lucrare pentru obținerea atestatului de competență lingvistică

Lucrare pentru obținerea Atestatului de competență

lingvistică

Fashion in Britain along history

Absolvent:Matei Gina-Daria

Coordonator lucrare:Gaiu Mariana

Colegiul Național „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Galați2014

Content

Argument 3

Chapter one – Introduction: The beginnings of fashion 3

Chapter two – 11th to 15th century, including the Wars of roses 5

Chapter three – 16th and 17th centuries: Tudors, Stuarts and the English Civil War 7

Chapter four – 1730 to 1830: The Georgians / Regency period, the time of Jane Austen 10

Chapter five – The 19th and 20th centuries: The Victorians, Edwardians, World War One, Roaring Twenties, World War Two, The New Look, Swinging Sixties 13

Conclusion 18

References 19

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Argument

have chosen this subject because I have always been passionate about clothing and beauty. For centuries individuals or societies have used clothes and other body adornment as a form of nonverbal communication to indicate occupation, rank, gender, sexual availability, locality, class,

wealth and group affiliation. Fashion is a form of free speech. It not only embracesclothing, but also accessories, jewellery, hairstyles, beauty and body art. What we wear, how and when we wear it, provides others with a shorthand to subtly read the surface of a social situation.

IMy project consists of a brief journey through the centuries, focusing on the development of fashion in the British lands. I will present it cronologically, and in the following pages I will state my opinion about how fashion is a matter of great importance in our lives, or, as Coco Chanel would define it:

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

Chapter one – Introduction: The beginnings of fashion

ashion - a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person. The more technical term, costume, has become so linked in the public eye with the term

"fashion" that the more general term "costume" has in popular use mostly been relegated to special senses like fancy dress or masquerade wear, while the term "fashion" means clothing generally, and the study of it.

FThe first form of fashion, as a way of nonverbal communication and not only covering the main bodyparts, is believed to have developed in Ancient Egypt, already known for the opulence of the high class people. The clothing used in the ancient world strongly reflects the technologies that these peoples mastered. Archaeology plays a significant role in documenting this aspect of ancient life, for fabric fibres, and leathers sometimes are well-preserved through time. In many cultures the clothing worn was indicative of the social status achieved by various members of their society.In Ancient Egypt, flax was the textile in almost exclusive use. Wool was known, but considered impure as animal fibres were considered taboo, and could only be used for coats (they were forbidden in temples and sanctuaries). People of lower class wore only the loincloth (or schenti) that was common to all. Shoes were the same for both sexes; sandals braided with leather, or, particularly for the bureaucratic and priestly classes, papyrus. The most common headgear was the kaftan, a striped fabric square worn by men. Feather headdresses were worn by the nobility.Certain clothing was common to both genders such as the tunic and the robe. Around 1425 to 1405 BCE, a light tunic or short-sleeved shirt was popular, as well as a pleated skirt.Clothing for adult women remained unchanged over several millennia, save for small details. Draped clothes, with very large rolls, gave the impression of wearing several items. It was in fact a hawk, often of very fine muslin. The dress was rather narrow, even constricting, made of white or unbleached fabric for the lower classes, the sleeve starting under the chest in higher classes, and held up by suspenders tied onto the shoulders. These suspenders were sometimes wide enough to cover the

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breasts and were painted and colored for various reasons, for instance to imitate the plumage on the wings of Isis.Clothing of the royal family was different, and was well documented; for instance the crowns of the pharaohs, the nemes head dress, and the khat or head cloth worn by nobility.Since Ancient Egypt, migrations and the acknowledgement of other cultures have contributed to spreading the Egyptian style worldwide and its influences can still be found in several fashion shows.Little is known about clothing in the British islands before the Roman invasion in 43 c.e.. What survives are cloth fragments and amazing jewelry such as brooches and torcs. Pre-Christian graves suggest that women wore tunics. The advent of Christianity possibly resulted in women covering their heads. The medieval period saw Europe stabilize after the raids and invasions of the Dark Ages. Trade increased greatly, much of it related to textiles. From the fourteenth century onward dress styles have changed increasingly quickly. Due to its different history before English attempts at conquest, Ireland’s dress developed differently. Illuminated manuscripts from around 1000 to 1200 show Irish men wearing trousers, tunics, and cloaks. In Scotland, the court and people of the Lowland areas probably dressed similarly to their southern neighbors in England. Highland dress is usually thought of as similar to that of the Irish due to shared ancestors. Welsh gentry and nobility attended court and the university in England, taking back new ways to their homeland. By 1600 men’s and women’s outer clothing usually comprised two tailored pieces. The main new items for female dress were corsets and hooped skirts. The French court, from King Louis XIV’s time until the French Revolution, became the major influence. For town and city dwellers, settled conditions from the 1660s onward led to increased personal wealth, which could be spent on personal adornment. The eighteenth century saw the beginnings of a revolution in the production of manufactured goods, especially textiles.

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Chapter two – 11th to 15th century, including the Wars of roses

Day Clothes about 1050

This man and woman (left) date from about 1050, just before the Norman Conquest in 1066. They wear the basic medieval garments: a tunic, probably of wool, slightly fitted with a high neck and long sleeves, usually worn over a linen shirt.The lady's tunic, similar to the man's but longer, has a semi-circular mantle fastening on the shoulder. The lady covers her long hair with a hood held by a band, and carries a travelling pouch; the man wears loose hose and leather shoes.The Anglo Saxons were known for their skill in embroidery and braid weaving, like that trimming the man's tunic.

Day and Travelling Clothes about 1150

Fashion changed slowly in medieval times. This man and woman (left) still wear the semi-circular shoulder fastening mantles and tunics like those of a century earlier, differing only in being more closely fittedand having long flowing cuffs.Long hair was an Anglo-Saxon fashion borrowed by the Normans, and the woman has hers braided into cloth-covered plaits beneath her hood. The man is dressed for travelling in a hooded fur cloak and pointed hat. He wears cloth bound leggings instead of hose. His feet are bare here, but some contemporary shoes were quite decorative.

Travelling Clothes about 1250 (left)

By 1250 men's and women's tunics were cut with a wide upper sleeve. Most men, except the elderly, preferred tunics short. Cloaks were usually held by a cord at the shoulder. A variety of loose over-gowns were also popular, and these had sleeves with two openings, allowing them to hang loosely like the university gowns based on them and still seen today.The woman's plaits are coiled in a bun at each ear sometimes covered with a net, and the flat headband is kept in place by a veil or Right: Lady wearing a henin (14th century)

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Day clothes about 1300

The young man (left) is wearing a shorter tunic and pointed shoes. These shoes were characteristic of the 14th century and were called crackowes orpoulaines, and are believed to have derived from Poland. The length of the toe was said to indicate the rank of the wearer and became more and more exaggerated by the end of the 14th century.Right: Lady c. 1346

Man's Day Clothes about 1430

This early Renaissance man (left) wears rich clothes. His carefully made, fur-trimmed tunic is pleated onto a lining and has baggy sleeves with the embroidered shirt showing at neck and wrists. His hood is worn as a 'chaperon' ( a beret-like hat), with his head through the shoulder opening while the remainder is twisted decoratively out of the way. He wears a heavy, jewelled collar and belt which is useful for holding his pouch and dagger. Weavers of the day were highly skilled, and much richly patterned silk and velvet was made in Flanders and Italy.

Lady's Day Dress about 1490

This lady (left) of about 1490 wears a rich gown of thick material brocaded with gold. This line foreshadows the severe styles of the court of the early Tudors, with a low waist and high neckline. Her skirt has a train but is pinned up at the back for convenience when walking and to show off the fur lining. Her sleeves are in a new fashion, funnel shaped, and faced with fur.She wears a hood, with cape dangling like a curtain, front turned up and stiffened, and worn over a wired and jewelledundercap almost concealing her scraped back hair. Her shoes have very broad toes. Materials are rich and heavy, many imported from Flanders and Italy.

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This young man wears clothes in the 'Italian Fashion', much less enveloping than those those of his lady above. His doublet reaches only to his waist and is very tight, with slits on the chest and sleeves giving room to move and an opportunity for his fine shirt to be seen. His hose are tied to the waist with 'points' (laces) and and fasten in the front with a 'cod piece' (flap). For riding he wears protective leather stockings, and his shoes have broad toes. This style replaced peaked shoes in around 1480.His short loose gown with long hanging sleeves is cut to hang open and show the contrasting facings. His hair is shoulder length and his flat hat has a jewelled rim.

Chapter three – 16th and 17th centuries: Tudors, Stuarts and the English Civil War

Man's Formal Clothes about 1548

This gentleman wears an over-gown with full upper sleeves adding breadth to his shoulders, fashionable from about 1520. His doublet is loose with a seam at the waist and skirts, and his upper stocks (breeches) are separate from his hose for greater comfort.He has a padded 'cod piece' and his shirt is embroidered in black silk with small frills at the neck, which eventually will develop into the ruff. His cap is softer and wider and his shoes are less broad in the toe than in the early years of Henry VIII.

Man's Formal Clothes about 1600

This gentleman wears a padded doublet with pointed waist and short padded breeches, with tapering 'canion' at the knee, over which the stocking is pulled. His 'Spanish' cloak is heavily embroidered. Possibly Sir Walter Raleigh threw down a similar one to protect Queen Elizabeth from the mud! He wears a starched and gathered ruff, developed from the shirt neck frill after about 1560. His jewellery includes the collar of the Order of the Garter. His hat would have been conical.

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Lady's Formal Dress about 1610

This lady shows the dress which first appeared in the later portraits of Queen Elizabeth about 1580 and remained fashionable in the reign of James I. The bodice is very long, pointed and stiff, and the wide skirt is supported by hip 'boulsters' of the 'drum farthingale'.The sleeves are wide and the neckline low, with ruff open to frame the face. It is trimmed with lace newly introduced from Flanders and Spain. Her pleated fan is a new fashion from China. Fashionable ladies no longer wore a cap and her uncovered hair is dressed high with ribbons and feathers.

Lady's Day dress about 1634

This lady wears a soft satin walking dress with the short waist and full flowing skirt fashionable from around 1620. Her bodice is cut almost like a man's doublet and equally masculine are her wide-plumed hat and long 'lovelock' on her short hair. She wears a fine wide Flemish lace collar veiling the gold braid on her bodice. For formal occasions the neck would be left bare, and the hair dressed with jewels.Ordinary women's dress was similar but they, except when riding, wore a close lace-trimmed cap.


This gentleman wears a suit with the new softer line. The short-waisted doublet with long skirts has slits on the chest and sleeve, allowing for movement. The knee-length breeches, full but not padded, are supported by hooks inside the waistline. The ribbon 'points' at waist and knee are decorative survivors of the lacing hose supports of late medieval times. The lace-trimmed ruff falls to the shoulders and the hair is long with a 'lovelock'. Boots and gloves are of soft leather.

The period 1642 - 1651 was a time of conflict known as The English Civil War (although there were actually three civil wars) between King Charles I and his followers (often referred to as Cavaliers) and Parliament (the Roundheads). This was the second period of civil war in England's history, the first being the Wars of the Roses fought between 1455 and 1487.

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King Charles I was beheaded in 1649. The Third Civil War was fought between supporters of his son Charles II and Parliament and ended at the Battle of Worcester on 3rd September 1651. The period after the Civil War is known as The Commonwealth and lasted until the restoration of King Charles II in 1660.

English Civil War Officer - mid 17th century


This gentleman wears a suit based on the Dutch fashions then popular. It has a short unstiffened jacket and wide breeches hanging loose to the knee. Dark colours were generally worn and not confined to followers of Parliament. Matching braid provides trimming.About 1660, ribbons became popular trimmings and hundreds of metres could be used on a suit at shoulder, waist and knee, and for the bows on the square-toed shoes. He wears a fine square lace collar fashionable around 1650 - 70, a cloak and a narrow-brimmed conical hat.


This lady wears a formal dress showing how long the waistline had become since 1640. Her bodice is low and stiffened and the short sleeves show much of her lace and ribbon-trimmed shift. The skirt is made to wear open, displaying the elaborately trimmed petticoat. False curls were sometimes added to the wide-dressed hair.

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Late 17th century dress had become stiff, formal and based on French court fashions. The dress has become an over-gown pinned over the stiff corset to show the 'stomacher' and gathered back at the hips to show the embroidered petticoat. Lace frills on the shift show at the neck and sleeves. The most characteristic feature is the hair, beginning to be dressed high in the 1680's. This style was named after Mlle. de Fontanges, a favourite of Louis XIV, who is believed to have originated it. This tall headress was formed of several rows of folded lace and ribbons, rising one above the other and supported on wires.

The fashion of wearing on the face black patches of various shapes was still in fashion, small circular patch-boxes being carried so that any that fell off could be replaced. This

fashion was ridiculed at the time: "Here's all the wandring planett signes And some o' the fixed starrs, Already gumd, to make them stick, They need no other sky."

Chapter four – 1730 to 1830: The Georgians / Regency period, the time of Jane Austen


This gentleman wears a smart summer suit, with the coat more tightly fitting than at the end of the 17th century. It is made of plain cloth embroidered on edges and pockets, which are raised to hip level. The waistcoat is plain and the breeches are tighter and fasten below the knee. The shirt is frilled at the cuff and around the neck is a knotted muslin or lace cravat. He wears his own hair. For formal occasions a powdered wig tied back with a bow would be worn and his coat and waistcoat would be of patterned silks.


This lady (left) wears a 'sackback' dress developed from the flowing undress gowns of 17th century. Beneath are a stiff corset and cane side hoops supporting the skirts.The frills of her shift show at the neck, veiled in a muslin 'kerchief' and at the opening of her wing-like cuffs, which are typical of the 1750's. She

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wears a round muslin cap, the central pleat recalling the 'fontange' (1690 - 1710). For formal dress she would wear richly brocaded or embroidered silks.


This gentleman wears a plain coat, tightly fitting and cut away, forming curving tails. The waistcoat is shortened to just below the waist and the breeches are longer and tighter than before. His coat has a band collar and he wears a rather stiff stock instead of a cravat. He wears his own hair, but for formal occasions he would have a powdered wig, dressed high and tied at the back. Embroidery and trimming were no longer fashionable except for formal wear.


This dress is typical of the simple countrified styles which became fashionable towards the end of the century. It is a 'redingote' or riding coat, modelled on a man's coat. The waist has become shorter and the bosom is padded by a muslin 'buffon' neckerchief and the hips by a 'false rump'. The hair is dressed in a mass of loose curls and the lady wears a huge hat inspired by a mid-17th century riding hat. Woollen cloth, cotton and linen had become fashionable materials, while silks were worn for evening, as were small hoops since wide ones were only worn for court.

Lady's Formal Dress 1802

There was great interest at this time in ancient Greece and Rome, and this lady wears 'fashionable full dress', the style based on the drapery of classical statues. The waist is high and uncorsetted, and the materials light in colour and texture. Muslin had become a fashionable fabric. Her gown is still 18th century in cut, but for day wear it would have bodice, skirt and petticoat in one piece. Her accessories are varied: she carries a huge swansdown muff, wears long white gloves, has a tasselled girdle and a feather-trimmed turban.

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Man's Day Clothes 1805

Informal day dress is shown here, the illustration taken from a sketch portrait of George (Beau) Brummell, the fashionable ideal (and famous dandy) of his age. He persuaded men to think that dark, well cut and fitted clothes were smarter than colourful ostentatious ones. He usually wore a cut-away cloth coat with brass buttons, plain waistcoat matching his pantaloons (which replaced shorter breeches in about 1805), hessian riding boots and a hard conical riding hat, introduced in the late 18th century. Great care was taken in the laundering and tying of his stiffly starched cravat. For evening he wore a black coat and silk pantaloons instead of old fashioned knee breeches.'Beau' Brummell is credited with introducing and bringing to fashion the

modern man's suit worn with necktie; the suit is now worn throughout the world for business and formal occasions.

Evening Clothes about 1806

The lady wears a one-piece dress introduced at the end of the 18th century. Its design was inspired by the new interest in classical works of art. It has a high waist, straight skirt unsupported by petticoats and very short sleeves. Contemporaries found it daring and immodest! The material is light and striped. For warmth she has a shawl, wears long gloves and carries a muff.The gentleman's cut-away tail coat of fine cloth with velvet collar, silk stockings, tie wig and bicorne hat recall day clothes of the 18th century and anticipate the evening styles of the 20th century. Formal dress is usually a day style which persists, remaining unchanged though long since out of fashion.


The lady's dress assumes a new outline. The waist has dropped to natural level and the sleeves and skirt are wide and full. The colours are bright, trimmings elaborate and much jewellery is worn. Accessories are varied, the most noticeable being the vast hat trimmed with many ribbon bows.The man wears elegant walking dress also with a slight fullness at the shoulder and a waistcoat with lapels. He wears tight pantaloons acceptable for day wear after about 1805 and wears a higher 'top' hat.

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Welsh Country Dress about 1830

This Welsh girl from a painting of about 1830, shows how fashion lags behind in remote places. She wears a gown of 18th century cut, over a stiff corset, a printed neckerchief and a petticoat protected by a check apron. Her dress is probably made from Welsh woollen material, her mittens and stockings being knitted. Her high crowned hat can be traced back to 17th century fashions. Many wore a red, caped cloak no different from that worn by English countrywomen in the 18th and 19th century. This and the hat are the two essentials of Welsh national dress as we know it today.

Chapter five – The 19th and 20th centuries: The Victorians, Edwardians, World War One, Roaring Twenties, World War Two, The New Look, Swinging Sixties

Day Clothes about 1848/9

This restrictive and demure line is typical of the early Victorian period 1837 - 50.The lady wears a dress with a long, tight, pointed bodice and full skirt supported on many petticoats. The sleeves are tight and she also wears a shawl. She carries a parasol. The gentleman wears the new-fashioned short lounge jacket with wide trousers, introduced for country wear around 1800. His collar is lower and a bow replaces the starched cravat.


Modern industrial inventions entered fashion in the 1850's. This dress has its wide triangular skirt supported on a steel wire 'artificial crinolin', introduced around 1856 to replace the starched petticoats. The dress was probably stitched on the sewing machine which came into general use in the 1850's. The bright green owes much to the aniline dyes introduced at

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this period. The dress is plain with a high neck and long sleeves. The hat had completely replaced the bonnet.Day Clothes about 1872

This dress is described as a 'seaside costume'. A gathered 'overskirt' supported on a 'crinolette' makes the back the most important feature. The materials are light and the sewing machine has made it possible to attach quantities of pleated trimming. The jaunty hat perches on a huge bun probably made in part from false hair. Evening dresses only differed in being low necked and almost sleeveless.The man wears an informal lounge suit, the shape based on a cut-away coat. He wears the more comfortable turn-down collar with knotted tie and low-crowned 'bowler'-like hat.


This day dress has a bustle to support the weight of the heavily-trimmed overdress. The skirt, pleated and fairly wide, was thought to be an advance in comfort, although the corset was still very tight and the dress bulky. The high hat, tight collars and sleeves further restricted movement. Many women preferred the masculine-styled, plain 'tailor-made'. Indeed the Rational Dress Society was founded in 1880 with the aim of making dress healthier and more comfortable.

Pictured above - Family group photograph, mid 1890's.

Day Clothes 1896

The lady wears tailored 'walking dress'. Typical of the middle of the 1890's is the great 'leg-of-mutton' sleeve, the tight bodice, the small back frill (all that remains of the bustle) and the smooth flared skirt.The gentleman wears the top hat and frock coat that have become established formal dress for over forty years. Black is established as the

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standard colour for formal dress, and little else has changed except details like the length of the lapel and the curve of the tails. He wears a high starched collar.

Lady's Day Dress 1906

This summer dress, though worn over a 'hygienic' straight-fronted corset, is far from plain. It is made in soft pale material, trimmed with much embroidery, lace and ribbon. Since 1904 there had been new emphasis on the shoulders, and until 1908 sleeves were to be puffed out almost square. The smoothly flowing skirt is supported on petticoats almost as pretty as the dress itself. Hats were always worn, perched on the puffed-out coiffure. The parasol was a popular accessory. She carries a leather handbag, a fashion introduced at the beginning of the 19th century and revived at the end.

Lady's Day Dress 1909

The line has changed in this summer dress. It is straighter and short-waisted with a new severity of outline. The most important accessory was the hat, very large and much trimmed. The band of trimming at the ankle of the narrow skirt suggests a 'hobble' and makes it look difficult to walk, which was rather an odd fashion for women who were fighting for freedom and equal rights.

Photograph Above - Family group from around 1909. The gentleman (seated centre, below) wears a long frock coat, the other gentleman wear either formal dress or lounge suits. The ladies all sport the large trimmed hats of the period.

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Day Clothes 1920

1920 saw the introduction of the shorter, low-waisted dress, loosely cut and concealing, not defining, the figure. Flat-chested women were about to become fashionable. Hats were small, worn over neatly coiled hair. Evening dresses were often low cut, supported only by shoulder straps and made in exotic materials and colours. The man's lounge suit fits tightly and still retains its long jacket. The trousers are straight but shorter, generally with the turn-up, introduced about 1904. He wears the new, soft felt hat and spats protecting his shoes, introduced in the middle of the 19th century.


This lady shows how plain the straight, loosely-fitting, low-waisted dresses had become. They became shorter from 1920, and by 1925 legs clad in beige flesh-coloured stockings were visible to the knee. Flat figures and short 'bobbed' hair-styles reflect the boyish styles of the time.The man's suit is still high waisted with a rounded jacket. Men's trousers were full, sometimes widening at the turn-up to form 'Oxford bags'. Contrasting sports jackets were beginning to be worn at this time.

Day Clothes 1938

In 1938 outfits had become square at the shoulder, with a fairly tight, natural waist and full, flaring skirt. Styles were varied and inspired by French designers like Elisa Schiaparelli and Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, and by what the film stars wore. Evening dresses were 'classical' in satins and sequins or 'romantic' with full skirts. Hats were still small and worn tilted over the eye. Men's suits had become much broader and more padded at the shoulder, with a long jacket and wide straight trousers. Narrow 'pin'-striped materials were popular. The soft felt hat generally replaced the bowler.

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Clothes Rationing

The Second World War made the importation of cloth for clothing virtually impossible and so clothes rationing was introduced on 1st June 1941. Rationing books were distributed to every man, woman and child in Britain.Clothing was rationed on a points system. Initially the allowance was for approximately one new outfit per year; as the war progressed, the points were reduced to the point where the purchase of a coat constituted almost an entire year's clothing allowance.Inevitably styles and fashion were affected by the clothing shortages. Fewer colours were used by clothing companies, allowing chemicals usually used for dyeing to be used for explosives and other much needed resources for the war effort. Materials became scarce. Silk, nylon, elastic,

and even metal used for buttons and clasps were difficult to find.The turban and the siren suit became very popular during the war. The turban began life as a simple safety device to prevent the women who worked in factories from getting their hair caught in machinery. Siren suits, an all-enveloping boiler suit type garment, was the original jumpsuit. With a zip up the front, people could wear the suit over pyjamas making it ideal for a quick dash to the air raid shelter.The end of clothes rationing finally came on 15th March 1949.

Photograph Above:Kentwell Hall, WW2 Re-Creation.

Day Clothes 1941

The lady's suit was designed in 1941 when materials were restricted because of war. Modelled on the soldier's battledress, the jacket is waist-length with flapped pockets. The line is still pre-war with its square shoulders, natural waist and flaring skirt. Hair was worn curled, sometimes in a long, eye-covering style. For comfort and warmth many wore 'slacks' and headscarves.

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The man's suit has a new longer waist and fits more loosely. Sports jackets with contrasting trousers gave variety and economised on the 'coupons' that were issued to everybody when clothes were rationed. "The New Look" 1947

In 1947 Christian Dior presented a fashion look with a fitted jacket with a nipped-in waist and full calf length skirt. It was a dramatic change from the wartime austerity styles. After the rationing of fabric during the Second World War, Dior's lavish use of material was a bold and shocking stroke. This style became known as the 'New Look'.

Day Clothes 1967

By 1966 Mary Quant was producing short mini dresses and skirts that were set 6 or 7 inches above the knee, making popular a style that had not taken off when it made its earlier debut in 1964. The Quant style became known as the Chelsea Look.The girl has a simple natural hairdo with exotic makeup. She is very slim and wears a short, mini-skirted semi-fitted tunic made of linked colourful plastic disks, one of many new materials. The cut is simple and variety of texture, pattern and colour are all important.Short hair, dark coats and trousers and plain white shirts had been worn by men for a hundred and fifty years. Now however men's hair is worn longer, and there is a return to flamboyant materials, bright stripes, velvet

trimmings and flower patterns on shirts. He blends a Georgian style cravat, mid-Victorian tail coat and military trimmings.

Conclusion

n my opinion, fashion is a way of expressing who you are and it can be very important because it reveals many characteristics of a person. Even when the concept of fashion wasn’t still invented, people could tell what other people’s social status, habits or ideas were by the way they looked like:

clothing, accessories, hair, make-up. All of these define you and your style and it has been proven that people unwillingly pay more attention to a person’s looks than to the way they talk or they act. Therefore, it is very important to follow fashion. But one can follow fashion only if one knows fashion, so having some basic knowledge in fashion history can help us develop our own (fashionable) style.

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References

Steele, Valerie, Fifty Years of Fashion: new look to now Steele, Valerie, Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion Breward, Christopher, The Culture of Fashion: a new history of fashionable dress www.vam.ac.uk www.historic-uk.com www.wikipedia.org www.researchonline.rca.ac.uk

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http://www.researchonline.rca.ac.uk/

http://www.wikipedia.org/

http://www.historic-uk.com/

http://www.vam.ac.uk/

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