Fashion as an Art

If anyone remembers watching shows such as Full House, Friends, Boy Meets World, or Rugrats, it is clear that the 90’s was an era of fashion that like eras before it, changed things up fashion-wise! The 90’s not only did its own thing in regards to fashion, but it also incorporated previous fashion trends as well.

The 90s era was absolutely notorious for its “grunge fashion”. The “grunge fashion” was a mixed of left over punk rock and some metal fashion. The people who sported this grunge look did not really have aims at popularity or to look like a pop icon (quite the contrary music-wise). This look was very independent and very under the radar of popular culture. This look incorporated a lot of plaid as well as a lot of denim. Sometimes you could see high-wasted jeans on women but they could also be seen wearing normal cut jeans as well. In the typical grunge look there is always a plain t-shirt underneath of an oversized plaid button-up. Hair was left very natural (no one did the extreme hair straightening back then) and makeup was kept to a minimum. As far as footwear was concerned, people could often be seen sporting sneakers or low black boots.

Some of the style icons (and models) of this time included Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks– two names that our population is still accustomed to hearing about today.

Finally, I will end with some suggestions for the girls for what to wear to Thanksgiving 2013. If you are planning on having a more laid-back, small dinner with just family I would go with a longer sweater, some leggings, a pair of riding boots, and some simple accessories. This outfit will be perfect and forgiving after everyone indulges in their Thanksgiving meal. If your Thanksgiving dinner is going to be a little bit larger and you are trying to dress to impress a little bit more, I would definitely try going for a looser-fitting (yet still flattering dress), tights, riding boots or heeled booties, and some accessories such as simple earrings paired with a watch or a few bracelets. Both of these outfits will definitely make an impression on family or friends, while still allowing you to feel comfortable post meal!

Happy Turkey Day everyone!

*I will be continuing fashion posts in the next semester so this not my last post*

Fashion in the 80s was totally unlike any other era before it. This decade of fashion was quite possibly as bipolar of an era as one could get. There were times when people would be wearing skin tight pants one day and the next day be wearing loose MC Hammer like pants. There was never really an easy way to predict what would come next. Another example of the outlandish fashion that could’ve been seen was wearing leg warmers, a sweater, and a mini skirt all in one ensemble. If that isn’t bold, then I don’t know what is…

During this time period neon colors were incorporated into clothing like it was nobody’s business. Bright’s could be seen almost any ensemble which is part of why this era was so unique. Also unique to this time frame, were the extreme shoulder pads. These shoulder pads could be seen not just in jackets and shirts but also protruding from nice dresses as well. One of the icons that could be seen sporting this look was Princess Diana shown here….

As I mentioned above, mini skirts and leg warmers were absolutely vital to fashion in the 80s.  The introduction to females showing more skin had begun to emerge even more in the decade prior to the 80s. Beginning in the 80s however, girls took that to a whole other level. One of the mottos with mini skirts was, “The shorter the better!” If that is any indication to what was taking place during this time, I think you could get the gist. These skirts were not just traditional looking materials however; girls everywhere were experimenting with that too. They began to try skirts made out of knit and leather and often paired that look with leggings (which have also made a big comeback).

Now onto the notorious leg warmers… (Personally, I love leg warmers and think that they are a great addition to society but not everyone would agree with me on that). One reason that I like stylish leg warmers today is because they are perfect for the frigid winter months. Leg warmers were not always viewed like that though. Back in the day, women wore leg warmers with anything. Obviously, they were quite helpful in the winter, but women also wore them all year round. Maybe their legs were just cold with those mini skirts? That has yet to be made clear.

There were a couple of other fads that were present during this time that I will just briefly gloss over. Those fads included huge earrings, fingerless gloves, parachute pants, members only jackets, UNITS boutiques, stretch-stirrup pants, and oversized tops. Out of all of those (mostly fleeting) fashions, the only one that seemed to stick was the oversized shirt.

I am going to end today’s post with how you could incorporate some 80s fashion into your wardrobe during these colder fall days. For one of my favorite go to looks for class it is absolutely essential that you have that oversized shirt. Throw on a long sleeved oversized shirt (maybe a neutral color) that hits somewhere on your thigh, some black leggings, boots, aviators, an infinity scarf, your winter jacket, shake out your hair and you’re good to go!

Stay warm State College!

http://www.liketotally80s.com/top-80s-fashion-trends.html

If there is any fashion era that has made a comeback, it is most definitely the 1970s! Within the last five to ten years, I have seen more elements of 70s fashion appear in trends than any other decade. Many say that the 70s were a the time that the fashion revolution took place… I would have to agree!

The 70s seemed to be very similar to 1969, just a little bit more flamboyant. Color wise- everything was very bright and there was an abundance of tight fitting pants (on both females as well as males) and platform shoes—how fun! Those tight pants that everyone was sporting, is contrary to the skinny jeans that we see today they had some major flare at the bottom. Those were more commonly known as bellbottoms. On a side note, this was the first decade where it became socially acceptable for women to wear pants whenever they pleased.

Needless to say, this was the era of the hippies. From the Woodstock in 1969 to the emerging fashion that followed, that all seemed to be a general indication of how the fashion was going to develop during this decade. The most common fashion pieces that could be spotted during this time included: chest hair (on males), medallions, polyester, butterfly collars, bellbottoms, skin-tight t-shirts, sandals, leisure suits, flower patterned dress shirts, sideburns and tennis headbands.

Some of the fashions that we have seen return today include high-waisted pants, shorts and skirts; shorter crop tops, etc. The mindset was a very peaceful and there was most definitely a more passive and laid back environment present.

One other more common fad during this time period was the notorious Disco! This is where we saw a lot of those platform shoes that were all of the buzz during that time period along with those flared pants that everyone was so crazy about! However, by the time that 1979 rolled around, all of the colors became more bleak and more like earth tones, blacks, and whites.

Finally, I am going to try something new and end the post with some fashion advice (sorry in advanced, it may not always be unisex). With Halloween coming and going this weekend I thought that I might give some tips in how to incorporate the 70s into your costumes… For the guys: try to get your hands on a vintage 70s type suit or see if you can find some bellbottoms, shades, and a tighter shirt… For the girls: I would go with some high-waisted shorts or bellbottoms, a cropped crochet looking halter top (I know that this does not go with the colder weather), a flower headband, some wavy looking hair, and a cool pair of plain platform wedges!

Stay classy State College!

http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~mwaltos/lis506/project/1970s/fashion.html

http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/woodstock-at-40-fields-of-fashion-2233400

Like I have stated in previous posts, whatever the emerging fashion seemed to be during the era was, it always seemed to be a true depiction of the attitudes during that time as well. Needless to say, the 1960s were no different. This era was totally dominated by the baby boomers and all of the ideals that came along with them.

This was the beginning of when fashion and ideals started to become increasingly more liberal. Women (and some men) during this time started to sport colorful fabrics and bolder designs. This time frame and the styles that came out of it defied so many of the social norms that had been previously been established. Some of those norms included how conservative the previous styles were and straying away from those.

Something very new that came out during this time was the concept of unisex clothing such as jeans that could be worn by all with varying styles. A big fad during this era was “Mod-fashion”. Mod stands for modern and was a trend that had come over from Britain during the 60s and quickly spread. This was a very youthful style that also spread throughout other parts of Europe and Australia. This style focused a lot on geometric shapes and slim-fitting styles. The dull colors that had seemed to be prevalent in the 1950s were finally put to rest when the 60s came around with bright popping hues. All of those factors allowed for more cost effective clothing and the ability to have them mass-produced for the public.

To further go along with the times, the hemlines were raised for the females, which showed drastically more skin than females ever had in the past. During this time, the mini skirt was coined. Until this decade, skirts had often fallen to about the knee whereas now they were rising above that. In the beginning of this fad, it was highly frowned upon and considered to be a big social controversy. Over time, that belief began to fade out and the legs and those concepts that had been hidden for centuries became more and more accepted and even embraced.

With that aside, mini skirts became something beyond some new fad- they were seen as a symbol. These new skirts became a symbol of rebellion in youth not only just from old customs but also transforming their entire appearance. Those girls were also looked at as promoters of feminism for defying all of the rules set in place in society as to what females should wear and creating their own new image.

http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-14_u-189_t-507_c-1878/fashion-in-the-1960s/nsw/history/australia-s-social-and-cultural-history-in-the-post-war-period/social-and-cultural-features-of-the-1960s

http://s563.photobucket.com/user/swingingsixties2/library/1960s%20Life%20and%20Fashion

In the late 1940s, Christian Dior started what would become the 1950s fashion with his “New Look”. This fashion statement encompassed a full skirt that fell below mid-calf length, a small-accentuated waist, rounded looking lines on the shoulders, and a pointed bust. This look became wildly popular post WWII—but it did take a little while for it to become fully accepted by the American public. It only became more popular as the look began to surface on numerous magazines along with a more tailored, feminine look.

During the time that this more tailored feminine look arose, this was about the same time that gloves, pearls, peplums, and pencil skirts also came out as fashionable items for up and coming females in society. All of these aspects of the new fashion pieces had a few things in common. Many of the pieces were made to be classy, while at the same time accentuate the lines that appealed to others on the female body.

In the 1950s was when dresses also began to take a different shape outside of the traditional conservative clothing that had been typical until this era. My thoughts are that, WWII was so unordinary compared to everything that had taken place prior to that which created a new mindset to for the public—especially the females. The females (who had taken over jobs, become accustomed to wearing pants and such while their loved ones were away fighting overseas) had become accustomed to defying the social norms. One of the main examples of this was showing a little bit more skin in those dresses. During this time is when shirt dresses and halter dresses became more popular. Some of the lower-cut dresses that fell under the area of evening gowns or cocktail dresses had short shrugs or jackets to accompany these dresses.

One of the other short lasting fads that was present in 1950s was the poodle skirt. The girls in the poodle skirts were often portrayed as drinking milkshakes with their saddle shoes at the sock-hops. Unfortunately, this fun portrayal of the 1950s was not what the actual entirety of the 1950s looked like.

In my last article, I touched on the change in clothing materials that were occurred during WWII. In the 1950s there were many new synthetic and easily cared for fabrics. It is said that these materials really coincided with the easy-going suburban lifestyles that had evolved. One of the acknowledgments made during this time was the idea that the teenage years were a relevant time period of maturation. Because of this finding (and it being made public) marketing- in fashion and elsewhere- was starting to be targeted more and more towards teenagers and young adults.

http://fashion.lilithezine.com/1950s-Fashion.html

http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~mwaltos/lis506/project/1950s/fashion.html

As the times progressed even more, women’s fashion began to evolve even further. This was especially true during the Great Depression and World War II era. As the men began to go overseas during the war, the women began to fill in and take over where the men had left off. During the Great Depression, people really learned what it was like to cut back. There were many fabrics that became unavailable therefore causing women to cut back in elegance and style. As a result of some of the fabrics not being readily available, artificial fabrics were introduced to compensate for the lack thereof. Also, since many of the fabrics were either being cut back or used to make materials for objects going overseas the clothes during this time were definitely made for practicality.

Contrary to the colors such as yellow, purple, and white that were prevalent in the early 1900s, the WWII time period began to incorporate more sullen, dark colors. In my opinion, this could have had to do with the sullen emotions that were present or with the lack of color options because of the expenses. In regards to jewelry, most of the jewels that were present during that time consisted of costume jewelry.

Since the men were all going off to war, the females began to take over the male roles not only just fully taking over at home but also in the workforce. When the women began to go into the workforce that drastically changed the way that they dressed on a daily basis. Scene as how women were beginning to do more physically demanding work, that is when pants on females began to be more engrained in the culture and socially acceptable. When the men began to return from abroad, they wanted their jobs back. The women not only wanted to keep some of those jobs, but they also wanted to keep the culture that they had recently established alive as well.

As the suffragette movement began in full swing women of that era continued to get bolder—not just in their mannerisms, but also with their clothing. As time could problem tell, the females at the head of fashion were beginning to do away with the old Victorian fashion and this covered an entire realm of things. The ladies were done with the full skirts; they totally did away with the constricting corsets, and went with something with more smoothing lines as opposed to the traditional tightly bound figure. The basic silhouette that began to emerge was one that was very slimming and did not need layers of clothing to compensate for the harsh lines; instead, there was just one layer.

During this time, women began to take more of an interest in the tailored suit, which really brought forth the professional manner that they were trying to create. This went hand-in-hand with the women wanting to be taken more seriously as well. In regards to colors—that began to change too. Women began to stray away from the traditional darker colors that people had become to accustomed to seeing. Women who were involved in the suffrage movement began to incorporate the color white into their wardrobe much more. The color white was not just an up and coming fashionable color however; the women who wore white during this time were also trying to send a message while they were protesting. They were trying to have the color white send a subliminal message of purity, innocence, and youth. One source stated that the white might have been intended to suggest the purity and high-mindedness of their goals. Other colors that became more popular during that time (especially in the United States) were purple and yellow. These colors are also often associated with youthful images.

Something else that was groundbreaking for this time, was the clothing that women were sporting began to show a little bit more skin. This was a totally new concept for so many scene as how prior fashion had always been much more conservative in nature. Some of the body parts that people were starting to show more and more of were the collarbone- because neck lines were not as high cut, the wrist and low arm- because it was now considered to be acceptable for the sleeves to go to the elbows as opposed to all the way to the wrist, and the ankles- because hemlines were beginning to slightly rise.

Now finally for the bloomers… the bloomers had started to make an appearance in the mid 1800s for more practical purposes. During the time that bloomers came out, mostly women who were working such as nurses during the Civil War wore them. In the 1900s, they became more for athletic purposes and only for a selective group of women who were in fact, athletic.

http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2013/03/guest-post-great-strides-for-the-new-woman-suffrage-and-fashion.html

http://monicadmurgia.com/2011/04/21/fashion-critics-the-writing-is-on-the-wall/

As fashion continued to progress throughout the ages, the importance of good fashion became more and more heightened. During the romantic era, the wardrobe had become increasingly more decorative and high-maintenance. The main things that could be taken out of this era were the fuller skirts, and the waistline became more normal in the apparel. Aside from the natural positioning of the waistline, the dreadful corseting was making a comeback as well. Based on some of my research, the Romantic Era was one in which females were once again put onto the back burner. During this time, women were looked at as more fragile and delicate. Many of this had to do with the emotional state that they were believed to have. Although women were looked at in such a fragile state, on the contrary, they were also looked down upon if they did not uphold the high moral standards. This could be seen as slightly contradictory, but nonetheless, kept the fashion tendencies high-class.

Now to the Victorian Era… Queen Victoria herself influenced all of the fashion during the mid 1800s to the early 1900s. Queen Victoria was known to be modest to a point, and she was very much a model for leadership, motherhood, and marriage. She essentially had the entire package going for her. All of the clothing that was influenced by the Queen, were not only influential, but also reflected her values during that time period. One of the main articles of clothing that came out of this time period, were the exceptionally long and full skirts. These skirts had a tendency to completely envelope the bottom portion of the female figure. In this time period that is when hoops began to emerge. These hoops were essentially large rings that would support the skirt and many other layers underneath of those skirts. Those skirts began to be the greater attraction in regards to the elegant outfits. The top portion of the dresses and skirts were still kept relatively tiny. These proportions were still being designed so that women looked as though they had a weak upper frame. This was probably one of the more modest eras in our history. Although the clothing was incredibly elegant, materials and garments covered for the most part the entirety of the female body. This was also when females sported higher end bonnets as well. These bonnets covered the females’ faces so that from the side, people could not really see their profiles.

Now, one may think to themselves, why did the females never rebel from wearing these styles of clothing? This was the era that the problems with the restrictive dress began to arise. Many people would commonly recognize this portion of history as the beginning stages of the suffrage movement. More concerns with the health and welfare of woman began to surface during this time. Females began to see this restrictive clothing as unhealthy and restricting in regards to what they could physically do as well.

As a transition into next week, this is when bloomers first made their debut! More next week on that…

http://char.txa.cornell.edu/art/dress/historic/romantic/romantic.htm

As I touched on in my last post, in the earlier years, people’s fashion was very reliant on their social class and wealth. Some of this may seem like common sense; only those who can afford nice clothes can be expected to wear the more elegant gowns, undergarments, etc. Unfortunately for that time period, it was a lot more complex than that. Fashion for some would have been considered to be a crime. There were laws that restricted women from spending a lot of money on clothes, unless they were royalty. The laws did not only forbid women on what types of clothing they were able to wear, but also on the materials that they were allowed to purchase as well as different colors that were explicitly for the royalty. Those laws were called the Sumptuary Laws. These laws were passed by King Edward III and were highly in favor of the royalty and upper classes as were many laws and regulations at the time.

Interestingly enough, the fashion trends of this time period always underwent a bit of a shift when a new king or queen came into power. This could fluctuate in many different manners such as fabrics changing, colors changing, or just overall changes in what was socially acceptable to wear (in all social classes). In the beginning of the medieval time period, the French fashion began to make its way into the English court. Throughout those changes, the most significant was by far the Crusade time period. As everything was coming in from the Far East, so were the clothes. During that time period, people were introduced new silks (such as brocades), satins, damasks, and velvets. From that point on, the fabrics only continued to get more and more luxurious. After all of these new, expensive fabrics began to make their way into the medieval culture, one of the ways that the royals really stood out from the lower classes were the coloring in their clothing. During King Henry I and Queen Maude’s reign, they brought in expensive dyes that were really able to differentiate themselves from everyone else.

From that point on, there was no looking back. Based upon some of the queen’s that were in power, they brought forth many fashion trends that enabled fashion to move forward in Europe, Asia, and beyond. Two of the biggest influential queen’s that oversaw the court were Eleanor of Castile and Marguerite of France, who were both married to King Edward I. The Spanish and French influence that came from these two queens was phenomenal. Their main contribution during this time was the gowns and sleeves that were so long and trailing.

During this entry, I have discussed the high-class fashion of the medieval times a lot while sort of pushing the lower class fashion to the wayside. During the medieval times, the lower classes often wore tunics, trousers, laced sandals, and sometimes-even togas. There were not many ways that the people- women especially- could get their hands on this higher-class clothing, but they still followed the fashion trends to the best of their ability. All in all, the medieval times seemed to be the beginning of elegance in Europe that would soon evolve everywhere!

http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/medieval-fashion.htm

http://www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/309367330?view_mode=2

The human species began wearing clothing 170,000 years ago according to Discovery News Online. It would be an understatement to say that fashion has drastically evolved throughout the centuries. Thinking back at what the typical picture of a caveman or cavewoman looked like, we think of them as sparsely clothed and wearing nothing but a few rags here and there. Then we move to more recent history in old-time Europe and such where fashion, as a concept and the clothing that one wore, was used as a tool to define social classes and disjoin the royalty from the poverty. As the years go went by, fashion continued to develop and mature in many manners. There were many waves of fashion that came and went, some becoming merely a fad whereas some because permanently engrained in our nation’s, let alone the world’s, history. With all of that being said, none of those fads or trends compares to the way that fashion has evolved today. In today’s day in age, fashion has the ability to define a person. It can define who they are, what their interests are, and so much more ranging from personal beliefs to political movements.

Throughout the duration of this blog, I will examine different fashions- both fleeting and more permanent- as well as different eras of clothing, clothing in regards to different social classes and much, much more. With all of that being said, it wouldn’t be right to begin this blog if I did not start it off by covering the Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week (MBFW/NYFW).

The fashion weeks that take place across the world give the public first-look access to see the latest up and coming seasonal trends, in this case- Spring 2014. At these runway shows all of the A-List designers are present in order to bring the rest of the world their dreams for the up and coming fashion world at large. The MBFW started off with a bang when Nicholas K showcased his spring fashion line on September 5 in one of New York City’s various studios. Throughout the week there were many other designers and big brand names like Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karen, Rebecca Minkoff, J. Crew, and many others. Although all of the clothes being showcased are generally higher end, it is not just the clothes that the designers are trying to sell. The designers are trying to sell the ideas, the colors, and the concepts of their designs. All of the designers and companies want to sell and inspire the fashion world to take their designs and then somehow make it their own, and own it!

In my opinion, it is truly incredible just how much power the fashion world really has.  The designers get to scout out what is going on in the world, see what people are wearing, and then they get to adapt the styles in order to put the fashions into their own perspective for the upcoming seasons. MBFW did not disappoint for this next season- per usual, all models were dressed to impress!