subscribe to a word-of-the-day email service, my lazy version of reading the dictionary. Very slowly. Out of order. In any case, one week they had a theme of vocabulary related to textiles, but they focused on the non-textile definitions. I myself had not been aware of some of the secondary meanings to the following common fabrics. As the author of wordsmith.org writes, “There are numerous idioms: people are advised not to wash their dirty linen in public, even adults like to have their security blankets….”
lambdoidal tweed wool swatch
tweedy DEFINITION:
adjective:
1. Academic or scholarly.
2. Informal; casual; outdoorsy.
2. Made of or resembling tweed.
ETYMOLOGY:
After tweed, a coarse woolen fabric made in twill weave, preferred in casual wear, for example those in academia or in the country. The origin of the word tweed is not certain. It’s probably an alteration of Scots tweel, influenced by the river Tweed that flows along the border between England and Scotland.
USAGE:
“Ramrod-tall, blue-eyed and aquiline, with a high forehead swept clear of thin, fair hair, [William Hurt] even looked clever, like a tweedy young professor of letters on secondment to Hollywood.”
ETYMOLOGY:
Besides the fabric, the word flannel can refer to a washcloth, an undergarment, or trousers, but here we are interested in its metaphorical sense which apparently developed from the soft and smooth texture of the fabric. The origin of the word flannel remains fuzzy. Two possible derivations have been suggested: from Welsh gwlanen (woolen article) or from Old French flaine (a kind of coarse wool, blanket).
USAGE:
“Commissioned by the Blair economic team, the report is just what the doctor ordered. No flannel. No spin.”
Peter Koenig; Honeymoon With the Economy is Over For Blair; The Independent (London, UK); Nov 16, 1997.
churro wool blended with black llama fiber
wooly DEFINITION:
adjective:
1. Fuzzy; unclear; confused; vague; disorganized; rough.
2. Of or relating to wool.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Old English wull.
USAGE:
“Edward Scicluna: This woolly and opaque way of reporting and forecasting must stop.”
Charlot Zahra; Is Restarting the Excessive Deficit Procedure Justified? Business Today (Malta); May 13, 2009.
cotton bush
cotton DEFINITION:
verb intr.:
1. To become fond of; to get on well together.
2. To come to understand (in the phrase “to cotton to” or “cotton on to”).
ETYMOLOGY:
Via French and Italian from Arabic qutun (cotton). The idiomatic usage of the term as a verb refers to the mixing of another material, such as wool, with cotton and perhaps from the idea of cotton fiber clinging well to something.
USAGE:
“Marketers and retailers have already cottoned on to the fact that, since the entire culture is defiantly refusing to grow up, parents and children are all now approximately the same age. We’ve got the same music on our iPods.”
Karen von Hahn; I Like to Hang Out With My Teenager; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Sep 1, 2007.
polyester plush swatch
plushy DEFINITION:
adjective:
1. Characterized by luxury, extravagance, or ease.
2. Or or related to plush: soft and shaggy.
ETYMOLOGY:
From plush, a fabric of silk, rayon, cotton, or wool, having a long pile. From French pluche, a variant of peluche, from Latin pilus (hair).
USAGE:
“The warm, dark glow and plushy tone so typical of Central European orchestras from the late 19th century on seems steeped in the Staatskapelle’s bones.”
Wynne Delacoma; Staatskapelle Berlin at Symphony Center; Chicago Sun-Times; Dec 12, 2000.
“But since Hugo left university in June, he has not strolled into the sort of plushy job that supposedly awaits our hordes of upper-second graduates when they roar onto the job market.”
Rachel Johnson; Graduates Get Jobs — But No Pay; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Dec 5, 2003.
——————————————————————————————————————–
It’s a wonderful thing that familiar items permeate our language in such creative ways. And it makes perfect sense that clothes and fabrics and materials, which have developed in tandem with the human race and which conjure up such specific, tangible references for us all, integrate themselves into dialect unrelated to technical apparel conversations. I listed some slightly obscure words, but terms like “silky” and expressions like “pulling the wool over your eyes” act as more common reminders of the power of fabric.
Not sure if this is old…..Contact them if you’re interested.
Call for Papers:
Textile Museum Journal
The Textile Museum Journal invites submissions of manuscripts for its next issue. The Journal is devoted to the presentation of scholarship concerning the cultural, technical, historical, and aesthetic significance of textiles. It is international in scope with emphasis on geographic areas represented in The Textile Museum’s collections, which are drawn primarily from Near Eastern, Asian, African, and indigenous American cultures.
Authors are invited to submit manuscripts based on original research of a documentary, analytical, or interpretive nature. Acceptance of manuscripts for publication is based upon rigorous peer review. Articles should be both scholarly and accessible to a broad readership.
Paper topics–this is the call:
In the fire-proofing regulation there is represented the fire triangle. This triangle illustrates the rule that in order to ignite and burn, a fire requires three elements to be present at the same time: FUEL, COMBURENT and TRIGGER.
The idea that three conditions have to take place simultaneously was translated to the Stresa Congress 2010. Whereas the tri-stimulus triangle, borrowed from the CIE organization, represents the fundamental criteria building the present and the future of the colour-textile world: MENS, SALUS and NEGOTIA, concepts placed at the vertexes of the triangle.The Latin language was chosen for its universality and the spirit of the Congress is well expressed by the motto: OMNE TRINUM EST PERFECTUM.
It has to be explained that each word has several other related meanings: MENS (education, research, advanced technology, nanoscience, biotechnology, innovation, equipments, machineries, etc); SALUS (environment, safety, regulations, welfare, labelling, ecology, etc); NEGOTIA (installations, industry, marketing, costs, earnings, employments, international business, etc).
Hence the contributors are invited to bear in mind these guidelines while preparing their lectures. As an example: the design of an innovative textile product, industrially reproducible and economically feasible but with high impact on environment and human health, it has to be considered a losing strategy from the very beginning. These words could at first sight discourage some authors, so a more discerning reading is needed. For instance, if an innovative textile product (MENS) fully compatible with environment and health (SALUS) is initially affected by a high production cost (NEGOTIA), there is no reason to refrain from making a proposal, because everybody knows that production costs can be reduced in a relatively short time if the product is good. These examples should help the authors to remember the message conveyed by the three word slogan of the Meeting. So, do not hesitate to report any weakness in the present state of the art of research work in progress: what matters is to prove to be conscious of the meaning of that message.
The organizers have decided to allot a special end-of-day time frame in the meeting schedule to permit a free, open and quiet discussion of the papers particularly in respect of their coherence with the spirit of the Meeting. The Meeting should not be considered a superior, authoritative source of ready-to-use notions and data but a great opportunity to jointly bring new ideas and concepts to the sector in which we have been active for a large part of our lives.
ADJUNCT POSITIONS FOR 2009-10 (continued from earlier this week)
(This paragraph is a repeat for anyone who missed the post earlier this week–the jobs below are new though) It seems like lately there are a zillion adjunct and part time positions out there. I am sort of surprised, as from ewhat I’ve been hearing U’s were pulling these spots and making the full timers teach more classes. But, perhaps another way this is happening is that searches for full time positions are suspended and instead it’s cheaper to hire a few adjunct for now while the dust settles fro the economic meltdown. Anyway, I’ll be posting handfuls of adjunct positons throughout the next few weeks. I’ve done lots of adjunct teaching. Often it doesn’t pay great. But, it is a good way to pocket a few grand, update your resume, try out teaching a new type of course for you, and polish your lecture curriculum development skills. Also, I imagine for people without much in the way of teaching experience, it is a good route to get some on your CV before job hunting for full time positions. That way your CV grows, and, you get to test the waters to confirm you like teaching before diving into full time.
JOBS:
5.) Gibbs College of Boston-Fashion Merchandising
Required quals are a Bachelors degree in related field is required, plus 3-5 years of experience in the specific area of discipline. Master s degree is a plus. Required Skills are Fashion Trends, Sewing, Textile Design.
6.) International Academy of Design & Technology-Fashion Design & Merchandising
Need someone to teach Fashion Publicity and Promotion, Fashion Marketing, and Consumer Behavior, A Bachelor s degree in related field is required, plus 3-5 years of experience in the specific area of discipline. Masters degree is a plus. Required skills are college level online teaching experience, online teaching experience, delivery methods, principles, techniques, & methods of instruction.
7.) The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale-Fashion & Textile Design
Searching for industry professionals to teach as Instructors in our rapidly growing Fashion program. Candidates must have industry experience in fashion retailing, buying, visual merchandising, industry sewing & production, patternmaking & grading, tailoring, embellishing & fashion show production. Reqts include a Master’s Degree in Fashion or Fashion-related field.
9.) Savannah College of Art and Design-Fashion Marketing
Qualified candidates should have a terminal degree or its equivalent in fashion or a related field, as well as a broad knowledge of the fashion business. Excellent skills in wholesale, retailing, fashion marketing and management and professional recognition is essential. The successful candidate will be joining a highly creative, motivated, and exciting team that is creating the next generation of fashion buyers, product developers, retail & wholesale merchandisers and marketers. Strong skills in the areas of retailing, fashion marketing and management, design, concept, innovation, illustration, sketching, and CAD are highly desirable. College-level teaching experience in the classroom or through an online format and/or experience developing e-Learning courses is also desirable.
Singer Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields attend the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, where Jackson was nominated for several awards. February 28, 1984.
Michael Jackson’s status as a Pop Icon influenced mens fashion and style in general for several generations. The white glove, the red jacket and the moonwalk were all a part of many a teenagers path to adulthood. His unexpected passing is shocking and sad. From my perspective, the death of this young star is only surpassed by the death of Elvis in 1977.
To see more of Michael Jackson’s memorabilia (including fashion) that was going to be up for grabs in April, see the article in Rolling Stone. Booth Moore, fashion writer for the Los Angeles Times, put together a peice on his impact on fashion yesterday that is fairly comprehensive (see Michael Jackson: King of Style).
And we can’t forget the innocent, yet imminently stylish “Little” Michael Jackson.
Feel free to comment below with your thoughts on Michael Jackson’s influence on fashion.
“BIJOU ART DECO AND THE AVANT-GARDE”
Through July 12
Les Arts Decoratifs [Paris, France]
This exhibit is both a celebration of Art Deco jewelry and of the work of the jeweler and precious metalsmith Jean Despres (1889-1980). 180 of this artist’s works, inspired by Cubism and machinery, are being shown alongside works by the great names of French jewelry in the 1930s: Jean Fouquet, Gerard Sandoz, Raymond Templier, and also by architects (Robert Mallet Stevens), interior designers, (Jean Dunand) and silversmiths (Jean Puiforcat), all illustrating the formidable attraction jewelry exercised over the artists of the period.
“FASHION IN FILM: PERIOD COSTUMES FOR THE SCREEN”
Through August 9
Allentown Art Museum [Allentown, PA]
This exhibit showcases 36 period costumes worn by high-profile celebrities in film classics. The costumes span four centuries of style. The films in which the costumes were used include “Elizabeth,” “Evita,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Ever After,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Out of Africa,” and “Titanic,”among others. Mounted photo murals and posters from the films complete the show. Textiles chosen from the periods represented by the films will be included for comparison.
Things are a bit hectic for me this week. And so we will let history speak for itself:
Bianca Jagger, wearing a gold sequined outfit, with designer Valentino at Helmut Berger's 30th birthday "Bad Taste" party. (June 24, 1974 in Rome)
Sid Caesar Looking at Hats Undecidedly (June 24, 1951): To wear or not to wear a summer hat? That was the question. After due deliberation, Sid Caesar, master of pantomime and a man of a million moods, succumbed to the inevitable wifely demand. He bought a hat. There's a hat, it seems, for every face. But Sid Caesar reversed this. He had a face for every hat. Without further ado-here is Caesar, the mad hatter.
June 24, 1956, "Wimbledon, England: It was "ladies Day" at Wimbledon when these pictures were made, and fashion was keynote among players and spectators alike, U.S. champion Maureen (little Mo) Connolly makes a pretty picture in her scallop edged tennis skirt and wicker handbag, on her way to the center court for a match. Mrs. Vic Seixas, center, and Mrs. Tony Trabert, right, wives of the two well known seeded American net stars took the fashion spotlight for spectators as they arrived to watch the women's singles matches." Unfortunately, it looks like this caption doesn't match the photo from the source I originally obtained the image (Corbis). I do love her strawberry skirt though. Can anyone identify the women in the picture?
It seems like lately there are a zillion adjunct and part time positions out there. I am sort of surprised, as from ewhat I’ve been hearing U’s were pulling these spots and making the full timers teach more classes. But, perhaps another way this is happening is that searches for full time positions are suspended and instead it’s cheaper to hire a few adjunct for now while the dust settles fro the economic meltdown. Anyway, I’ll be posting handfuls of adjunct positons throughout the next few weeks. I’ve done lots of adjunct teaching. Often it doesn’t pay great. But, it is a good way to pocket a few grand, update your resume, try out teaching a new type of course for you, and polish your lecture curriculum development skills. Also, I imagine for people without much in the way of teaching experience, it is a good route to get some on your CV before job hunting for full time positions. That way your CV grows, and, you get to test the waters to confirm you like teaching before diving into full time.
ADJUNCT POSITIONS FOR 2009-10
1.)Art Institute of Dallas-Fashion & Retail Management
This person will instruct and facilitate meaningful learning in the course competencies in the curriculum and proactively support all facets of the learning environment. Provide career education through learner-centered instruction that will enable graduates to fulfill the evolving needs of the marketplace. Encourage a culture of learning that values mutual responsibility, life-long learning, diversity, and ethics as well as personal and professional development. Master’s required.
2.) Mount Ida College-Instructor for FM 220 Textiles I: Fibers and Finishes in the Fashion Merchandising and Marketing program
The course includes the identification and analysis of natural and synthetic fibers, use and care of textile products and fabric testing. Masters, MFA or PHD preferred.
Contact:
All resumes will be considered. Applicants are asked to forward a cover letter, resume, and three references to:
4.) Kent State University-Fashion Design and Merchandising
Non-tenure track position teaching supporting fashion classes for Fashion Design and Merchandising majors. Bachelor’s degree in fashion-related field, 5 years fashion-related industry experience preferred, demonstrated teaching ability.
Volunteer Library Asst.
The Textile Museum
Washington, DC
Description:
The Arthur D. Jenkins Library at the Textile Museum in Washington, DC is seeking volunteers to assist with a significant library reorganization project. Volunteers are needed to assist with shelving books, organizing shelves, packing books and pulling books from the shelves. We also have a need for catalogers to assist with both copy cataloging and original cataloging. Familiarity with OCLC and electronic library database systems helpful.
This is what the call says:
MCR is Canada’s leading journal for the study of material culture. MCR seeks to provide a venue for refereed articles and reports encompassing a range of approaches to interpret culture through an analysis of people’s relationships with their material world. It is our intention to expand the journal to a global audience. Graduate students and scholars at any phase of their professional career, professionals and historians from the art and museum world, and independent scholars with an interest in material culture are encouraged to submit. The scope of the publication is wide and includes new research from many fields of material culture including, cultural history, art history, archaeology, anthropology and architecture.
More specifically, current editors are interested in developing themes around:
- labour and material culture
- religious material culture
- agricultural material culture
- intangible cultural heritage
- First Nations material culture
- cultural tourism
- inventorying culture
- virtual museums
- vernacular architecture
Managed by the Center for Cape Breton Studies at Cape Breton University, manuscripts are published in either of Canada’s official languages-French or English-with abstracts in both languages.
