Rachel Neal

Dr Rachel Neal is a Lecturer in Design Cultures at De Montfort University, affiliated with the School of Design within the Faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities. Her research and teaching focus on fashion and dress history, particularly men's everyday dress in the early twentieth century and its intersections with lived experience, identity, and material culture.

Education:

• PhD in Dress History, De Montfort University (2022)
• MA in Dress History, De Montfort University (2018)
• BA (Hons) in Fashion Design, Birmingham City University (2007)

Her research interests include the history of men’s dress during the First and Second World Wars, interwar sartorial culture, materiality, and the role of clothing in shaping identity. Drawing from her background as a former menswear designer at Next, she emphasizes object-based and archival research to uncover intimate, personal histories embedded in clothing.

The available publications reflect a strong focus on wartime and post-war men’s dress, particularly the transition from military to civilian clothing after the First World War. Her work combines social and cultural history with material culture studies, emphasizing lived experience and personal narratives.

Rachel is a member of the Costume Society and affiliated with the Institute of Global Challenges and Cultures at DMU. She has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences, including events hosted by the Costume Society and interdisciplinary workshops at DMU.

She serves as second supervisor for PhD candidates Jiatao Li and Jane Smith, whose projects explore demobilization and men’s dress after the First World War. While no grants are mentioned, her active research profile suggests ongoing scholarly engagement. She teaches Critical and Historical Studies in Fashion Design and contributes to courses on 20th-century dress history and material culture.

Rachel Neal is actively involved in academic life at DMU, participating in symposia, research seminars, and practice-based research showcases. Her work bridges academic scholarship and design practice, contributing to a deeper understanding of dress as both cultural expression and personal experience.