PARSONS PARIS X KIKO KOSTADINOV
SPRING
2025
HEART OF THE HOUSEHOLD
A CRITIQUE ON WOMENSWEAR.
A CRITIQUE ON WOMENSWEAR.
DESCRIPTION:
This project draws inspiration from housewife uniforms and menswear from the 1950’s to explore the rigid separation of gender roles in mid-century society. Women’s clothing during this era functioned as an unspoken uniform, one that represented expectation rather than choice. Working from the base of men’s tailored trousers and a short sleeved button up shirt, I integrated women’s dress detailing and set an apron directly into the shirt. By combining domestic silhouettes with everyday menswear of the time, this look challenges historical gender conformity and reclaims garments tied to obligation. This project seeks to confront the idea of clothing as a tool of social control, while reimagining it as a means of liberation, allowing women to step beyond prescribed roles and redefine identity outside of gender conformity.
This project draws inspiration from housewife uniforms and menswear from the 1950’s to explore the rigid separation of gender roles in mid-century society. Women’s clothing during this era functioned as an unspoken uniform, one that represented expectation rather than choice. Working from the base of men’s tailored trousers and a short sleeved button up shirt, I integrated women’s dress detailing and set an apron directly into the shirt. By combining domestic silhouettes with everyday menswear of the time, this look challenges historical gender conformity and reclaims garments tied to obligation. This project seeks to confront the idea of clothing as a tool of social control, while reimagining it as a means of liberation, allowing women to step beyond prescribed roles and redefine identity outside of gender conformity.