Date of Graduation

8-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Sciences

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development

Advisor/Mentor

Hubert, Stephanie

Committee Member/Reader

Smith, Kathleen

Committee Member/Second Reader

Southward, Leigh

Abstract

According to Roach-Higgins, Eicher, and Johnson (1995), “individuals acquire identity through social, physical, and biological settings” (pg.12). When acquiring identity, culture plays a vital role. Because of numerous influences on identity, a conflict exists for those who identify with more than one culture. This study focuses specifically on the problems of women who identify both as Argentinian and American. The purpose of this creative project was to create an outfit that could be worn by an Argentinian/American woman in the presence of family and friends, regardless of culture, and not feel that she is disregarding societal norms of either culture. Data of what is culturally accepted were collected from WGSN, an industry fashion trend website, news articles, and two popular social media platforms, Pinterest and Instagram. After conducting a study of street styles from each country, lists of similarities and differences were noted. From these findings, an outfit was designed and created that could meet the standards of a woman from Argentina or America, in the author’s opinion. A future survey of other Argentinian and American women is recommended to find conclusive, quantitative data to determine if this garment actually does satisfy the purpose of this creative project.

Keywords

identity, culture, Argentinian clothing, American clothing, multicultural

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