Monica Sklar

Education

Research

1. Subcultural identity and community development through dress, focused on aesthetics and design concepts, production, merchandising, and consumerism; Specifically in punk and and related late-20thc music cultures and also the U.S. extreme far right 2. Museum and archival practice regarding access through digitization/online searchability of archives, specializing in post custodial/community arching and also metadata/language around artifacts

I also curate the Historic Clothing and Textiles Collection.

Teaching

Currently I teach undergrad/grad split level courses including TXMI 4290/6290: History of Dress and Fashion 19th to the Present, TXMI 3230 Pop Culture and Fashion, TXMI 4240/6240: Promotion and Visual Display, 5850/7850 Masters/Doctoral Level Museum Issues in Clothing and Textiles, TXMI 8270 Doctoral Level Apparel Therories and Methodology, and freshmen seminars on museums and on subculture.

Prior Professional Positions

Awards

Editorial Appointments

Service

Outreach

Curator Historic Clothing and Textiles Collection, University of Georgia

Vice President Costume Society of America

Reviewer: Dress Journal, Clothing & Textiles Research Journal, Bloomsbury Publishers, Palgrave Publishers

Editorial Boards: Dress Journal and Punk + Post Punk Journal

Certified LGBT Safe Space personnel

Frequent commentator on subculture and style including in media such as The Guardian, The Washington Post, NY Post, National Public Radio, Le Monde, 99% Invisible podcast, Bustle blog, Dressed podcast, and institutions including Cornell University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, University of Maryland, Chicago History Museum

Areas of Expertise

Subcultures, Diversity and Databasing with Archiving

Books

Sklar, M. (2013). Punk Style. Oxford: Bloomsbury.

Sklar, M. (2021, in process). Book about punk fashion production and consumption, history, stores, brands, interviews. University Press Publisher TBD.

Chapter: Sklar, M. & Donahue, M.(U) (2021). From Punk to Poser: T-Shirts, Authenticity, Postmodernism, and the Fashion Cycle. In Gina Arnold & George McKay (Eds.) Oxford Handbook of Punk Rock. Oxford University Press: Oxford University Press. Peer Reviewed.

Current Research

Currently I am studying United States subcultures and merchandising, specifically production, consumption, and embodiment.  I am connecting the merchandising experience to history, identity development, community building, social dissent, and trends. This includes punk and the extreme far right.

Furthermore, I am working on museum practice and outreach, focused on digital humanities and object access through metadata improvements, post custodal and community archiving, and online narratives.

Journal Articles

Davis, J, & Sklar, M. (2023). Pay no mind to us: Minor Threat and “normal as abnormal” dress in representation of alterity and authenticity. Journal of Popular Culture.

Kirkland, A., Sklar, M., Wiebers, L. Sauro, C., Idacavage, S. (G), & Mun, J. (U). (2023). I’m not searching the right words”: User experience searching historic clothing collection websites. The International Journal of the Inclusive Museum.

Sklar, M., & Brewster, M. (G)., Whitley, B. (G). (2022). Subcultural boutiques: What made the normal so positively abnormal. Fashion, Style, and Popular Culture.

Sklar, M., Strubel, J. Freiberg, K. (U)., & Elhabbassi, S. (U). (Published online 2021, Print 2022). Beyond Subculture the Meaning of Style: Chronicling directions of scholarship on dress since Hebdige and Muggleton. Fashion Theory.

Brewster, M. (G), & Sklar, M. (Accepted 2021, Print 2022). Fashioning a body positive influencer brand: Authenticity as a branding tool. Fashion, Style, and Popular Culture.

Sklar, M., Hill McIntyre, K. Autry, S. (U). (2021). Preserving Cultural Craft Heritage: Digitizing a Traditional Syrian Clothing Collection. Craft Research Journal. 

Sklar, M., Barrow, C. (U). & Wear, P. (Published online 2020. Print 2021). Uniform Ideals: the American Dream and Motown Records’s Image Making. Dress Journal.

Sklar, M., Helfortt, C.(U)., & Kitchens, F. (U). (May, 2020). Punk merchandising and learning a lifestyle. Clothing Cultures Journal, 6(2).

Sklar, M., Strubel, J., & Haenfler, R. (Published online 2020. Print 2021). Sold out or Bought in? Complexities of the X Swatch as subcultural accessory for the straight edge scene. Journal of Fashion and Popular Culture.

Sklar, M., Autry, S.(U)., & Klas, L. (U).  (Published online 2020. Print 2021). Symbols & silhouettes: Punk aesthetics and the fashion cycle. Fashion Practice Journal.

Strubel, J., Sklar, M., (Accepted 2019, Print date 2021). Fred Perry: Polos for all. Studies in Symbolic Interaction Journal.

Sklar, M., & Donahue, M.(U). (2018). Process over product: 1990s United States hardcore and emo subcultures and DIY consumerism. Punk + Post-Punk Journal, 7(2).

Sklar, M. & DeLong, M. (2013). Punk dress in the workplace: Expression and Accommodation. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 30(4), 285-299.

Kang, M., Sklar, M., & Johnson, K.K.P. (2011). Men at work: Using dress to create and communicate identities. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management (15)4.

DeLong, M., Gage, K., Park, J., & Sklar, M. (2010). From renegade to regular Joe: The black leather jacket’s value for bikers. International Journal of Motorcycle Studies, 6(2).

Publications

Sklar, M. (2019). Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die: Punk Graphics, 1976–1986 Exhibition and Shepard Fairey: Salad Days, 1989–1999, Exhibition Review. Punk + Post-Punk Journal, 8(1), 173-181.

Sklar, M. (2019). This is not Fashion: Streetstyle past present and future, Book review. Dress Journal, 45(1), 95-97.

Brewster, M. (G), Sklar, M. (Accepted, presentation cancelled due to Corvid-19 ). Who is she fooling????': Negotiating Authenticity in Celebrity Skincare Videos" Costume Society of America national symposium.

Brewster, M. (G), Sklar, M. (Accepted, presentation cancelled due to Corvid-19). Part Fandom, Part Fashion: YouTube Fan Apparel as Affective Merchandise. Popular Culture Association national symposium.

Sklar, M., Strubel, J., & Haenfler, R. (Accepted, presentation cancelled due to Corvid-19). X Swatch and Straightedge Cues: Consumer fashion products and subcultural community, identity, and authenticity. Popular Culture Association national symposium.

Sklar, M. Hill, K. (Accepted, 2020 presentation cancelled due to Corvid-19). Digitizing private collections: Syrian clothing and a nearly-lost heritage. Costume Society of America national symposium.

Morgan, J.(G), & Sklar, M. (2019). Should I Stay or Should I Go: Gender-related Responses to Experiences While Wearing the High School Marching Band Uniform. Proceedings of the Costume Society of America Southeast Region symposium. Peer reviewed, won CSA student award.

Brewster, M. (G), Sklar, M. (2019). Fashioning the Influencer: A Literature Review. Proceedings of the Costume Society of America Southeast Region symposium. Peer reviewed.

Strubel, J., & Sklar, M., (April 2019). Fred Perry: A multi-modal subcultural garment. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the Pop Culture Association national symposium. Peer reviewed.

Sklar, M., & Donahue, M.(U). (April 2019). The process is more punk than the product. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the Costume Society of America national symposium. Peer reviewed.

Morgan, J.(G), & Sklar, M. (2018). Too geek to not to geek: The high school band uniform. Proceedings of the Costume Society of America Southeast Region symposium. Peer reviewed, won CSA student award.

Sklar, M.,& Donohue, M. (2018, February). Archiving Punk Merchandising Experiences: The Contribution of Retail to the Development of Subcultural Identity, Community, Art, and Dissent.  [Abstract]. Proceedings of University of California Los Angeles Curating Resistence Conference, Center for Musical Humanities.

Sklar, M., Erlich, R. & Donohue, M. (2017, September). The History of subcultural retail in the United States. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the meeting of the Costume Society of America Southeast Region.

Sklar, M., McElvain, J., & Harpham, M. (2017, November). Dior to disco: Second wave feminism and fashion. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the meeting of the International Textile and Apparel Association

Sklar, M. & Binns, O. (2017, November). Motown Style and the American Dream. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the meeting of the International Textile and Apparel Association.

Sklar, M. (2016, October). Subculture Bibliographic Article & Lesson Plans. In Joanne Eicher (Ed.) Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion [Online edition].

Sklar, M. (2016, October). Subcultural Style: Punk. In Valerie Steele (Ed. and Curator) Bloomsbury Fashion Photography Archive [Online edition].

Sklar, M. & Michel, L. (2012). “The punk palette: Subversion through color” in Delong, M. & Martenson, B. (Eds.) Color and Design. Oxford: Berg Publishers.

DeLong, M., Gage, K., Park, J., & Sklar, M. (2011). The black leather jacket. Included in the online edition of the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion.

Refereed Proceedings - Also an Oral Paper Presentation:
Sklar, M. (2014, September). Invisible woman: Instructor presence in online apparel courses. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the meeting of the Costume Society of America Midwest Region.

Sklar, M. and Delong, M. (2010, May) Punk dress in the workplace: Rebellion and routine at a crossroads. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the national meeting of the Costume Society of
America, 36.

DeLong, M., Gage, K., Sklar, M., & Park, J. (2009, May) Renegade to regular Joe: Shifting borders of the black leather jacket. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the national meeting of the
Costume Society of America, 35.

Kang, M., Sklar, M., & Johnson, K. (2008, November). Men at work: Fashioning identities. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the International Textile and Apparel Association, USA, 65.

Sklar, M. & Ghosh, S. (2005). Hot fabrics: Trend analysis and consumer reactions to thermal reactive textiles. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the International Textile and Apparel Association,
USA, 62, 567.

Sklar, M., Ghosh, S., & Welker, K. (2004). Consumer interest in smart textiles for the apparel market. [Abstract]. Proceedings of the International Textile and Apparel Association, USA, 61,
293.

Refereed Presentations Not Published as Proceedings:

DeLong, M., Gage, K., Sklar, M., & Park, J. (2009, April). Putting on the leathers: The identity of the black leather jacket. Paper presentation at the Popular Culture Association/American

Culture Association, New Orleans, LA.

DeLong, M., Gage, K., Sklar, M. (2008, May). Regalia for the road: Looking beyond the black leather jacket. Poster presentation at the national meeting of the Costume Society of
America, New Orleans, LA.

DeLong, M., Sklar, M., Gage, K. & Park, J. (2008, March). Tough as leather: Making and imaging the 21st century biker in the black leather jacket. Paper presentation and plenary
panel at the national meeting of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, San Francisco, CA.

Sklar, M. (2007, October). Modern craft and its homespun revolution. Paper presentation at the Midwest Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, Kansas City, MO.