Textile Society of America
Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings
Date of this Version
2024
Document Type
Presentation
Citation
Textile Society of America 2024 Symposium
Shifts & Strands: Rethinking the Possibilities and Potentials of Textiles, November 12-17, 2024, a virtual event
Abstract
During Porfirian government, Mexican society experienced a flourishing of the textile industry driven by state policies that encouraged both the rise of the national industry and foreign investment. This process was perceived from the daily life of the capital, through the windows of silk shops, shoe shops, warehouses and, above all, the imposing department store El Palacio de Hierro. One of the garments that was designed to fit at the waist and cover the legs was the petticoat, which was assumed to be a piece of female underwear. In this article, I am interested in unravelling details findings about this undergarment in the last decade of the period known as Porfiriato in Mexico (1900–1910).
Its use was considered a sign of status at various times in the history of clothing. However, despite the importance of this garment, there are few works that have addressed it in Mexican historiography. First, I start from the historical definitions. Secondly, I will focus on the design and materiality of this piece, which was not only part of the feminine wardrobe of Mexican women to hang from their waists in daily life, but also reveals part of the production, distribution and consumption in the streets of the metropolis, which established transatlantic connections with nations such as the United States of America, England and France.
Included in
Art and Materials Conservation Commons, Art Practice Commons, Chicana/o Studies Commons, Fashion Design Commons, Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts Commons, Fine Arts Commons, Museum Studies Commons, Women's Studies Commons
Comments
Published by the Textiles Society of America
Copyright 2024, the author. Used by permission