Fashion has gone through many changes over time. It has changed due to economy, social classes, and even new inventions in technology. There was a time if a watch or timepiece was broken then it remained broken as it was one of a kind. Now if it breaks, it can be fixed by simply going to the store for a replica watch. Styles and trends have always been present in fashion, and just like today changed just as quickly.
Greek 500-146 BC
Classical Greek fashion was a period of loosely pleated fabric draped over the body. Materials and fabric differed greatly in texture and pattern. There were three basic types, the himation, peplos, and chiton. The himation started as outdoor wear, but eventually was worn as everyday attire. The peplos was a tube shaped piece of clothing draped over the body and held by fasteners and buckles. The chiton came into style after the Persian Invasion and was worn like a peplos, but was longer in length. The chiton was similar to the himation and peplos but was tied together at the shoulders and usually worn with a cape. The Greeks favored jewelry as adornments. Large necklaces, dangling earrings, bangle bracelets, and large jeweled rings were an everyday staple all of classes except the slaves.
Romans 500-BC-323 AD
Fashion in ancient Rome was simple. Both men and women wore a tunic called a stola, which varied in length but was usually longer, and had a mantle made of wool worn over it called a palla. The Romans used mainly wool and silk with linen once in a while. The Romans loved bright colors and used them extensively in fashion. Purple shellfish were used to make a multitude of colors, and left an odor. The richer the Roman the brighter the color, eventually coining the phrase "smells of money." Roman women dyed their hair and adorned it with jeweled hairpins. Jewelry was very ornate, and elaborate. Parasols and fans were used and were made out of peacock feathers. Hairstyles were simple. Women wore their hair upswept or flowing, while men wore their hair cropped short and close to the head. One of the most recognizable fashions of the ancient Roman times was the red woolen cape clasped to the right by a golden brooch.
Middle Ages 400-1200 AD
During the Middle Ages, social classes were the defining factor of the fashion and color. Most fashion was made out of wool, with undergarments made out of linen. The wealthier the person meant the brighter the color, the better the material, and the longer the jacket. The wealthy dressed elaborately and changed as fashion dictated. Men wore hose and a jacket with pleating, or they could wear hose with a tunic and surcoat. Gowns were flowing and elaborate. Headwear was very trendy. Elaborate styles were made and a woman could wear them in many shapes such as a heart or butterfly.
Glossary of Middle Age fashion terms
Early Gothic 1200-1350 AD
Fashion during the early Gothic period was elegant, sophisticated, and simple. Necklines were lower, and had little trimming. Lines were cut very simple showing off a long line on the body. Women wore their hair loose and flowing until they married and then wore their hair in a bun or chignon. As the women aged they wore wimples and gorgets, which covered the head and neck hiding the sign of aging. If wearing a wimple and gorget, the hair was plucked leaving a high hairline. People in the Middle Ages favored jewel toned clothing as dying techniques continued to improve. Men wore large turban type hats with a scarf hanging down that was draped over the arm or shoulder. Instead of a lot of jewelry, clothing was adorned in jewels and jewelry was kept simple.
Early Renaissance 1350-1425 AD
The Renaissance period was an elegant period in fashion that was more flattering to most female figures. During this time, what was worn was a show of political power and personal magnificence. Fashion was especially important to court life. Costly garment and jewelry were a show of power, wealth, and personal taste. Gowns were made in deep jewel tones from silk, velvet, and ermine. Sleeves and trains were long, trailing the ground far behind the wearer. Shoes were high heeled to keep delicate feet out of the muck. Bodices were lined with bone. Men's clothing ranged from long, embroidered robes to plain robes in rich fabrics. Turban styled hats, and hose were also essentials to men's clothing. Blond was the coveted hair color, and both men and women dyed their hair. If it could be afforded, hair, fans, headdresses, gowns or any available body part was adorned with jewels.
Italian Renaissance 1485-1520 AD
Fashion during this period ran to an illusion of fullness for a woman and a scanty tight look for men, and always gave the illusion of grandeur. It is thought the Renaissance form of style originated in Italy, as did its famous artwork. This is also a time when women's hose were cut in two making it necessary for garters to be invented. Fabric was luxurious, and expensive, giving more division to social classes. Skirts were parted with an insert of brightly colored fabric sewn in. Sleeves were full, and ruffs were slowly gaining ground as a trendy item for both men and women. At the end of the period the ruff became a mainstay necessity made fashionable by the Medici family.
Tudor England 1500-1550 AD
During this time, fashion was literally dictated by the King and Queen. King Henry VIII enacted the Sumptuary Law, which stated that different classes would dress a certain way and could not dress above their station. The rich wore sumptuous fabrics in bright, vivid colors that were extremely expensive. The codpiece became a male staple in fashion, and worn extensively by the king. Dresses and gowns were made in several pieces conveying a single look. It was the only way in which they could get the intricately designed garment onto their body to achieve the desired look. Sleeves for both men and women were separate from the rest of the garment, and were either laced or sewn on. Makeup was worn as a symbol of status and was popular in hiding scars caused by the rising cases of smallpox. The wearing of the ruff, which starting in the Middle Ages, gained prominence, and became bigger and more starched framing the face and causing hairstyles to become more upswept. Jewelry was big and ostentatious.
Elizabethan Renaissance 1550-1603 AD
The Sumptuary Law was also in affect during this time in fashion, and was very stringent to the different social classes of the time. Clothes provided information about the wearer and made distinctions not only in wealthndnd fabric were defined by royal decree. Hairstyles and fashion was dictated by one person: Queen Elizabeth, who was but social standing. Only Royalty was allowed to wear ermine, while only lesser nobles could wear fox a otter. Even colors athe personification of style at that time. This era was often called the Peacock era because the men were just as conscious of fashion as the women were. Skin was considered an ultimate accessory. Royalty and Nobles were to have milky white skin, while the lower classes were expected to be tanned from work in the sun. The Queen was envied for her red hair and women dyed their hair trying to achieve the look. Makeup was worn by Nobles, and became heavier throughout the Queen's reign as she wore more and more trying to keep her image as the "Virgin Queen," and hiding scarring on her face due to a case of smallpox. Ruffs were used heavily and became much bigger and more starched sometimes requiring special wiring to be held in place. Hairstyles therefore were upswept and off the back of the head, allowing the ruff to highlight the face, while hiding wrinkles around the throat. Jewelry, especially pearls were worn all over the body and clothing. The wealthier the person, the more jewels encrusted the fabrics.
Cavalier Period 1620-1660 AD
During the first ten years of this period there was a gradual change from the stiff starch of the ruff to allowing the fabric to fall in natural wave off the body. The look was more comfortable and relaxed. Excess went out of style and a more modest and wholesome look became the trend. The Three Musketeers comes to mind when thinking of this time in style, with the floppy hat held to one side with a swanky feather, billowing sleeves with lace attached at the wrist, buckled shoes, and embroidered overcoats. Gowns were of silk, satin, and velvet, with flowing sleeves and tight bodices. Men grew their hair longer, and women allowed their hair to flow down their backs as the ruff disappeared from the necks. Collars were worn by both men and women. Padding was removed from clothing allowing for a more normal, pleasing silhouette.
The Restoration 1660-1700 AD
Clothing during this time expresses a feeling of freedom not experienced in earlier fashion. While Royalty and Nobility still dictated the trends in fashion, the Sumptuary Law was more lax and rarely enforced. Curls, ribbons, flounces, feathers, trimmings, and buttons were more ornate and designed to call attention to the wearer. Both male and female clothing began to take more stiffness and elegance once again. Men wore wigs and powdered their hair; some even shaved their head to accommodate some of the more elaborate wigs. The cravat, a piece of cloth tied into intricate knots, adorned the neck, and collars moved higher up the face to flair out at the point. Women wore their hair in little ringlets requiring hours to achieve, sometimes weaving pearls and ribbons through it. Wealthier women wore their gowns to the toe while the working class women wore their dresses to the instep, to allow for easier movement. Colors were vibrant, but pastels were the trend in England, while jewel tones were preferred in the Colonies.
How designers bring history to life
The 18th Century 1715-1790 AD
The French were the fashion leaders at this time. A French dressmaker was twice as expensive as an English dressmaker. Skirt hoops and corsets defined the shape of the body, and silks, velvet, and taffeta were very popular. Fans were an accessory used often. The favored pattern was a single color with a large print like flowers on it. Pastels were very trendy until indigo came from India and then dark blue became a fashion must have for a time. Trains were attached separately to the gown allowing for a longer trail behind the wearer. Hairstyles became simpler, but were still adorned with jewels and ribbons, and also powdered white or grey. Fashion now moved at a slightly slower pace as it traveled the globe from France to England and then to the Colonies. Fashion then moved on to heavier brocade. Embroidery was very popular later in the period. Hoop skirts started to lose their roundness and flattened out widening to their fullest in the 1740's. Later in this period, fashion was a gown covered in roses with ribbon trimming with the stomacher covered in flounces and bows sewn on to close the dress together. Chokers were worn with silk roses and flounces attached. Hair was still heavily powdered. Both men and women wore a special coat and walked into the "Powder Room," where servants would hand them a mask to cover their face while powder was released from above, coating the hair entirely. Some hair was piled so high on the head that a servant would follow behind the wearer with a special device made to hold the hair in place as the person walked.
Revolution and Empire 1790-1815 AD
During this period it became the style for women to wear a short jacket to compliment their gowns. Short capes lined in fur were worn in the winter. Bonnets became trendy and the height of hair was lowered. Men wore beaver hats or tri cornered hat, and collars once again became higher and closer to the neck. Buckle shoes disappeared as the shoe string became popular, but were increasingly replaced by boots. Women's heels lowered considerably, making it easier to walk. Swords, which were worn throughout the first part of the century was now worn only for ceremony unless the gentleman was in the military. Coats were mainly black at the beginning of the period with bright vests worn underneath. As time passed, coats came in a variety of colors with a vest worn underneath to compliment the look. Jewelry was simple and used to accentuate the outfit.
Romantic 1815-1848 AD
In this period, the v-point became the trend to follow. It appeared in the front and the back of the gown. Sleeves puffed out giving the wearer a sloped shouldered appearance. Skirts were rounder at the bottom, and constructed in panels, becoming more slender as it ended at the waist, giving an inverted triangular look. Hairstyles became elaborate with names like "Apollo knot", or "Madonna", which were mostly worn for a night out. Tight ringlets and smoothed hair replaced the frizzy looks of the past. Jewelry was worn at a minimum to compliment the look, but adornment ran high to flounces, ribbons and flowers, which were worn in the hair as well as on the clothing. Men wore fitted jackets in various patterns, with trousers with shoes or boots. Hair was short and natural, with a walking stick sometimes being carried.
Crinoline 1845-1867 AD
This period was named for the major innovation of the caged crinoline. Women usually had to wear layers of petticoats to achieve fullness in their skirts. This was heavy and unsanitary. A series of hoops made from steel or whalebone sewn into the gown or dress made for a fuller skirt without the weight. The style was a tight bodice with full skirt and dropped sleeves. Coal dyes were invented in this era and fabrics were brighter than ever. Hairstyles were more natural and bonnets and riding hats were popular.
Song about hoops and crinoline
1st Bustle 1868-1879 AD
Fashion changed from the crinoline making a rounded, fuller skirt, to a flattened side and front with a fuller, rounded backside. This led to the invention of the bustle. It was deemed that some type of fullness was needed to give the illusion of a smaller waist. It was a network of whalebone or steel attached to the inside back part of the gown. It was carried low on the gown and created a train look.
2nd Bustle 1880-1889 AD
The second bustle gave an even more exaggerated look to the female form, and was widely used during the Victorian era. It reached huge and extremely exaggerated proportions and gave the female an accentuated rump, while corsets exaggerated the waist and bust area. This gave the illusion of a tiny waist and ample cleavage.
La Belle Epoque 1890-1899 AD
The era is also known as the Gilded Age. There was a huge divided line between the wealthy and the poor. Style changed rapidly during this time with the French being the authority of changing fashion. There was the period where bustles were all the rage and then they fell out of favor only to become all the rage again. Then narrowing to a tight, slim silhouette, and changing yet again to trumpet shaped skirt. Corsets forced the female shape into an "s" shape, then changing styles went to a more normal natural female shape.
Edwardian 1900-1913 AD
This era got its name from the reign of King Edward VII, and is characterized by a "s" shaped curve with a full bodice, high neckline, and flattened skirt with a full backside. By 1909, it changed into a more natural silhouette which made a revival of the empire style all the rage. Skirt length also began to rise ending at six to eight inches above the floor and showing the shoes and ankles. Hats started big with flowers on them and finally ended in small turban type hats with feathers or brooches attached to them. Two piece suits started making the rounds in women's fashion at the end of 1913. The jacket was a voluminous piece of fabric while the skirt narrowed so much at the ankles, only small steps were possible. Men wore top hats, long coats with padded shoulders, giving an exaggerated look, with tapered trousers and slouched boots.
