Final research project presentation

Author: Erin Enmark | Major: Graphic Design | Semester: Spring 2023

Hi there! My name is Erin Enmark and I am a Graphic Design major with a minor in Art History. Over the course of my senior year, I conducted research on gendered dress code systems. When I say gendered dress codes systems, I’m talking about societal conventions or parameters that have been implemented upon people in ”working” environments (i.e. school, corporate offices, governmental regulation, universities, etc). These restrictions have been something I struggled with growing up and now the long-lasting effects dress code control has on a societal level has become apparent with legislation like Bill 43 in Arkansas banning drag in public spheres.

My research was conducted in two sections: primary research and secondary research. Starting with my secondary research, I divided it into four subdivisions to cover the material I read. The subdivisions being gender, dress code, media, and autonomy. These categories highlight a connection between dress code regulations and gender, demonstrating how these systems rely on one another to succeed.  For example, the idea of gender is codependent upon our outward use of clothing, which is influenced by the mass consumption of media, taking away individual autonomy. It is a vicious cycle that has only been perpetuated by the growth of the internet, however this research investigates methods to recognize and break down these systemic barriers. From this research I narrowed down five key findings that directed my outcome.

For the primary research, I conducted a 20-question survey evaluating the correlations between human emotion and dress code regulations. I collected 95 responses to this survey and the responses were overwhelmingly passionate. I had many instances where people wrote long format answers, detailing anecdotes or expressing frustration felt when faced with dress code policy. This survey was conducted through social media using a promotional graphic. The most common response to the survey was that people felt dress codes were only necessary in instances of safety precautions. For instance, nurses wearing scrubs or construction workers wearing hardhats and protective clothing. This reasoning for dress code has a clear message and doesn’t falter when faced with male or female designations because safety is the primary concern. I also conducted a personal inventory section where I had one participant in high school measure the way their mood was affected by the way they dress and institutional dress codes. In the morning they documented their outfit and rated their confidence in what they were wearing on a scale from 1-5. They were also required to submit pictures if they tried on an outfit and changed. The student was then required to submit their confidence rating again at the end of the day once they left school to evaluate if the mood changed throughout the day.

After completing my secondary research, I considered how these systems of dress code regulations have been ongoing, essentially forever. This led me to believe that the best way of representing my research question was through an ever-evolving campaign. This project is a response to a hegemonic or institutionalized way of being/thinking, therefore, I selected three core ideas for my design intervention: personal narratives, user interaction, and gender-neutral design. Initially, this concept was built upon art historical research and how clothing has evolved through different periods. However, the survey responses shifted the direction of the project. Gendered clothing systems are built upon control, classism, and sexism. To deconstruct these systems, my design intervention transformed into a marketing campaign called Second Skin. This movement is a non-binary, anti-dress code campaign aimed to deconstruct the narrative of what has been assigned as “feminine” and masculine.” Second Skin exists on social media as an awareness campaign that would operate upon its interaction with users and the survey data collection. There are submission story highlights, as well as polls that users can respond to and interact with to submit instances where they have felt dress code regulations have limited them. Second Skin will take responses and reverse the feminine or masculine narrative of the submitted language and print them on wearable merchandise to rebel against gendered systems. Second Skin will also operate within a non-binary designed brand identity. To maintain the gender-neutral feel, I created the logo type as a mix between serif, san serif, and script fonts to reinterpret the traditionally gendered typography as something new.

This research has been fulfilling in my ability to take a problem that I am extremely passionate about and create a full fleshed out identity for a campaign that brings awareness to the issue. I learned how to translate art historical imagery into data collection and create a contemporary understanding for how we recognize dress. My project recognized how clothing has become status, gender-oriented, and classist, therefore categorizing individuals by a tool they use to be comfortable. The campaign resembles the thought, why can’t I just wear what I want, and creates a space for that question to be discussed. This project has cultivated dialogue around gendered systems and the constraints of dress codes, successfully leading the way for an inclusive, non-binary space for generations to come.