| This study shows how Tunisia, the cross road of 3000 years of invasions and their respective cultures has given birth to a dress that reflects symbols of 'placenessness' (Hill 2005) rather than of its unique history. If browsing in the malls of Tunisia today, one would see the same fashion found in malls around the world.;The conceptual framework that guided this study helped build a context for Tunisian dress; economic, social and political. The analysis and interpretation are organized into three sections. First, is the pre-colonial era, lasting until French colonization in 1881. This section provides a context for Tunisian dress prior to the French takeover of the Turkish government in Tunisia. The second section discusses the French colonization of Tunisia. This section is itself divided into two sections: from 1881 until 1929, when Bourguiba joined the independence movement in Tunisia, and from 1929 until 1956, when Tunisia gained its independence. The third section is an analysis and interpretation of Tunisian dress under the Bourguiba presidency (1956-1987).;This study found that Tunisian dress does not carry symbols of Tunisia's rich cultural heritage, because of two major distortions. First, the changes were due to the economic distortions imposed by the French colony before independence on the industry as early as the 1900s. And second, after independence Bourguiba, the first elected president, has prescribed non-ethnic dress as key variable in the process of building a new nation and lead his country toward modernity. |
