How Has Fashion Changed Over Time

Technology brought the “ready-to-wear revolution” to the people. The spinning jenny and the power loom makes mass production of clothing effortless. Various clothing and sizes were now available to everyone. The value of clothing and jewelry declined due to overproduction.

“Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.” (Fashion Quotes 1) The words once spoken by Henry David Thoreau are politically correct. People often look at Elizabethan‘s choice of fashion and ridicule everything about it from the hair, down to the stockings. As it appears, fashion has always been a broad topic of discussion in the world. Whether it is NY Fashion Week or a Macy’s fashion show, fashion is something that has always been an eye catcher. Fashion has been around for many years, and whether we know it or not, Elizabethan fashion has influenced the way modern fashion is today.

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

Before the Civil War, mass produced clothing was not readily available. During the Pre-Civil War era, clothing was largely “made by tailors, by individuals, or by their family members at home” (National Institute of Standards and Technology). Yet, after the onset of the Civil War, there was an increased demand for

For the past hundred years the need for clothing increased since the number of people of keeps growing. As the years go on, producers must find new ways to produce more clothing to make more profit and keep up with demand. Before people would either have to ride all the way into town to have tailors make their clothes, or have someone at home make the clothing for them. But as the years progressed, methods have changed dramatically.

World War II started which transitioned to a short supply in raw material. By 1943 all woman were almost forced to work since their husbands were at battle. Woman wore what was already in there wardrobe because of how busy they were and how most stores were closed

This essay will explore the effects social and political changes had on fashion in the 1980’s. This period was chosen because the new romantic fashions were so different to the punk fashions that had been before, this essay will therefore identify the changes that had taken place to influence this change. Primary evidence used to support findings will include interviews and photographs which will show a firsthand account of the period.

To begin with, the development of clothes from before the American Civil War and the early 21st century is extraordinary. “The Civil War was a pivotal event in the historical development of men’s ready-made clothing” (Source 1). The clothing before the Civil War were made from tailors, and by individuals. As the government started needing more uniforms for their soldiers tailors realized that some measurements of the men tended to reappear more frequently. After the war they started to use those measurements that they

Clothing styles have always had a close connection to developments in clothing creation. The two are inextricably linked by public demand, fabric availability, and the wealth of people to afford them. Even back to the Industrial Revolution and Renaissance, when people began to have more clothing choices, one can see the relationship between what the people need or want and what the manufacturers create.

Ever since before the Civil War began the development of clothing and their styles has drastically changed over the course of time.Before the Civil War some pieces of clothing only came in specific sizes, meanwhile clothes before the Industrial Revolution designs fabric became more complex and required advanced skills, and now people in the 21st century are using advanced technology to design and make their own personalized clothing.

There was a very clear line in between the wealthy and the poor. Peasants during the era wore layers of belted tunics, cloaks, hats, and boots or clogs for warmth. These types of clothing would never be seen on the wealthier class of people. Many fashion trends from the renaissance time period carried on from time period to time period and are very prevalent still today.

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.

Consumers get bored, curious, and have a need for self-assurance. These are important factors as to why fashion is always in a continual change. There are very few apparel items that endure time and these particular items are considered classics. For men’s apparel, khakis and button-ups will forever be definitive in the apparel industry. In the South, they took these classic styles for men’s wear and added extra color to create a bold statement.

Two questions came about with these changes in clothing. The first being, why didn't these influences change women's costume in the same way as that of men? Taking the history of humanity as a whole, there can be little doubt that men have played a greater part in social life, and have been more easily influenced by social factors, than have women. It can be said that if social and political influences have been the chief factors in bringing about the greater uniformity of men's

With the birth of industrialisation mass production became possible bringing fashion to the masses. Whilst such an innovation allowed for a cycle of innovation and change and provided a vehicle for the lower classes to dabble in reproductions of upper class fashions, there were still differences evident within the products, which ensured distinctions between classes could be made. Such symbolism included obvious differences in fabric and even sometimes, sewing quality. Other symbols that were highly prevalent in the late 18th century included ribbons and the number of buttons a man wore fastened on his coat or