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26 THE FASHION DESIGN REFERENCE + SPECIFICATION BOOK
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Chapter 3: Fashion History
Fashion designers have a wealth of information to turn to when they look to the
historical archives of clothing. A student of history can spend a lifetime delving
into such a fascinating subject, and even the most avid fans will merely scratch
the surface. Any good designer, however, should make a habit of two things:
First, cultivate an understanding and an appreciation for the cycles of history
and the ways that they allow one to anticipate how society might respond to
ideas. Second, continue to seek out, collect, and assimilate the historical
references that speak to them as a designer.
No abridgement of an era could do it justice for the true scholar. Volumes upon
volumes of detailed treatises have been dedicated to the study of almost every
historical period. The goal here is to begin a simple outline that will serve as
a roadmap, encouraging many side trips into the vast and varied periods of
fashion that are so well documented in books, on the Internet, and in museum
collections (many of which are available to industry professionals and students
by appointment). This simpli cation is intentional, for it serves to clarify a
larger picture as well as the stimuli behind changes in fashion.
The evolution of fashion runs in cycles, each with peaks and valleys symbolic
of their corresponding socioeconomic impacts. In recent history, this can be
illustrated by the rise and fall of hemlines. Fashion icons also play an impor-
tant role in every era, as they breathe life into clothing and often put their
unique stamp on the fashions of their day. With a broad perspective on all
these aspects of fashion history, designers are better equipped to recognize
how trends develop and can both deliver what their customers desire today as
well as anticipate future demand.
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COSTUME HISTORY
The origins of clothing falls into the category of what is now considered regional or folk cos-
tume. Much of it can often be pinpointed to a country, a region, or even a town because
customs and traditions in any particular area were so insulated from the rest of the world. As
communication and transportation technologies expanded over time, information and products
would reach farther and farther, and fashion cycles would speed up.
In the Beginning
The first garments fashioned by man were made from the hides of animals. Initially, worn over
the shoulders with no way to secure them, these skins were cumbersome and left parts of the
body unprotected. The Paleolithic Age is distinguished by evidence of the use of stone tools.
From a fashion perspective, the truly significant discovery of this period is the invention of the
eyed needle. Needles made of bone and wood allowed cut pieces of hides to be assembled to
conform to the body.
Felt and bark cloth were developed from animal and vegetable fibers, respectively. Layers
of these fibers were put through a matting process until they bonded, producing a workable
cloth. Eventually, people learned to spin these fibers into thread. The threads were then woven
into cloth, usually small rectangles that were wrapped around the body like a sarong. Over
time the skill and scale of weaving advanced, yielding fabrics that inspired more elaborate
draping schemes. Roman culture saw draped garments as the mark of civilization and consid-
ered any kind of fitted garment to be barbaric.
The evolution of these types of garments can be tracked from Egyptian through to Roman cul-
ture. The Egyptians had the schenti, a man’s loincloth or kilt in white linen, and the kalasiris,
a women’s sheath dress. In Crete during the Minoan Bronze Age, one of the first European
civilizations, garments begin to be cut to fit the body. Basic garments with minimal cutting and
simple sewing were the staple of wardrobes in ancient Greece. Both men and women wore
the chiton, a tunic fastened at the shoulder by a fibula pin; women also wore a wider version
of the chiton called the Doric pelpos. In ancient Rome the tunic and the cloak were central.
Women wore a stola, an ankle-length garment with sleeves that was girdled at the waist by the
cingulum and at the hip by the succincta.
The Byzantine Period, roughly from the fifth to twelfth centuries, incorporated both Greek and
Roman concepts with a rich Asian opulence. The influence of this mix continues to be found
during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. An important element of the look involved the con-
cealment of body shape, often achieved through layering.
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2 8 THE FASHION DESIGN REFERENCE + SPECIFICATION BOOK
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European Style
Clothing throughout the thirteenth century was very simple and varied very little between men
and women. A loose- tting full-length gown with tted sleeves worn with a narrow belt and
a sleeveless coat called the cyclas was the norm. Until this point, very little diverted from
Roman in uence.
The fourteenth century inaugurated the Renaissance and brought the rst major transition
from simple draped shapes to tted garments. Contoured seams and the start of tailoring
techniques now enabled clothing to become more of a sheath around the body. Buttons and
lacing allowed for an even closer t. Women of the time wore an ankle- or oor-length chemise
called a cotte, or kirtle. The tted version of the gown worn on top, called a cotehardie, often
featured long hanging sleeves. In Europe throughout this period, fashion began to change at
an unprecedented pace.
During the fteenth century Europe experienced an abundant prosperity, the growth of the
middle classes, and the development of a skilled workforce. This created an appetite for
extravagances. Voluminous gowns called houppelandes featured oor-length sleeves and
were worn with doublets, high collars, and hose. Headwear became more important and was
trimmed with all manner of feathers and jewels. Everything became more complex and varied
by region.
The sixteenth century was characterized by an increased opulence in fashion, most especially
in England under Elizabeth I. Some of the atypical fashion details included the lace Tudor ruff,
a hoop skirt called a farthingale, and rich surface ornamentation. In sharp contrast to the
sloping narrow shoulders of the early 1500s, the Elizabethan court adopted shoulders that
were high and wide with narrow sleeves re ecting French and Spanish styles. The shoul-
ders were further enhanced by padded and jeweled shoulder rolls and accentuated by deep
V-shaped waistlines. The V shape was mirrored by skirts that opened at the front to display
petticoats or heavily decorated foreparts.
Fashion of the seventeenth-century baroque reveals a strong Puritan in uence, evidenced in
the natural, dark, somber colors and modest designs. Excessive ornamentation was discarded
in favor of simpler broad lace and linen collars. Full slashed sleeves became very fashionable.
Waistlines rose to create shorter bodices that were worn with contrasting stomachers. The pe-
riod also witnessed the change from hose to breeches for men. A desire for uniformity became
evident with the popularity of matching ensembles that speak to the contemporary suit. Under
Louis XIV, the French began to focus on becoming leaders in the production of luxury products
and fashionable clothing began to re ect the demands of the season and comfort.
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Fashion History 2 9
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Eighteenth Century
The eighteenth century saw fashion celebrated as culture. One popular garment was the
contouche, a loose robe with large back pleats so often painted by Antoine Watteau that they
came to be called Wattaeu pleats. Fashion icon of the day Madame de Pompadour popularized
the lavish rococo style. At this point, by mid-century, the women’s torso was encased in an
inverted conical corset with sleeves becoming bell- or trumpet-shaped, and the full-skirted sil-
houette widened further. Hoop skirts worn in the 1730s and 1740s give way to panniers, or side
hoops. By 1790, although skirts remained full, the exaggerated form had disappeared, and a
fashion developed for the pouter-pigeon front, with many layers of fabric pinned to a bodice.
Riding habits and men’s tailoring found their way into women’s fashion in the second half of
the century by way of the popular German traveling suit called a Brunswick gown, a two-piece
ensemble that featured a hooded jacket with split sleeves and a matching petticoat; the cara-
co, a jacket-like bodice worn over a petticoat and based on the dress of servants and country
women; and the joseph, a coatdress styled after the riding coat (adopted by the French as a
redingote). After the French and American Revolutions fashion became politicized and auster-
ity came to equal democracy. The end of the century gave way to an unconfined long silhou-
ette categorized as directoire, empire or regency, with a high waistline located under the bust.
Deriving its inspiration from the Greeks and Romans, this neoclassical style took Europe into
the early 1800s.
One figure of special note in the eighteenth century was the dressmaker and stylist Rose
Bertin. Bertin, who would later became known as the Ministre de la Mode, was instrumental
in generating a passion for the latest fashions thanks to her work for the French queen Marie
Antoinette, whom she dressed from 1770 until she was dethroned in 1792. Through her clever
self-promotion, business acumen, and transnational reach, Bertin helped to turn dressmaking
toward a modern model of the fashion business. Contributing, too, to the wide dissemination
of fashion trends by the end of the century was the rise in popularity of fashion plates and
journals.
Nineteenth Century
The 1800s were a time of modernity. The needle trade grew exponentially due to technologi-
cal advances. Mass production was possible because of inventions like Elias Howe’s sewing
machine in 1846. Machines that specialized in sewing buttons, making button holes, and knit-
ting made large production runs a reality. Isaac Singer patented the rst home-scaled sewing
machine and distributed it widely. At the same time, standard paper patterns became avail-
able through mail order. Of great signi cance, the rst modern department store, the Magasin
au Bon Marché, opened in Paris as early as 1852; across the Atlantic, Wanamaker’s opened
in Philadelphia in 1861.
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3 0 THE FASHION DESIG N REFERENCE + SPECIFICATION BOOK
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By t h e 1820s w o me n ’s f a s h i o n h a d mo ve d a w a y f r o m t h e cl a s s i ca l l y i n u e n ce d e mp i r e s t y l e
a n d r e t u r n e d t o t h e co r s e t i n g a n d f u l l s ki r t s o f t h e p r e vi o u s e r a . In t h e l a s t qu a r t e r o f t h e
n i n e t e e n t h ce n t u r y , h o w e ve r , i t w a s t h e b u s t l e t h a t d e n e d f a s h i o n . Th e co n s e r va t i ve Vi ct o r i a n
e r a i s kn o w n f o r a p r u d i s h s o ci e t a l f o cu s o n mo r a l va l u e s , e s p e ci a l l y f e ma l e p u r i t y . Ir o n i ca l l y ,
t h e f a s h i o n a b l e s i l h o u e t t e o f t h e d a y , a l t h o u g h co ve r i n g mo s t o f a w o ma n ’s b o d y , a mp l i e d t h e
h o u r g l a s s p r o p o r t i o n s o f t h e b u s t , w a i s t , a n d b u t t o cks , e r o t i ci zi n g a n d i d e a l i zi n g a n e xt r e me
ve r s i o n o f t h e f e mi n i n e f o r m. So me l i ke n t h e a l l u r e o f t h i s e xt r e me s i l h o u e t t e t o t h e i n t e r e s t i n a
w o ma n kn o w n a s Sa a r t ji e “Sa r a h ” Ba a r t ma n , w h o w a s e xp l o i t e d a s a s i d e s h o w a t t r a ct i o n ca l l e d
t h e Ho t t e n t o t Ve n u s . Ba a r t ma n w a s co n s i d e r e d a n e xo t i c cu r i o s i t y b e ca u s e o f t h e e xa g g e r a t e d
s ca l e o f h e r p o s t e r i o r i n r e l a t i o n s h i p t o t h e r e s t o f h e r f r a me , a g e n e t i c ch a r a ct e r i s t i c o f t h e
Kh o i s a n p e o p l e o f So u t h Af r i ca , i n p a r t i cu l a r t h e w o me n . Th u s , a f a s ci n a t i o n w i t h n o ve l t y a n d
t h e u n e a s y s u p p r e s s i o n o f s e xu a l i t y co u l d b e s e e n t o co me t o g e t h e r i n t h e Vi ct o r i a n b u s t l e .
Th e e a r l y b u s t l e o f 1870s ca n b e d e s cr i b e d i n t e r ms o f t h e l i g h t n e s s o f ma t e r i a l a n d l a ck o f
d e co r a t i o n . It w a s o f t e n cr e a t e d t h r o u g h t h e ma n i p u l a t i o n o f t h e f a b r i c t h a t w a s d r a p e d i n t h e
r e a r , u s i n g p l e a t s , o u n ce s , a n d b o w s . Th e f r o n t o f t h e s i l h o u e t t e h a d t h e a p p e a r a n ce o f a n
a p r o n . Fo r a s h o r t t i me , f r o m 1878 t o 1883, t h e b u s t l e d i s a p p e a r e d i n l i e u o f a mo r e n a t u r a l ,
a t -b a cke d d r e s s . Th e cu i r a s s b o d i ce , a l o n g -w a i s t e d b o d i ce t h a t e xt e n d e d b e l o w t h e h i p s ,
a n d t h e p o l o n a i s e , a p r i n ce s s s h e a t h d r e s s , a ch i e ve d t h i s s l i m s h a p e . Th e p e r i o d f r o m 1883
t o 1893 co n s t i t u t e d t h e r e vi va l o f t h e b u s t l e . Th i s n e w b u s t l e h a d t h e l o o k o f a n u p h o l s t e r e d
s h e l f , d u e t o i t s l a r g e , a l mo s t h o r i zo n t a l p r o t r u s i o n . It w a s f u r t h e r a cce n t u a t e d w i t h h e a vi e r
f a b r i cs a n d mo r e o r n a t e d e co r a t i o n . By t h e e n d o f t h e 1800s , t h o u g h , t h e b u s t l e h a d b e e n
r e d u ce d t o a s ma l l p a d t h a t ca r r i e d i n t o t h e Ed w a r d i a n e r a .
Pa r a l l e l t o ma i n s t r e a m f a s h i o n , a mo ve me n t e me r g e d i n t h e 1860s a n d 1870s kn o w n a s
a r t i s t i c a n d , l a t e r , a e s t h e t i c d r e s s . In p r o t e s t a g a i n s t cr i n o l i n e s a n d r e s t r i ct i ve co r s e t s , a s w e l l
a s t h e i d e a o f ma s s -p r o d u ce d cl o t h i n g , a g r o u p o f a r t i s t s , w r i t e r s , a n d a ct o r s , mo s t f a mo u s l y
a s s o ci a t e d w i t h Da n t e Ga b r i e l Ro s s e t t i a n d Wi l l i a m Mo r r i s , p r o mo t e d t h i s l o o s e r , d i s t i n ct l y
b o h e mi a n s t y l e t h a t e mb r a ce d ma n y me d i e va l a n d Re n a i s s a n ce s e n s i b i l i t i e s .
Wi t h t h e d e cl i n e o f t h e b u s t l e , s l e e ve s g a i n e d mo r e p r o mi n e n ce , cu l mi n a t i n g i n t h e mi d -1890s
w i t h g i g a n t i c l e g -o ’-mu t t o n s o f f s e t b y a t i n y w a i s t . Th e Ame r i ca n a r t i s t Ch a r l e s Da n a Gi b s o n
ca p t u r e d t h e i d e a l i n h i s s a t i r i ca l i l l u s t r a t i o n s o f t h e mo d e r n w o ma n . Al t h o u g h s h e b e ca me a n
i co n o f t h e e r a , t h e “Gi b s o n Gi r l ” w a s me a n t t o ca r i ca t u r e t h e s e n s e o f co mp e t i t i o n , i n d e -
p e n d e n ce , a n d a t h l e t i ci s m t h a t d e n e d t h i s n e w w o ma n — n o t n e ce s s a r i l y t r a i t s t h a t w e r e
e n co u r a g e d f o r g e n t e e l l a d i e s . Th e e mb e l l i s h e d b l o u s e b e ca me a s i g n a t u r e o f t h e Gi b s o n
Gi r l , f e a t u r i n g d e t a i l s l i ke l a ce i n s e r t s a n d t r i m, e mb r o i d e r y , a p p l i qu és , f a g g o t i n g , t u cks , a n d
p l e a t s . Sh e a l s o s p o r t e d s h i r t co l l a r s w i t h t i e s , b o w s o r cr a va t s . Sh e w o r e t h e s e t o p s o ve r
s ki r t s s h a p e d l i ke a b e l l o r a n i n ve r t e d t u l i p . Ta i l o r e d t r a ve l i n g s u i t s w e r e a f a s h i o n a b l e a n d
p r a ct i ca l va r i a t i o n o f t h e n e w l o o k.
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