History of Fashion
Fashion has changed a great deal over the past three centuries. As history changes it seems that fashion in some aspect changes with it to adapt to the era. Even today fashion continues to change as the years go on. Looking at fashion even 20 years ago we can see a difference from what we see in our everyday lives. For the purpose of this essay Fashion will be divided into three centuries, since not every era of clothing can be touched upon.
The first era of fashion history includes 500 BC- 1450 AD. Near the beginning era fashion was relatively simple, since it was more about practical function than style. This era was referred to as the Ancient Time Period. Garments were always loose fitting, never tight. Tunics
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There are numerous factors that contributed to extravagant and highly decorated clothing. Increased trade from the East was one, and improved textile-making techniques. The upper class nobles grew during this era; personal health was gained by survivors of the Black Plague. Wealthy classes often experimented often resulting in extreme styles.
The second group of fashion history includes 1350 – 1700. The first era of this time period was the Renaissance. This included about 150 years, in which the style was influenced by Medieval and Gothic Designs, and Italian Renaissance in art. Women’s fashions became a more natural appearance. Dresses lost their long trains and flowing skirts became popular. The long, rigid corset that extended to a V shape made its debut in the early part of this period. Women began to show their hair again, they decorated it with gorgeous veils and dazzling jewels. After the 15th century Renaissance Fashion began to follow German styles. Women’s gowns became voluminous; skirts were heavily pleated and supported of hoops made of wire or wicker. Men’s clothing adopted a similar style, balloon sleeves, padded doublets, large collars, and puffed trunk hose. Women began to wear headdresses again and men wore broad hats that were sometimes trimmed with gemstones. Fashion reached its high point under the Elizabethan period by the end of the Renaissance. In the year 1550 the Elizabethan
Elizabethan fashion influenced the modern day fashion world in many aspects. In Elizabethan times, fashion was often used to show status in society, and was very important to women. Fashion today can be compared to the same aspects. Women wear different brands or types of clothing to show status or capital. Although women don’t wear as many layers of dress clothing, women often are
The 18th century, more precisely between 1715 and 1789, was a significant time period in the fashion sphere for women in France. The time period itself was a mark of great change for the history of France due to various political reasons as well as various art movements and often times fashion, despite being a branch of art, is overlooked by most viewers. However, fashion during this time excelled in France and was essentially the symbol of a new era in this domain; French fashion was now snowballing into something much greater that still echoes to this today. Ultimately, the goal of this essay is to describe women’s fashion during the period of 1715-1789 and the shifts it made through the analytical use of various sources including artwork, literature, museums’ online archives and internet sources.
People may say that the true years of fashion began in the late nineteen forties and went on through the early nineteen sixties. If you look at fashion today, its almost repeated the look from sixty years ago. In each generation fashion trends become based on history and/or important events. in the nineteen forties fashion was being modeled by the military wear. World War II caused a drastic change in the way clothes were being made and worn. In the nineteen fifties Americans admired the fashion of movie stars and music artists. Media had a strong influence on the wordly trend. The people of the sixties expressed there personalities and emotions through
It was fashionable to wear high double horn headdresses. Only wealthy people could hire tailors. Silk was worn to be seen just as much to be felt. “Looms wove the cloth in grid fashion, enabling them to stretch more effectively at certain angles than at others” (http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/clothing/) Popele sometimes wore loose linen or wool tunics like big baggy t shirts. Clothing became more complicated in the middle ages. In the 1300s, to make sure wealthy merchants were not confused with nobles, and craftsmen were not confused with wealthy merchants, laws were passed in towns and villages about what kind of clothes each group could wear. Wearing pants was originally a Germanic idea, and the Romans disapproved of it. But it gradually caught on anyway, especially among men who rode horses and in colder areas. Other men, especially noblemen, wore tights under their tunics. Outside, if it was cold, men wore wool cloaks. (http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/clothing/) Women mainly wore long sleeved linen dresses called chemises as underwear. Over the top they wore wool tunics with sleeves. Men wore long shirts and tunics, with stocking or
They weren't as nice as the clothes before, but still had a large quantity of detail in them. Wealthy men, aristocrats and politicians used to mainly wear wigs before this time. They eventually stopped shaving their heads and let their hair grow out to where they were able to take off the wig and started to style their hair to resemble a wig with a poof in the front and a ponytail the back. Womens style varied on where you where. In the more rural or smaller towns , women dressed plainly and used homemade fabrics, to save money for their men out at war.
Technology has had a major impact on the progress of fashion between the 1945’s and 1960’s and beyond. People used to have busy lifestyles before the growth of technology to help them. During WW2, there was a shortage of fabrics and people needed to preserve them. However, once the world got into a stable post-war time which were the 50s, there were more intricate outfits which used large amounts of fabric. Technology also allowed more different varieties of dyes and fibers to be made which added more of a personal touch to fashion and gave a feeling of wellbeing and comfort.
Many people would not believe that there are so many similarities between modern day fashion and the fashion of the renaissance time period. Many differences may be seen between the two, but the similarities are remarkable. Throughout all of time, clothing has been the major representation of social classes. What people wear has always been the distinguishing factor between the wealthy and the poor classes of both the renaissance and current time period. The evolution from time period to time period has been vast, but the fact that what people wear represents what class they reside in is still very prevalent. From the fabrics, jewels, and accessories, you can still see many similarities from the renaissance time period to the current time
(Choose a garment, which can be used to discuss fashion from the point of view of the consumer. This garment must be able to demonstrate how the consumer individually constructs their identity and conveys that identity through the style and styling of clothing. You should treat this garment as an object as a form of evidence, which can help you to explain theories of fashion discussed in the sessions. The intention of your analysis is to examine the ways in which we can ‘read’ objects and images, understand their meanings and explain them in the context of broader theoretical and social concerns. You should aim to be as analytical as possible. You may want to use further
I will be linking this task with my project of a creating a website about the Fashion and its evolution. Firstly, I would like to show you how the fashion has evolved through the time including the clothes and accessories. Secondly, I would Describe which clothes are fashionable and what people want to wear nowadays and Finally , I Would give you a list of the top10 brand of Clothes fashion. In addition I will give you examples about some celebrities and their relation to the brand and the fashion.
Clothing expression in medieval Europe, like all other forms of artistic expression at this time, found it's biggest outlet in the ecclesiastical field, as this was where all the money was to be found. The churches employed all the best builders and craftsmen in creating their great cathedrals, and art works. In clothing, the church dictated what sorts of materials were made, and brought into the area, what colors were in use, and what styles were used, influencing the secular as well as ecclesiastical dress. In the feudal system only great Barons and their families wore fine cloths, as clothing was a symbol of rank and importance. Each family made their own clothes, so fashion was very individualistic in style, and each family had their own characteristics. With an increase of wealth in the area, and the beginning of the crusades, new elaborate styles were introduced into the scene. Fashions became strange, and grotesque in nature reflecting the constant struggles and wars of the time, as fantasy and the grotesque generally influence social costumes accompanying times of war. Women in their headgear actually wore huge horns, like an ox, that towered above them and supported a veil, and men's shoes were peaked and extended six inches in front of them for common men, and a foot for gentlemen, and two feet for noblemen.
Things like clothing varied from each period. While during the Medieval times, it seemed as if the fashionable look was narrow and ease of the garment, whereas in the Renaissance, they used extravagant cloths and furs, along with padding for a broad silhouette. During the Renaissance, clothing molded you into the fashionable shapes and sizes.
As technology continues to progress fashion evolves right alongside. Before the invention of the tv the way to spread different styles and outfits was through sketches and designs. By this means it would take extended amounts of time to spread ideas of fashion from one place to another. The influence of technology on the fashion industry cannot be overlooked. Fashion is being rapidly offered to consumers at an amazingly fast rate. Nowadays anybody can have anything they want within the reach of a button on a phone or computer screen, fashion is instantaneous. It used to be following style patterns included venturing to the far corners of the planet in a group of 10 to create a
Between 1789 and 1799 France was going through great turmoil. Immense political and social upheavals were commonplace in the changing nation. New ideas were growing, ideas of freedom, government and of self-expression. Such new attitudes by the people gave rise to a new style of clothing. The clothing became more expressive and more ornate. People began to dress the way they wanted. French soon became the center stage for fashion. The French revolution, while failing in many aspects did one thing no one expected. The French revolution created a new image of fashion in France. There are several reasons that contributed to this occurrence. New beliefs of freedom, equality and self-expression each contributed
Around 1947, after the end of World War II that Christian Dior introduced “Kings” style. This style gave a sense of luxury to Americans and was very classy. The women began to wear formal dresses that had delicate necklines. The women were also introduced to stylish hats and distinctive hairstyles with curls. The men’s style didn’t see many changes expect that the war jackets were now distant, and they followed a narrow shoulder and hip pattern in everything they wore (“Brief History”).
A lot has changed and evolved in the history of fashion since the 1900s. As the century dawned, fashion was an exclusive enterprise, the pursuit of wealth. The average person in society settled for garments that were usually stitched at home. With time, however, networks of neighborhood tailors began to evolve into a retail history and the boom was followed by boutique selling.