This thesis is concerned with the presence of dress, gender and self-identity in the long nineteenth-century (1780-1910). It presents three case studies, including the Ladies of Llangollen, Anne Lister and Bessie Bonehill, to explore the role of dress and costume in constructing identities of masculine femininity. It further analyses contemporary perceptions of these masculinities, thus offering a new understanding of dress and gender in this period. This thesis is the first to bring these women together, and presents a dresscentred analysis, from a perspective which they have not been considered before. While the debate between dress and gender is prominent in modern fashion studies, it has been a huge debate of the past also, with a running dialogue between the themes. This research presents a new overview and offers a historical analysis into the important contemporary debate.
| Date of Award | 11 Feb 2021 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Jade Halbert (Main Supervisor) & Sonja Andrew (Co-Supervisor) |
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