1. The History of Fashion

2. Learning Targets
Describe the evolution of fashions from early civilizations to the nineteenth century.
Explain factors that influenced fashion history.
Explore examples of clothing styles in the twentieth century.

3. Think about it . . . The fashions that teens wear now
What inspired them?
Could they have been worn earlier in the 20th century?
You are wearing the same blue jeans that a coal miner might of worn 150 years ago- sure there are changes- but jeans are jeans!
Fashion has developed over time, but just like history, it repeats itself!

4. The Earliest Clothing
Thousands of years ago people learned to make clothing from natural resources as protection from the weather.
Animal skins & hair
Plants
Grasses
Tree bark
How do we know? Cave and tomb drawings and ancient sculptures.

5. First Clothes & Fabrics
Simple in structure & design
Varied from region to region
Fragments of textiles date back to 7500 B.C.
Linen cloth was made from flax plants by Egyptians in 5000 B.C
Thousands of years later inhabitants of India, Pakistan, and possibly Americans made fabric of cotton

6. Fashions of Early Civilizations
People learned to raise animals and grow crops
They refined the arts of spinning, weaving, and dyeing
They began to cut fabric into garments
Ancient fashion contributors include:
Egypt
Minoan
Greece
Roman Empire
China
Japan

7. Evolution of Fashion Fashion changed very slowly
People often wore the same style clothing for life
A particular style could continue past a lifetime
Until the 14th century, European clothes were loose-fitting and draped
Around 1350 people started wearing more fitted styles
Regional clothing differences became visible as European settlers came to America

8. Middle Ages (400 – 1400) Men Women Embroidery and decorative edging
Knee-length pants called breeches
Women
Gowns with a fitted bodice, full skirt, and long, full sleeves.
Embroidery and decorative edging
Wealthy wore silk garments trimmed with fur and adorned with silver accents
Peasant clothes were limited to certain colors and fabrics

9. 1500’s Renaissance (16th Century)
Elaborate designs
Beautiful fabrics
Elegant decorations
Exploration of the New World
Gold threads woven into fabrics
Jewels, lace, and furs decorated garments
Wealthier classes set the standard for fashion
Both men and women wore ruffs- stiff, pleated collars that framed the face-and shoes with buckles and bows

10. 1600’s (17th Century) France was the world’s fashion leader
Lace was an important decoration
Powdered wigs made their way in style
Necklines became lower, hairstyles became higher, and beauty marks were applied to the face.

11. Early 1700’s (18th Century)
Colonization followed by the Revolutionary War.
Men and woman’s fashions were elaborate and elegant with laces, ribbons, and colorful silks.
The late 1700’s were influenced by Greek sculpture.
Common woman began wearing loose, flowing, muslin dresses based on Greek garments.
Woman began using purses.
Hairstyles featured soft, ringlet curls.

12. Early 1800’s (19th Century)
France changed from a monarchy to a democracy
Social change and the rise of the middle class meant that many people could afford to buy new clothes more often.
Women wore gowns with high (empire) waistlines that developed into more elaborate dresses with petticoats and crinolines.
Men wore cutaway jackets, trousers, and matching garments.

13. Influences on Fashion History
Trade
As societies traded goods with each other, they also exchanged ideas that influenced their clothing
Quickened by the practice of barter
Politics & Powers
The emergence of middle class prompted royalty and wives of political leaders to become fashion leaders

14. Influences on Fashion History
Religion
Clothing became a statement of religious beliefs
Technology
Used to change and improve fabrics & clothing
Industrial Revolution provided power-driven machines to weave fabric and sew garments quicker than by hand
Development of factories created ready-to-wear garments
Growth of large dry-goods stores
Introduction of rayon and other new fibers/fabrics