Focusing on a particular individual or fashion house (or brand) within the industry is one way to dig into the fashion world. Luminaries like Donna Karan, Valentino or Marc Jacobs and houses like Hermes, Burberry or Prada all have unique stories. You can explore one or compare and contrast two. Example topics include historical or artistic inspirations, how the individual got started in fashion or how the brand developed, the designer's or house's target audience and how the clothes reflect that audience's lifestyle. If comparing and contrasting two designers, answer the following questions: How do they differ? How does each fit in with fashion history?
Throughout fashion history, there have been numerous styles. Some can be defined by actual names---like mod, Victorian, grunge and disco---while some are better understood by their dates---'80s or '60s. Each style has distinct characteristics like colors, cuts and details (pant and skirt lengths, shapes of shirts and fabrics). Looking at what defines a style can illuminate the cultural attitudes of the time. Example topics include key stylistic elements, the ways in which the style reflects the values of the culture and time period and how the style differs from the preceding and proceeding styles.
Contemporary fashion is designed and unveiled seasonally. Many designers and fashion houses take part in the seasonal fashion show. Exploring trends within a singular season (fall 2008, for example) can be an interesting way to evaluate a diverse range of clothes while still maintaining a research focus. Example topics include similarities and differences among design lines, historical elements or references to past styles in the contemporary clothes and the ways in which the clothes reflect the cultural mood of their particular season.
Fashion is an art and a craft. This means that there many technical details that go into designing and making clothes. Each garment type has some basic commonalities but also differences based on styles. For example, blazers all have the same general shape, but they can have different fronts (double-breasted or single-breasted), backs (slits or no-slits) and so on. Example topics include how a designer makes a particular garment type, a garment type's common contemporary variations and historical variations, the full life of a design and how it get from pattern to rack and types of fabrics and how they are used for particular garments.