THE BOOK OF
FASHION HISTORY Prepared by: Tylon Reyes
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Prehistory Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing. Fashion Statement: Bones & Animal Skin
Sumerian
Mesopotamia Sumerian & Assyrian
The earliest evidence of civilization in Mesopotamia is identified as Sumerian. Early Sumerian men typically wore waist strings or small loincloths that provided barely any coverage. However, later the wraparound skirt was introduced, which hung to the knee or lower and was held up by a thick, rounded belt that tied in the back. These skirts were typically decorated with fringe or pieces of fabric cut in a petal shape. All classes of men seem to have worn these skirts. Early Sumerian women seem to have worn only a shawl wrapped around their bodies. These shawls were often decorated with simple border patterns or allover patterns. Later Sumerian women typically wore sewn outfits covered with tiers of fringe. These included skirts much like those worn by men and shawls or tops that were also fringed. By the end of Sumerian rule around 2000 B.C.E. both men and women wore skirts and shawl
mesopotamia Sumerian & Assyrian
Assyrian
Assyria was an important civilisation that emerged between 5000 B.C. and 2400 B.C. By the time of the dynasties of the Old Kingdom of Egypt in 2400 B.C., Assyria was also reaching its first golden age which would last for another 3000 years. The Assyrian Kingdom went into decline after 612.B.C for 645 years and then there was a second golden age for 1000 years from 33 A.D. to 1300 A.D. This latter period included the Byzantine era. Assyrian clothing consisted of two simple styles - the shawl and the tunic. These two styles were worn alone, or in combination and changes were introduced by varying the proportions of the tunic or shawl.
Babylonian Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. The Babylonians knew how to make cloth, so they wore clothes made from woven fabric. The Tunic and Mantle both were long, fringe being used a great deal for borders; sleeves, elbow length. The round neck, also the edges of sleeves and skirt, received much decoration in the form of embroidery. An outer tunic or peplum was so folded about the hips that the trimming with which it was bordered ran diagonally, one row above another from skirt hem to waist, causing the costume to be drawn in about the knees and hips. The fringed mantle was folded with the upper part over the lower, then placed under the right arm and fastened on the left shoulder, thus creating more diagonal lines
Egypt
Egyptian clothing was filled with a variety of colors. Adorned with precious gems and jewels, the fashions of the Ancient Egyptians were made for not only beauty but also comfort. Egyptian fashion was created to keep cool while in the hot desert. Linen was by far the most common textile. It helped people to be comfortable in the subtropical heat. Linen is made from the flax plant by spinning the fibres from the stem of the plant. Spinning, weaving and sewing were very important techniques for all Egyptian societies. Plant dyes could be applied to clothing but the clothing was usually left in its natural color.Wool was known, but considered impure. Only the wealthy wore animal fibers that were the object of taboos. They were used on occasion for overcoats, but were forbidden in temples and sanctuaries.
Minoan
Early in the culture, the loincloth was used by both sexes. The women of Crete wore the garment more as an underskirt than the men, by lengthening it. They often are illustrated in statuettes with a large dagger fixed at the belt. Undoubtedly providing for personal safety was one of the characteristics of female clothing in the Neolithic era, because one also found traces of it in the peat bogs of Denmark up to the Bronze Age. From 1750 BC, the long skirt was trimmed and began to resemble the blouse in appearance. The belt, a long or short coat and a hat supplemented the female outfit. The Cretan clothing for women was the first true bent garment in history. Ancient brooches, widespread in the Mediterranean, were used throughout the period. Dresses also were long and low-necked such as that of the 19th century. They were so low that the bodice was open almost all the way to the waist. Highlights: Hour-glass shapes, exposed breast, tier skirt
Greece
The essential clothing for men and women was an inner tunic (peplos or chiton) and outer cloak (himation). The peplos was usually a heavier woollen garment, while the chiton was a lighter linen. Clothes were fastened with brooches or pins (fibulae), and a belt or girdle (zone) might secure the waist. The upper part of the peplos was folded down to the waist to form an apoptygma. Either garment could be pulled up under the belt to blouse the fabric: kolpos. A strophion was an undergarment sometimes worn by women around the mid-portion of the body, and a shawl (epiblema) could be draped over the tunic. Men could don a short cloak (chlamys). Men might wear a hat (petasos), women less commonly, and for outdoors, leather sandals or boots. Greek women wore one large piece of wool or linen, wrapped around them and pinned in various ways to make it stay.
Etruscan n the 7th century BCE, Etruscan clothing was very similar to that of the Greek archaic period. The men in the archaic age wore a kind of robe, which was knotted at the front. In later times this gave way to the “tunica” which was worn over the head, usually with a colourful cape slung over the shoulders. This cape, usually wide and heavily embroidered, became the national costume of Etruria - the “tebenna”, later to become the Roman toga. Women wore a long tunic down to the feet, usually of light pleated material and was typically decorated on the edges. Over this was worn a heavier colorful mantle.
Rome
After the 2nd century BC, besides tunics and togas, women wore a simple garment known as a stola and usually followed the fashions of their Greek contemporaries. Stolae typically comprised two rectangular segments of cloth joined at the side by fibulae and buttons in a manner allowing the garment to drape freely over the front of the wearer. Over the stola, women often wore the palla, a sort of shawl made of an oblong piece of material that could be worn as a coat, with or without hood, or draped over the left shoulder, under the right arm, and then over the left arm
Byzantin Empire The basic garment in the early Empire comes down to the ankles, with a high round collar and tight sleeves to the wrist. The fringes and cuffs might be decorated with embroidery, with a band around the upper arm as well. In the 10th and 11th century a dress with flared sleeves, eventually very full indeed at the wrist, becomes increasingly popular, before disappearing; working women are shown with the sleeves tied up. In court ladies this may come with a V-collar. Belts were normally worn, possibly with belt-hooks to support the skirt; they may have been cloth more often than leather, and some tasselled sashes are seen. Neck openings were probably often buttoned, which is hard to see in art, and not described in texts, but must have been needed if only for breast-feeding. Straight down, across, or diagonally are the possible options. The plain linen undergarment was, until the 10th century, not designed to be visible. However at this point a standing collar starts to show above the main dress. Fashion Statement: veils & pearls, heading toward a more medieval fashion and Color.
Middle Ages
Most people in the Middle Ages wore woolen clothing, with undergarments made of linen. Brighter colors, better materials, and a longer jacket length were usually signs of greater wealth. The clothing of the aristocracy and wealthy merchants tended to be elaborate and changed according to the dictates of fashion. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, men of the wealthy classes sported hose and a jacket, often with pleating or skirting, or a tunic with a surcoat. Women wore flowing gowns and elaborate headwear, ranging from headdresses shaped like hearts or butterflies to tall steeple caps and Italian turbans.
Renaissance During the Renaissance, the wealthier and more prosperous members of a city, town or region often wore elaborate and highly-decorated renaissance clothing that was hand crafted from a variety of rich and expensive fabrics and finishes. In fact, the richer a family was the more expensive and ornate their Renaissance clothing was, as this was one of the primary ways of indicating stature and wealth during the Renaissance period . The fabrics that the wealthy and their designers favored during the Renaissance were fabrics that were the hardest to produce and therefore the most expensive and exclusive. This included cotton, velvet, silk and brocade. At the time, each of these was labor intensive and/or produced a great distance away from Western Europe, such as in Egypt for cotton. Rich finishes such as ribbons, seed pearls and golden / silver thread were also liberally embroidered on the Renaissance clothing of the day. Renaissance clothing for women ebbed and flowed from simpler pieces, such as underskirts, bodices and robes, to more complex clothing that included skirts, underskirts, bodices, overbodices, hoops and collars.
Baroque Baroque showed abundance in visual and written arts and it also had impact on both male and female clothing. Abundant locks of hair were popular with both sexes, favourite details on clothes were masses of fine lace, bows, brocade textiles, gold and silverembroidery. The Baroque is a period of artistic style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music. The style started around 1600 in Rome, Italy and spread to most of Europe. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent, in response to the Protestant Reformation, that the arts should communicate religious themes in direct and emotional involvement.The aristocracy also saw the dramatic style of Baroque architecture and art as a means of impressing visitors and expressing triumphant power and control. Baroque palaces are built around an entrance of courts, grand staircases and reception rooms of sequentially increasing opulence.
Rococo style of dress of the Rococo period (1730 - 1789). Distinctive for its whimsicality, asymmetry, fineness of detail and lightness; its ornate beauty was accentuated further by its use of fabrics. The most common fabrics used in ladies’ and men’s clothing were satins, atlases, brocades and lace, typically in pastel shades. The ladies’ garment had a bodice with narrow sleeves adorned with cascades of lace and braiding. The conical skirt was one of the more striking garments of the period; it was known as a crinoline, was first circular, later oval, and reinforced with rings of bone or metal. The smallness of the bodice created a contrast with the bulky skirt. Undergarments became important in this period, as were hairstyles and accessories (which included a fan, gloves and a muff). Men’s clothing was so richly decorated as to be effeminate; it had many flounces and ribbons and much lace. The waistcoat was short, as were the sleeves. The trousers reached to the knee and were complemented by white stockings. Later in the period, men’s clothing became simpler and was no longer adorned with lace and flounces. Its jacket with reinforced sides evolved into the evening jacket, which was to become a staple of a man’s wardrobe. Wigs remained essential for men of substance, and were often white; natural hair was powdered to achieve the fashionable look.
Romantic During the 1820s in European and European-influenced countries, fashionable women’s clothing styles transitioned away from the classically-influenced Empire styles of 1795-1820, and re-adopted elements that had been characteristic of most of the 18th century (and were to be characteristic of the remainder of the 19th century), such as full skirts and clearly visible corseting of the natural waist. by the mid-1820s coats featured broad shoulders with puffed sleeves, a narrow waist, and full skirts. Trousers were worn for smart day wear, while breeches continued in use at court and in the country. 1840s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing is characterized by a narrow, natural shoulder line following the exaggerated puffed sleeves of the later 1820s and 1830s. The narrower shoulder was accompanied by a lower waistline for both men and women. For women, the broad silhouette of the 1830s was replaced with a triangular line with vertical emphasis. Skirts evolved from a conical shape to a bell shape. In this period, men’s fashion plates show the lowered waistline taking on a decided point at the front waist, which was accompanied by a full rounded chest. In this period, women were pushed back into a more modest role, befitting the “weaker” sex, often described as delicate, fragile, and decorative
Victorian
(Crinoline)
In the 1840s and 1850s, women’s gowns developed narrow and sloping shoulders, low and pointed waists, and bell-shaped skirts. Corsets, an ankle-length chemise-like skirt, and layers of flounced petticoats were worn under the gowns. By the 1850s the number of petticoats was reduced and the crinoline was worn; as such the size of the skirts expanded. Day dresses had a solid bodice and evening gowns had a very low neckline and were worn off the shoulder with sheer shawls and opera-length gloves.
1900-10 The early 1900s marked the flowering of the haute couture movement in Paris. Parisian designers set the fashion tone for the rest of the Western world, and their designs were highly sought after by women of the upper classes. Quite frequently, horse races served as a debut for important new fashions, as well-known designers sent models to attend these races wearing their latest creations. The period between 1901-1910 is often called the Edwardian Era after Queen Victoria’s successor, King Edward VII. Sophisticates and the French also refer to this time as La Belle Epoque, or “Beautiful Age,” as there was a definite leaning toward classical aesthetics. It was an era of beautiful clothes and the peak of luxury living for a select few: the very rich and the very privileged through birth. With the decline of the bustle, sleeves began to increase in size and the 1830s silhouette of an hourglass shape became popular again. The fashionable silhouette in the early 1900s was that of a confident woman, with full low chest and curvy hips. The “health corset” of this period removed pressure from the abdomen and created an S-curve silhouette.
1910-20 From 1910 until the start of the First World War in 1914, fashion continued to move toward slimmer, narrower silhouettes that emphasized flat busts and slim hips. Bustles and trains were removed from dresses, as fashion designers played with the length of skirts to reveal enticing new areas of skin. However, as the war began in 1914, attention and materials were drawn away from fashion design, and no significant fashion developments occurred again until peace was declared at the end of 1918.
1920- 30 During the 1920s, clothing styles officially entered the modern era of fashion design. During this decade, women began to liberate themselves from constricting clothes for the first time and openly embrace more comfortable styles like pants and short skirts. While popular fashions remained relatively conservative prior to 1925, short skirts, low waistlines, and revolutionary styles of the flapper era characterized the latter half of the decade. Dresses were made to fit close to the body in order to emphasize youthful elegance. Hems were cut to the knee, and waistlines disappeared almost entirely. Cloche hats without rims also became a key popular clothing item during this period . The fashion styles of the flapper era lasted throughout the 1920s and into the early 1930s before the hardships of the Great Depression forced more conservative trends. During this time, skirts became longer and the natural waistline became a more important part of dresses as society began to move back toward a more traditionally feminine look. new fabrics such as metallic lamÊ became popular for more luxurious evening wear. The newly improved, synthetic fabric rayon became an important part of many designers’ fashions during the 1930s, and cotton also moved into more stylish clothing designs; however, silk remained the primary fabric of most fashion designers.
the 40’s Paris’s isolated situation in the 1940s enabled the Americans to exploit the ingenuity and creativity of their own designers. Among young men in the War Years the zoot suit (and in France the zazou suit) became popular. Many actresses of the time, including Rita Hayworth, Katharine Hepburn, and Marlene Dietrich, had a significant impact on popular fashion. The couturier Christian Dior created a tidal wave with his first collection in February 1947. The collection contained dresses with tiny waists, majestic busts, and full skirts swelling out beneath small bodices, in a manner very similar to the style of the Belle Époque. The extravagent use of fabric and the feminine elegance of the designs appealed greatly to a post-war clientèle and ensured Dior’s meteoric rise to fame.
the 50’s Flying in the face of continuity, logic, and erudite sociological predictions, fashion in the 1950s, far from being revolutionary and progressive, bore strong nostalgic echoes of the past. A whole society which, in the 1920s and ‘30s, had greatly believed in progress, was now much more circumspect. Despite the fact that women had the right to vote, to work, and to drive their own cars, they chose to wear dresses made of opulent materials, with corseted waists and swirling skirts to mid-calf. As fashion looked to the past, haute couture experienced something of a revival and spawned a myriad of star designers who profited hugely from the rapid growth of the media.
the 60’s
Until the 1960s Paris was considered to be the center of fashion throughout the world. However, in between 1960 and 1969 a radical shake-up occurred in the fundamental structure of fashion. From the 1960s onward there would never be just one single, prevailing trend or fashion but a great plethora of possibilities, indivisibly linked to all the various influences in other areas of people’s lives. For perhaps the first time in history there was an independent youth fashion, that was not based on the conventions of an older age group. In stark contrast to their mature, ultra-feminine mothers, the women of the 1960s adopted a girlish, childlike style, with short skirts and straightened curves, reminiscent to the look of the 1920s. At the start of the decade skirts were knee-high but steadily became shorter and shorter until the mini-skirt emerged in 1965. The principal change in menswear in the ‘60s was in the weight of the fabric used. The spread of jeans served to accelerate a radical change in the male wardrobe.
the 70’s 970s fashion, which began with a continuation of the mini skirts, bell-bottoms and the androgynous hippie look from the late 1960s, was soon sharply characterized by several distinct fashion trends that have left an indelible image of the decade commemorated in popular culture. These include platform shoes which appeared on the fashion scene in 1971 and often had soles two to four inches thick. Both men and women wore them. Wide-legged, flared jeans and trousers were another fashion mainstay for both sexes throughout most of the decade, and this style has been immortalised in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, which starred John Travolta. The “disco look�, complete with three-piece suits for men and rayon or jersey wrap dresses for women, which the film further popularized, lasted until it was gradually replaced by punk fashion and straight, cigarette-legged jeans. Platform shoes gave way to mules and ankle-strapped shoes, both reminiscent of the 1940s, at the very end of the decade.
the 80’s the silhouette of fashion tended to be characterized by close fitting clothes on top with wider, looser clothes on the bottom. This trend completely reversed itself in the early 1980s as both men and women began to wear looser shirts and tight, close-fitting trousers. Men wore power suits as a result of the greater tendency for people to display their wealth. Men also grew mustaches due to the influence of television shows like Magnum, P.I.. Medium-length hair was common for men, while the longer haircuts of the 1970s went out of fashion. However, very long hair for men became fashionable in the late 1980s due to the influence of Heavy Metal music. Brand names became increasingly important in this decade, making Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein household names, among others. After the release of her single “Like a Virgin” in late 1984, Madonna became a fashion icon for many young women around the world and copied her “street urchin” look with short skirts worn over leggings, brassieres worn as outer clothing, untidy hair, crucifix jewellery, and fishnet gloves. The 1983 movie Flashdance made ripped sweatshirts popular. The television shows Dallas and, in particular, Dynasty also had a similar impact, especially in the area of the increasingly oversized shoulder pads. Hip-Hop culture and Rap music also began influencing wider fashion trends, such as track suits (worn when not exercising), Kangol hats, including oversized gold jewelry on men and women.
the 90’s The 1990s was the genesis of two sweeping shifts in Western fashion: the beginning of the rejection of fashion which continues into the 2010s among a large section of the population, and the beginning of the adoption of tattoos, body piercings aside from ear piercing and to a lesser extent, other forms of body modification such as branding. This started the indifferent, anti-conformist approach to fashion which was popular throughout the 1990s, leading to the popularisation of the casual chic look, including T-shirts, jeans and trainers. The popularity of grunge and alternative rock music also helped bring the simple, unkempt grunge look mainstream. In general, the 1990s saw a general minimalist aesthetic in fashion, contrasted to the more elaborate and flashy trends of the 1970s and 80s. Additionally, fashion trends throughout the decade started recycling styles from previous decades, notably the 1960s and 1970s, a trend which would continue into the 2000s.
21st Century The 2000s are often described as a “mash-up” decade,[1] where trends saw the fusion of previous styles, global and ethnic clothing, as well as the fashions of numerous music-based subcultures, especially indie pop. Many 1990s styles continued into the 2000s, and many in the industry have noted the lack of divide between the late 1990s and early 2000s.For the most part, the midlate 2000s did not have one particular style but recycled vintage clothing styles from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1980s. Despite the numerous and mixed fashion trends of the 2000s, items of clothing which were predominant or popular throughout the decade include Ugg boots, High-tops, hoodies, and skinny jeans.Globalization also influenced the decade’s clothing trends, with the fusion of fashions from around the world being popular. Furthermore, eco-friendly and ethical clothing, such as recycled fashions and fake fur, were prominent in the decade.
Fruits Japan began to emulate Western fashion during the middle of the 19th century. By the beginning of the 21st century it had altered into what is known today as ‘street fashion’, a term used to describe fashion in which the wearer customizes outfits by adopting a mixture of current and traditional trends. Such clothes are generally home-made with the use of material purchased at stores. At present there are many styles of dress in Japan, created from a mix of both local and foreign labels. Some of these styles are extreme and avant-garde, similar to the haute couture seen on European catwalks. The rise and fall of many of these trends has been chronicled by Shoichi Aoki since 1997 in the fashion magazine FRUiTS, which is a notable magazine for the promotion of street fashion in Japan.
Tattoo’s
A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. The first written reference to the word, “tattoo” (or Samoan “Tatau”) appears in the journal of Joseph Banks, the naturalist aboard Captain Cook’s ship the HMS Endeavour in 1769: “I shall now mention the way they mark themselves indelibly, each of them is so marked by their humour or disposition”. Since the 1990s, tattoos have become a mainstream part of global and Western fashion, common among both sexes, to all economic classes, and to age groups from the later teen years to middle age.
Piercings Body adornment has only recently become a subject of serious scholarly research by archaeologists, who have been hampered in studying body piercing by a sparsity of primary sources. Early records rarely discussed the use of piercings or their meaning, and while jewellery is common among grave goods, the deterioration of the flesh that it once adorned makes it difficult to discern how the jewellery may have been used. In the 1960s and 1970s, Malloy marketed contemporary body piercing by giving it the patina of history. His pamphlet Body & Genital Piercing in Brief included such commonly reproduced urban legends as the notion that Prince Albert invented the piercing that shares his name in order to tame the appearance of his large penis in tight trousers and that Roman centurions attached their capes to nipple piercings. Some of Malloy’s myths are reprinted as fact in subsequently published histories of piercing.
Prepared By: Tylon Reyes Class: Fashion History Professor: Nasheli Ortiz year: 2012