Creative Design: Undergraduate

Alice: Reimagining Suffragette Dress in the Modern Fight for Women’s Equality

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Abstract

The Alice look was designed to bring attention to ongoing disparities between men’s and women’s unpaid labor and the ongoing fight for gender equality. This look was named after Alice Paul, a prominent American Suffragette throughout the 20th century. The skirt was designed to mimic the styles of petticoats from Alice’s time and allow for easy movement, as was popular with suffragettes in the 1910s-1920s. Both the skirt and the top are size-adjustable. Having the garments be size adjustable is both a sustainable choice, as it allows for the garments to fit the wearer, regardless of potential body changes, and it reduces the potential negative mental health impacts, for the wearer, associated with the perceived garment fit. This look also explores sustainability through the use of thrifted materials. The entire garment, including the lining and bias tape, is made of bedsheets from a local thrift store.

Keywords: suffragette, size-adjustability, sustainability, upcycled bedsheets

How to Cite:

Park, R., Dahunsi, B., Pokorny, C. G. & Dickson, M., (2025) “Alice: Reimagining Suffragette Dress in the Modern Fight for Women’s Equality”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21413