Lucrare pentru obinerea

Atestatului de
competen lingvistic
Fashion in Britain along
history
Absolvent:
Matei Gina-Daria
Coordonator lucrare:
Gaiu Mariana

Colegiul Naional Alexandru Ioan Cuza Galai

2014

Content
Argument

Chapter one Introduction: The beginnings of fashion

3
Chapter two 11th to 15th century, including the Wars of roses
5
Chapter three 16th and 17th centuries: Tudors, Stuarts and the English Civil War
7
Chapter four 1730 to 1830: The Georgians / Regency period, the time of Jane
Austen
10
Chapter five The 19th and 20th centuries: The Victorians, Edwardians, World War
One, Roaring Twenties, World War Two, The New Look, Swinging Sixties
13
Conclusion

18

References

19

Argument

have chosen this subject because I have always been passionate about clothing
and beauty. For centuries individuals or societies have used clothes and other
body adornment as a form of nonverbal communication to indicate occupation,
rank, gender, sexual availability, locality, class, wealth and group affiliation.
Fashion is a form of free speech. It not only embracesclothing, but also accessories,
jewellery, hairstyles, beauty and body art. What we wear, how and when we wear it,
provides others with a shorthand to subtly read the surface of a social situation.
My project consists of a brief journey through the centuries, focusing on the
development of fashion in the British lands. I will present it cronologically, and in the
following pages I will state my opinion about how fashion is a matter of great
importance in our lives, or, as Coco Chanel would define it:
Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion
has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.

Chapter one Introduction: The

beginnings of fashion

ashion - a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially

in clothing, foot wear or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is
the current trend in look and dress up of a person. The more technical term,
costume, has become so linked in the public eye with the term "fashion"
that the more general term "costume" has in popular use mostly been relegated to
special senses like fancy dress or masquerade wear, while the term "fashion"
means clothing generally, and the study of it.
The first form of fashion, as a way of nonverbal communication and not only
covering the main bodyparts, is believed to have developed in Ancient Egypt,
already known for the opulence of the high class people.
The clothing used in the ancient world strongly reflects the technologies that these
peoples mastered. Archaeology plays a significant role in documenting this aspect
of ancient life, for fabric fibres, and leathers sometimes are well-preserved through
time. In many cultures the clothing worn was indicative of the social status achieved
by various members of their society.
In Ancient Egypt, flax was the textile in almost exclusive use. Wool was known, but
considered impure as animal fibres were considered taboo, and could only be used
for coats (they were forbidden in temples and sanctuaries). People of lower class
wore only the loincloth (or schenti) that was common to all. Shoes were the same
for both sexes; sandals braided with leather, or, particularly for the bureaucratic and
priestly classes, papyrus. The most common headgear was the kaftan, a striped
fabric square worn by men. Feather headdresses were worn by the nobility.
3

Certain clothing was common to both genders such as the tunic and the robe.
Around 1425 to 1405 BCE, a light tunic or short-sleeved shirt was popular, as well as
a pleated skirt.
Clothing for adult women remained unchanged over several millennia, save for
small details. Draped clothes, with very large rolls, gave the impression of wearing
several items. It was in fact a hawk, often of very fine muslin. The dress was rather
narrow, even constricting, made of white or unbleached fabric for the lower classes,
the sleeve starting under the chest in higher classes, and held up by
suspenders tied onto the shoulders. These suspenders were sometimes wide
enough to cover the breasts and were painted and colored for various reasons, for
instance to imitate the plumage on the wings of Isis.
Clothing of the royal family was different, and was well documented; for instance
the crowns of the pharaohs, the nemes head dress, and the khat or head cloth worn
by nobility.
Since Ancient Egypt, migrations and the acknowledgement of other cultures have
contributed to spreading the Egyptian style worldwide and its influences can still be
found in several fashion shows.
Little is known about clothing in the British islands before the Roman invasion in 43
c.e.. What survives are cloth fragments and amazing jewelry such as brooches and
torcs. Pre-Christian graves suggest that women wore tunics. The advent of
Christianity possibly resulted in women covering their heads. The medieval period
saw Europe stabilize after the raids and invasions of the Dark Ages. Trade increased
greatly, much of it related to textiles. From the fourteenth century onward dress
styles have changed increasingly quickly. Due to its different history before English
attempts at conquest, Irelands dress developed differently. Illuminated manuscripts
from around 1000 to 1200 show Irish men wearing trousers, tunics, and cloaks. In
Scotland, the court and people of the Lowland areas probably dressed similarly to
their southern neighbors in England. Highland dress is usually thought of as similar
to that of the Irish due to shared ancestors. Welsh gentry and nobility attended
court and the university in England, taking back new ways to their homeland. By
1600 mens and womens outer clothing usually comprised two tailored pieces. The
main new items for female dress were corsets and hooped skirts. The French court,
from King Louis XIVs time until the French Revolution, became the major influence.
For town and city dwellers, settled conditions from the 1660s onward led to
increased personal wealth, which could be spent on personal adornment. The
eighteenth century saw the beginnings of a revolution in the production of
manufactured goods, especially textiles.

Chapter two 11th to 15th century,

including the Wars of roses
Day Clothes about 1050
This man and woman (left) date from about 1050, just
before the Norman Conquest in 1066. They wear the basic
medieval garments: a tunic, probably of wool, slightly fitted
with a high neck and long sleeves, usually worn over a linen
shirt.
The lady's tunic, similar to the man's but longer, has a semicircular mantle fastening on the shoulder. The lady covers
her long hair with a hood held by a band, and carries a
travelling pouch; the man wears loose hose and leather
shoes.
The Anglo Saxons were known for their skill in embroidery
and braid weaving, like that trimming the man's tunic.
Day and Travelling Clothes about 1150

Fashion changed slowly in medieval times. This man and

woman (left) still wear the semi-circular shoulder fastening
mantles and tunics like those of a century earlier, differing
only in being more closely fittedand having long flowing
cuffs.
Long hair was an Anglo-Saxon fashion borrowed by the
Normans, and the woman has hers braided into clothcovered plaits beneath her hood. The man is dressed for
travelling in a hooded fur cloak and pointed hat. He wears
cloth bound leggings instead of hose. His feet are bare here,
but some contemporary shoes were quite decorative.
Travelling Clothes about 1250 (left)
By 1250 men's and women's tunics were cut with a wide
upper sleeve. Most men, except the elderly, preferred tunics
short. Cloaks were usually held by a
cord at the shoulder. A variety of loose
over-gowns were also popular, and
these had sleeves with two openings,
allowing them to hang loosely like the
university gowns based on them and
still seen today.
The woman's plaits are coiled in a bun
at each ear sometimes covered with a
net, and the flat headband is kept in
place by a veil or Right: Lady wearing a henin (14th century)
Day clothes about 1300
The young man (left) is wearing a
shorter tunic and pointed shoes. These
shoes were characteristic of the 14th
century
and
were
called crackowes orpoulaines, and are
believed to have derived from Poland.
The length of the toe was said to
indicate the rank of the wearer and
became more and more exaggerated by
the end of the 14th century.
Right: Lady c. 1346

Man's Day Clothes about 1430

6

This early Renaissance man (left) wears rich clothes. His

carefully made, fur-trimmed tunic is pleated onto a lining
and has baggy sleeves with the embroidered shirt showing
at neck and wrists. His hood is worn as a 'chaperon' ( a
beret-like hat), with his head through the shoulder opening
while the remainder is twisted decoratively out of the way.
He wears a heavy, jewelled collar and belt which is useful for
holding
his
pouch
and
dagger.
Weavers of the day were highly skilled, and much richly
patterned silk and velvet was made in Flanders and Italy.

Lady's Day Dress about 1490

This lady (left) of about 1490 wears a rich gown of thick
material brocaded with gold. This line foreshadows the
severe styles of the court of the early Tudors, with a low
waist and high neckline. Her skirt has a train but is pinned
up at the back for convenience when walking and to show
off the fur lining. Her sleeves are in a new fashion, funnel
shaped, and faced with fur.
She wears a hood, with cape dangling like a curtain, front
turned up and stiffened, and worn over a wired and
jewelledundercap almost concealing her scraped back hair.
Her shoes have very broad toes. Materials are rich and
heavy, many imported from Flanders and Italy.

Man's Day Clothes about 1490

This young man wears clothes in the 'Italian Fashion', much
less enveloping than those those of his lady above. His
doublet reaches only to his waist and is very tight, with slits
on the chest and sleeves giving room to move and an
opportunity for his fine shirt to be seen. His hose are tied to
the waist with 'points' (laces) and and fasten in the front
with a 'cod piece' (flap). For riding he wears protective
leather stockings, and his shoes have broad toes. This style
replaced peaked shoes in around 1480.

His short loose gown with long hanging sleeves is cut to hang open and show
the contrasting facings. His hair is shoulder length and his flat hat has a
jewelled rim.

Chapter three 16th and 17th centuries:

Tudors, Stuarts and the English Civil War
Man's Formal Clothes about 1548
This gentleman wears an over-gown with full upper sleeves
adding breadth to his shoulders, fashionable from about
1520. His doublet is loose with a seam at the waist and
skirts, and his upper stocks (breeches) are separate from his
hose for greater comfort.
He has a padded 'cod piece' and his shirt is embroidered in
black silk with small frills at the neck, which eventually will
develop into the ruff. His cap is softer and wider and his
shoes are less broad in the toe than in the early years of
Henry VIII.

Man's Formal Clothes about 1600

This gentleman wears a padded doublet with pointed waist
and short padded breeches, with tapering 'canion' at the
knee, over which the stocking is pulled. His 'Spanish' cloak is
heavily embroidered. Possibly Sir Walter Raleigh threw down
a similar one to protect Queen Elizabeth from the mud! He
wears a starched and gathered ruff, developed from the shirt
neck frill after about 1560. His jewellery includes the collar
of the Order of the Garter. His hat would have been conical.
Lady's Formal Dress about 1610

This lady shows the dress which first appeared in the later
portraits of Queen Elizabeth about 1580 and remained
fashionable in the reign of James I. The bodice is very long,
pointed and stiff, and the wide skirt is supported by hip
'boulsters' of the 'drum farthingale'.
The sleeves are wide and the neckline low, with ruff open to
frame the face. It is trimmed with lace newly introduced
from Flanders and Spain. Her pleated fan is a new fashion
from China. Fashionable ladies no longer wore a cap and her
uncovered hair is dressed high with ribbons and feathers.

Lady's Day dress about 1634

This lady wears a soft satin walking dress with the short
waist and full flowing skirt fashionable from around 1620.
Her bodice is cut almost like a man's doublet and equally
masculine are her wide-plumed hat and long 'lovelock' on
her short hair. She wears a fine wide Flemish lace collar
veiling the gold braid on her bodice. For formal occasions the
neck would be left bare, and the hair dressed with jewels.
Ordinary women's dress was similar but they, except when
riding, wore a close lace-trimmed cap.

Man's Day Clothes about 1629

This gentleman wears a suit with the new softer line. The
short-waisted doublet with long skirts has slits on the chest
and sleeve, allowing for movement. The knee-length
breeches, full but not padded, are supported by hooks inside
the waistline. The ribbon 'points' at waist and knee are
decorative survivors of the lacing hose supports of late
medieval times. The lace-trimmed ruff falls to the shoulders and the hair is
long with a 'lovelock'. Boots and gloves are of soft leather.

The period 1642 - 1651 was a time of conflict known as The English Civil War
(although there were actually three civil wars) between King Charles I and his
followers (often referred to as Cavaliers) and Parliament (the Roundheads). This was
the second period of civil war in England's history, the first being the Wars of the
Roses fought between 1455 and 1487.

King Charles I was beheaded in 1649. The Third Civil War was fought
between supporters of his son Charles II and Parliament and ended at the
Battle of Worcester on 3rd September 1651. The period after the Civil War is
known as The Commonwealth and lasted until the restoration of King Charles
II in 1660.

English Civil War Officer - mid 17th century

10

Man's Day Clothes about 1650

This gentleman wears a suit based on the Dutch fashions

then popular. It has a short unstiffened jacket and wide
breeches hanging loose to the knee. Dark colours were
generally worn and not confined to followers of Parliament.
Matching braid provides trimming.
About 1660, ribbons became popular trimmings and
hundreds of metres could be used on a suit at shoulder,
waist and knee, and for the bows on the square-toed shoes. He wears a fine
square lace collar fashionable around 1650 - 70, a cloak and a narrowbrimmed conical hat.

Lady's Formal Dress about 1674

This lady wears a formal dress showing
the waistline had become since 1640. Her
low and stiffened and the short sleeves
much of her lace and ribbon-trimmed shift.
made to wear open, displaying the
trimmed petticoat. False curls were
added to the wide-dressed hair.

how long
bodice
is
show
The skirt is
elaborately
sometimes

Lady's Formal Dress

about 1690

an

Late 17th century dress had become stiff, formal and

based on French court fashions. The dress has become
over-gown pinned over the stiff corset to show the
'stomacher' and gathered back at the hips to show the
embroidered petticoat. Lace frills on the shift show at
the neck and sleeves. The most characteristic feature is
the hair, beginning to be dressed high in the 1680's.
11

This style was named after Mlle. de Fontanges, a favourite of Louis XIV, who
is believed to have originated it. This tall headress was formed of several
rows of folded lace and ribbons, rising one above the other and supported on
wires.
The fashion of wearing on the face black patches of various
shapes was still in fashion, small circular patch-boxes being
carried so that any that fell off could be replaced. This fashion
was ridiculed at the time:
"Here's all the wandring planett signes
And some o' the fixed starrs,
Already gumd, to make them stick,
They need no other sky."

Chapter four 1730 to 1830: The

Georgians / Regency period, the time of
Jane Austen
Man's Day Clothes about 1738

This gentleman wears a smart summer suit, with the coat

more tightly fitting than at the end of the 17th century. It is
made of plain cloth embroidered on edges and pockets,
which are raised to hip level. The waistcoat is plain and the
breeches are tighter and fasten below the knee. The shirt is
frilled at the cuff and around the neck is a knotted muslin or
lace cravat. He wears his own hair. For formal occasions a
powdered wig tied back with a bow would be worn and his
coat and waistcoat would be of patterned silks.

Lady's Day Dress about 1750

This lady (left) wears a 'sackback' dress developed from the flowing undress
gowns of 17th century. Beneath are a stiff corset and cane side hoops
supporting the skirts.

12

The frills of her shift show at the neck, veiled in a muslin

'kerchief' and at the opening of her wing-like cuffs, which are
typical of the 1750's. She wears a round muslin cap, the
central pleat recalling the 'fontange' (1690 - 1710). For
formal dress she would wear richly brocaded or embroidered
silks.

Man's Day Clothes about 1770

This
gentleman wears a plain coat, tightly fitting
and cut away,
forming curving tails. The waistcoat is
shortened
to
just below the waist and the breeches are
longer
and
tighter than before. His coat has a band
collar and he
wears a rather stiff stock instead of a
cravat.
He
wears his own hair, but for formal occasions
he would have a powdered wig, dressed high and tied at the back.
Embroidery and trimming were no longer fashionable except for formal wear.

Lady's Day Dress about 1780

This dress is typical of the simple countrified styles which became

fashionable towards the end of the century. It is a 'redingote' or riding
coat, modelled on a man's coat. The waist has become shorter and the
bosom is padded by a muslin 'buffon' neckerchief and the hips by a
'false rump'. The hair is dressed in a mass of loose curls and the lady
wears a huge hat inspired by a mid-17th century riding hat. Woollen
cloth, cotton and linen had become fashionable materials, while silks
were worn for evening, as were small hoops since wide ones were only
worn for court.

13

Lady's Formal Dress 1802

There was great interest at this time in ancient Greece and Rome, and
this lady wears 'fashionable full dress', the style based on the drapery of
classical statues. The waist is high and uncorsetted, and the materials
light in colour and texture. Muslin had become a fashionable fabric. Her
gown is still 18th century in cut, but for day wear it would have bodice,
skirt and petticoat in one piece. Her accessories are varied: she carries a
huge swansdown muff, wears long white gloves, has a tasselled girdle
and a feather-trimmed turban.

Man's Day Clothes 1805

Informal day dress is shown here, the illustration taken from

a sketch portrait of George (Beau) Brummell, the
fashionable ideal (and famous dandy) of his age. He
persuaded men to think that dark, well cut and fitted clothes
were smarter than colourful ostentatious ones. He usually
wore a cut-away cloth coat with brass buttons, plain
waistcoat matching his pantaloons (which replaced shorter
breeches in about 1805), hessian riding boots and a hard
conical riding hat, introduced in the late 18th century. Great
care was taken in the laundering and tying of his stiffly starched cravat. For
evening he wore a black coat and silk pantaloons instead of old fashioned
14

knee
breeches.
'Beau' Brummell is credited with introducing and bringing to fashion the
modern man's suit worn with necktie; the suit is now worn throughout the
world for business and formal occasions.

Evening Clothes about 1806

The lady wears a one-piece dress introduced at the end of

the 18th century. Its design was inspired by the new interest
in classical works of art. It has a high waist, straight skirt
unsupported by petticoats and very short sleeves.
Contemporaries found it daring and immodest! The material
is light and striped. For warmth she has a shawl, wears long
gloves and carries a muff.
The gentleman's cut-away tail coat of fine cloth with velvet collar, silk
stockings, tie wig and bicorne hat recall day clothes of the 18th century and
anticipate the evening styles of the 20th century. Formal dress is usually a
day style which persists, remaining unchanged though long since out of
fashion.

Day Clothes about 1825

The lady's dress assumes a new outline. The waist has dropped to
natural level and the sleeves and skirt are wide and full. The colours are
bright, trimmings elaborate and much jewellery is worn. Accessories are
varied, the most noticeable being the vast hat trimmed with many
ribbon bows.
The man wears elegant walking dress also with a slight fullness at the
shoulder and a waistcoat with lapels. He wears tight pantaloons acceptable
for day wear after about 1805 and wears a higher 'top' hat.

15

Welsh Country Dress about 1830

This Welsh girl from a painting of about 1830, shows how

fashion lags behind in remote places. She wears a gown of
18th century cut, over a stiff corset, a printed neckerchief
and a petticoat protected by a check apron. Her dress is
probably made from Welsh woollen material, her mittens
and stockings being knitted. Her high crowned hat can be
traced back to 17th century fashions. Many wore a red,
caped cloak no different from that worn by English
countrywomen in the 18th and 19th century. This and the
hat are the two essentials of Welsh national dress as we
know it today.

Chapter five The 19th and 20th

centuries: The Victorians, Edwardians,
World War One, Roaring Twenties, World
War Two, The New Look, Swinging
Sixties

16

Day Clothes about 1848/9

This restrictive and demure line is typical of the early
Victorian period 1837 - 50.
The lady wears a dress with a long, tight, pointed bodice
and full skirt supported on many petticoats. The sleeves are
tight and she also wears a shawl. She carries a parasol. The
gentleman wears the new-fashioned short lounge jacket
with wide trousers, introduced for country wear around
1800. His collar is lower and a bow replaces the starched
cravat.

Lady's Day Dress about 1867

Modern industrial inventions entered fashion in the 1850's.
This dress has its wide triangular skirt supported on a steel
wire 'artificial crinolin', introduced around 1856 to replace
the starched petticoats. The dress was probably stitched on
the sewing machine which came into general use in the
1850's. The bright green owes much to the aniline dyes
introduced at this period. The dress is plain with a high neck
and long sleeves. The hat had completely
replaced the bonnet.
Day Clothes about 1872
This dress is
gathered
the back the
light and the
attach
hat perches on
false
hair.
necked
and
The
man
based on a
comfortable
crowned 'bowler'-like hat.

described as a 'seaside costume'. A

'overskirt' supported on a 'crinolette' makes
most important feature. The materials are
sewing machine has made it possible to
quantities of pleated trimming. The jaunty
a huge bun probably made in part from
Evening dresses only differed in being low
almost sleeveless.
wears an informal lounge suit, the shape
cut-away coat. He wears the more
turn-down collar with knotted tie and low-

Lady's Day Dress about 1885

17

This day dress has a bustle to support the weight of the

heavily-trimmed overdress. The skirt, pleated and fairly
wide, was thought to be an advance in comfort, although
the corset was still very tight and the dress bulky. The high
hat, tight collars and sleeves further restricted movement.
Many women preferred the masculine-styled, plain 'tailormade'. Indeed the Rational Dress Society was founded in
1880 with the aim of making dress healthier and more
comfortable.
Pictured above - Family group photograph, mid 1890's.

Day Clothes 1896

The lady wears tailored 'walking dress'. Typical of the middle
of the 1890's is the great 'leg-of-mutton' sleeve, the tight
bodice, the small back frill (all that remains of the bustle)
and the smooth flared skirt.
The gentleman wears the top hat and frock coat that have
become established formal dress for over forty years. Black
is established as the standard colour for formal dress, and
little else has changed except details like the length of the
lapel and the curve of the tails. He wears a high starched
collar.

18

Lady's Day Dress 1906

This summer dress, though worn over a 'hygienic' straightfronted corset, is far from plain. It is made in soft pale
material, trimmed with much embroidery, lace and ribbon.
Since 1904 there had been new emphasis on the shoulders,
and until 1908 sleeves were to be puffed out almost square.
The smoothly flowing skirt is supported on petticoats almost
as pretty as the dress itself. Hats were always worn, perched
on the puffed-out coiffure. The parasol was a popular
accessory. She carries a leather handbag, a fashion
introduced at the beginning of the 19th century and revived
at the end.
Lady's Day Dress 1909
The line has changed in this summer dress. It is straighter
and short-waisted with a new severity of outline. The most
important accessory was the hat, very large and much
trimmed. The band of trimming at the ankle of the narrow
skirt suggests a 'hobble' and makes it look difficult to walk,
which was rather an odd fashion for women who were
fighting for freedom and equal rights.
Photograph Above - Family group from around 1909. The
gentleman (seated centre, below) wears a long frock coat,
the other gentleman wear either formal dress or lounge
suits. The ladies all sport the large trimmed hats of the
period.

19

Day Clothes 1920

1920 saw the introduction of the shorter, low-waisted dress,
loosely cut and concealing, not defining, the figure. Flatchested women were about to become fashionable. Hats were
small, worn over neatly coiled hair. Evening dresses were
often low cut, supported only by shoulder straps and made in
exotic materials and colours. The man's lounge suit fits tightly
and still retains its long jacket. The trousers are straight but
shorter, generally with the turn-up, introduced about 1904. He
wears the new, soft felt hat and spats protecting his shoes,
introduced in the middle of the 19th century.

Day Clothes about 1927

This lady shows how plain the straight, loosely-fitting, lowwaisted dresses had become. They became shorter from
1920, and by 1925 legs clad in beige flesh-coloured stockings
were visible to the knee. Flat figures and short 'bobbed' hairstyles reflect the boyish styles of the time.
The man's suit is still high waisted with a rounded jacket.
Men's trousers were full, sometimes widening at the turn-up
to form 'Oxford bags'. Contrasting sports jackets were
beginning to be worn at this time.

Day Clothes 1938

In 1938 outfits had become square at the shoulder, with a
fairly tight, natural waist and full, flaring skirt. Styles were
varied and inspired by French designers like Elisa Schiaparelli
and Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, and by what the film stars wore.
Evening dresses were 'classical' in satins and sequins or
'romantic' with full skirts. Hats were still small and worn tilted
over the eye. Men's suits had become much broader and
more padded at the shoulder, with a long jacket and wide
straight trousers. Narrow 'pin'-striped materials were popular.
The soft felt hat generally replaced the bowler.

20

Clothes Rationing
The Second World War made the importation of cloth for clothing virtually
impossible and so clothes rationing was introduced on 1st June 1941.
Rationing books were distributed to every man, woman and child in Britain.
Clothing was rationed on a points system. Initially the allowance was for
approximately one new outfit per year; as the war progressed, the points
were reduced to the point where the purchase of a coat constituted almost
an entire year's clothing allowance.
Inevitably styles and fashion were affected by the clothing shortages. Fewer
colours were used by clothing companies, allowing chemicals usually used
for dyeing to be used for explosives and other much needed resources for
the war effort. Materials became
scarce. Silk, nylon, elastic, and even
metal used for buttons and clasps
were difficult to find.
The turban and the siren suit became
very popular during the war. The
turban began life as a simple safety
device to prevent the women who
worked in factories from getting their
hair caught in machinery. Siren suits,
an all-enveloping boiler suit type
garment, was the original jumpsuit.
With a zip up the front, people could
wear the suit over pyjamas making it
ideal for a quick dash to the air raid
shelter.
The end of clothes rationing finally came on 15th March 1949.
Photograph Above:
Kentwell Hall, WW2 Re-Creation.

21

Day Clothes 1941

The lady's suit was designed in 1941 when materials were
restricted because of war. Modelled on the soldier's
battledress, the jacket is waist-length with flapped pockets.
The line is still pre-war with its square shoulders, natural
waist and flaring skirt. Hair was worn curled, sometimes in a
long, eye-covering style. For comfort and warmth many wore
'slacks' and headscarves.
The man's suit has a new longer waist and fits more loosely.
Sports jackets with contrasting trousers gave variety and
economised on the 'coupons' that were issued to everybody
when clothes were rationed.
"The New Look" 1947
In 1947 Christian Dior presented a fashion look with a fitted
jacket with a nipped-in waist and full calf length skirt. It was a
dramatic change from the wartime austerity styles. After the
rationing of fabric during the Second World War, Dior's lavish
use of material was a bold and shocking stroke. This style
became known as the 'New Look'.

Day Clothes 1967

By 1966 Mary Quant was producing short mini dresses and
skirts that were set 6 or 7 inches above the knee, making
popular a style that had not taken off when it made its earlier
debut in 1964. The Quant style became known as the
Chelsea Look.
The girl has a simple natural hairdo with exotic makeup. She
is very slim and wears a short, mini-skirted semi-fitted tunic
made of linked colourful plastic disks, one of many new
materials. The cut is simple and variety of texture, pattern
and colour are all important.
Short hair, dark coats and trousers and plain white shirts had
been worn by men for a hundred and fifty years. Now
however men's hair is worn longer, and there is a return to flamboyant
materials, bright stripes, velvet trimmings and flower patterns on shirts. He
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blends a Georgian style cravat, mid-Victorian tail coat and military

trimmings.

Conclusion

n my opinion, fashion is a way of expressing who you are and it can be very
important because it reveals many characteristics of a person. Even when the
concept of fashion wasnt still invented, people could tell what other peoples
social status, habits or ideas were by the way they looked like: clothing,
accessories, hair, make-up. All of these define you and your style and it has been
proven that people unwillingly pay more attention to a persons looks than to the
way they talk or they act. Therefore, it is very important to follow fashion. But one
can follow fashion only if one knows fashion, so having some basic knowledge in
fashion history can help us develop our own (fashionable) style.

References

Steele, Valerie, Fifty Years of Fashion: new look to now

Steele, Valerie, Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion
Breward, Christopher, The Culture of Fashion: a new history of fashionable
dress
www.vam.ac.uk
www.historic-uk.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.researchonline.rca.ac.uk

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