The Wearing of Hats BY: Rome Herrera We don’t really know the exact day when the first hat was created, however hats have been around for a long time. According merriam-webster.com the word ‘hat’ is defined as, “a shaped covering for the head worn for warmth, as a fashion item, or as part of a uniform.” As the years go on, items like the hat can develop a new meaning depending on the era. For example hats have a long history of markers status, occupation, and even political affiliation depending on the age it is. With new eras come new hats however, each hat has its own unique history and individual significance in past and present societies. Even though hats are still used now, nevertheless, hats were their most relevant between the 18th and early 20th century. Hats right now don’t seem to be such a big deal however back in the day many famous designers started by creating hats. For instance, Chanel opened her first shop on Paris’s Rue Cambon in 1910, and started out by selling hats. It wasn’t till later when she added stores in Deauville and Biarritz that she began making clothes. Another example is designer Jeanne Lavin, when she was sixteen; she became apprentice milliner for Félix at 15 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the current address for Lanvin Menswear. That was where she designed her first hats. It was the success of her hat designs that led her to launch her own business. Like I mentioned before each hat has its own unique history and individual significance in past and present societies. One of the earliest hats known to man is the “Hennin” (1400), which is a tall, coneshaped headdress for women called a hennin comes into vogue; it's described by writer Colin McDowell as "one of the most bizarre and impractical items of dress ever created.” In 1529, a very common type of hat came into fashion known as the "Milliner" the first
record of the term milliner, which derived from Millaners – people who imported fine straw hats made in the Milan region of Northern Italy. Later we hit the 18th century where it’s the most relevant time for hats. Up until the end of the 1700’s giant plumed hats like the tricorne and bicorne ruled the day. The tricorne hat style was copied by the lower classes. Also in the late 1700’s the Top Hat was introduced. This hat was popular for more than 100 years it was carried all the way to the 20th century. Throughout the 1900’s continued to dominate as a “modern” fashion choice with one of the most famous styles; the “Fedora.” It was known as an “every man’s” hat- a true icon- it shows no signs of going out of style. For women around the early 1900’s most of the hats were enormous and were festooned with feathers, silk flowers, waxed satin ribbon and tulle. As the time went on the war was a big change in fashion. Before World War II, it was a rare woman or man who would leave the house without a hat, but that trend began to ware off after the war. However 10 years after the war the “Pillbox” hat became popular. This hat was already in the 30ths however, Halston started working as a milliner at Bergdorf Goodman took the Pillbox hat first worn by Greta Garbo in the 1930s and redesigned it for Kennedy, who made it a style icon. Nevertheless, by the mid 1960 hats ran out of style and hair became the new hat. It wasn’t till the royal family like Princess Diane and Kate Middleton that brought back hats as a fashion accessory. Now in the days hats do not represent statues in a society and most of the time they don’t cover your whole head. Women now a day prefer natural hair rather than something heavy in their head. Most people now earthier wear hats for sports like a baseball hat or as pure fashion accessory.
! "Timeline: A History of Hats." Spokesman.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://www.spokesman.com/timelines/brief-history-hats "Hat History." Hat History. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://hatbox.com/hat-history.cfm "A Brief History of Hats." A Brief History of Hats. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://www.hatsuk.com/hatsuk/hatsukhtml/bible/history.htm "The Wearing of Hats Fashion History General Information." The Wearing of Hats Fashion History. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://www.fashion-era.com/hats
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Elizabeth Tisch Yves Saint Laurent: Then and Now In 1961, Yves Saint Laurent created what now is a billion dollar fashion house that redesigned fashion both in the 60’s and in the current day. Yves first worked for Dior when Christian Dior died and found himself as the head designer at only age 21 in 1957. In 1961, Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé founded the fashion house, Yves Saint Laurent. The company redesigned fashion for women in the 60’s and also today. He is known for his memorable collections and new chic pieces including “Le smoking”, the tuxedo for women. In the late 60’s and early 70’s, Yves Saint Laurent revolutionized fashion by integrating art and surrounding cultures into his clothing, turning high fashion womenswear into active wear, and crossing gender lines with his masculine-inspired designs while continuing to keep them feminine. Inspired by Andy Warhol, Yves Saint Laurent created the Pop Art collection that included the iconic Mondrian dress in 1966. The Algerian-born designer created the Ballet Russe collection in 1967, which was inspired by eastern folk art. Additionally, in 1966 Yves Saint Laurent shocked people when he was one of the first couturiers to popularize a ready-to-wear line. Although Yves Saint Laurent revolutionized women’s clothing in all designs, his most notorious piece was “Le Smoking”. He was the first to create and popularize a tuxedo suit for women. When created in the 60’s, the tuxedo suit was controversial for women to wear
because suits were only for men at the time. While talking to WWD, he states, “I created something that looked equally chic on men and women.” Le Smoking was seen as something that gave women power and gave them the option to wear what they wanted. By creating the tuxedo suit, Yves Saint Laurent pioneered a minimalistic and androgynous style for women. Now known as Saint Laurent, the house is now worth 1.2 billion dollars and still stands out in fashion today. Yves Saint Laurent stopped designing for the brand in 1998 and Alber Elbaz took his place for 2 years. After Elbaz came Tom Ford for 5 years and then Stefano Pilati from 2004 to 2012. Its current creative director, Hedi Slimane, has worked at the fashion house since 2012. Slimane still incorporates Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic designs from the 60’s into current day clothing. Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent : Collections, Expositions, Mécénat. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://www.fondation-pbysl.net/en/History- 214.html Shardlow, Estella. "How Yves Saint Laurent Revolutionized Women's Fashion By Popularizing The "Le Smoking" Suit." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 08 Aug. 2011. Web.15 July 2015. http://www.businessinsider.com/yslsgreatestfashion-hits-2011-8?IR=T Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Saint_Lauren t_(b rand) "Yves Saint Laurent Key Fashion Moments. Fashion Highlights and History of Yves Saint Laurent." StyleSequel.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://www.stylesequel.com/designers/yvessaintlaurent/key-fashion-moments
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Guinevere Sherrill Fashion Culture
The History of the Pantsuit for Women Beginning as early as the 1660’s, the suit jacket, (not including pants) became socially acceptable for women. The suit jacket in this era was paired with a long full skirt and was only worn for riding horses and for travel. Essentially, this outfit was sportswear for women at the time. The next time the suit makes an appearance in fashion history was in the 1920’swhen Coco Chanel popularized her signature jacket and skirt combination. Her designs were adored for their tailored style and modest matching skirts. At the same time, a small group of women adopted an “ironically” masculine style, wearing matching pants with suit jackets, hats, canes and even monocles. This menswear-inspired style and the addition of pants to the suit jacket broke restrictive and sexist ideals of how women should dress and behave. One of the first female stars to ever adopt a men’s tux was Marlene Dietrich, a popular and well-respected actress. She debuted her masculine look as a cabaret singer in Morocco, a movie made in 1930. At this time, trousers for women were considered taboo, and her choice of dressing was deemed scandalous and too bold. One for pushing boundaries, Dietrich continued to don menswear and greatly contributed to the movement for women’s freedom of dress. Slowly, casual dressing for women became socially acceptable and finally restrictive corsets were no longer required. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, pantsuits were considered “a little outrageous… for people were still adjusting to the idea of women wearing pants” 1 . However, in 1942, popular American actress Katharine Hepburn wore a slouchy and feminine suit in her film Woman of the Year, and made the female pantsuit iconic and a popular staple for workingwomen. Typically yet wrongfully, Yves Saint Laurent is credited with being the first designer to create the tuxedo suit for women. In 1966, YSL introduced his “Le Smoking” women’s tuxedo suit, modeled off of a mans smoking suit, complete with silk lapels for ash from cigarettes or cigars to fall off of whilst smoking socially.
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“Women’s Suits”; Fashion Encyclopedia
7.15.15 Yance He created a more feminine suit by exchanging the original hard tailoring with a softer, form fitting jacket with a bow tie, single tie, or a jabot, a kind of collar tie made of silk or cotton. His work is considered revolutionary because he empowered women by giving them to possibility to wear men’s clothes and to hold influence and power. “When Yves smoking made its appearance in an haute couture collection, it started a revolution. A man’s article of clothing thus became the symbol of female emancipation”2. The suit is considered one the most powerful pieces of clothing a woman can wear because by taking possession of a man’s attire, “it took her out of that spot where she was fragile”3. The reason the credit YSL receives for his design is wrongful is because while his design may have been one of the most popular of the time and attracted the most attention, he was not the first to create a pantsuit for women. It is said that Luba Marks, a designer from the United States, had created designs of pantsuits predating YSL’s and a London designer Ossie Clark created a trouser suit for women in 1964, beating YSL by two years. In 1965, just one year before YSL, Andrè Courrèges created several versions of the pantsuit as well. His design was less traditional and not exactly true to a classic mans suit, introducing some mod fashion influences and pairing his suits with Mary Jane flats instead of heels, like YSL. Following YSL’s design, many famous and influential women began sporting formal tuxedo suits as eveningwear. To name a few, Barbara Streisand wore a transparent and sequined pantsuit to accept her Oscar in 1968 and Bianca Jagger wore a white YSL Le Smoking jacket in her wedding to Mick Jagger in 1971. Nearly twenty years later, the pantsuit had gained immensely in popularity, as it was a time for nuanced women’s empowerment, with designers like Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Anne Klein all embracing women’s suits into their designs.
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Press release for the 2005 exhibition Yves Saint Laurent Smoking Forever 3!“”!
Guinevere Sherrill Fashion Culture
7.15.15 Yance
Works Cited! Foreman, Katya. "Smoking hot: The woman's tuxedo." BBC. BBC, 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 15 July 2015. <http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140710-smoking-hot-the-womans-tuxedo>.! Lepore, Meredith. "The History of the Power Suit." Levo. Levo League, LLC, 16 Mar. 2014. Web. 15 July 2015. <http://www.levo.com/articles/fashion/power-suit-fashion-women>.! Wikipedia Contributors. "History of Suits." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia., 20 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 July 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_suits&oldid=652719679>.! Wikipedia Contributors. "Pantsuit." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia., 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 15 July 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pantsuit&oldid=656685396>.! "Women's Suits." Fashion Encyclopedia. Advameg, Inc., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. <http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/Modern-World-19301945/Women-s-Suits.html>!
Marlene Dietrich, 1920 (glo.com; Bettmann/CORBIS images) !
Hannah Xue July 13, 2015
Evolution of Tartan Symbolism Past: Origin Tartans, a pattern consisting of criss-crossed bands in multiple colours, originated in woven wool and used to be used on Scottish kilts. People are always misled by the association of Scottish tartan with the ancient Irish Brehon Laws to thinking that there is a codified system of colour symbolism in tartans, while actually no such system exists1. We can, however, still draw some conclusions from colour, but nothing like the symbolism that many today imagine. For instance, red was very expensive to obtain with natural dyes. Therefore wearing tartan with a lot of red in it showed wealthiness. The idea that the various colours used in tartan have a specific meaning is purely a modern one2. One such myth is that red tartans were "battle tartans", designed so they would not show blood. It is only certain recently created tartans, such as American state tartans, that are designed with certain symbolic meaning for the colours used. For example green sometimes symbolises forests and yellow is sometimes used to symbolise various crops3. Present: Trends Tartans are so traditional yet so contemporary. In the Victorian and Edwardian eras (Early 19th century), tartan-clad garments featured in fashion catalogues. By then, tartan had shifted from a component of men's clothing to an important part of women's fashion. In consequence of its association with the British aristocracy, tartan developed an air of dignity and exclusivity, thus making reappearances in the world of fashion several times. Brands like Burberry and Ralph Lauren all use tartans in this way. On the other hand, which is more interesting, the unorthodox use of tartan was then seen as the expression of discontent against modern society. In this way tartan, worn unconventionally, became an anti-establishment symbol4. For instance, tartan made a resurgence in its use in punk fashion. A representative brand of using tartans in this way is Vivienne Westwood. Future: Varieties Tartans now have much more diverse meanings. They are sometimes used as metaphors for axis, grids and pixels, thus have a more futuristic meaning, often used with strong borderlines and gradient colour (eg. Tartan coat by Salvatore Ferragamo 2014 winter & Checked cloth top by Dior Cruise 2016 spring). References 1
Matthew, Newsome. “Tartan Symbolism”. Scottish Banner, 2006-11.
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Heather, MacCain. “Tartan Colour Meanings”. Glimpse of Scottland, 2014-1.
MacDonald, Micheil (1995). The Clans of Scotland, The History and Landscape of the Scottish Clans. London: Grange Books. ISBN 1-85627-749-6. 3
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Banks, Jeffrey; de la Chapelle, Doria (2007). Tartan: Romancing the Plaid. New York: Rizzoli. !1
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The Prominence of Choker Necklaces Throughout History !
By Rachel Weingeist The choker is a short, close-fitted necklace worn high on the neck that is popular amongst teens and adults today. While it is typically seen in a stretchy plastic 90’s grunge style or in a diamond collar style gracing the necks of Hollywood’s finest on the red carpet, chokers can trace their roots to hundreds of years ago. Chokers were popular during Jane Austen’s lifetime—vintage Georgian aquamarines and diamonds tied on with ribbon, strands of pearls, or a simple ribbon tied around the neck. Women used to wear a thin red ribbon choker as a gesture of solidarity and empathy with the victims of the French Revolution. These ribbon chokers were also brought to life with jeweled slides and cameo pins. Also during this time, longer ribbons were tied around the neck and made into a fashion “X” for dresses with lower backs. This style of necklace was popular among royals, commonly in France, Spain, England, and many other countries. Anne Boleyn, infamous for the “B” with pearls and ribbon around her neck, and Empress Sisi, for her simple black ribbon, were popular historical figures that wore chokers. Ironically, prostitutes wore black ribbons around their necks. French artist Edgar Degas painted pictures of ballerinas wearing chokers.
Around this same time, Alexandra the Princess of Wales wore chokers containing multiple rows of pearls and velvet to hide a scar on her neck. She made this a trend and everyone from royals to commoners followed suit. Even women in India took to this custom and reinterpreting with not just the commonly used pearls, but also with gems such as diamonds, rubies, and sapphires with lace and velvet. More expensive versions were made in gold. Soon enough, chokers were neing custom fit and being offered in many styles with different stones and fabrics. By the late 1800’s, American women would stack these necklaces by wearing more than one at a time. In 1944, Life Magazine portrayed actresses wearing “dog collars”. The rebirth of chokers brought back the style with the reminiscent rows of pearls, gold, silver, and other gemstones. Since this reincarnation of chokers, now renamed “dog collar”, they have been even further redesigned as Goth jewelry, imitation plastic neck tattoo jewelry, and stretchy, colorful teenybopper jewelry. Chokers have become fancier, wider, and more elaborate and unusual. Today, chokers are generally 15 to 17 inches in length and for the most part, are no longer custom fit. http://www.internetstones.com/anne-boleynspearls-single-strand-with-gold-B-pendant-teardrop-pearls-suspended-letter-B.html http://www.janeausten.co.uk/the-chokernecklace/ http://royalexhibitions.co.uk/queensjewels/queens-necklaces/ http://startupfashion.com/fashion-archiveshistory-choker-necklace
Lydia Finkel
The Rise of New Boutiques in the 1960s In the postwar period, as in earlier eras, haute couture continued to be defined by private dressmakers and their incredibly wealthy clients. The designers being so well attuned to the needs of their clients, who were mostly older women, created designs that took into account an older and more modest sensibility. But many younger women were less interested in this style, finding it dated at a time when egalitarianism was the new movement. In the face of this contrast between old and new worlds, the fresh, young style of the 60s arose, and a new type of store emerged to match this eclectic taste: the boutique.1 The term boutique is originally derived from the Greek word ποθήκη, meaning storehouse, but ultimately it is the French term for 'shop.’2 London was one major location of the rise of the boutique. One of the first boutiques that would come to define the unique style of the 60s was Mary Quant's store Bazaar, which opened in 1955 and combined a newer, younger style of clothing with eye-catching window displays designed to shock and interest passersby.1 This type of store was mirrored in Paris, with three boutiques similar to Bazaar opening in 1954 on the Rive Gauche.3 Not only was the use of the window to draw customers in a revolutionary move, in stark contrast to the exclusive couturiers who found business by word of mouth, but the level of transparency embraced by the designers created a need for a coherent relationship between the clothing, decoration, and the space. Most notably, Cristian Girard was famous for his proficiency in the creation of these ambient spaces, and he was behind the layout of many famous boutiques of the 60s. This new space also provided the opportunity for even more advertising than a simple window display: the store Dorothée Bis purposefully used a small space with tiny changing rooms to force customers who were trying on clothes to emerge and look at themselves in the exterior shop window, thereby making them unwitting models for the store's clothing to both other patrons of the shop and to onlookers on the street.3 Many designers also wanted to create an aesthetic of depaysagement in their store, in that they wanted to disorient the customer and make them feel out of their element. This often manifested in a more futuristic way and was achieved with new materials in the decoration of the stores, such as metal, plastic, and Plexiglas, as well as innovations in the flow of the store, such as inclined planes in place of stairs. Many stores also contained sculptural aspects, such as walls covered with polyurethane to mimic caves of the troglodyte era that were present in the boutiques La Gaminerie and Mac Douglas, and the large mechanical pieces that made up the gigantic window display at La Machinerie on the rue de Passy. This futuristic style extended past clothing stores, an example of which was the Elrhodes hair salon in Paris, which was filled with suspended metal structures and televisions.3 Later on, major department stores noticed the new fashion that was becoming popular amongst the younger crowd and began to follow in the footsteps of the new designers shaping the 60s. Directly influenced by Mary Quant, Woollands opened the '21 Shop' – a boutique inside the store – to cater to young women in 1961, thus the first store of its kind to do so. The 21 Shop became popular in part because of its main buyer, Vanessa Denza, who worked with young talent, often seeking out new designers from the Royal College of Art. Harrods, Jaeger, and Selfridges later followed suit, opening their own boutiques which quickly became household names. Thus began the mass spread of the boutique, after which things would never again be the same.1 As commonplace as the idea of boutiques are today, especially in terms of mass-produced offerings and window displays, it is almost impossible to believe that such a concept was completely unheard of in a relatively recent time frame. The styles of the 60s may not be so prevalent today, but the creation of the boutique ensures that the 60s will always play a major role in the shaping of fashion as it stands today.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1!http://www.vam.co.uk/content/articles/f/1960s-fashion-london/ 2!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boutique! 3
Veillon, Dominique, and Michèle Ruffat. "La Boutique Des Années 1960: Un Nouvel Espace Pour Un Nouveau Mode De Consommation." La Mode Des Sixties: L'entrée Dans La Modernité. Paris: Ed.
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Religion & the history of scarves Erica Embry Scarves are one of the oldest accessories, dating back to earlier than the 17th century. In todays time we only think of scarves as something you tie around your neck for fashion or to keep warm, but the scarf has much more history then that. Silk scarves originally came from Roman workers who worked outside in the heat all day. They would wear them around their necks as a way of keeping clean; known as ‘sudarium’ or sweat clothes. The item then became a common fashion accessory for men worn around the neck, over the shoulder, or tied about the waist as a belt. Scarves were also used for military distinction. One way a warrior’s station could be determined was by his hairstyle and uniform accents, including scarves, especially in the reign of the Chinese emperor Cheng to define the Chinese warriors. The only difference in the soldier’s scarves between ranks was that the officers had silk scarves while the other ranks were issued with cotton scarves. Soliders of all ranks in Croatia also wore scarves; similar to the Chinese where higher officers wore the more nice silk scarves and low ranks wore cotton. Frenchmen referred to their scarves as ”cravats,” from the Croatian word “kravata.” The cravat’s symbolized an individual’s political party. Scarves produced during WW2 were muted in color to reflect moods and conserve resources,
while scarves of the 60’s were brightly colored and floral patterned. Religion has also been an important factor when wearing a scarf. Religions such as Judaism under Halakhah (Jewish law) promote modest dress code among women. Married Jewish women wear a tichel to cover the hair. The tallit is commonly worn amongst Jewish men for prayer. The dastaar, the Sikh turban, is an article of faith that has been made mandatory by the founders of Sikhism. A Sikh man or woman connects to a turban, as well as the other articles of faith worn by Sikhs has an immense spiritual as well as historical significance. The symbolisms of wearing a turban are many from it being regarded as a symbol of power, dedication, self respect, courage and faithfulness, but the reason all practicing Sikhs wear the turban is just one out of love and obedience to the wishes of the founders of their faith. In the Islamic culture the women wear a scarf known as the Hijab. It is a veil that covers the head and chest. It is worn by Muslim women beyond the age of puberty in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family as a form of modest attire. According to some interpretations, it may also be worn in the presence of adult non-Muslim females outside of their immediate family. Scarves are also in Christian denominations. The scarf is known as the Stole and is apart of their liturgical vestments.
Works Cited “Fashion.” The Telegraph. N.p.,n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG8464030/The-necks-nig-thing-a-colourful-history-of-the-silkscarf.html “London Fashion Designers Ready to Wear Luxury Womenswear.” FABRYAN Home Comments. N.p.,n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. N.p.,n.d. Web 15 July 2015. http://www.fabryan.com/history-of-scarves/ “Vogue.” N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/trends/2015-spring-summer/scarves Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 July 2015 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarf
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Maria%Cecilia%Cely%Pinzón%
A Brief History Of The Brooch Historically brooches have been used to fasten clothing with a hinged pin and catch.1 Nevertheless, this function has been removed from the brooches; they have simply been converted into a piece of jewelry. This piece of jewelry typically has a pin, clip or clasp fastening to the back so that it can be worn as an ornament. This accessory existence since the Bronze Age, and has been used universally by various cultures. One of the main functions the brooch has had was to hold a cloak shut like the Romans, Greeks, Celts and other tribes on Europe did.2 However, nowadays brooches have taken different purposes, shapes and sizes, some which suit fashion ad other that perform functional duties.3 Throughout history jewelry has been a universal form of adornment. Whether they are made out of shells, precious stones or metals these unique adornments have always been part of our lives. However, jewelry has been worn in different ways, giving various meanings depending on how the piece is worn. In the medieval times in Europe these pieces of adornments reflected the person’s status and hierarchy within society. `Jewelry with gold, silver and precious gems were solely worn by the royalty and nobility, whilst the rest of the population wore pieces in metals, like copper or pewter,4 if they were able to afford it. Within the brooches images were placed which represented the religious or political affiliations of the person who was wearing it. In the 18th century jewelry was essential for court life as it represented their social standing. Brooches like buttons and other adornments of the garments represented their wealth and status within society. In the nineteenth century the adornments in the clothes became more elaborated and jewelry was no longer wore by men, and was now solely worn by women.5 Nevertheless, at the end of the century the industrialized world introduced a new manner in which embellishments such as brooches could be manufactured in mass.6 The distinction between those who wore mass-manufactured pieces of “jewelry” and those who wore a handcrafted piece created an even more clear distinction between classes. Moreover, after the early twentieth century brooches were primarily categorized as costume jewelry worn by women for decorative reasons.7 However, at the end of the century brooches from folk and ethnic identity or those that displayed a cultural heritage were part of the latest trends.8 Brooches have served different purposes since the early years of the Bronze Age, whether it is to hold clothing together, to represent your economic wealth or simply to adorn garments. Nowadays, there are infinite kinds of brooches made out of different materials and for different purposes, making possible for every person to find the brooch that better fits them in terms of function, material, shape, size and price. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 1
“Brooch,” Oxford Dictionaries, accessed July 10, 2015, http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/. “Brooch History,” Brooches Store, accessed July 10, 2015, http://www.broochesstore.com/. 3 Ibid. 4 “The History of Jewelry,” Victoria and Albert Museum, accessed July 10, 2015, http://www.vam.ac.uk/. 5%Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 Susan J. Torntore,“Brooches and Pins,” Love to Know: Beauty and Fashion, accessed July 10, 2015, http://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com. 8 Ibid.% 2
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Eyeglasses through the Ages Claire Powell
The inventor of the first pair of eyeglasses, or originally known to monks as spectacle lenses is unknown. In ancient times it has been said that Roman monks used glass spheres as magnifying glasses for reading. These became first forms of eyeglasses. These first forms were produced in Italy by craftsmen in Pisa around 1285-1289. These magnifying lenses for reading were shaped like two small magnifying glasses and set into bone, metal, or leather mountings that could be balanced on the bridge of nose. With the newest invention of the “Printing Press” in 1452, and literacy rates growing rapidly, eyeglasses and spectacles began to be a more common item for wear. Leading to their mass production. In the 1784 Benjamin Franklin created the “Bifocal”, which is known as one of the most important inventions in the evolution of eyeglasses. Other important eyeglass inventions of the 1700’s include “Martin’s Margin’s” – developed by Benjamin Martin with lense inserts to change view and perception, “Wig Spectacles”eyeglasses with long temples pieces created for men who usually wore wigs, and “Scissor Spectacles”- which were commonly used by men who did not want to wear eyeglasses, such as men !
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like George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte. Through the 1800’s eyeglasses were so common that a large percentage of the population were buying cheap factory made glasses sold on the street, by travelers, jewelers, and in general stores; reinforcing the concept of how popular they were becoming. Through the 1900’s eyeglasses have become a fashion statement and more, with manufacturing and distributing networks worldwide, as well as styles endorsed by designers everywhere. Throughout this century new materials became much more available and styles were becoming more interesting for every day people. A popular style during this period was the “Pince Nez” which is French for the “Pinch Nose”. This style fits strongly to the bridge of the nose. Political figures such as Teddy Roosevelt wore this style. Large, round, and oversized lenses were also very popular during this period. As glasses have continued to evolve, designers have seen styles of every shape and size. And like most articles of clothing, trends have been repeated and transformed. Today glasses are a staple for the everyday wardrobe, whether being worn as protective eyewear or a fashion statement; they have become an iconic part of fashion culture.
Works Cited: "Museum of Vision." Museum of Vision Exhibits RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://www.museumofvision.org/exhibitions/?key=44&subkey=4&relkey=35 "What Man Devised That He Might See By Richard D. Drewry, Jr., M.D." Optometrists|Valencia|Glendale|Teagle Optometry|History. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://www.teagleoptometry.com/history.htm "Through the Lens - The Zenni Blog." Through the Lens. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. http://www.zennioptical.com/blog/author/mathew-surrence/) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 July 2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyewear#The_history_of_eyeglasses_in_fashion!
Andrew Bruggeman
The Rise of Sportswear Sportswear is omnipresent in today’s fashion world, but it has only had the ability to rise to such a level due to a multitude of skilled designers in the 1920s and 1930s. These designers not only saw a change in the formality of the times but also subscribed to the key belief that women’s roles in society were changing. After the first World War, when women were pushed into the workforce, many women continued with more active lifestyles, gaining jobs, playing sports, and lessening the gap between the sexes. It was only a matter of time before the designers of the time responded to these social and political changes. In the early 1900s, corsets and layering were still extremely popular and restricted women from participating in many activities. Dresses were overly embellished and the hats of the day were adorned with large feathers and fabrics that hindered movement. One of the first designers to change this was Chanel, who’s straw hats- simple, clean, and almost completely unembellished- were shocking to the aristocracy of the time. Chanel continued her innovations when she began using jersey. Initially attractive due to its low cost during Chanel’s early years, jersey proved to be invaluable throughout her career. While used almost exclusively for men’s underwear, the fabric draped well and perfectly suited Chanel’s simple, classic designs. Jersey was also a radical choice seeing as it was incredibly prevalent in men’s uniforms when World War 1 broke out in 1914. This fabric, while inexpensive, was useful due to its ability to stretch and breathe. “By inventing the jersey, I liberated the body, I discarded the waist, I created a new shape;;” Chanel noted of her new aesthetic 3. “It is underwear” Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s current creative director, noted of jersey. “Jersey was men’s underwear material and it was much more shocking in those days because women weren’t supposed to know that men wore underwear” 2. Chanel’s designs- uncluttered with shorter skirts and boxy lines- noted a drastic change from the corseted, constricted style of the early 20th century 4 . This utilitarian mindset continued with the designs of Madeleine Vionnet. Vionnet introduced the bias cut, which was cut at a 45º angle rather than on the straight grain. This new cut allowed the fabric to “hang and drape in sinuous folds and stretch over the round contours of the body”, which ushered in a newfound sense of sexuality. Knitwear began to be used in inventive ways, with Schiaparelli’s first sweaters being made from a mixture of metallic and wool yarn. Chanel contributed to knitwear as well, introducing a women’s three piece suit consisting of a cardigan, pullover sweater, and skirt made out of patterned jersey. Instead of buttons, which, prior to these designers, required a button hook and 20 minutes to fasten, Schiaparelli made use of the zipper and metal clips, even using “one on the sleeve of a ski costume to allow for unencumbered movement” 1. The innovations of these designers invited a new era of chic practicality that continues to influence our clothing today.
1. Blum, Dilys E. SHOCKING! (2003): n. pag. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Web. 13 July 2015. <http://www.philamuseum.org/doc_downloads/education/ex_resources/schiaparelli.pdf>. 2. "Coco Chanel Was the Original Jersey Girl." Vogue.com.au. N.p., 08 Apr. 2010. Web. 13 July 2015. <http://www.vogue.com.au/fashion/news/coco+chanel+was+the+original+jersey+girl,2969>. 3. Eva. "Fashion Legend: Coco Chanel." Dressful. N.p., 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 13 July 2015. <http://www.dressful.com/9246/coco-chanel-fashion-legend>. 4. Krick, Jessa. "Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883–1971) and the House of Chanel". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chnl/hd_chnl.htm (October 2004)
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