Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt mark significance when it comes to the history of fashion. Clothing and fashion were recognized to be status symbols.
Clothes that were modish and worth a king's ransom were worn by the affluent whereas low priced garments consisting of only basic,single tone, neutral colors were mostly worn by the unprivileged. The difference in their clothes would also identify the work they did, poor people would sew the garments by hand which were suitable for working only and would not be something that could be worn for lounging.During the early ancient roman civilization, men wore togas while women wore long modest dresses that covered their bodies. The sign of Roman Citizenship was toga.The 20th century has witnessed a radical change in fashion.
The Early 1900’s
The S shaped Silhouette
During the early 20th century the trend involved the chic S shaped silhouette that showed a puffed-out chest and the hips back. Women however adopted a natural silhouette by the end of the decagon. The dresses were categorized into two types: day dresses and evening dresses. Bodies from the neck till the floor were covered with day dresses having long sleeves in contrast evening dresses which adhered to the same silhouette had short sleeves requiring gloves and deep necklines.
With the advent of sports like golf,tennis and motoring in fashion, it bought its own style that was an inspiration in the early twentieth century.
The Beginning of 1910’s
The era of glitz and glamour:
The 1920’s are remarkably known for their jazz glitz and glamour. But apart from this women wanted minimalistic yet comfortable and classy look as well since before the world war they were exhausted wearing corsets,crinolines,skirts and other attires that were included in the early 1900’s the victorian era.
The popular trend of this era was “The Flapper look” they boyish look. It was also known as “la garconne”. The flapper look was constructed in a very simple way; it featured a dropped waist and hemlines rising below the knee. A new concept of feminine look was introduced by this unisex design. This was mostly promoted by COCO CHANEL. Apart from the iconic flapper look, the 1920s witnessed the creation and approval of another significant fashion trend known as the "robe de style." Aside from the “robe de style” gaining popularity during that era there was a benefit of this style as it served as an alternative to the famous flapper look. This style consisted of a dropped waist, accentuating a more young and romantic appearance. The incorporation of panniers or broad side panels that gave volume to the skirt, offering a playful and doll-like impression, was one of its distinguishing elements.
Brands like Coco Chanel,Elsa Schiaparelli and Jean Patao started creating more sportswear during this era hence sportswear became more popular.
1930’s
There was a swift transition in the apparel industry from the preceding decade’s boyish looks into the feminine silhoutte of the thirties. The most important trend during the 1930’s was the bias cut that allowed women to drape cloth all over their bodies. There was a significant influence of the television and film industry on the fashion industry during this period. Film stars such as Bette Davis, Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich are recognized as the first few Hollywood trendsetters.
1940’s (The Remarkable Year)
Ever wondered if these were all the trends then what led to the emergence of uniforms and when? Well it was during this decade that world war II broke which led to the outcome of shortage of cloth and so fashion transformed to functionality bringing uniforms for men and women who fought in the war. Hemlines below the knee, cinched waist and padded shoulders were a common look of the uniforms made during this time.
After the world war came to an end, the greatest french luxury fashion brand “Christian dior” brought forward their remarkable “New Look” which was a trailblazing design. This design was never seen before in the fashion industry and was considered something that was completely outside the box. No one could imagine using different sorts of fabric integrating them into one to create such a luxurios and classy look except Dior. The brand wanted to celebrate freedom which once seemed impossible to them while celebrating women’s beauty. Cinched in waist and embroidered full skirt was what consisted in this “New Look”.
The Emerging fashion Trends (1950’s)
The “New Look” that was a groundbreaking style was still popular in this era. However, this decade witnessed the emergence of straighter and slimmer silhouettes in contrast to the old fashion silhouettes. Cristobal Balenciaga “Sack dress” in the 1950’s broke records of every fashion trend that existed before, the fashion industry was mortified by these new never seen before silhouettes. Parallels could not be drawn between Dior and Balenciaga. The sack dress had broad shoulders, box shapes and gave volume to the skirts and dresses by playing creatively with the fabrics. Another brand that came into competition with Dior was Coco Chanel. She reintroduced her signature style that consisted of straight skirts and boxy jackets.
This era brought forward the pioneers of Paris Couture that included dior, Balenciaga and Coco Chanel.
2000’s to 2010’s
Stars and characters from television series such as The OC, One Tree Hill, and Gossip Girl served as the decade's style idols, impacting numerous individuals.
The swift development of the internet, which transferred into style, was additionally an aspect of fashion. A movie called The Matrix, in especially, encouraged Balenciaga, Calvin Klein, and Yves Saint Laurent to use almost entirely black for their Autumn 2001 designs.Following the terrible attacks of 9/11, style reverted to conservatism, informal clothing, and leisurewear, with denim ruling dominant. Ripped,bellbottom, boyfriend, mom,skinny jeans are some of the different jeans that came in fashion. Sneakers, like Nike Air Jordans and Adidas Yeezys, were an essential component of the look. Ugg boots and platform heels were additionally trendy.
2020’s
The outbreak of covid in 2020 had a significant impact on the fashion industry. People wanted to wear clothes that were comfortable which led to activewear or the 1990’s fashion trends to come again. So far, the twenty-first century's have additionally brought back patterns from earlier eras, which includes tiny skirts and dresses from the 1960s and the Y2K trend from the 2000s.
This concludes the brief overview of fashion history throughout the years. We covered the most vital trends in fashion, subcultures, and designers that you as a consumer should be aware of. So which one was your favourite fashion era?We would appreciate hearing from you.