This is the website for a series of interconnected research projects on the subject of clothing and age. They are part of a continuing research agenda undertaken by Professor Julia Twigg at the University of Kent. The research builds on my earlier interest in embodiment and age and the wider development of Cultural Gerontology.
Clothing, Age and the Body
The research, funded by ESRC, explores the intersection between ageing, the body and dress from the perspectives of both older women and the Fashion System. It addresses debates about identity and consumption. Read More.
Consumption, Babyboomers and Later Life
The research, funded by British Academy, explores the spending patterns of cohorts of older women, 1961-2011, in relation to clothing, hairdressing and cosmetics. Read More
Dementia and Dress
The research funded by ESRC explores the neglected subject of clothing and dementia, addressing questions of embodiment, identity, the self. Read More.
Dress, Masculinities and Age
This project takes forward themes of earlier work, developing them in relation to older men. Read More
Hair and Hairdressing in Later Years
The work explores the management of hair and the role of hairdressing in the lives of older women. It draws on an analysis of expenditure on hairdressing by cohorts of older women 1961-2006. Read More.
Cultural Gerontology
The exploration of dress is part of the wider intellectual development of Cultural Gerontology. The significance of this is explored in an article jointly written by Dr Wendy Martin and myself and though our edited Routledge Handbook of Cultural Gerontology. Read More