Fabric Symbolism and Functional Textiles as Cultural Expression in Postmodern Literature
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Abstract
The concept of functionality has become increasingly important in contemporary textile engineering, where material performance is closely associated with applications ranging from wearable systems to intelligent sensing and electromagnetic shielding. Beyond physical properties, however, the functional attributes assigned to textile materials also shape their social and cultural significance. From this perspective, the present study investigates how functional textiles operate as active mechanisms of cultural expression in postmodern literature through a material-oriented analytical framework. Using The Handmaid’s Tale and White Noise as representative case studies, the research examines two distinct models of textile functionality: socially prescribed uniforms that regulate identity through color coding and commodified fabrics that construct simulated consumer identities. Rather than treating textiles as passive symbols, the analysis demonstrates that their cultural influence emerges from the specific functions they are designed or expected to perform within institutional and social systems. The comparison further reveals that material performance, visual coding, and contextual use jointly determine the interpretive power of textiles, linking physical function with ideological operation. By emphasizing the relationship between designed functionality and semantic expression, this work extends the understanding of functional textiles beyond conventional engineering definitions and provides an interdisciplinary perspective that may inform future studies of advanced textile systems, including smart fabrics and performance-oriented material design.
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