Desert Shoes: History Rewinds Itself In Fashion

If anyone in today's date asks you the question about desert shoes being existent in today's time, then you got to answer the question immediately with a "yes". Most of the people have yet not accepted the fact that these shoes were never out of fashion. The main reason being that most of the competitors designed and marketed the new designs and styles of shoes in such a manner, that these shoes were left behind in the market. But if someone talks about the durability and comfortability of these boots, then you will not have any doubts in your mind about the quality of the same.

These boots came into being when military men used to wear them at war fronts. As the time passes by, most of the celebrities were often seen wearing these boots in newspapers and magazines. Now here they are, available at most of the shopping malls, and with almost all the leading brands and stores.  However, most of the people when they buy a new pair of desert boots have a problem to deal with the scuffs present on them.

But if these scuffs are handled or taken care of in time before they spoil the looks and attractiveness of the boot, it will leave the toughness and style back on to the same level as it was before.

One of the easiest methods to clean these boots is to have a soft brush which is especially meant for the cleaning these boots. Also make sure that you are not wearing the boots while you are cleaning them. This is just because of the fact that there are a few areas which would not be visible if you wear the shoes and then try to clean them.

It's also important to clean the soles of these boots with an appropriate tool so that it does not break. The desert boots come in a variety of styles and designs. The soles of these shoes are designed especially for extreme conditions and are very suitable if worn on a deserted land. They are rough and tough and are airy at the same time as well. One will not face the problem of bad odour after you would remove the shoes. They also have the capability of keeping your feet dry and moist free in extremes of temperatures.

One should go ahead and give a look at the variety of these boots and should not feel that they are out of fashion or will ever be. Because we the people ourselves decide what is in and what is out of fashion. It's just what we like and what we don't.

Fashion Island

History



Satellite view of Newport Center, with Fashion Island in the middle of the image



Opened in 1967 as part of Newport Center, the mall featured four department stores: Buffum's, J. W. Robinson's, The Broadway, and J.C. Penney. These four initial buildings were designed by architects William Pereira and Welton Becket, and were flanked by several smaller stores. The Spanish architectural theme which would later define the mall was evident in the Robinson's building. In the late 1970s, Bullocks Wilshire (which later became I. Magnin) and Neiman Marcus were added. In the early 1980s, J.C. Penney moved out, and the building it occupied was reconstructed and reopened as "Atrium Court", which contained numerous smaller shops and a food court on the lower level.



Renovation work taking place at Fashion Island



The southwest entrance to Robinson's features a bronze wind-chime sculpture by mural artist Tom Van Sant, installed in September 1967, that was recorded by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest wind chime. (Possibly supplanted by Eureka Springs, Ark. in 2007.)



In 1988, the center underwent a major expansion and renovation based on the design of Jon Jerde, adding the Island Terrace Food Court, an eight-screen movie theater, and three new avenues of shops, all of which converge in a circular courtyard with an animated fountain that shoots jets of water up to 30feet (9.1m) high. This fountain is known as the "Iris Fountain" because of the radial-leaves pattern of its marble lining coupled with the jets of water that suggests the iris plant.



In 1990, the Bullocks Wilshire store became an I. Magnin. Federated Department Stores, which owned I. Magnin closed the chain in the mid 1990s, and the store was replaced with a Bullock's Women's Store. When Federated shuttered the Bullock's chain, the store was replaced again by Macy's as a Macy's Women's Store. Buffum's closed in 1991, and its space was later subdivided into smaller stores. After the consolidation of J. W. Robinson's and May Company California, the Robinson's store became a Robinsons-May in 1993. The Broadway, whose parent company had been purchased by Federated was done away with in 1996, and was replaced by one of the first Bloomingdale's stores on the West Coast.



In the early 2000s the mall underwent additional minor renovations resulting in the alteration and replacement of landscape elements, building facades, outdoor furniture ,and floor materials to better reflect the Mediterranean theme. Included in this renovation was the installment of a carousel and a new wing with restaurants and shops, although the carousel was removed in January 2010 as part of major renovations of the center.



The Federated-May merger in 2006, greatly affected Fashion Island, resulting in the closure and demolition of the 80,000square feet (7,400m2) Macy's Women's Store and conversion of the former Robinsons-May into a full-line Macy's store.



Dean & DeLuca announced that it would be opening a new West Coast flagship store at Fashion Island in fall 2009. Those plans were later canceled.



On January 29, 2008, Nordstrom announced that it had signed a letter of intent to open a 138,000sqft (12,800m2) store in 2010 in the former Macy's Women's Store location.



In 2009 the Irvine Company began a 0 million renovation of the mall and is changing the Spanish style to an Italian style. The work will last through fall 2011.



Anchors



Bloomingdale's 187,534sqft (17,422.5m2)



Bloomingdale's Home Store 62,000sqft (5,800m2)



Macy's 224,219sqft (20,830.6m2)



Neiman Marcus 153,000sqft (14,200m2)



Nordstrom 138,000sqft (12,800m2) Opening Spring 2010



Christmas tree



The large courtyard outside the Bloomingdale's building is occupied annually by a large Christmas tree. About a week before Christmas, every year, the tree is lit, preceded by extravagant holiday performances. The trees are taken from a private timber area near Mount Shasta, and shipped to Fashion Island in several pieces, which are then re-assembled using steel rods and a large crane.[citation needed]



Since 1983, the tree at Fashion Island has generally been the nations tallest. The M Resort held this distinction for 2009.



References



^ Liddane, Lisa (November 12, 2009). "Fashion Island on schedule to remove carousel". The Orange County Register. http://retail.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/12/fashion-island-on-schedule-to-remove-carousel/15249/. Retrieved November 15, 2009.



^ "Fashion Island Shuts Down Carousel". Corona Del Mar Today. January 4, 2010. http://www.coronadelmartoday.com/home/fashion-island-shuts-down-carousel/. Retrieved January 8, 2010.



^ "Which retailer cancelled its Fashion Island store?". The Orange County Register. December 24th, 2009. http://retail.freedomblogging.com/2009/12/24/which-retailer-cancelled-its-fashion-island-store/16527/. Retrieved January 8, 2010.



^ Irvine Company (January 27, 2008). "Nordstrom To Open At Fashion Island". Press release. http://www.irvinecompany.com/press-room/press-release.aspx?id=1196. Retrieved October 11, 2009.



^ Collins, Jeff (June 26, 2009). "Fashion Island's pricey face-lift". The Orange County Register: p.Business 1. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/new-31750-ocprint-mall-features.html.



^ Irvine Company (June 25, 2009). "Fashion Island Announces A Bold New Look". Press release. http://www.irvinecompany.com/press-room/press-release.aspx?id=1937.



^ Jeff Overley (2009-12-10). "O.C. no longer home to tallest Christmas tree". The Orange County Register. http://www.ocregister.com/news/tree-223481-christmas-feet.html. Retrieved 2009-12-11.



^ "Nation's Tallest Christmas Tree at M Resort". KLAS-TV. 2009-12-11. http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11662986. Retrieved 2009-12-11.



External links



Official website



Categories: Newport Beach, California | Shopping malls in California | Buildings and structures in Orange County, California | William Pereira buildingsHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from December 2009


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The History Of Mdvanii Fashion Dolls

Generally created as a fashion doll catered to the adult art enthusiasts, the Mdvanii dolls debuted in London on February 14, 1989. The 25-centimeter doll made of hard resin was created by designers and artists BillyBoy and his life partner Jean Pierre Lestrade who is also known as Lala. It was the first anatomically-correct fashion doll yet the characters are based on a more adult storyline which verges on homosexuality and bi-sexuality. The creation of this doll was fostered by BillBoy’s fascination of antique French fashion and Kamkins dolls that were made by Louise Kampes. He got into the hobby of collecting dolls due to his love of vintage fashion dolls of the early 1970s. He even created dresses and repaints for Barbie dolls when he was a teenager.

In 1983, Mattel got in touch with BillyBoy and asked him to create a line for Barbie with his designs.

Mattel then launched the first ever designer series with the designer’s name on the box and it was called “Nouveau Theatre de la Mode Barbie”. His second collaboration with Mattel came up with the series that was entitled “Feelin’ Groovy Barbie” which was launched in 1986.

The Mdvanii dolls originally wore clothes that was tailored with French haute couture and were also originally made in France. Yet in 1997, the clothes were already made in Switzerland. The first doll collection was launched at Liberty & Co. which is a popular department store in London with the blessing of the store’s head fashion accessories buyer Carol Lister and the store’s owner, Richard Stewart Liberty.

The dolls were made in limited numbers and there was an exclusive edition made for F.A.O Schwarz.

The dolls were then introduced in New York where its exquisitely adorned masterpieces were priced from ,000 to a whopping 10,000. Furthermore, 10 doll houses were made which cost ,000 each. In 1993, BillyBoy ventured into creating porcelain Mdvanii dolls instead of its original resin material. The first porcelain collection of Mdvanii and her friends was made of 15 characters and all were handcrafted in France.

Today, there are several Mdvanii dolls which are included in museum display such as in Musee de Louvre, Musee de la Mode et du Textile, Victoria and Albert Museum and New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. And for Mdvanii fanatics, creations made by other artists who take inspiration of BillBoy’s creation call their art work as “Mdvaniiism” which was believed to describe pieces that evokes glamour through the concept of Mdvanii . Even some dolls also sport a stamp that could say “Mdvaniiism de BillyBoy & Lala, “This Is A Work Of Art”, or Manifesto Mdvaniiism de BillyBoy & Lala”.

Lacoste "?" History Of The Fashion Brand

It was during that tournament Rene Lacoste struck a wager with his captain that if he won that important match for France, his captain would have to buy him a suitcase created out of alligator skin. As it happened, the match was won and Rene Lacoste was dubbed by media as well as the press at that time as the Alligator. His close friend, Robert George took the opportunity to sketch a tiny alligator which was then embroidered on Renes blazer. That was the start of the alligator brand named Lacoste and the alligator has not looked back since.

Rene and Andre Gillier in 1933 then decided to join hands to set up a company. Andre Gillier, by virtue of running a highly successful French knitwear firm, had the expertise and he had in Rene the right brand ambassador to further the already well known alligator brand. Both wanted to leverage the unique design for use in shirts for sports like tennis, golf, sailing and others. In fact they released the first collection in 1933 itself.

After that, the ride has been pretty smooth for the brand as it replaced sports shirts made of woven fabric and also extended its product range to include fragrances and colognes. Some of the popular ones were Cool Play Cologne, Lacoste Hot Play Cologne, Lacoste Pour Homme Cologne, Booster Cologne and many other such fragrances.

The brand then made its foray into footwear, socks and belts. By now people were pretty conversant and confident about the quality of the brand and took to these products with great enthusiasm. The brand was also greatly helped by prominent sports personalities like Andy Roddick and many others.

Indeed, very few brands have stood the test of time for so long and kept gaining in popularity even as competition kept increasing. It is a tribute to the high standards of quality and consistency of Lacoste that it has continued to elicit interest and brand loyalty from its many fans all over the world.

History of Leggings in the Fashion World

Leggings have been worn for many centuries by both men and women. Recent times have however seen them remain fashion attire for just ladies and no longer men. Though some wear them to look fashionable, they also help protect the skin by keeping it warm. Leggings were also used to protect one form getting bitten by insects or animals like ticks. Originally, they were worn in Scotland during the 14th Century all the way to the 16th Centuries. Back then, they were designed as two separate parts for each leg. As they spread to other parts of the world, they changed in their make and their usage. Some were even made from pure leather. Leather leggings were mainly worn by men who were preparing to go out hunting or mountain climbing.

As the years advanced, leggings became a fashionable attire rather than protective clothing. Vegetable tanned leather became the most preferred material for making them; the same that is used even today.

In the 19th Century, leggings became common attire put on by women and young girls. Still, they were made in pair-as two separate parts for each leg. The early 60's-1960 is the era when they hit the stores. These were much tighter than the latter ones and also came as one. The modern leggings were attached at the top like a normal trouser. These are the times that saw them becoming more of a woman's cloth than unisex clothing.

In the 1980's, they became a common clothing to wear for gym sessions and other sporting games. During the 90's, they hit the streets and were being worn with short skirts, dresses, sweaters and huge shirts. Today, they are also worn with shorts. Other than the tight fitting leggings, new designers have tried to replace the older materials with others. Skinny jeans for instance are believed to have borrowed greatly from the latter. Leggings for men got a renaissance in 2007 when they hit the fashion runway scene during the annual Fashion Week. Today, they have become an accepted way of dressing even in the corporate world as an official wear. Being made of varying colors, styles, designs, sizes and stretchable material makes them a cloth for all. However, other than being worn in the gym, today's man is yet to put them on.

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The History Of MGA?s Fashion Dolls

One of the popular dolls today is the Bratz dolls that were created by MGA Entertainment.  The line of fashion dolls are characterized by its large heads and slim bodies.  The first dolls that were released in May 2001 were Jade, Cloe, Yasmin, and Sasha.  They are characterized as teenagers who have their own fashion taste.  The dolls were also crafted with almond-shaped eyes and were designed to have plump glossy lips and softly applied make up. 

Today’s Bratz dolls franchise now comes with different lines such as the Bratz Babyz and Bratz Kids.  Although the sales in 2001 did not immediately pick up, the year after that was a different story and the sales went up.  The doll franchise was even recorded to have reached huge sales in 2005 when the global revenue came up to 2 billion dollars.

However, the success was marred by some challenges and controversies.  The dolls have been regarded by the American Psychological Association to be inappropriate to young kids as its skimpy and fashionable clothing connotes sexualization.  The company had also been under a lot of criticisms wherein apparently some people claim that the dolls were manufactured in China with poor labor policies and working conditions.  But the most controversial news regarding the Bratz dolls was the long legal battle with Mattel over the design.  Mattel claimed that former Mattel employee, Carter Bryant, had designed the concept for the Bratz dolls when he was still employed by the company.

It was a long battle with both companies which tackled on stealing trade secrets and copying designs.  But the recent decision made by the federal jury awarded MGA entertainment a verdict that orders Mattel to pay 310 million dollars to MGA.  Yet during the years involved in the long dispute, MGA has continued to create different Bratz doll characters and new lines such as the Bratz Babyz, Bratz Kids, Bratz Lil’ Angelz, Itsy Bitsy Bratz, Bratz Boyz, Bratz Petz, Lil’ Bratz, and Be-Bratz.

Aside from the doll lines, the company also came up with music albums and films for the doll characters.  More new characters were introduced in the TV series and movies although some of the characters introduced in it do not have its doll version.  But kids will find more fun with the dolls and their playsets and accessories.  The Bratz has really reached a huge success that it also came out with its kids clothing line in 2007 which was called the Lil’ Bratz Couture.

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Fashion Designing Against Costume Designing

Introduction




Though fashion designing is now a day gaining much attention, importance and preference, one more profession which is more related to fashion designing and having a vast scope but not that much gained attention and preference is "Costume Designing".




The success of any movie or drama serial also depends on the characters costume but the audiences are mainly interested only to know about the actor, director, musician, lyricist, chromatographer or choreographer but hardly anybody interested in to know about the costume designer.




The dynamic growth of entertainment media -Television, Cinema, and technology etc., has lead to budding of number of TV channels and making of increased number of movies either nationally or regionally. The TV channels have to come up with more number of drama serials, programmes, shows in order to attract more number of viewers. Every channel whether it is a kid channel, sports channel, news channel or commercial, all have various programmes, specialty shows, drama serials. All need a Right Costume rather to say a good costume.




Costume Designing




Costume designing is an art of designing or choosing or procuring suitable/right costume-from dresses to accessories-to a character/presenter in a play or movie or show.




An improper or wrong costume may lead to the vagueness in the play or movie or show. So to take care of the right costume for the play or movie or show, the responsibility is given to a separate person who is known as Costume designer. So every play or movie or show needs a costume designer. It is a challenging, interesting and cautious job which requires much more skills when comparing to fashion designing. Though costume designing is much related to fashion designing most of the fashion designing students are not much aware of the profession of costume designing and the scope it provides. Now, costume designing is mostly done by famous fashion designers or by the person who has gained experience in this profession but very few qualified fashion designers do costume designing.




1.Costume Designing is done to the character or story while Fashion Designing is done to ones own creativity and tastes or to customers.

2.More challenging and limited time frame in Costume Designing while Not much challenging and no limitation for time in Fashion Designing

3.Limitations to creativeness in Costume Designing while No limitations to creativeness in Fashion Designing

4.In Costume Design, Designs should match to the theme of the story or character while In Fashion Design, Designs should match to the trends.

5.In Costume Design, Need for the knowledge of culture, history, places, rituals, social values etc., while In Fashion Design, Not compulsory but it is an additional advantage.

6.Costume Design Involves high cost while Fashion Design Not much cost oriented

7.Costume Design, Limited assignment at a particular time while Fashion Design, No limitations; Depends on the capability of fashion designer.

8.In Costume Design At a given time need to design for various role, characters, situations/locations etc. while In Fashion Design, Designing is done to a particular target customers.

9.Costume Designs can be outsourced and copied while Fashion Designs should be ones own creativity.

10.In Costume Design Need to interact with many people while In Fashion Design, Not that much interaction is needed.




Related Costume History Articles

Ethnic style in fashion history

In the modern fashion ethnic style is incredibly popular. None fashion http://www.flanmark.com collection, none fashion show can not do without things or ethnic accessories. And what place is occupied by an ethnic style in fashion history where it all began, as is the case now? 

What generally constitutes an ethnic identity? History of fashion FLANMARK.com knows no more original, colorful and strange style. Appeared due to the style hippie subculture. All of their existence, ideology, lifestyle became contrary to generally accepted rules and norms of behavior. In the sixties of last century hippies turned away from European values, and appealed to the ancient history of Africa, East and Central America. In life embodied not only the outlook, behavior, and traditional ethnic motifs in clothing, footwear and accessories.

Fashion history has striking new developments, uncharacteristic of traditional European civilization.

The second half of the sixties was marked by a scandalous appearance of mini-skirts. High boots in combination with a super mini, the use of synthetic, man-made materials took over the world. It seemed that the future awaits us only "space" fashion, that the return to the classics will not be. But well, it all happened differently.

Hippies did not change myself. Craze for mini-skirts they protivostvavili long skirts made of natural materials and jeans. At a time when everyone was addicted geometric shapes of clothing, informal youth chose flowing lines, ethnic motifs.

Taking as a role model for peoples of the Ancient East, hippies osili clothes that are not shackled movement. Among them are the blouses and dresses made of translucent tissue, "flying" tunics and scarves, Indian saris and robes of monks in Tibet. The main value in life was a harmony with nature. And this is manifested in everything, even in clothes. It is made exclusively from natural materials, ideally - with their hands.

Flower children imitated not only the Eastern peoples. Their vdohnavlyala same story marrokantsev, American Indians, gypsies. That hippie rediscovered fashion FLANMARK.com Indian moccasins, mexican poncho, moroccan tunics, colorful gypsy skirts, beaded accessories, Baubles and more.

How did react to the hippie craze high fashion? How did the ethnic style in fashion history? The Sixties were a difficult decade in fashion history. Feature of this period Truce in that fashion trends shifted from the streets of the fashion stage, and not vice versa. Modelry from around the world inspired by the updates to street fashion. These new items were developed and refined, becoming a work of art.

One of the first to ethno style, Yves Saint Laurent. In 1960 he went to the podium "rocker bride." Black turtlenecks, leather shirts. This collection has caused serious criticism from the highest society, other designers and the press. Yves Saint Laurent was forced to leave the fashion FLANMARK.com house of Dior, although at the time he and his head. But leaving only gave freedom and independence. And after some time his collection with elements of ethnic identity has been praised.

While the hippie clothes evoked disgust, many considered her unkempt, dilapidated. After the ethnic style of a hand, Yves Saint Laurent, she gained the noble, the salon look. Romantic dress of silk and organza for aristocrats qualitatively different from the patchwork clothes with mixed patterns of street hippies. Couturier in his works using traditional motifs Africa, Peru, ancient China, Morocco. Clothing of the wizard has become popular among people who had multimillion-states.

Ethnic style in the history of fashion FLANMARK.com - haute couture from Yves Saint Laurent sigral a pivotal role. The African collection olichalas bright colors and unusual materials deshiviznoy. Used linen, wood, straw and glass. The Chinese collection is rife with unusual colors: pink, orange, yellow and purple. Unusual ostentatious luxury theater. Indian collections have brought unusual lightness. But in the words of the most beautiful couture was a Russian collection. Russian revolution in fashion has not happened, but woke up the interest of Europeans to the whole russkmu. This mode does not lose its relevance to the present day.

On ethnic identity and the history of fashionis largely influenced by Japanese fashion designer Kenzo. His style was different ethnic cheerful variegated. Interestingly a combination of a simple cut kimono and Scandinavian, South American, eastern elements. Japanese fabric flower side by side with the Scottish cell, a Chinese jacket with a collar stand is complemented with white cotton ruffled country style. Kenzo makes extensive use of Spanish boleros, Indian fringe, Russian blouse and fur hats, Indian paydzhamu. Moodelera experiments led to a combination of sports and classical style with elements of ethno.

Fashion FLANMARK.com history is not without mention of Jean Paul Gaultier. Ethnic style accompanies all of his collection. As soon as the ethno entered his work in 1976 and never left him. Sama loved reception Gaultier - using elements of the national costumes of various nations together, and mixing different styles. Designer draws inspiration from the streets. For example, see Hasidic rabbis, Jean-Paul created a collection of "Rabbi-chic." Base - jackets, long-skirted black dress, shirts and caps worn outside "pile." But culture of Southeast Asia was inspired to create a collection "Tattoo, which became fashionable operdelyayuschey for youth fashion for a decade. "Chips" collection - piercings, graffiti, imitation tattoos. Absolutely Africa were present in the collections of "Big Trip", "Mongolians," "The African saga.

Fashion History - 1960?s to Present Day

 

In this article we shall go through the trends and styles that were apparent over the past five decades. Starting from 1960, we take a journey through the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s then right up to the  modern contemporary looks that we see each and every day.

 

So the swinging 1960’s begins with a lot of vibrancy and plenty of brightly coloured attire, think Austin Powers with his velvet suits and ruffle neck ties. Men’s clothing was primarily sports jackets, polyester suits and turtle neck sweaters.  Shoe wise Chelsea boots and Cuban heels were in along with moccasins a few years after.

 

The decade of the seventies came by with an ‘anything goes’ kind of attitude.

Men wearing pretty much whatever they wanted, it was the time of free spirit and fun. Men were actually adding platform shoes to their outfits, which coincided with the disco theme that was evident during this era.

 

Shortly after came the turn of the 1980’s and once again styles quickly changed. The power suit was the in thing, mainly the kinds seen on the guys in Miami Vice. Conservative looks were all the rage, along with the power suit came the sophisticated shoe style. Oxfords, brogues and loafers were everywhere. The late 80’s saw a drastic change and everyone was less formal about their clothing choices. Looser styles and casual looks were a lot more opted for among both men and women.

 

Moving on to the 1990’s, denim was around and there was a lot of it.

From jeans to jackets, it was the fabric to be seen in. Men’s clothing was full of flannel shirts, leather jackets and aviator sunglasses. Laid back relaxed looks were the top trends with plenty of baggy styled pieces to go around. The 90’s also saw the beginning of the trainer revolution, as the latest sneakers became popular among young kids and teenagers.

 

The year 2000 up until the year 2010 has seen so many looks come and go that listing them would take up an entire decade in its self. The turn of the millennium saw a lot more people becoming more fashion conscious and choosing to dress how they wanted to rather than following fashions. Today it seems that the trend is to not follow trends and wear what you want to create a unique look. So it remains to be seen what we will be dressing like over the next ten years.

 

 

 

 

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Fashion

Areas of fashion

Fashion as social phenomena is common. The rise and fall of fashion has been especially documented and examined in the following fields:

Advertising

Architecture, interior design, and landscape design

Arts and crafts

Body type, clothing or costume, cosmetics, personal grooming, hairstyle, and personal adornment

Dance and music

Forms of address, slang, and other forms of speech

Economics and spending choices, as studied in behavioral finance

Entertainment, games, hobbies, sports, and other pastimes

Etiquette

Fast fashion

Management, management styles and different ways of organizing

Politics and media, especially the topics of conversation encouraged by the media

Philosophy and religion: although the doctrines of religions and philosophies change very slowly if at all, there can be rapid changes in what areas of a religion or a philosophy are seen as most important and most worth following or studying.

Social networks and the diffusion of representations and practices

Sociology and the meaning of clothing for identity-building

Technology, such as the choice of computer programming techniques

Hospitality industry, such as designer uniforms custom made for a hotel, restaurant, casino, resort or club, in order to reflect a property and brand.

Of these fields, costume especially has become so linked in the public eye with the term "fashion" that the more general term "costume" has mostly been relegated to something fancy dress or masquerade wear, while the term "fashion" means clothing generally, and the study of it. This linguistic switch is due to the so-called fashion plates which were produced during the Industrial Revolution, showing novel ways to use new textiles. For a broad cross-cultural look at clothing and its place in society, refer to the entries for clothing, costume and fabrics. The remainder of this article deals with clothing fashions in the Western world.

Clothing

2008 runway show

Further information: History of Western fashion

The continually changing fashions of the West have been generally unparalleled either in antiquity or in the other great civilizations of the world until recent decades. Early Western travellers, whether to Persia, Turkey, Japan or China frequently remark on the absence of changes in fashion there, and observers from these other cultures comment on the unseemly pace of Western fashion, which many felt suggested an instability and lack of order in Western culture. The Japanese Shogun's secretary boasted (not completely accurately) to a Spanish visitor in 1609 that Japanese clothing had not changed in over a thousand years. However in Ming China, for example, there is considerable evidence for rapidly changing fashions in Chinese clothing.

Changes in costume often took place at times of economic or social change (such as in ancient Rome and the medieval Caliphate), but then a long period without large changes followed. This occurred in Moorish Spain from the 8th century, when the famous musician Ziryab introduced sophisticated clothing styles based on seasonal and daily timings from his native Baghdad and his own inspiration to Crdoba, Spain. Similar changes in fashion occurred in the Middle East from the 11th century, following the arrival of the Turks who introduced clothing styles from Central Asia and the Far East.

The beginnings of the habit in Europe of continual and increasingly rapid change in styles can be fairly reliably dated to the middle of the 14th century, to which historians including James Laver and Fernand Braudel date the start of Western fashion in clothing. The most dramatic manifestation was a sudden drastic shortening and tightening of the male over-garment, from calf-length to barely covering the buttocks, sometimes accompanied with stuffing on the chest to look bigger. This created the distinctive Western male outline of a tailored top worn over leggings or trousers.

Marie Antoinette was a fashion icon

The pace of change accelerated considerably in the following century, and women and men's fashion, especially in the dressing and adorning of the hair, became equally complex and changing. Art historians are therefore able to use fashion in dating images with increasing confidence and precision, often within five years in the case of 15th century images. Initially changes in fashion led to a fragmentation of what had previously been very similar styles of dressing across the upper classes of Europe, and the development of distinctive national styles, which remained very different until a counter-movement in the 17th to 18th centuries imposed similar styles once again, finally those from Ancien Rgime in France. Though the rich usually led fashion, the increasing affluence of early modern Europe led to the bourgeoisie and even peasants following trends at a distance sometimes uncomfortably close for the elites - a factor Braudel regards as one of the main motors of changing fashion.

Albrecht Drer's drawing contrasts a well turned out bourgeoise from Nuremberg (left) with her counterpart from Venice. The Venetian lady's high chopines make her taller

Ten 16th century portraits of German or Italian gentlemen may show ten entirely different hats, and at this period national differences were at their most pronounced, as Albrecht Drer recorded in his actual or composite contrast of Nuremberg and Venetian fashions at the close of the 15th century (illustration, right). The "Spanish style" of the end of the century began the move back to synchronicity among upper-class Europeans, and after a struggle in the mid 17th century, French styles decisively took over leadership, a process completed in the 18th century.

Though colors and patterns of textiles changed from year to year, the cut of a gentleman's coat and the length of his waistcoat, or the pattern to which a lady's dress was cut changed more slowly. Men's fashions largely derived from military models, and changes in a European male silhouette are galvanized in theatres of European war, where gentleman officers had opportunities to make notes of foreign styles: an example is the "Steinkirk" cravat or necktie.

The pace of change picked up in the 1780s with the increased publication of French engravings that showed the latest Paris styles; though there had been distribution of dressed dolls from France as patterns since the 16th century, and Abraham Bosse had produced engravings of fashion from the 1620s. By 1800, all Western Europeans were dressing alike (or thought they were): local variation became first a sign of provincial culture, and then a badge of the conservative peasant.

Although tailors and dressmakers were no doubt responsible for many innovations before, and the textile industry certainly led many trends, the history of fashion design is normally taken to date from 1858, when the English-born Charles Frederick Worth opened the first true haute couture house in Paris. Since then the professional designer has become a progressively more dominant figure, despite the origins of many fashions in street fashion.

Modern Westerners have a wide choice available in the selection of their clothes. What a person chooses to wear can reflect that person's personality or likes. When people who have cultural status start to wear new or different clothes a fashion trend may start. People who like or respect them may start to wear clothes of a similar style.

Fashions may vary considerably within a society according to age, social class, generation, occupation, and geography as well as over time. If, for example, an older person dresses according to the fashion of young people, he or she may look ridiculous in the eyes of both young and older people. The terms fashionista or fashion victim refer to someone who slavishly follows the current fashions.

One can regard the system of sporting various fashions as a fashion language incorporating various fashion statements using a grammar of fashion. (Compare some of the work of Roland Barthes.)

Media

Fashion shot from 2006

An important part of fashion is fashion journalism. Editorial critique and commentary can be found in magazines, newspapers, on television, fashion websites, social networks and in fashion blogs.

At the beginning of the 20th century, fashion magazines began to include photographs or (PicS) and became even more influential than in the past. In cities throughout the world these magazines were greatly sought-after and had a profound effect on public taste. Talented illustrators drew exquisite fashion plates for the publications which covered the most recent developments in fashion and beauty. Perhaps the most famous of these magazines was La Gazette du Bon Ton which was founded in 1912 by Lucien Vogel and regularly published until 1925 (with the exception of the war years).

Vogue, founded in the US in 1892, has been the longest-lasting and most successful of the hundreds of fashion magazines that have come and gone. Increasing affluence after World War II and, most importantly, the advent of cheap colour printing in the 1960s led to a huge boost in its sales, and heavy coverage of fashion in mainstream women's magazines - followed by men's magazines from the 1990s. Haute couture designers followed the trend by starting the ready-to-wear and perfume lines, heavily advertised in the magazines, that now dwarf their original couture businesses. Television coverage began in the 1950s with small fashion features. In the 1960s and 1970s, fashion segments on various entertainment shows became more frequent, and by the 1980s, dedicated fashion shows like FashionTelevision started to appear. Despite television and increasing internet coverage, including fashion blogs, press coverage remains the most important form of publicity in the eyes of the industry.

Fashion Editor, Sharon Mclellan said, "There's a misconception in the industry that TV, magazines and blogs dictate to the consumer, what to wear. But most trends aren't released to the public before consulting the target demographic. So what you see in the media is a result of research of popular ideas among the people. Essentially, fashion is a group of people bouncing ideas off of one another, like any other form of art."

Intellectual property

Within the fashion industry, intellectual property is not enforced as it is within the film industry and music industry. To "take inspiration" from others' designs contributes to the fashion industry's ability to establish clothing trends. Enticing consumers to buy clothing by establishing new trends is, some have argued, a key component of the industry's success. Intellectual property rules that interfere with the process of trend-making would, on this view, be counter-productive. In contrast, it is often argued that the blatant theft of new ideas, unique designs, and design details by larger companies is what often contributes to the failure of many smaller or independent design companies.

In 2005, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held a conference calling for stricter intellectual property enforcement within the fashion industry to better protect small and medium businesses and promote competitiveness within the textile and clothing industries.

See also

Look up fashion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fashion

Fashion accessory

Fashion capital

Fashion Net

Fashion week

Sustainable fashion

List of fashion designers

List of fashion topics

Runway (fashion)

References

^ For a discussion of the use of the terms "fashion", "dress", "clothing" and "costume" by professionals in various disciplines, see Valerie Cumming, Understanding Fashion History, "Introduction", Costume & Fashion Press, 2004, ISBN 0-8967-6253-X

^ Braudel, 312-3

^ Timothy Brook: "The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China" (University of California Press 1999); this has a whole section on fashion.

^ al-Hassani, Woodcok and Saoud (2004), 'Muslim Heritage in Our World', FSTC publisinhg, pp. 38-9

^ Terrasse, H. (1958) 'Islam d'Espagne' une rencontre de l'Orient et de l'Occident", Librairie Plon, Paris, pp.52-53.

^ Josef W. Meri & Jere L. Bacharach (2006). "Medieval Islamic Civilization: A-K". Taylor & Francis. p. 162. 

^ Laver, James: The Concise History of Costume and Fashion, Abrams, 1979, p. 62

^ Fernand Braudel, Civilization and Capitalism, 15th-18th Centuries, Vol 1: The Structures of Everyday Life," p317, William Collins & Sons, London 1981

^ Braudel, 317-24

^ Braudel, 313-15

^ Braudel, 317-21

^ Thornton, Peter. Baroque and Rococo Silks.

^ James Laver and Fernand Braudel, ops cit

^ http://www.Composing-Moments.com

^ IPFrontline.com: Intellectual Property in Fashion Industry, WIPO press release, December 2, 2005

^ INSME announcement: WIPO-Italy International Symposium, 30 November - 2 December 2005

Further reading

Cumming, Valerie: Understanding Fashion History, Costume & Fashion Press, 2004, ISBN 0-8967-6253-X

Meinhold, Roman (2008) Meta-Goods in Fashion Myths. Philosophic-Anthropological Implications of Fashion Myths. In: Prajna Vihara. Journal of Philosophy and Religion. Bangkok, Assumption University. Vol.8., No.2, July-December 2007. 1-17. ISSN 1513-6442

External links

Fashion at the Open Directory Project

v d e

History of Western fashion

Ancient

Ancient World in General  Roman

Medieval

Byzantine  Early Medieval  Anglo-Saxon  12th century  13th century  14th century

Renaissance and Reformation

15th century  15001550  15501600  16001650  16501700

Enlightenment to Regency

17001750  17501795  17951820  1820s

Victorian

1830s  1840s  1850s  1860s  1870s  1880s  1890s

Edwardian

1900s  1910s

Between the World Wars

1920s  19301945

Cold War

19451959  1960s  1970s  1980s

Contemporary

1990-2009  20002009 in fashion  2010-present

v d e

Clothing

Materials

Cotton  Fur  Leather  Linen  Nylon  Polyester  Rayon  Silk  Spandex  Wool

Tops

Blouse  Crop top  Dress shirt  Halterneck  Henley shirt  Hoodie  Jersey  Guernsey (clothing)  Polo shirt  Shirt  Sleeveless shirt  Sweater  T-shirt  Tube top  Turtleneck

Trousers or pants

Bell-bottoms  Bermuda shorts  Bondage pants  Boxer shorts  Capri pants  Cargo pants  Culottes  Cycling shorts  Dress pants  Jeans  Jodhpurs  Overall  Parachute pants  Phat pants   Shorts  Sweatpants  Windpants

Skirts

A-line skirt  Ballerina skirt  Fustanella  Hobble skirt  Jean skirt  Job skirt  Leather skirt  Kilt  Men's skirts  Microskirt  Miniskirt  Pencil skirt  Poodle skirt  Prairie skirt  Rah-rah skirt  Sarong  Skort  Slip  Train  Wrap

Dresses

Ball gown  Cocktail dress  Evening gown  Gown  Jumper dress  Little black dress  Petticoat  Sari  Sundress  Tea gown  Wedding dress

Suits and uniforms

Academic dress  Afrocentric suit  Black tie  Buddhist monastic robe  Clerical clothing  Court dress  Gymslip  Jumpsuit  Lab coat  Mao suit  Morning dress  Pantsuit  Red Sea rig  Scrubs  Stroller  Tangzhuang  Tuxedo  White tie

Outerwear

Abaya  Academic gown  Anorak  Apron  Blazer  Cloak  Coat  Duffle coat  Frock coat  Jacket  Greatcoat  Hoodie  Opera coat  Overcoat  Pea coat  Poncho  Raincoat  Redingote  Robe  Shawl  Shrug  Ski suit  Sleeved blanket  Top coat  Trench coat  Vest  Waistcoat  Windbreaker

Underwear

Boxer briefs  Boxer shorts  Brassiere  Briefs  Compression shorts  Corselet  Corset  Knickers  Lingerie  Long underwear  Men's undergarments  Panties  Teddy  Trunks  Undershirt

Accessories

Belly chain  Belt  Bow tie  Chaps  Coin purse  Earring  Gaiters  Gloves  Handbag  Leg warmer  Leggings  Necklace  Necktie  Scarf  Stocking  Sunglasses  Suspenders  Tights

Footwear

Athletic shoe  Boot  Dress shoe  Flip-flops  Hosiery  Pump  Sandal  Shoe  Slipper  Sock

Headwear

Balaclava  Cap  Fascinator  Gaung Paung  Hat  Headband  Helmet  Hijab  Hood  Kerchief  Mantilla  Niqb  Sombrero  Turban  Ushanka  Veil

Nightwear

Babydoll  Blanket sleeper  Negligee  Nightcap  Nightgown  Nightshirt  Peignoir  Pajamas

Swimwear

Bikini  Swim diaper  Wetsuit

Clothing parts

Back closure  Buckle  Button  Buttonhole  Collar  Cuff  Elastic  Fly  Hemline  Hook-and-eye  Lapel  Neckline  Pocket  Shoulder pad  Shoulder strap  Sleeve  Snap  Strap  Velcro  Waistline  Zipper

National costume

Abaya  Aboyne dress  o b ba  o di  o t thn  Baro't saya  Barong Tagalog  Bunad  jbningurinn  Cheongsam  Dashiki  Deel  Dhoti  Dirndl  Djellaba  Gkti  Gho & Kira  Han Chinese clothing  Hanbok  Jellabiya  Jilbb  Kebaya  Kente cloth  Kilt  Kimono  Lederhosen  Sampot  Sarafan  Sari  Sarong  Scottish dress

Historical garments

Banyan  Bedgown  Bodice  Braccae  Breeches  Breeching  Brunswick  Chemise  Chiton  Chlamys  Doublet  Exomis  Farthingale  Frock  Himation  Hose  Houppelande  Jerkin  Justacorps  Palla  Peplos  Polonaise  Smock-frock  Stola  Toga  Tunic

History and surveys

Africa  Ancient Greece  Ancient Rome  Ancient world  Anglo-Saxon  Byzantine  Clothing terminology  Dress code  Early Medieval Europe  Formal wear  Han Chinese clothing  History of clothing and textiles


Related Fashion History Articles

Fashion in History Part 1

Since the Ice Age and dawn of society, men and women have been wearing fashion. You may not think that clothing was considered fashion back in the early days of the icy glaciers but when thought about, style was always evident. When man was creating his clothing he was doing it for the main purpose of warmth and protection from the harsh conditions, but back in this age there was a lot of competition between the men. So obviously he would have strived to produce something fine enough to outdo the others so that he stood out as the alpha male among his tribe.

 

As the centuries went on so did the competition to look the best. Men and women have been striving to look their most stylish for the best part of a millennium. So maybe the need to look fashionable is buried deep within our genes.

Looking back over the past few centuries you can see that rivalry between people to look good is one that has always been apparent.

 

Fast forward a few years from the ice age and you have the Ancient Greeks and the Romans who used their fine clothing to separate the dignitaries from the commoners. If you were less important you did not wear the refined fashions that the higher class civilians adorned. Gladiators and noble men showed their authority by dressing in luxury attire and looked down on those who wore rags or simple cloths.

 

When it was the turn of Queen Elizabeth to rule England, styles changed again. A lot of change was happening during this time along with the textile industry.

For women, large uncomfortable dresses were the order of the day while men donned layers and layers of unnecessary fabric. Ornamental design and intricate details wear added to garments to create the look of wealth and affluence. The bigger your clothes were the more rich and dignitary you appeared.

 

With the 17th century you would not have been out of place wearing an extravagant and colourful dress like outfit, if you were a man. Styles were extremely elegant and frivolous with males choosing satin suits and petticoat breeches which appeared somewhat like a rather large skirt. Women adorned dresses that were slightly less rigid than the previous century’s, yet still acquired an uncomfortable feel.

 

For more interesting facts on past styles, read the next article on fashion in history and learn how the other centuries dressed during their times. 

More Fashion History Articles

Most Influential Fashion Designers in History

It's almost impossible for one person to say who the most influential fashion designers in history are, especially when you consider how many centuries that people have been designing fashions in every country in the world. There are a few design gurus from the last century, however, who stand out among the design movements of Europe and the Americas. These include some famous names like Prada, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana—all of whom are discussed in further detail below.

Giorgio Armani

The legend known simply as Armani is often referred to as the "King of Lifestyle." Just as Ralph Lauren has mastered the design of "lifestyle" clothing in America, Giorgio Armani has become the most famous lifestyle designer from Italy. His collections have been hugely successful around the world because of the high-quality tailoring and minimum, fluid designs that took formal jackets and other traditional wear to a new level of comfort and style.

You can find his clothing in films, on red carpets, and on everyone from monarchs to businesspeople on their lunch breaks.


Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana also hail from Italy, the Mecca of fashion design. This powerful fashion design house continues to evolve and expand the horizons of its blissfully feminine artistic influence. You can find the affordably priced designs of their second label, D&G, on street corners around the world. Dolce & Gabbana's high-end collections can also be found on red carpets and finer affairs in the most modern cities. The Dolce & Gabbana aesthetic is known for feminine curves, tight tailoring and exuberant patterns, including animal prints and florals mixed with corsets, rhinestones and other embellishments.

Miuccia Prada

Prada has become a household name decades after Miuccia's entrance into the fashion world. She is unusual in the design world, having earned a PhD in Political Science and founded a fashion powerhouse in an industry dominated by male designers. Miuccia Prada has been able to influence fashion for decades and remains relevant today because she changes her aesthetic often and never lets her company's latest collections become stale or cyclical. Although the aesthetic of the collections is always changing, Prada is known for a few things: intricate and highly structured shoes, odd color choices and skirts including the dirndl and the A-line. Every season her designs have a new focus, though, with elements such as this season's focus on lace, changing the face of Prada.


More Fashion History Articles

History Of Fashion And Dress Up Games

Dressing up games are extremely popular among the teenage kids, who would like to invest their time on the Globe Wide Internet, dressing up their favorite fashion icons and characters from the favorite novels or actors. Some of the well-known characters that have taken the world by a storm are the Barbie along with the Bratz. Girls all over the globe genuinely like to experiment with their wardrobes and types and like to dress them up based on their fashion statements and design appeals. These lifeless characters turn into alive together with the numerous make up strategies as nicely because the clothes the gamers shop for them with all the help on the around the internet games created specially for this objective.

The dress up rush is one on the famous on-line dress games which no female may resist. Any woman who likes to shop will appreciate this game too.

As it enables the women to accomplish their dream of owning, a method icon boutique and flaunt their dresses within the fashion globe. From supplying the fashion solution for the customers like option of colour, choice of fabric etc. the ladies indulge in a variety of other actions like making their rather own fashion clothes and assisting the others with their attire needs pertaining to many events. Many of the instances, the on the internet games allow the outcomes to become shared using the rest of the world. That is created possible using the support of your storage space, which is supplied to the players around the game server where they may retailer the wonders that they have created in the fashion world to share with their buddies or family later on.

An additional sport rather famous among these that like to play the style games is the Hayden Panettiere Celebrity Makeover sport.

The sport revolves around a fiction character named Miss Panettiere, who wants to possess a makeover based on the part demands on the popular show through which she is acting. The storyline entails the character of Miss Panettiere taken from the Heroes exhibit. The makeover for that show is crucial due to the fact it permits the character to blend in together with the function requirement therefore, providing a probability for that exhibit to proceed together with the recording easily.

In case of any fault, the players should be capable to face the thunder with the director of your display. The makeover does not only revolve across the ideal makeup, quite, it also needs to be completed together with the perfect outfit to match the activities and the scenarios from the display. The backdrops with the scenes may also be transformed to bring out more than likely the most effective of the seems from the make-up and also the clothes in the recreation. The whole game can be played with all the help with the mouse movement, significantly to your ease from the gamers.

Find different dress up games and addicting games

Men's Fashion History - Why T shirts are so Popular?

There is a general believe that man are more open and have a casual approach toward the life. This has been proven wit the fashion history of the man. Though the fashion in men has been quite more popular now, but the trend has been going on for a while now. The best of the men dressing has been booked for the nobles or men of the higher class in past and thus that is why we don’t know much about it. However in the current time the fashion trends are no more common to the nobles or any class of people and thus is common to all.

When we talk about the fashion among the men, there an important party of dressing that we should not loose focus on and that has to be the T-shirts. Today almost every man irrespective of there ages wear T-shirts. Now that we know that man’s dress are more of a casual in appearance and should be more comfortable and thus T-shirts fits accurately in the given conditions.When we talk about the T-shirts they are of different type of T-shirts that are common among the people these days.

Though these T-shirts are popular in different age groups but if we look at them overall they have a huge popularity and their popularity is growing with every other day. T-shirts can be divided in to the following type, for the teenagers, for the working people and for the old age people.

The T-shirts which are popular among the youngsters are mostly without the any collar and are casual in nature. These T-shirts are loaded with images of different ideals like some Music band or national flag or some popular sports person.

Thus we can say these youngsters are more interested in wearing the T-shirts which actually inspires them.When we come to the T-shirts which is popular among the working people you have more of a formal t-shirts looks. They often are also called promotional T-shirts as they carry major brands or like their business name on it or company they work for. These T-shirts majorly helps them to convey other what actually they are. So we can say these T-shirts are plain and have small references on it that represent what they belong to.

The last but not the least is the old age people T-shirts. These old age people are generally spotted with the T-shirts that helps them to refer what cause they support. There T-shirts can also carry many different kind of religious messages on them. There are also many of those who are trying to run a business and thus you can spot them with the T-shirts with there business logo on it.

Find More Fashion History Articles

Fashion and The History of Earrings

The use of earrings as a fashion statement has been around since the early Middle Ages – with both men and women. Earrings were also worn in different cultures. The piercing of ears could be considered one of the oldest known forms of body modification. Many museums have on display earrings from archeological digs from as early of time as the Persian Empire. Other ways the history of earrings are determined is through art and literature.





With art, it is shown that in Western Europe, earrings went out of style temporarily and then came back in the Late Middle Ages. The appearance of earrings in a piece of art made a statement about the character, showing that they were not a part of the norm. That is, maybe the person depicted was from another culture such as East Africa. Earrings therefore were considered exotic.





Earrings have also been worn in many ways by people throughout the ages.

Some have pierced just their earlobe while others have preferred clip-ons.



For sailors, piercing the earlobe was preferred. An earring was a symbol that one had sailed around the world or had crossed the equator. Tales also state that sailors wore gold earrings in payment for a proper burial in the event that they might drown at sea. If their bodies were to wash up on shore, it was hoped the earring would serve as payment for their proper Christian burial.



In modern culture, pierced ears in the United States became quite popular in the early 1900s. This trend shifted until the 60s to clip-on earrings and non-piercings. Clip-ons from this era were typically large and ornamental.



By the late 1960s, when piercings came back, it was mostly through the hippy and gay communities. Piercings were done at home. Teenage girls would pierce each other's ears at slumber parties with the use of ice, a needle and a cork.



Then came the punk rock culture and the use of safety pins and multiple piercings. This trend carried throughout the 80s when many popular male musicians had piercings. When professional athletes also began to pierce, especially men, one saw that earrings were for both sexes without a presumption of one's sexuality.





With men getting their ears pierced, women began opting for multiple piercings. Women began wearing a second set of earrings, ear cuffs, and then began opting for cartilage piercing.



Today there are numerous types of piercings one can opt for. They include the tragus piercing, antitragus piercing, rook piercing, industrial piercing, helix piercing, orbital piercing, daith piercing, and conch piercing. There is also earlobe stretching.



With all of these piercings, came a variety of earrings one could purchase. Earring varieties include:



* The Hoop – This is the most ancient of styles. Hoop earrings were wore by the Romans. A hoop threads over the ear and hangs from just inside the ear, above where ears are pierced. Mobiles or other dangles can be hung from the hoop to create a variety of styles. We also think of the hoop as large hoop shaped earrings.
* Clip-On – The clip closes around the earlobe using mechanical pressure.
* Chandelier – This earring has multi-level branches that hang down from the earring base.
* Drop – These earrings are styled with one larger gemstone with other shapes or charms hanging from the earring base. The earring hangs in a straight line from base to end.
* Stud – These earrings are called stud or post but are quite simple. One round gemstone such as a diamond are put through the ear with a back holding them on.



Related Fashion History Articles

Milan's Greatest Points: History, Fashion, And Cuisine

Traveling to Milan can be quite a unique experience, as this city is like no other in Europe, and maybe throughout the world.

Within Italy Milan is the second largest city, but as far as wealth is concerned it is number one and Milan is considered the capital of international fashion.

People that know Italy and its cities well say that Milan is a mix of cultural Rome and romantic Venice, but it is not tourism that makes Milan rich.

Many important companies have their headquarters in the fashion city and the country's stock exchange is also housed in Milan. Because tourism is not the most important source of income most tourists feel less pressured to spend money and there is a more laidback atmosphere for those who do visit.

Among the best tourist attractions in Milan are the La Scala Opera House, the city's Cathedral, and the famous wall painting "The Last Supper" signed by Leonardo da Vinci that covers an entire wall inside the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery. Also, you should see the Castello Sforzesco.

Given Milan is the capital of fashion, you also should check out the brand designers' stores that include many prominent brands such as Versace, Prada, Armani, Gucci, or Dolce and Gabbana.

You should not let yourself get taken aback by the expensive prices that come attached to many of these fashionable creations, however, because of Milan's experience in fashion and design there are still great perks to enjoy that are more budget friendly. For instance, if you cannot afford a brand new bag or scarf, you can walk to the Golden Square and take your pick on the bargain deals for last year's models as well as second hand items that are still in fashion. Additionally, there are many other new designers that try to strike it big in Milan and their creative pieces do not come at the same prohibitive prices as the items from big name houses of fashion.

Milan is more than just fashionable shopping, it is also a great place to relax. Navigli is the place to be and chilling in one of the many cafes spread throughout the Canal side is a great way to enjoy the scenery while sipping a cup of exquisite beverage.

Making food and eating it are as important as the great arts in Italy. Do not be surprised to see Italians spend their evening in restaurants enjoying some of the most palatable meals served in the entire universe. Milan is reputed for its seafood and for its ice-cream, so be sure to try a little bit of everything.

If you want to travel to Milan when the place is not that overcrowded, August is the best month to book your flight ticket. Still, be aware that this month can be particularly hot, which is why most travelers prefer other times of the year to come here.


Related Fashion History Articles

History Of Fashion

Fashion is something we deal with everyday. Even people who say they don't care what they wear choose clothes every morning that say a lot about them and how they feel that day.

One certain thing in the fashion world is change. We are constantly being bombarded with new fashion ideas from music, videos, books, and television. Movies also have a big impact on what people wear. Ray-Ban sold more sunglasses after the movie Men In Black. Sometimes a trend is world-wide. Back in the 1950s, teenagers everywhere dressed like Elvis Presley.

Who dictates fashion?

Musicians and other cultural icons have always influenced what we're wearing, but so have political figures and royalty. Newspapers and magazines report on what Hillary Clinton wears. The recent death of Diana, the Princess of Wales, was a severe blow to the high fashion world, where her clothes were daily news.

Even folks in the 1700s pored over fashion magazines to see the latest styles. Women and dressmakers outside the French court relied on sketches to see what was going on. The famous French King Louis XIV said that fashion is a mirror. Louis himself was renowned for his style, which tended towards extravagant laces and velvets.

Clothes separate people into groups.

Fashion is revealing. Clothes reveal what groups people are in. In high school, groups have names: "goths, skaters, preps, herbs." Styles show who you are, but they also create stereotypes and distance between groups. For instance, a businessman might look at a boy with green hair and multiple piercings as a freak and outsider. But to another person, the boy is a strict conformist. He dresses a certain way to deliver the message of rebellion and separation, but within that group, the look is uniform. Acceptance or rejection of a style is a reaction to the society we live in.

Fashion is a language which tells a story about the person who wears it. "Clothes create a wordless means of communication that we all understand," according to Katherine Hamnett, a top British fashion designer. Hamnett became popular when her t-shirts with large messages like "Choose Life" were worn by several rock bands.

A History Of Plus Size Fashion

Designer plus size clothing is become more popular everyday. The main reasons for it are the great varieties, fashionable styles and affordable prices offered to the respective clients. However this was not the trend a couple of years ago. Bigger and overweight individuals, particularly women had to compromise on their appearance a great deal due to unavailability of large sized clothing. The need for these was realized not very long ago.

The plus sized clothing also known as outsize clothing became a much sought after clothing line during the 90s. Before that, bigger women had to wear clothes that not only looked unattractive but were so tight and uncomfortable to wear that they made breathing difficult. There weren't many options to choose from rather whatever they could find large enough to fit in, they felt happy to wear it.

During 1990s many clothing designers began designing outfits for individuals who were size 14 or above. These included everything from stylish sportswear, business and dress wear, active wear, outerwear, sleepwear, underwear, and shoes. Since then Eileen Fisher, Lafayette 148, Carmen Marc Valvo, Anna Scholz and JS Boutique are the most popular brands for plus sized clothing. These designers offer fabulous designs and styles which range in prices from over 0 to as much as over 0. Moreover you do not have to go for complete outfits or dresses you can mix and match separate pieces of clothes to create the kind of outfit that you desire.

To add to this advantage, online shopping has been introduced to facilitate the over sized women's purchase of designer plus size clothing. Most of the clothing brands also aid the purchase through their comprehensive web sites. You can now look as all the specifications and all relevant details through several authentic web sites and order the outfit that you like.

Nowadays even department and discount stores like Kohls, Sears, Macy's, Kmart and Walmart stock a great variety of highly affordable outsized clothes for curvier women. With the passage of time this trend is gaining more acceptance not only nationwide but globally as well. The plus sized clothes also facilitate women who require larger clothes temporarily for example during pregnancy.

What began as an option to answer the clothing requirements of plus sized women has evolved into a totally new era in the fashion industry. The prospects are vey bright and this sector is only going to grow by leaps and bounds.

Fashion Week History

Fashion Week New York, an annual Fall event, is a traditional gathering that dates back to World War II.

Fashion Week, once called Press Week, first took place in New York City in 1943. With Fashion Week typically taking place in Paris France and due to the war, fashion insiders were unable to travel into the country and see the latest and greatest in trends. This is when Eleanor Lambert stepped up and organized a fashion week within the United States and with that put American fashion into the spotlight.  Her idea of Fashion Week in America continued and was held in different locations such as hotels or lofts. In 1994, the event moved to Bryant Park, behind the New York Public Library, where it remained until this year. As of next year, it will again be relocated to the Lincoln Center.

Around the world there are four major fashion weeks.

They take place in the same order each year so that fashion devotees can attend each of them, if they wish. The "Big Four" are located in New York, London, Milan and Paris. The event is held twice a year, one in Fall/Winter (February) and the other in Spring/Summer (September).  Each event lasts one week and allows fashion designers, brands and ‘houses' to display their latest collections. These collections are shown off through runway shows and allows buyers to get an inside glance at the latest trends.


Fashion shows of course occurred in America before Lambert's Fashion Week in New York City. Large department stores were hosting fashion events for middle-class American women, featuring the latest styles being sold in their stores. Sometimes these events were called ‘fashion parades.' The parades had a theme and was accompanied by a commentator.

Today, attending an event like New York Fashion week can only be done if you are invited. Invitations are often limited to buyers, fashion magazine editors, fashion magazine journalists, models, celebrities and such.

But not to worry, Fashion Week and technology have joined together and now Fashion Week is being shown via satellite and through the Internet. This expansion in technology has saved designers thousands of dollars in travel costs. In addition, with an Internet presence, some designers are marketing their work exclusively online. Applications for iPhones have even been created to help showcase designs and Fashion Week.

Designers who are selling exclusively online include Normal Kamali and the Polo Ralph Lauren Rubgy brand. Because of the technological changes, in 2009 runway models could be seen carrying mini notebooks rather than handbags.


Another trend seen during fall 2009 Fashion Week was that items were designed and shown for both fall and spring. An example was a bold colored dress that could be worn over a turtleneck in the winter and as a stand alone in the spring. There were also convertible blazers by Vera Wang and Karen Walker.

What will Fashion Week of 2011 demonstrate? With the recession and technology combined, it is hard to tell.

Fashion in History Part 2

Fashion in history part 2 continues on our journey through the historical fashion timeline. From the 1700s right through to the 1950’s.

French fashion was widespread in the 18th century while Marie Antoinette was in power. Flamboyancy was still going strong in terms of clothing and people lived their lives just the same. Drinking, partying, gaming and basically just having a good time was how people of this time existed. Of course this meant dressing in their finery all day every day and no one was ever seen without their jewelled buttons or gold trimmed attire.

 

Move on a hundred years and the styles changed dramatically. Garments were a lot less bulky and were turned down in favour of more simple pieces. Men adopted the gentleman look by wearing sophisticated tail coats and tall hats.

Conservative was all the rage and if one was of importance; sometimes a cane would be carried to signify this.

 

We now come to the 1900s, the real starting point of the fashion industry. This was the century that designer brands and labels began their legacies. For every decade, there was a new look and wearing clothing from any decade but the current, would have you thrown in fashion prison figuratively speaking.

 

Up until 1910, the Edwardian era was in full swing with women wearing large hats, tight fitting corsets and lace fabrics. Men were dressing in suits and smart wear and gussied up at every possible chance.

 

The 1920s saw the wealth of people rise, which meant more affluent clothing.

For women the ‘flapper’ trend had began, which was all about long slim dresses, t bar shoes and very short hair cuts. Men acquired the baggy pants look with grey flannel trousers teamed with flat cap hats.

 

As for the 30’s and 40’s, the depression hit and soon after war was upon the world, which meant no more fancy clothes. Simple styles and pieces that could be worn over and over were favoured. People were investing in key pieces which they knew would last longer. Women were still in slim fitting dresses and men were still choosing to wear suits.

 

Once the war was over and the 50’s came around, fashion was back to being high in demand. Feminine dresses, cardigans and gathered skirts were the look for women while men were forever seen in denim jeans, which were just coming in to the world of fashion after a long stint in the work wear department.

In the next article we move on to the 60’s and take our way right through to the noughties.