History of Fashion

1. History of Fashion

2. Sources of Clothing History • Sources that tell us about history through the ages include: • Actual garments, but few pre-date the 18th century • Old paintings and art work, but can be limited in visual detail, particularly before the 14th century • Photographs (starting after 1850) • Fashion publications from the 17th century and onward • Descriptions in personal letters, diaries, and etc. are also sources • Clothing tells us a great deal about social values at certain times in history

3. Fashion Through the Ages • The earliest clothing dates from 20,000 B.C., as evidenced by the discovery of sewing needles made of bone and ivory • Centuries ago people dressed to what society allowed for the social classes • Wealthy classes dictated fashion, which often mimicked costumes worn by royalty

4. Fashion Through the Ages, cont’d • Political and social shifts during the 18th century contributed to the growth and influence of the middle or working class • Industrial revolution in 1800s fostered new inventions and products - sewing machines, photography, Vogue Magazine – allowing the spread of styles to middle-class

5. Historical Trendsetters • Famous people, such as royalty and celebrities, have always influenced the development and acceptance of fashion • Examples: Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, The Beatles

6. The Early 1900s • Front cover of Vogue in 1909 featured a woman wearing loose-fitting style of dress • By 1915, styles had continued to soften • Corsets began to disappear and hemlines on skirts began to shorten • First manufactured fabric, rayon, made clothing more functional for women entering the work force when men were fighting in WWI

7. The 1920s • Coco Chanel was one of first designers to introduce sportswear garments for everyday wear as well as trousers for women • She promoted styles we associate with flappers • Simpler styles in 1920’s meant women could get dressed faster and more easily- and could home-sew their clothing

8. The 1930s- 1950s • Hollywood brought its glamorous fashions to America and the world • Nylon was introduced • Fabric shortages because of WWII resulted in shorter hemlines and simpler styles • After the war styles moved toward a more traditionally feminine look • Christian Dior launched new fashion style – long hemlines, narrow shoulders, tightly-fitted bodices – to help reestablish French fashion industry

9. The 1960s • Social changes, Vietnam War, art, film, music all influenced the fashion of the 1960s youth movement • New fabrics developed as huge production plants for synthetic fibers sprang up • Hippie style emerged, consisting of clothing from Middle and Far east and the use of bright colors, peasant embroidery, cheesecloth, and safari jackets

10. The 1970s • Disco style was popular; consisted of gold lame, leopard print, stretch halter jumpsuits, and white clothing that glowed under ultraviolet lighting • Punk fashion was a style featuring intentionally torn clothing worn by young people with limited incomes • Feminist movement was organized effort to establish equal social, economic, and political rights and opportunities for women; influence shorter skirts and pantsuits

11. The 1980s • Women moving up in workplace adopted “ the power look,” which was uniform style of suits and blazers with shoulder pads • Business-casual attire began replacing suits and ties • Manufacturers began to produce more quality products at moderate prices • People became more fitness conscious, so synthetic, brightly-dyed fabrics became popular

12. The 1990s • People started to dress down, or less formally • Grunge – a style started by youth culture in the Pacific Northwest – was a messy, uncombed, and disheveled look • Fashion designers, apparel makers, and retailers began to lose their traditional ability to dictate trends