Clothing has always been an important part of society, with evidence from the earliest human civilizations. In history, climate, religion and political factors played a role in the fabrication, styling and even color of the garments that people wore. Today, the fashion industry is multi-faceted, and while climate and religion are still some factors in how we dress, there are many more influences in what we choose to wear. Time and time again, designers reference historical styles and push them into modern trends. Subcultures illustrate how a particular way of dressing can transform into a lifestyle. Ethnic fashion ties in with a specific culture’s values and beliefs. By looking at clothing in other societies around the world, as well as the many global subcultures, we can learn a lot about the depth and complexity of the members that make this world colorful and diverse.
Clothing is something that defines a person, and allows society to have an outlook on an individual’s lifestyle and beliefs. Unlike criticizing other material things like a car, a home or even something as simple as a television set, criticism of clothing is very personal. This suggests that there is a high correlation between clothing and personal identity and values. (Breward, pg.1) Clothing in a sense has the ability to communicate thought. However, similarly to art interpretations, this does not mean that any two people will perceive these visual aesthetics similarly.
Throughout history, women’s clothing was made to accentuate all the feminine qualities of the body, with the main focus on the idea of fertility. In fifteenth century Europe, large, voluminous robes called houppelandes created what was called the “pregnant silhouette,” by adding a...
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...earing the most ruffled, neon colored skirts in town. Your surroundings, financial background, religion, and daily habits make up not only your culture, but also your style. Factors such as music and the club scenes also influence a person’s fashion choices. With the amount of diversity, history and cultural references in the world, the possibilities in fashion are very complex. We can only look at reoccurring trends, and trends that have failed in order to understand what styles will survive in the future.
Bibliography
Eicher, Joanne B. Dress and Ethnicity: Change Across Space and Time.
Oxford, UK: Berg Publishers Limited, 1995. Print
Breward, Christopher. The Culture of Fashion. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press,
Inc., 1995. Print
Laver, James. Costume and Fashion: A Concise History. New York, NY: Thames and Hudson Inc., 1985. Print
The early nineteenth century which was in the Regency Era consisted of harsh judgments towards what was believed to be a “wealthy” look and what was considered to be “proper.” In Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the clothing is more than just a fashion statement, it determines how they are perceived and their overall rank and social class in society. Therefore, fashion represents the importance of self appearance during that time.
Towards the end of the decade the Hippie movement had a huge impact on the way people started to view clothing. This group rebelled against war, encouraged peace and love. Their presence had a major influence on fashion. They opted for clothing that was natural and comfortable. Accessories w...
The evolution of clothing has been drastically changed through the course of history, from the style to how they’re made. Women and men’s clothing changed at different rates. The way clothes are made reflect the style. Clothing always has been an important aspect of one’s culture as well as a representation of a time period. Overtime clothing has changed just as the people it clothes.
Every envisioned change that transpires in our life has a purpose and an impending conclusion. Some may last forever whereas others barely last a year. The 1920s, known as the “roaring twenties”, was a decisive moment to an entire novel way of life for many people. Entertainment, fashion, jobs, laws, and technology transpired unexpectedly during this period. Almost every one of those progressions are being continued till today, yet in a more modernized custom. These aspects determine who one is and illustrate the society as a whole. The turning point of fashion has made one of the largest impacts on society today. Although the change was focused more on female fashion, men’s style of clothing also went through a bit of modification. Before the 1920s, dressing as conservative as conceivable was every girl’s first priority in order to preserve a respectable reputation. Considering that as a dearth of freedom, a few girls began to rebel. As clothes loosened, shortened, and became more revealing, women portrayed themselves differently. They no longer had stern restrictions on what they wore and freedom was slowly ascending. Men’s casual clothing in the 1920s was similar to what would be considered formal wear today. Loose silk dresses, fancy suits, feathers, sequence, strappy sandals, strap on bowties, and long pearly jewelry make up the contemporary fashion that primarily reflects on the style during the roaring twenties era.
Peacock, John. The Chronicle of Western Fashion: From Ancient times to the Present Day. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1991. Print.
In the early 1800s, France was the sole fashion capital of the world; everyone who was anyone looked towards Paris for inspiration (DeJean, 35). French fashion authority was not disputed until the late twentieth century when Italy emerged as a major fashion hub (DeJean, 80). During the nineteenth century, mass produced clothing was beginning to be marketed and the appearance of department stores was on the rise (Stearns, 211). High fashion looks were being adapted and sold into “midlevel stores” so that the greater public could have what was once only available to the social elite (DeJean, 38). People were obsessed with expensive fashions; wealthy parents were advised not the let their children run around in expensive clothing. People would wait for children dressed in expensive clothing to walk by and then they would kidnap them and steal their clothes to sell for money (DeJean, 39). Accessories were another obsession of France‘s fashion; they felt no outfit was complete without something like jewelry or a shrug to finish off the look and make it all around polished (DeJean, 61). As designers put lines together, marketing began to become important to fashion in the nineteenth century; fashion plates came into use as a way to show off fashion l...
6. Hammond, Colleen. "Dressing with Dignity - History of Women's Fashion Industry - How to Fight Sexual Revolution and Immodesty in Dress!" N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013.
Lawson, David "History Of Renaissance Clothing - How Today's Fashion Is Affected." 6 Jul. 2011 EzineArticles.com. 16 Nov. 2011
In the late 18th century the Industrial Revolution occurred causing a huge shift in the ways in which clothing was produced and subsequently altering the ways in which clothing was perceived. For decades preceding industrialisation men and women of high so...
Köln: Taschen, 2006. Print. The. Mackenzie, Mairi. .isms: Understanding Fashion.
middle of paper ... ... It also analyzed the influences of modern dresses. As Palmer and Clark (2005) mentioned earlier, both decades are the classic era in fashion history.
Clothing has been around for thousands of years; almost as long as the modern human has. At first, it served the practical purpose of protection from the elements; but, as life for early humans stopped being a constant struggle to survive, they started noticing how they looked and the concept of fashion began to take shape. These first few garments were typically dyed draped cloth that was pinned at the shoulder and/or waist. This was seen in many ancient civilizations around the world, Greek and Roman the most notable. Over time, clothing began to get more and more complex and formed to the body’s shape, eventually leading up to the tailored style we now have today. However, the sophisticated world of Haute Couture; or high fashion, can distinctly trace its roots to Paris during the mid-19th century. Clothing from there was thought to be superior to those from anywhere else, and women began to come from all over Europe just to buy dresses. This was probably due in part to one notable dressm...
To begin with, I shall look at what fashion is; it is a currently popular style or practice involving clothing, footwear or accessories. It mostly refers to the current trends in looks and dressing style of a person (Cumming 234). In most cases, fashion is confusedly related to costumes; when a person talks of fashion they are seen to mean fashion in terms of textile. Fashion is seen to originate from the Western world and it is copied by other places. In this paper, we shall look at how fashion affects lifestyles and the group of people who are affected most. The paper further investigates how media is used to transmit fashion from one region to the other. Although it has been seen to affect people’s lives many people have different perspectives on fashion and dressing.
Fashion is a controversial issue in society nowadays. We live in a consumerism advanced era in which whether following fashion trends or not has become a debatable point. Many people believe that it is important to follow fashion trends. For example, Lord Chesterfield once said, “If you are not in fashion, you are nobody.” The question is why fashion should be an essential matter of concern to all of us. As far as I am concerned, each person should be able to decide if one wants to follow a trend or not.
Fashion is a currently valued style of appearance and behavior. It is a way to shape one’s external custom. The history of fashion dates back to hundred years ago and it has seen a remarkable progress in the 21st century. Man has endeavored a lot to bring new changes according to style and elegance that suits his needs and desires. Apparently, our culture is inclined towards fashion and change in the former brings change in the latter.When we talk about Pakistan, from the independence day of August 14, 1947 up-to-date, it has been a society in transition and being dynamic in nature, it isconsequently ever-changing and its patterns are transforming from time to time.