The History of Fashion

1. The History of Fashion

2. Learning Targets • Describe the evolution of fashions from early civilizations to the nineteenth century. • Explain factors that influenced fashion history. • Explore examples of clothing styles in the twentieth century.

3. Think about it . . . • The fashions that teens wear now • What inspired them? • Could they have been worn earlier in the 20th century? • You are wearing the same blue jeans that a coal miner might of worn 150 years ago- sure there are changes- but jeans are jeans! • Fashion has developed over time, but just like history, it repeats itself!

4. The Earliest Clothing • Thousands of years ago people learned to make clothing from natural resources as protection from the weather. • Animal skins & hair • Plants • Grasses • Tree bark • How do we know? Cave and tomb drawings and ancient sculptures.

5. First Clothes & Fabrics • Simple in structure & design • Varied from region to region • Fragments of textiles date back to 7500 B.C. • Linen cloth was made from flax plants by Egyptians in 5000 B.C • Thousands of years later inhabitants of India, Pakistan, and possibly Americans made fabric of cotton

6. Fashions of Early Civilizations • People learned to raise animals and grow crops • They refined the arts of spinning, weaving, and dyeing • They began to cut fabric into garments • Ancient fashion contributors include: • Egypt • Minoan • Greece • Roman Empire • China • Japan

7. Evolution of Fashion • Fashion changed very slowly • People often wore the same style clothing for life • A particular style could continue past a lifetime • Until the 14th century, European clothes were loose-fitting and draped • Around 1350 people started wearing more fitted styles • Regional clothing differences became visible as European settlers came to America

8. Middle Ages (400 – 1400) • Men • Knee-length pants called breeches • Women • Gowns with a fitted bodice, full skirt, and long, full sleeves. • Embroidery and decorative edging • Wealthy wore silk garments trimmed with fur and adorned with silver accents • Peasant clothes were limited to certain colors and fabrics

9. 1500’s Renaissance (16th Century) • Elaborate designs • Beautiful fabrics • Elegant decorations • Exploration of the New World • Gold threads woven into fabrics • Jewels, lace, and furs decorated garments • Wealthier classes set the standard for fashion • Both men and women wore ruffs- stiff, pleated collars that framed the face-and shoes with buckles and bows

10. 1600’s (17th Century) • France was the world’s fashion leader • Lace was an important decoration • Powdered wigs made their way in style • Necklines became lower, hairstyles became higher, and beauty marks were applied to the face.

11. Early 1700’s (18th Century) • Colonization followed by the Revolutionary War. • Men and woman’s fashions were elaborate and elegant with laces, ribbons, and colorful silks. • The late 1700’s were influenced by Greek sculpture. • Common woman began wearing loose, flowing, muslin dresses based on Greek garments. • Woman began using purses. • Hairstyles featured soft, ringlet curls.

12. Early 1800’s (19th Century) • France changed from a monarchy to a democracy • Social change and the rise of the middle class meant that many people could afford to buy new clothes more often. • Women wore gowns with high (empire) waistlines that developed into more elaborate dresses with petticoats and crinolines. • Men wore cutaway jackets, trousers, and matching garments.

13. Influences on Fashion History • Trade • As societies traded goods with each other, they also exchanged ideas that influenced their clothing • Quickened by the practice of barter • Politics & Powers • The emergence of middle class prompted royalty and wives of political leaders to become fashion leaders

14. Influences on Fashion History • Religion • Clothing became a statement of religious beliefs • Technology • Used to change and improve fabrics & clothing • Industrial Revolution provided power-driven machines to weave fabric and sew garments quicker than by hand • Development of factories created ready-to-wear garments • Growth of large dry-goods stores • Introduction of rayon and other new fibers/fabrics