Research and Theory Trends in Historic Dress and Textiles Research: An Analysis of Clothing and Textiles Research Journal and Dress

Historic dress and textiles (HDT) has been a prominent research subject during the 20th century but has not been examined via a focused journal analysis. Thus, HDT research and theory trends were explored by analyzing 306 articles published in Clothing and Textiles Research Journal (CTRJ) from 1982-2006 and Dress from 1975-2006. A content analysis approach was adopted to examine the following: quantity of HDT articles, single-multiple authorship, author affiliation, funding sources, research topic (including geography and time period), research method, and use of theory. The topics studied most often in CTRJ were apparel construction/production and research issues (19.5% each), and in Dress, social/psychological aspects of dress (18.3%). Most research articles (87.0%) used qualitative data to address research questions. The most frequently used research method in both journals was the social/cultural history-based approach. The majority of research articles (86%) did not articulate a specific or “named” theory. The findings yield valuable insights into the body of HDT research published within two key journals of the clothing and textiles field, including areas of strength related to topics of study and the suggestion that an open dialogue regarding theory development be continued.