Concepts of fashion, 1921-1987: A study of garments worn by selected winners of the Miss America Pageant. (Volumes I and II)

This study describes the changing concepts of American fashion from 1921 to 1987 as manifested in the clothing worn in competition by the winners of the Miss America Pageant, and explores the symbolic nature of fashion as represented by these garments. It describes the competition swimsuit and evening gowns worn by the women who won the title of Miss America and compares them with what was seen in the fashion standard, Vogue magazine, in the same time period.; Further, this study analyses these swimsuits and evening gowns according to their design elements in order to determine how the garments symbolize the concept of the "ideal young American woman," as defined by the Miss America Pageant. This study evaluates how the attributes of the ideal young American woman, Miss America, may have been symbolically reflected in the clothing of the women who won the title. Specifically, comparisons are made between the competition garments and those worn by antecedents of Miss America who represent elements of the ideal, such as debutantes, royalty, the southern belle, the Statue of Liberty and Greek goddesses. These comparisons seek to determine whether the contestants who won the title may have gained an advantage by dressing in a manner similar to the antecedents of Miss America, thus communicating nonverbally the characteristics sought by the Pageant.; This study documents for the first time what was worn in the Swimsuit and Evening Gown Competitions by the contestants who became Miss America, provides photographic evidence of the garments and similar garments shown in contemporary issues of Vogue magazine. It also analyzes the symbolism found in the garments' design elements for the characteristics of innocence, royalty, and other attributes of the "ideal young American woman." This study of the garments worn in competition serves to look at the Miss America Pageant from a scholarly perspective and document what was historically worn there.