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. 

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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.