Clothing In The Nineteenth Century

Upper class women favored many petticoats covered in “rich” colors like orange, red, green, black and yellow. The upper class also wore fine linens such as silk, satin and lace, this made sure that the lower class people knew to show them respect. Lower class people wore ordinary, simple clothing that showed that they had a lower social position and they wore a lot of blue because it was cheaper than other colors and it was associated with servants. The basic rule all classes went by was, if people wore nice clothes then people treated them well and if they did not then people most likely would not even talk to them. The lower class started stealing small amounts of lace or silk to add to their own clothes; however, the upper class was starting to get upset with all the poor people wearing nicer clothes. Finally by the 18th century, everyone was allowed to wear nicer clothes; yet the upper class still wanted to differentiate themselves from the lesser people, they wanted to show that they were better than them. They decided to adopt a more conservative fashion that was less colorful and

Women’s fashion was a social controversy in the 1920’s. This controversy was influenced by women’s clothing, swimwear, hairstyles, makeup, and attitude alone. This attire and new found character traits added a certain attitude and confidence to these women, starting what would eventually be remembered as a revolution.

The Jazz culture inspired multiple dances, such as the Black Bottom and the ever-popular Charleston. These dances required lots of movement leading to a shift in women’s fashion. Women wore less undergarments, went without coresets, and designed dresses that allowed for more freedom of movement. In 1921, Coco Chanel introduced the “drop-waist” dress, which were worn with long strings of glass beads or pearls. By 1925 these dresses resembled the shifts that were worn under the dresses of the early 1900. Evening dress were made up of mesh material, sleeveless, low v-neckline or backless, and sometimes adorned with sequence. These new fashions were advertised in fashion magazines that made their appearance in the 20s, Vouge, The Queen, and the

As Coco Chanel quotes: “Fashion is an architecture: It is a matter of proportion.” Fashion during the Harlem Renaissance and the roaring 20s define the culture of males, females, whites & blacks.

The richer class believed “Clothing was a sign of importance and power.” (Stevenson, par 1) Nobles believed the amount of money they spent on their clothes determined the amount of authority they had. The more rich you were, the more people looked up to you. Chaucer writes about the Summoner “The better he looks the more successful he will be.” (Prentice Hall 113) Nobles such as the Summoner had extra money to spend on things like clothing. These people in the second estate dressed to impress more than dressing for comfort. Comfort did not apply to the nobles, because they had less work than the other estates. The nobles wanted to show their riches, so the bigger and brighter their clothing the

For decades now, humans have always been so quick to judge a book by it’s cover; one’s clothes help create the cover to this book. Norton brings up various styles individuals wear and how it displays their character to the world. For instance, “a display in the window of polo provides an embarrassment of semiotic riches” (Norton 88). One who wears the brand polo is someone who is of the upper class due to it’s vogue aesthetic and price tags. This goes for any high end designer brand like Michael Kors or Chanel; if one is seen covered in such a luxury, there is no doubt they are living in wealth. By wearing this clothing, one is being told to attain the typical preeminent behavior of the rich, having an attitude that they surpass all others. Moreover, Frank focuses on a particular group who have this rock and roll flare. He believes “we consume not to fit in, but to prove, on the surface at

Clothing and How it Relates to the Affairs of the 1940’s Ever felt the burn of blisters left by shoes that don’t quite fit; or felt the humiliation of tattered and worn clothes that smell like the sweat of someone you do not even know? Throughout history the clothing people wear often has had an effect on how we view them. People of power usually wore extravagant clothing and servants, serfs, and peasants wore less than pristine garb. During this time World War II, inflation, and the Holocaust had a huge effect on the clothing we wore and vice versa.

Fashion seemed to play an essential role in the identification of classes; Srigley implements fashion as an essential attribute. Due to the constant condemnation and disapproval from the state, legal system and communities(18); working women seized to emulate images of respectability and class so they could be looked upon

Each of these groups of people wore different clothing that distinguished their role and status in society. The differences between these social classes can be revealed by studying the various styles of clothing worn by the lower class people, the middle class people and the upper class people in Ancient Rome.

Clothing in the Victorian era was constantly changing. Three of the most common fabrics used, were cotton, flax, and silk. Women’s clothing was changing more often than men’s and different materials were used for each gender. Clothing was different for each social class; to say nothing of, types of clothing and materials also differed by gender.

Other factors, aside from their clothes, also make the class system apparent in this society. The attitudes of the wealthy and poor are incredibly different, which is shown through how they wear their clothes. It is very obvious that the wealthy, higher class hold themselves to higher standards and look down upon those in the lower classes. The quality of their clothes, accessories, and hygiene are much better than the less fortunate people. It is terribly sad to see but the higher class, have beautiful clothing that make you want to reach out and touch to see if it is real.

Clothing is fibre and textile material worn to the body. Various types of clothing such as shirt, trousers, dress, pants, skirt and many others have been used since in the early days of human existence. Depending on the body type, social and cultural background, geographic considerations and gender, the way the clothes were worn are varies. Wearing clothes are mostly restricted to all human beings in almost all societies. Men and women wear clothes with many purposes including covering private parts of the body, to serve as layers of protection, to enhance safety while endeavouring every day’s activities and to improve the physical appearance. For centuries, both men and women were devoting efforts in making oneself look attractive and admirable through a single term called

For many centuries clothing was used namely as a form of symbolising one’s ascribed class and social honour. A good example of this was evident in Feudal European times when sumptuary laws were created in order to regulate and specify

Ever since the middle ages, social status was of great significance, attained through birth. Certain prestigious clothing was reserved for a high class, serving as a distinction between members of the population. Young Jee Han Joseph C. Nunes, a doctoral student of marketing , & Xavier Drèze, an associate professor of marketing, identify in their article “Signaling Status with Luxury Goods: The Role of Brand Prominence” that historically “sumptuary laws specified in minute detail what each social class was permitted and forbidden to wear, including the maximum price an article of clothing could cost” (Han). Take for instance the kings and nobility of France, who expressed their political power and superiority through use of luxury. Today, the situation remains somewhat similar: according to Sirgy in his “Journal of Consumer Research”, social class is “defined as when a consumer acquires market resources to accentuate their belonging to a specific social group, in order to display their desired identity or a part of their desired identity to others” (qtd in Signaling Status with Luxury Goods) . According to Young Jee Han, Joseph C. Nunes & Xavier Drèze, “today, anyone can own a purse, a watch, or a pair of shoes, but specific brands of purses, watches, and shoes are a distinguishing feature for certain classes of consumers”(Han), proof that

✦ In 1910, Irene Castle, a ballroom dancer, influenced shorter and flowy dresses that allowed her legs to be free