To cover or not to cover?

I have been having a lot of problems with my dissertation on "Women Blacksmiths: a study of how fashion can save them from sexual exploitation" - mainly due to my Tutor's sexist attitude. He maintains that women look sexier when they expose flesh - but if you are a welder or a blacksmith, that is quite dangerous.

Here is a modern plumber looking quite sexy - but suitably covered up, to protect herself. My Tutor maintains that she should look like the photo below - regardless of how unsuitable this actually is!

Of course, if he was a woman -or, perhaps, gay - he might find the sight of men's bottoms look enticing. But they don't appeal to me!

In my research, I have come across a lot of women who combine excellent welding and blacksmithing skills with fashion skills. One of them is shown in the Pathe clip below - she is a very pretty young girl and she didn't feel the need to show her bottom.

LADY BLACKSMITH

Last month I had some feedback from my Tutor on my Dissertation. It was originally going to be "the development of women blacksmiths and welders from the 18th Century and how their workwear accentuated their femininity before later developing into utilitarian dress that we know today, and how fashion-derived workwear could be worn without undermining the ability of women to be perceived as first-class welders" , but that was a bit too long and complicated. So it changed to "Women Blacksmiths: a study of how fashion can save them from sexual exploitation" and that seemed to do the trick as I received a Merit for the proposal (a mere 1500 words).

But it is still quite difficult for me to find those academic models necessary to meet the demands of the markers! I put in "Blacksmith models" into Google and got some very worrying pictures! There seems to be a certain type of person who finds women with a thin layer of Iron Oxide on their face and sweaty arms very attractive! Anyway, here are some photos of gorgeous girls blacksmithing especially for those people (probably Nikos and Affer....).

Of course, these women are dressed quite casually - although very attractively - because the heat in a forge is substantial. But they don't have the sparks flying around like welders do so they can do that. Welders need to be much more covered and that's where the essence of fashion is apparent. Of course,as Rene Konig has said "Fashion is as profound and critical a part of the social life of man as sex, and is made up of the same ambivalent mixture of irresistible urges and inevitable taboos." But set against that, Professor Michael R Solomon, who received the first Cutty Sark Men's Fashion Award in 1981 for his research on the psychological aspects of clothing, has written that "We are all emotional rather than rational and in the end the brand is defined by individuals, not by companies or markets. When a sufficient number of individuals arrive at the same gut feeling, then a company really has a brand". In a real sense this defines the way we approach fashion as both a name and a style.

I wonder what Marged Ferch Ifan would have made of it all? She was (amongst other things) a blacksmith, a harpist, an innkeeper and also rowed boats full of copper ore!

Mae gan Marged fwyn ach Ifan
Grafanc fawr a chrafanc fechan,
Un i dynnu’r cwn o’r gongl,
A’r llall i dorri esgyrn pobol.

My dissertation

I haven't been on my blog for ages, and it is because I have spent so much time on my college dissertation!

I originally set out to write on "the development of women blacksmiths and welders from the 18th Century and how their workwear accentuated their femininity before later developing into utilitarian dress that we know today, and how fashion-derived workwear could be worn without undermining the ability of women to be perceived as first-class welders" but my Dissertation Tutor said that was impossible!

As my Tutor is a man, and has never been a welder, I was disappointed to say the least. But he pointed out that it was simply too big to cover in 7500 words, that it lacked academic focus, and that there probably was insufficient academic secondary data available. This was the first time I have found the course really difficult. When I was learning to be a welder, I would be tested on my abilities by being required to set out a control plan for, say, a Fanuc Arcmate 100i robot with RJ2 control unit, MiG welding, say, 5kg S355 Carbon Manganese steel components with a max penetration of 2mm. And when I started this Fashion course and undertook design, I just had to produce pretty but functional clothes.

But with this dissertation, I have to write about the why's and the how's and the who-said-so's - and it is very difficult. There is a lot of stuff on "women in welding" coming from America - where my heroine Julie Dean works - but almost nothing on women's welding clothing. And my Tutor says I have to bring in academic writing and models, such as Kapferer's Brand Identity Prism, or Sealy and Singh's excellent writing on "The importance of role models and demographic context for senior women’s work identity development". But I don't think they were welders.

This is Vera Anderson from 1944, a welder at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation, in Pascagoula Mississippi. She was named as one of The American Magazine's "Interesting People" in the May 1944 issue. She is so pretty, and possible sexy except she is so covered up by baggy overalls! She has re-inspired me - so I have now completed a Research Proposal titled "Towards fashionwear better suited for women in welding", and with supporting Aims and Objectives that show how women developed over time from Blacksmithing to becoming Welding Technicians, and how clothing can accentuate their femininity without detracting from their ability.

To keep me going, I have made a header for my Dissertation paper with the old Lithuanian proverb: "The most beautiful red rose comes wrapped in plain leaves."

New academic year

It's now only a week until I have to re-enrol on my fashion course - so my welding will be soon be over. This summer, I have helped the University again, working in the Engineering Department on mostly maintenance but also helping install some new equipment - and, of course, welding lots of things like bicycles, motorcycles, car exhausts and even a bird cage!

But already, my thoughts are turning to fashion - and my Dissertation for this year. It's not the final, 15,000 word one (that will be in 2013, I hope) but does have to be "7,500 words on an original topic and supported by appropriate academic reference."

While I was doing some initial research, I came across this book:

One of the illustrations was used on the cover of this book:

So I think I may write about the development of women blacksmiths and welders from the 18th Century and how their workwear accentuated their femininity before later developing into utilitarian dress that we know today, and how fashion-derived workwear could be worn without undermining the ability of women to be perceived as first-class welders.

I am very interested in the case of Faith Feather Traversie, a Yankton Lakota woman - that's a Native American (or "Indian") - who became a welder in the Mare Island Navy Yard, and wonder how she might have combined her native clothing with welding wear, and Rachel Yent of Baltimore, who "wore a tight-fitting woollen dress" under her leather apron.

I know this will be a big topic, but as the old Lithuanian Proverb says: "Many a horse may be a mule if you don't use your eyes."

Back to welding!

Now my Uni course is over for the summer, I can return to my first love - welding!


Some of the boys who are studying engineering (yes, we fashion girls sometimes mix!) are currently messing around building new 'extreme' bicycles for themselves - recumbents, and double-deckers and so on. They often ask me to modify the frames for them, but you have to be very careful. Depending on the make and style of bike, the frame tubes may be joined with lugs that are Sif-brazed. They are very strong and very crack resistant but if you later weld lugs near the joints, you can soft-melt the brazing material, which then oxidises and may later fail.

As well as a fashion designer and welder, now I am becoming a bicycle designer!

It's finished!

My first Uni fashion project - combining my love of fashion with welding - is over! And it hasn't been easy! Still, as they say in Lithuania, "Even a pig's trotter starts as a sperm."

I took as my inspiration these lovely women, in an American shipyard in the last war. They all look so pretty and sexy but their welding gear hides it!

Now this girl looks gorgeous but you wouldn't know it under all the gear, and it hasn't really changed from all those years ago. I did consider denim - it is relatively easy to make flameproof - but it doesn't follow the shape very well - and many women welders have lovely figures too!

But although Tatiana, my model, is very lovely, the clothing makes her look like a peasant! And as the old Lithuanian proverb says, "Why should a passion flower look like a daisy?" The dress hides her lovely bosom and feminine hips.

But the challenge was to make the dress fireproof - or at least fire resistant. So eventually I came up with a blend of pure wool with Indura and Nomex. My garment covers all the areas that might be weld-spattered but is clingy and shows the body's curves. It is flexible so that when the woman walks it doesn't hinder her, and - most importantly - modest enough for no-one to know what is underneath! I'll let you boys into a little secret: most women welders are what you lads describe as 'going commando'! A weld spatter trapped in nylon panties is not good! So this is worn with a supportive Indura T-Shirt that allows flexibility for the arms but keeps certain other areas under control! Another old Lithuanian proverb: "Bunnies are born to hop, but only where the buck wants."

So here it is. I don't know what marks my Tutors will give, but it looks fabulous on Lucinda, and I hope you like it too.

Even more inspiration!

I was very excited when one of my friends took me to a motor race meeting at the weekend. When I worked as a welding technician for Honda, I saw lots of cars - but not race ones. I met some nice people - even one who said he was a blogger. He wouldn't say who (!) - but he seemed to know me and even asked my advice!

I think it was a McLaren and, because he was quite a big chap, his feet didn't quite fit the pedal area, so he asked me if I could cut some of the frame tubes for him!

But I didn't have my new welding apron with me so I couldn't! I think I might redesign the apron so it can be used by Racecar Engineers.