The birth of fashion
From ancient times, fashion denotes for social status as well as varsity jacket men cultural norms of a society. In Ancient Egypt, for example, rich persons wore linen and gold jewelry to indicate their high status. In Greece and Rome, clothing was used as indicators of rank, and elaborate garments such as the toga and tunic served practical purposes as well as ceremonial ones.
However, the concept of fashion as we know it today came into being only from the 14th and 15th centuries onward in Europe. In this period, there started surfacing a new merchant class desirous of making all its subjects into this extravagance: to flaunt its wealth and sophistication through clothing. As textiles became increasingly available for all classes, clothing began to evolve from functional to rather an expression of taste and status. Thus, fashion was born in royal courts, where the elite set the trends.
Renaissance and Glamorous Dawn of Fashion
It was a period of change for fashion; art and culture revived in Europe. The elite, especially in Italy and France, started to play with the idea of rich detail and heavy fabrics coupled with beaded accessories. This was during those times when the concept of haute couture as we know it was coming into view; that is, the making of clothing of the highest quality, specifically tailored for the wearer.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, splendour in fashion reached its climax, famous under Louis XIV, when the French court became the world exemplar of ostentation with its glitzy attire. Baroque characteristics tended to lavish embellishment-lace, pearls and rich embroidery. Thus arose a French aristocracy, cementing Paris as the capital of fashion for the coming centuries.
19th Century: The Fight for Fashion
In the mid-19th century, the Industrial Revolution altered the entire concept of fashion. Technological improvements and mass production made clothing cheaper and available to the masses. black leather jacket The invention of ready-made clothing signified that fashion was no longer restricted to the wealthy elite. Their arms started fashion by the hands of those considered commoners.
In this era, prominent designers began launching the fashion houses that were to herald the future of haute couture. Among others, Worth’s designs represented a revolution in fashion, renowned as the first designer to establish a fashion house in 1858.
