Coming To Terms With Postmodern: Theories and Concepts of Contemporary Culture and Their Implications for Apparel Scholars

Abstract

Use of the term postmodern is increasingly evident in textiles and apparel scholarship and references to fashion and style are common in theories and analyses of postmodern culture. Postmodern is a problematic concept. It is used inconsistently to refer to a body of social theory, a style of aesthetic expression, and to various social practices and economic conditions; scholarly discussions are rife with arcane references and exclusive jargon. In this paper the scholarship of theorists, translators, interpreters, and critics is drawn on to identify and describe concepts from postmodern theory, to suggest the derivation of key principles from assumptions central to the philosophy of nihilism and to critical theory, and to indicate ways in which fashion emerges as a central concern in discussions of postmodern culture. A guide to terminology is provided. Postmodern theory is interpreted as a challenge to traditional modes of clothing scholarship and apparel scholars are asked to consider the significance of fashion and style from the perspective of Marxist critique, as well as to question assumptions associated with arguments about postmodern culture.

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