Organised jointly by researchers at the University of Exeter and Northumbria University this Research Network was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and investigated how clothes and labour influenced and assisted in the development of professional communities at the turn of the twentieth century (1880-1939). It brought together scholars from across the Humanities and Social Sciences, focusing on topics such as: hand versus mass-production of clothing; design teaching; the Arts and Crafts movement; the Dress Reform Movement; work in the textile industry; haute-couture and the emergence of the ready-to-wear industry; uniforms and professional identity; the place of women in the new workforce.
This website showcases the research conducted throughout the project and provides lecture recordings of workshops and public events, resources from school study days and virtual exhibitions and media which highlight areas that were of key interest to the project.