FIRST STEPS
Sartorial Autobiography
Keep a log of your own dress practices (you completed this activity in Week 3).
For this assignment, you must log at least ten days. So you may use the 5 days you logged in Week 3 and then log 5 more, or start over and log 10 days in a row.
Include visuals and text in your log: things like photo documentation, drawings, descriptions of texture, photos of color, notes about the clothing (see below). You can keep notes in your sketchbook, an app on your phone, etc. Use the raw material from your log to create your sartorial autobiography – you can include sketches, photos, text, etc.
Keep track of things like:
Physical/material aspects of your worn clothing: what is the fabric? How does it feel materially? How does it fit on your body?
Emotional/psychological aspects of your worn clothing: why did you wear it? How does it feel psychologically? What does it remind you of? What is your emotional/mental reaction to it?
Context: where are you going / not going? Who are you seeing / not seeing? When are you getting ready? When are you changing? Where are you getting dressed?
Keep notes about your own reflections (this is particularly good to do at the end of the day). Why did you make the dress choices you made? How did those feel (mentally, physically)? What subject positions were activated with your dress? What level of agency or what level of restriction did you experience?
Sartorial Autobiography
Length: 700-1000 words overall
Goal: Describe, in writing, your own dress practices and explain their significance in terms of the topics and themes we have been discussing in class.
Include the following in your sartorial autobiography:
A detailed description of yourself (include subject positions you occupy – age range, gender, occupation, etc. – you can adapt this from your subject position map)
A discussion of key themes that emerged in your DOCUMENTATION, supported by 1) quotes and writing from your log and sketchbook and 2) quotes and concepts from course readings (at least 2 quotes from 2 different readings) (relate your discussion to course discussions and ideas such as embodiment, subject positions, agency, and so on)
A discussion of your daily dress rituals and one or more items of clothing (summarize these practices in sufficient detail and reflect on their significance – use these as examples that highlight your overall approach to dress practice)
Five or more images from your DOCUMENTATION notes (could be images from your sketchbook, photos of yourself (past or present), your wardrobe and closet space, items in your closet, etc. – each image you include should be accompanied by an explanatory caption)
Sartorial Autobiography
Unlike an interview with someone, it can be very difficult to get enough distance from yourself to properly analyze yourself. Talk to other people in your life – what do they notice / remember about your dress practices? How do they think you dress? How does this match up with your own perceptions?
Think about times when you feel ‘uncomfortable’ in your clothing, or when you become particularly aware of your body in your clothing – what is really going on in these moments?
What is different about your dress practices now/today from your dress practices 3 months ago? 6 months ago? One year ago? Five years ago?
Pay attention to the difference between what you feel you ‘should’ do/wear and what actually happens.
GRADING CRITERIA
You will be graded on the following criteria:
CONCEPT: Challenging yourself. Documenting your subject fully and creatively. Thinking about new and interesting ways to present everyday dress practices. Reflecting thoughtfully and deeply about dress practices. Experimenting with modes of documentation.
CONTEXT: Explicit and thoughtful connection to relevant course ideas from Weeks 1-8. Including meaningful content (vocabulary, quotes) from course readings. Connecting your discussion to course material (“trying on” the theories and seeing how they fit)
CLARITY: Meeting the requirements outlined above. Formatting in a clear and visually interesting way. Clear writing. Evidence of editing and proofreading. Thoughtful organization. Minimal typos.
Grading Rubric – Sartorial Autobiography
Meeting Requirements (/30 points possible)
Including a description of yourself
Including a discussion of key themes
Including relevant quotes and ideas from your documentation sketchbook/diary
Including relevant quotes and ideas from course readings (at least 2 quotes from 2 different course readings)
Including a discussion of daily dress rituals, specific item(s) of clothing
Including at least 5 images with captions
Including adequate description and detail in each section
Quality of Writing (/30 points possible)
Clear, consistent, and detailed writing
Accurate and clear storytelling – a clear beginning, middle, and end
Thoughtful, reasonable balance of original writing and supporting evidence (quotes and paraphrased material)
Strong editing – knowing what to add in and what to leave out, when to paraphrase or when to cite
Thoughtful use of images and text from your documentation sketchbook/diary
Connections to Course Ideas (/30 points possible)
Explicit and thoughtful connection to ideas from class, evidenced by your description and understanding of course ideas in your writing
Thoughtful use of quotes, ideas, and images – not just dropping them in but providing context, elaboration, explanation, connection
Clarity of Writing (/10 points possible)
Evidence of proofreading and attention paid to typographical errors
Evidence of editing and attention paid to technical aspects of writing
Correct formatting of quotations and citations according to Chicago Style
Final Grade:
/100 points possible
