












































 

Georgia Journal of Literacy 
2023, Vol. 45(1), pp. 20–30 
https://doi.org/10.56887/galiteracy.102 
ISSN: 2833-7611 

Practitioner Article  

 
 

 

CONTACT Dr. Sharryn Larsen Walker, Professor in Education, Development, Teaching, and Learning; Central 
Washington University, Ellensburg, WA; email sharryn.walker@cwu.edu. Maggie R. Walker, Costume Shop Assistant, 
Theater Department, California State University, Fresno, CA; email maggiewalker@mail.fresnostate.edu. 
 

A Passion for Fashion: Studying Fashion through 
Children’s Literature 
 
Sharryn Larsen Walker 
Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA 

Maggie R. Walker 
California State University-Fresno, Fresno, CA 

ABSTRACT 

Many middle and high school students used the internet during the pandemic to 
delve more deeply into their interests. One of those areas was the exploration of the 
fashion industry. However, some students may need more background knowledge 
of this $15 billion industry. This article aims to explore the fashion industry through 
children’s literature. Reviews of fashion biographies, how-to books, reference books, 
and strategy suggestions are presented. Teachers may use the ideas in 
English/Language Arts, Career and Technical Education, or Arts courses. 

KEYWORDS 

art education, 
career/technical 
education, 
children’s 
literature, 
fashion, social 
media, teaching 
strategies 

 
he fashion industry is one area that saw a rise in social media influence during the pandemic, 
with many middle and high school students turning to the internet and social media as 
creative outlets (Laffier et al., 2021). Budding designers and stylists created their own 

media channels, blogs, and other social media accounts to share their creations and develop a 
following as an influencer (Meisels, 2021), defined by Geyser (2021) as: 

people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic. 
They make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels and 
generate large followings of enthusiastic, engaged people who pay close attention to their 
views.  

These influencer accounts were worth $15 billion in 2022 (Bannigan & Shane, 2020). 
The fashion industry in the United States was estimated to generate more than $100 billion 

in 2021 (Orendorff, 2021), with most employed in the field receiving education at the university 
level. Students with interest in fashion may follow influencers like Billie Eilish (Burns, 2019), 
BryanBoy, or Amy Song (Larocca, 2018) and can tap into the market at an early age. Students 
who rely only on social media to obtain background knowledge about an area of interest, such as 
fashion, risk missing crucial foundational information.  

Millennials in the fashion industry were motivated by an entrepreneurial ideal, pathway, 
practice, and experience (Brydges & Hrac, 2019). Gender, age, and class also influenced the 
participants’ creations shared through social media. Nevertheless, many created their designs and 
display spaces as they worked. They independently negotiated the challenges of learning content, 
design elements, and business practices. Their paths might have been more accessible if they had 
opportunities to develop background knowledge before engaging in their enterprises. 

T 

mailto:sharryn.walker@cwu.edu
mailto:maggiewalker@mail.fresnostate.edu


 
Walker & Walker 21 
 

There is little debate about the importance of background knowledge in student learning (Neuman 
et al., 2014). The amount known about a topic enhances the retention of information. Additionally, 
learners broaden their vocabulary, make more robust inferences, play with language, and better 
understand informational text when they deepen their background knowledge. Teachers can build 
background knowledge by teaching content-focused vocabulary, using comparison/contrast and 
analogies, providing reading experiences in content-based books, and embedding digital media in 
lessons. 

Lupo et al. (2019) recommend using text sets to increase student background knowledge 
in elementary and secondary classrooms. A text set is a group of texts selected about a specified 
topic. There are several considerations when selecting text sets for a content-focused study. The 
texts should increase content knowledge, motivate students to read, and provide for a range of 
students’ reading levels. Text sets can be used in multiple content areas to help students learn 
different perspectives and new content. Content from various disciplines can be integrated and 
students learn through authentic reading experiences. The authors caution that the selection of texts 
can be overwhelming but collaborating with colleagues can lighten the load of which texts to 
include. 
 The purpose of this article is to present ways in which children’s literature can support the 
building of background knowledge about the fashion industry, using a text set appropriate for 
middle and high school students. This text set consists of biography, how-to, and reference books. 
Each genre presented includes reviews of the texts followed by a suggested strategy. Examples of 
products are included. Middle and high school teachers teaching art or career and technical 
education courses can use this text set and suggested strategies to develop the background 
knowledge necessary for understanding the fashion industry further. 
 
Studying Fashion through Biography 
Analyzing Characteristics of Fashion Trendsetters 

Polka Dot Parade: A Book About Bill Cunningham (Blumenthal, 2018) describes Cunningham’s 
search for residents who expressed their sense of everyday style. He snapped pictures of those who 
inspired, marveled, and delighted him through their clothing expressions, which he displayed on 
the pages of the New York Times. He captured those who “made” fashion instead of those who 
“followed” fashion. He lived a sparse life, developing his photographs at one-hour photo shops 
and filing his art in cabinets in his small New York apartment. He was honored for his work by 
the French government and through extravagant displays on New York’s Fifth Avenue. He 
photographed his street-fashion inspirations until he died in 2016. His documentation of fashion 
continues to inspire the runway today.  

Fancy Party Gowns (Blumenthal, 2017) is the story of Ann Cole Lowe, a well-known yet 
unknown gown designer. Born in Alabama, Lowe was the daughter of a dressmaker who took over 
her mother’s business. The clientele included the upper echelon of Alabama society. From there, 
Lowe moved to Florida and New York to apprentice and attend design school. Typical of the times, 
Lowe received a segregated education, but she continued designing and dressmaking. One of her 
most famous dresses was Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress. Numerous Americans can identify 
her iconic creations, yet they do not know the designer’s name. 

Corey (2009) recounts Annette Kellerman’s influence on swimsuit design in Mermaid 
Queen. As a child, Annette Kellerman could not walk well and took up swimming to become 
stronger. Although she became a champion racer, the public did not support a woman swimmer. 



 

22 Georgia Journal of Literacy 45(1)  
 

Kellerman then created water ballet, improvising a swimsuit to cover her bare legs. Annette was 
arrested for indecency when wearing her suit in Boston. The court judge agreed with her argument 
about nonsensical women’s swimsuits. Bostonian women soon traded their bathing attire for 
Annette’s one-piece, bare-legged, sleeveless racing suit style. Her ideas continue to influence 
contemporary swimwear. 
 
Strategy Suggestion: Analyzing Characteristics through a Category Map 

After reading the three biographies, students can analyze the lives of the fashion trendsetters 
through a Category Map as demonstrated in Figure 1 (Ciecierski & Bintz, 2017). The students 
work in pairs to expand their thinking and practice the skill of character analysis. They first list the 
titles across the top of the map. Then they choose characteristics they wish to highlight about the 
fashion trendsetters along the right side. To assist in choosing characteristics, the students can 
select from a substantial list (Josué, 2019). Students discuss how the trendsetters exhibited the 
identified characteristics and record them on the chart. Ciecierski and Binz (2017) recommend that 
students cite evidence of the answer locations. 
 
Figure 1: Category Map 

Polka Dot Parade: A Book 
About Bill Cunningham 

Fancy Party Gowns:  The 
Story of Fashion Designer 

Ann Cole Lowe 
Mermaid Queen 

 

Bill Cunningham showed his 
passion by taking photos of 
those he found interesting 
wearing their everyday 
fashions. 

Ann Cole Lowe showed her 
passion by taking over the 
dressmaking from her mother 
and creating fashions for many 
in high society. 

Annette Kellerman showed 
her passion through her 
swimming. She took 
swimming to a new level 
when she created a new art 
form of water ballet. 

Passionate 

C 
H 
A 
R 
A 
C 
T 
E 
R 
I 
S 
T 
I 
C 
S 

By photographing people on 
the street in their everyday 
fashion choices, Bill 
influenced others to wear 
what he saw in everyday 
attire. 

Although many do not know 
her name, Ann dressed many 
famous people. Jacqueline 
Kennedy was one of her 
clients. By showcasing Ann’s 
designs, Kennedy assisted 
Ann’s influence. 

Annette was influential 
because she redesigned 
swimsuits to be more 
practical and comfortable. 
Her revolutionary idea 
changed swimwear for 
women. 

Influential 

Bill was committed to fashion 
by the number of 
photographs he kept. He filed 
them in his apartment and 
referred to them in his other 
works. 

Ann showed her commitment 
because she faced many 
challenges. She had to rise 
above poverty and attend a 
segregated school. Despite 
the challenges, she 
persevered. 

Annette was committed to 
the change in swimsuit 
design to make it more 
practical for her racing and 
water ballet. She had to 
convince others of the 
practicality. Her drive to do 
so showed her commitment. 

Committed 

Bill used the imagination of 
the subjects of his 
photographs to spur his 
imagination. He used his 
archived photos to assist him 
in his fashion displays. 

Ann’s imagination helped her 
create different party gowns 
for each client. Since many of 
her clients attended the same 
events, Ann had to create a 
new gown for each client. 

Annette’s revolutionary idea 
of a sleek swimsuit was 
imaginative in its necessity. 
Because she was swimming 
long distances and 
performing in the water, her 
swimsuit needed to be 
lighter and moveable in the 
water. 

Imaginative 

 



 
Walker & Walker 23 
 

Comparing and Contrasting Similar Biographies 
Told in first person, Elsa spoke of her drab childhood in Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa 
Schiaparelli (Maclear, 2018). Inspired by the world around her, Elsa used her imagination to 
dream, thus giving her the confidence to leave home. She traveled through Paris, London, New 
York, and back to Paris, ready to show the fashion world her designs. Her sweater design with the 
illusion of a bow tie propelled her into the Paris fashion scene. Her avant-garde thinking led her to 
create “shocking pink,” a color she used in her designs that spun the fashion world’s head.  
 In Hot Pink: The Life and Fashions of Elsa Schiaparelli, Rubin (2015) details the life and 
Schiaparelli. As a teen, Schaip, a nickname, moved to London, then to Paris, beginning her foray 
into fashion. Following Paul Poiret’s advice, Schaip made clothes women wanted to wear after 
WWI. She used events and movements, such as the rise of aviators, vacationing in the tropics, and 
the Surrealist art movement, to inspire her designs. Her business thrived through the Great 
Depression as she worked with manufacturers to provide affordable clothing. After WWII, 
Schaip’s designs fell out of favor, but she persevered, presenting new styles of hats, luggage, and 
Hollywood costume designs. Her imaginary thinking propelled fashion to new heights and inspired 
future designers. 
 
Strategy Suggestion: Comparison/Contrast with an Adapted T-Chart 

A T-chart is a graphic organizer in which two features are compared side-by-side. The T-chart is 
highly adaptable, and examples are available online. To create an adapted T-chart, a rectangle is 
drawn at the top of the paper and labeled “Similarities.” The “T” is drawn below the rectangle with 
the titles of the books written on each side. The adapted T-chart leaves students more space to 
write the similarities and differences than a Venn diagram. Following Ciecierski and Binz’s (2017) 
recommendation, the students work in pairs and cite evidence as they complete the chart as seen 
in Figure 2. 
 
Figure 2: Adapted T-Chart 

Similarities 
How are 

Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli and 
Hot Pink: The Life and Fashions of Elsa Schiaparelli 

alike? 
Both books highlight the life of designer Elsa Schiaparelli. 

Both share her struggles in her younger years and how she worked to overcome them. 

Both books share her design of the bowknot sweater and its influence today. 

Both books share her use of color in fashion design, mainly “hot pink.” 

 



 

24 Georgia Journal of Literacy 45(1)  
 

Differences 
How are 

Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli and 
Hot Pink: The Life and Fashions of Elsa Schiaparelli 

different? 
Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa 

Schiaparelli 

Illustrated pictures 

More of a traditionally formatted children’s 
book 

More of a glossed-over timeline of Elsa’s life 

Mention of some of her mentors 

Story ends with touting of Elsa’s influence on 
fashion then and now 

Hot Pink: The Life and Fashions of Elsa 
Schiaparelli 

Use of photographs 

Extended, oversized picture book format 

Much more detailed timeline, including her life 
as a single working mother  

Detail of mention of her mentors and how they 
influenced her 

End of the story, details Elsa’s struggles to 
remain relevant in the fashion industry after  
designs fell out of favor 

 
Analyzing Illustrations between Biographies 
Different Like Coco (Matthews, 2007) describes Chanel’s chronology from humble beginnings to 
her impact on fashion. Chanel’s ability to study people yet design clothing she wanted to wear 
created a market for her designs. Her revolutionary, sleek, modern style made her clients want to 
be like Coco, not just dress like her. The illustrator’s use of turned-up noses in the facial features 
subtly displays Chanel’s view of the snobbery around her. The book concludes with a timeline of 
Chanel’s life, including the creation of Chanel No.5, the first perfume conceived by a fashion 
designer, and the release of her concept of “the little black dress.” 
 In Coco and the Little Black Dress, Van Haeringen (2015) describes Chanel’s difficult 
upbringing in a French orphanage. While there, Coco became accomplished at sewing, knitting, 
crocheting, and embroidery, parlaying those skills into work as a seamstress. She spent her 
evenings with friends and soon realized that being wealthy was her heart’s desire. She taught 
herself to ride to fit in with the elite crowd while wearing a pair of jodhpurs she designed. Coco 
then opened a millinery, creating not only hats and accessories but dresses that were practical, 
slimming, and did not require a corset. Her shop flourished, selling the concept of “the little black 
dress,” a fashion staple every woman could wear while feeling beautiful. 
 
Strategy Suggestion: Analyzing Illustrations with Access Lenses 

Bryan (2019) introduces the reader to analyzing illustrations with “Access Lenses.” The use of the 
chart guides discussion about illustrated mood. Mood is examined through facial expressions, body 
language, color, distance, aloneness, sounds, words, silence, big and little things, zooming in and 
out, and symbols and metaphors. When comparing two books on a similar topic, students can 
discuss how each illustrator portrayed the facets of mood. Similar incidences portrayed in each 
book may spur deeper conversation about how different illustrators chose to portray the same 
event. Students can keep track of their discussions within their reading notebooks (Rief, 2014) or 
display their ideas on wall charts. They should cite the pages of differing aspects of mood. The 
“Access Lenses” chart is available at fouroclockfaculty.com/2015/05/visuals-access-lenses. 
 

https://fouroclockfaculty.com/2015/05/visuals-access-lenses/


 
Walker & Walker 25 
 

Studying Fashion with How-To Books 
Summarizing Knowledge with Stories and Words 

In Bolte’s (2014) book Girly Girl Style: Fun Fashion You Can Sketch, tips for drawing fashion 
sketches are presented. The first section offers beginning step-by-step directions with an 
introduction about the style. Each sketch shows ideas on blending colors and sketching in pencil. 
The subsequent pages provide the budding designer with a four-step drawing process. Suggestions 
for sketching specific features or styles of clothing, Sketch designs for edges, beachwear, cold-
weather wear, and vintage clothing are suggested. The book concludes with ideas for adding 
accessories to the designs.  
 The collaboration between author Ware (2018) and illustrator Papier is dynamic in How to 
be a Fashion Designer. Ware introduces the world of fashion to the reader, while Papier’s vibrant 
collages include photographs and sketches with illustrated models from diverse backgrounds. 
Entries introduce the background content needed to be a fashion designer, including using tools, 
creating a mood board, selecting color, and finding inspiration for design within the environment. 
A “do-it-yourself” page where the budding designer is encouraged to practice follows the 
information. Suggestions for accessories to complete the inspired looks are also included. The last 
section of the book includes space for the designer to sketch. Back matter includes a glossary of 
fashion vocabulary and an index. 
 The premise of The Fashion Book: Create Your Own Cool Looks from the Story of Style 
(Beeden, 2014) is to show the novice designer how contemporary style is influenced by past 
designs. The designer is shown how to style themselves and others using information from ancient, 
medieval, and Victorian eras and fashion icons. The collage illustrations are enhanced with 
photographs, paintings, and sketches and supported with informational text and quotes about the 
fashion displayed. The illustrator shows how to assemble a complete style look within each 
section. Career opportunities in fashion, including student designers, shoe designers, make-up 
artists, and runway models, are highlighted. The back matter includes a detailed glossary, a list of 
influential designers, and an index. 
 
Strategy Suggestion: Story or Vision Board 

A story or vision board is a frequently used tool in design. Students are encouraged to “show what 
they know” by creating a vision board after the design concepts are taught and practiced. Tebbets 
(2008) recommends the final storyboard display theme, fashion illustration, typography, color, 
composition, and artistry. The theme of the storyboard drives all the other components. The 
illustrations show design ideas based on research. The typography must reflect the period or event 
portrayed on the storyboard and selecting appropriate colors, both essential to the theme’s 
message. Composition and artistry refer to the visual presentation of the board’s content. 
Movement of the eye from the viewer’s perspective and attention to minute details of the final 
product are critical to the presentation of ideas. Figure 3 is an example of a vision board displaying 
the essential components. 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 

26 Georgia Journal of Literacy 45(1)  
 

Figure 3: Example of Vision Board 

 
 
Studying Fashion History 
Why’d They Wear That? Fashion as the Mirror of History (Albee,2015) is an iconic fashion history 
book like one used in many undergraduate costume design programs (Tortora & Marcketti, 2015). 
The Grade 5–12 reader can explore fashion from the ancient world to the 20th century. True to the 
quality of a book published by National Geographic, photographs, great works of art, paintings, 
and sketches enhance the text. Each chapter is themed and details that era’s social, political, 
economic, art, and people movements. The book concludes with a message about the fashion 
industry’s impact on the environment and what the reader can do to decrease consumption. The 
back matter includes a fashion history timeline, bibliography, index, and illustration credits. 
 The Complete Book of Fashion History: A Stylish Journey through History and the 
Ultimate Guide for Being Fashionable in Every Era (Sedláčková, 2017) contains 24 informational 
chapters from prehistoric to contemporary fashion. Each chapter is collaged in differing modern 
cartoon styles and enhanced by short paragraphs, captions, and bubble quotes. The content 
contains biographies of influencers, types of attire, accessories, hairstyles, make-up, and 
production of the period’s fashion. The book concludes with illustrations of fashion worldwide, 
fashion icons, swimwear, wedding dresses, accessories, shoes, and notable designers. 
 

 



 
Walker & Walker 27 
 

Strategy Suggestion: The Fashion Zine 

Students can practice their skills of writing, revising, editing, and illustrating fashion design from 
history by creating a fashion zine. A zine is a handmade, reproducible, adaptable, and inexpensive 
way to create a magazine (Horst, 2015; Vanneman, 2010). For instance, students could study the 
clothing worn by people of an era. Figures 4 and 5 are examples of pages of a fashion zine entitled 
The Lords and Ladies of Fashion-1776 created by a fifth-grade student as part of a unit of study 
on the American Revolution. The zine showcases six fashion designs, three for women and three 
for men, of differing social classes and positions in the war. A description accompanies each 
design. Fashion vocabulary such as “weskit,” “breeches,” “bodice,” and “petticoat” is used to 
describe the fabrics and ensemble. Students should include a table of contents and reference page 
when creating an informational zine. 
 
Figure 4: A Sample Page from Lords and Ladies of Fashion-1776 

 
 



 

28 Georgia Journal of Literacy 45(1)  
 

Figure 5: A Sample Page from Lords and Ladies of Fashion-1776 

 

 
Conclusion 
Text sets and literacy strategies can be used in instruction to build background knowledge in 
content-focused instruction (Neuman, 2014; Lupo, 2019). The presentation of this text set and 
accompanying strategies highlighted how they could be used in a study of the fashion industry, 
most likely in art or career and technical education courses. The strategies presented here can be 
adapted to other middle and high school content areas (Lupo et al., 2018). Biography is frequently 
used in English/Language Arts, social studies, and science courses. Teachers in these content areas 
also teach students the process of comparison/contrast. Therefore, the comparison/contrast 
strategies shared here can support student understanding of this comprehension process. Students 
across content area courses can also create a vision board or zine to present what they have learned. 
This format allows students a “flexible, open-ended, and welcome alternative to the usual paper 
and/or slide show presentation” (Gresham, 2018, p. 34). 

Students returning to the classrooms after an extended time of online learning will likely 
be more adept at delving deeper into the digital and social media world. Some of these students 
may have spent time creating social media accounts related to fashion. However, many secondary 
students need to learn how to find and evaluate resources available at the click of a button (Gleason 
& von Gillern, 2018). Providing middle and high school students with the background knowledge 



 
Walker & Walker 29 
 

necessary to gain a deeper understanding of fashion can help them make better-informed decisions. 
Using children’s literature in teaching can expand the knowledge of the fashion industry by 
introducing influencers, techniques, and history to secondary students. Students’ analysis of this 
multibillion-dollar industry can support their aspirations to become designers, stylists, and social 
media influencers. 
 
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Children. 

Blumenthal, D. (2018). Polka dot parade: A book about Bill Cunningham. little bee books. 
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30 Georgia Journal of Literacy 45(1)  
 

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Received: December 28, 2022 | Accepted: March 15, 2023 | Published: April 3, 2023 

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https://lesbiannews.com/magazine/lesbian-news-july-2019-issue/
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http://influencermarketinghub.com/what-is-an-influencer

	Studying Fashion through Biography
	Analyzing Characteristics of Fashion Trendsetters
	Figure 1: Category Map

	Comparing and Contrasting Similar Biographies
	Figure 2: Adapted T-Chart


	Fancy Party Gowns:  The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe
	Polka Dot Parade: A Book About Bill Cunningham
	Mermaid Queen
	Annette Kellerman showed her passion through her swimming. She took swimming to a new level when she created a new art form of water ballet.
	Ann Cole Lowe showed her passion by taking over the dressmaking from her mother and creating fashions for many in high society.
	Bill Cunningham showed his passion by taking photos of those he found interesting wearing their everyday fashions.
	Passionate
	Annette was influential because she redesigned swimsuits to be more practical and comfortable. Her revolutionary idea changed swimwear for women.
	Although many do not know her name, Ann dressed many famous people. Jacqueline Kennedy was one of her clients. By showcasing Ann’s designs, Kennedy assisted Ann’s influence.
	By photographing people on the street in their everyday fashion choices, Bill influenced others to wear what he saw in everyday attire.
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	Annette was committed to the change in swimsuit design to make it more practical for her racing and water ballet. She had to convince others of the practicality. Her drive to do so showed her commitment.
	Ann showed her commitment because she faced many challenges. She had to rise above poverty and attend a segregated school. Despite the challenges, she persevered.
	Bill was committed to fashion by the number of photographs he kept. He filed them in his apartment and referred to them in his other works.
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	Committed
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	Annette’s revolutionary idea of a sleek swimsuit was imaginative in its necessity. Because she was swimming long distances and performing in the water, her swimsuit needed to be lighter and moveable in the water.
	Ann’s imagination helped her create different party gowns for each client. Since many of her clients attended the same events, Ann had to create a new gown for each client.
	Bill used the imagination of the subjects of his photographs to spur his imagination. He used his archived photos to assist him in his fashion displays.
	S
	Imaginative
	Studying Fashion with How-To Books
	Summarizing Knowledge with Stories and Words
	Strategy Suggestion: Story or Vision Board
	Figure 3: Example of Vision Board


	Studying Fashion History
	Strategy Suggestion: The Fashion Zine
	Figure 4: A Sample Page from Lords and Ladies of Fashion-1776
	Figure 5: A Sample Page from Lords and Ladies of Fashion-1776


	Conclusion
	References

