The of Fashion History - Research Paper Example

Task Fashion The history of fashion can be traced back to the 19th century when fashion houses were developed to provide the common fashion trends in clothing and other accessories. The development of the fashion industry began with the time when the first shops started selling fashion accessories to people. This was the first recorded fashion shop that was opened in France by Charles Frederick Worth. Through the products sold in his shop, Worth was able to dictate what individuals residing within the region wore. The designs that were made by his team of tailors became the cultural norms that defined fashion at the time. Through his wide knowledge and royal connections, he was able to design clothes for popular individuals, which made his designed become increasing famous and create a class in his works (Carroll 150). During this period, the dresses, which were worn by individuals, and the materials utilised in making the accessories which they wore, defined a social class which an individual belonged to. The queen of France developed elaborate gowns that she used to create her persona during the 19th century. The aspects of creating a persona through dressing and accessories resulted in individuals wishing to connect to the queen by adopting similar dressing codes. These gowns became the cultural norm for the women of higher social class in France during the early 19th century. Through the fashion, the queen was able to articulate herself and set precedence for other monarchs, which were relatively common during that period. It became increasingly popular for monarchs to have an official dress code, which mainly resulted from common fashions. Paris has been highly associated with fashion because of the early development in fashion within the city. Fashion magazines from different countries commonly sent editors to fashion shows in Paris and the fashion stores in order to gather materials, for writing about fashion. Many people commonly seem to copy the well, developed designs that have been established and Paris offered exquisite designs of many products ranging from clothing, shoes and even ornaments. The spread of French fashion was enhanced through these magazines, which individuals in other parts of the world relied on to make decisions regarding fashion products. As the popularity of fashion magazines increased, many of them began including photographs which became influential on the future designs adopted in different regions of the world. The magazines were greatly sought after and had a noteworthy consequence on the perception of fashion on the general public. During the early 20th century, changes in fashion were unthinkable as dressing was mainly determined by the occasions for which the dress was being adopted. Many people commonly dressed according to the season and the dressing became associated with the season of the year in which the people were living. The distinguishing characteristic of fashion became the seasons of the year. During the 1920s, for example, there was a significant transformation in fashion after women became more accustomed to freedom and went for masculine looks (Crane 34). This gave rise to the advance of the first female suits, which were designed based on the male counterparts. As a result, these radically and rationally elegant garments became an absolute necessary part of the any well-dressed woman’s wardrobe during this period. Clothing fashion has endured a long transformational history jewellery has not experienced such transformation based on design. This is mainly because jewellery of commonly worn for specific purposes and has been traditional utilised to denote social status of people. The significant variations that have occurred are in the form of materials utilised in making the various ornaments. The materials used in making jewellery have significant cultural attachments either based on religions or socio-cultural values of people. In most ancient cultures jewellery were kept as a form of wealth since they were utilised in the barter trade for various commodities. Significant transformations in the jewellery fashion has come as a result of the materials which are used in making the jewels. Within the social setting jewellery has been extensively used to denote the social status of the person wearing. In the ancient roman times for example sumptuary laws dictated who could wear what kind of jewellery based on rank in the social status. Different cultures have significantly influenced the fashion of jewellery around the world since it is mainly worn with cultural values attached to it. In the early 20th century, the element of wearing hearings by men was considered effeminate in the western world (Crane 77). However, as time progressed and the fashion became popularised by musicians and other superstars, it became commonplace and a fashion for any man to have a hearing, without being perceived negatively within the society. Fashions in the society have been greatly influenced by the cultural values and the social status which the design is attached to. Religious people for example have always had certain ornaments which they use for special religious reasons. The Christian crucifix was adopted by the Latin Catholic Church and is an ornament of significant importance. With time and the spread of Christianity around the word, other Christian churches adopted the crucifix as a representation of their commitment to the Christian religion. The crucifix, however, have significant discrepancies with the one used by the Roman Catholic Church. In the Roman Catholic Church the corpus is normally a three-dimensional figure. In the eastern states of Europe, it is inly painted on the cross and in the protestant churches only the cross is use without a corpus. It, however, remains a popular Christian symbol despite the form which it takes. The fashion of shoes has evolved from the basic function of protecting the foot to become associated with different activities and styles. The designs of shoes vary from culture to culture and the function attached to the shoe. Sandals were the earliest forms of shoes adopted to be used to protect the feet from injuries, these shoes are still very popular in modern society and remains widespread. These traditional designs have been popularised by modernised adaptations aimed at designing shoes being used for different functions (González and Bovone 99). The availability of materials was also a factor which was considered in determining the material which would be utilised. Traditionally, many shoes were made of natural materials like leather, and these have been increasingly adopted in the modern world, and remain the most common materials used in making shoes. Due to the scarcity of the natural materials in the modern times other materials have also been popularised although the designs still remains the original ones adopted in the medieval times. Despite the scarcity of the materials used for making shoes, the element of design has remains similar to the traditional one. This has only popularised the traditional designs by presenting them in different materials, consequently making them appear more authentic. Adaptations to the traditional shoes have been maintained for a long period of time. While the early designs were simple and designed to provide simple protection. Modern designs have become enhanced to sufficiently increase the safety presented by shoes upon the individuals wearing them. The natives of North America used a common design of shoe called moccasin. This types of footwear was made from leather and was soft soled. The shoes were meant to be utilised during the dry weather whilst during the winter the people usually walked barefoot. This was a popular design of shoe in North America, however with the evolution of design and use of shoes they have been transformed and become widespread in different parts of the world. Modern day loafers are the adoption of moccasins. Fashions keep on changing and transforming from simple unique designs to become common and popular social elements. The development of a design into a trend results in the definition of the trend as a fashion which existed during a particular time. Though fashion is commonly associated with women, the trends which exist in the dressing and other accessories result in development of common fashions within the society. Men and women alike have become affected by the existing changes in various trends of dressing. Many of the unique styles are popularised by famous personalities and this results in other people aspiring to look like the famous people to adopt similar trends, resulting in the development of fashion from unique designs in the society. The assessment of fashion indicates that many of the most popular trends began a simple designs from unique individual’s styles of clothing and other accessories. The significance of different regions in the development of fashion is based on the capability for the regions to have developed authentic fashion products. Italian and French designs continue to leads and have become increasingly accepted as the trendsetter around the world of global fashion. Milan is dominant because of the profound history of authentic designs in shoes and clothing. The aspect of quality and unique design become associated with the profound history of fashion within this region. Works cited Carroll, Angela. “Brand Communications in Fashion Categories Using Celebrity Endorsement.” Journal of Brand Management 17.2 (2009): 146–158. Print. Crane, Diana. Fashion and Its Social Agendas: Class, Gender, and Identity in Clothing. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2012. Print. González, Ana Marta, and ‎laura Bovone. Identities Through Fashion: A Multidisciplinary Approach. London: Berg, 2013. Print.  Read More