A Brief History of The Fashion Week
The September 2021 New York Fashion Week is well underway, with all eyes on the fashion industry. The first-ever official fashion week was held in New York in 1943 during WW2, with the London, Paris and Milan joining in future years.
Sumptuary Laws in Fashion: What Are They?
The most basic definition of a sumptuary law is of a law that is designed to regulate consumption, particularly regarding things like food, furnishings, expenditures, and particularly apparel. Some of the earliest examples of what we would consider being predecessors of sumptuary laws can be found in Ancient Egypt.
Why You Should Be Wearing Linen (and not just in the summer!)
Linen is one of those materials that people can often feel reluctant to go near. Linen is a naturally occurring fibre created from the flax plant and is actually one of the oldest textiles in the world. The use of linen can be traced back thousands of years, and rightly so because it is one of the greatest natural fabrics.
The History Of High Heels May Surprise You
While heels had their resurgence amongst men during the 70s with disco fever, they didn’t stick around. If heels were seen as the epitome of masculinity for so much of history, why can’t they now?
9 Of The Greatest Little Black Dress Moments In History
Few things are as classic and timeless as the little black dress. From Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Princess Diana’s iconic black revenge dress from 1994, let’s look at some of the greatest LBD moments from history.
The History of The Pocket
Women, sometimes, have tiny ones. Pockets had a brief moment in the 90s and early 00’s for women, but alas, all too soon we went back into the pocketless void of very tight trousers and fockets. But, what is this history of the pocket?
11 of Liza Minnelli’s Top Looks From The 1970s
Thanks to Netflix's new miniseries ‘Halston’, a new generation has fallen in love with the absolute icon that is Liza Minnelli. Chopping her hair from long and luxurious to the choppy pixie cut we most commonly associate with her and winning the best actress Academy Award for her performance in the 1972 film ‘Cabaret’ cemented Liza as a style icon for the younger generation.
What Happened To Jackie Kennedy’s Pink Suit?
The blood-stained pink suit that became a symbol of the tragic assassination of JFK worn by Jackie Kennedy is burned into our memories. But, what actually happened to that Chanel suit?
What Did Victorian Women Wear Under Their Clothes
Underwear is rarely spoken about and yet has been worn for millennia. So, what did our Victorian ancestors wear under their often elaborate outfits and dainty corsets?
5 Ways The Past Can Inspire Our Fashion Sustainability
Struggling to know how you can shop and dress more sustainably and ethically? Looking back to the past, to history, can give us more answers than we may, at first, think.
The (Pre)History of Fashion
Despite popular belief, humans have been dressing for fashion for the majority of their existence. Though we picture cavemen and prehistoric peoples as individuals enslaved to basic survival, ancient cultures were filled with decorative accessories, complex patterns, and fashion workers who made the trendy hunter-gatherers possible.
Caps Galore—Dutch Traditional Caps and their many Personalities
Dutch traditional caps. Something you’ve probably never thought about, but these items of dress have some fascinating history…and shapes!
The Camicia and Italian Renaissance Art
Italian Renaissance art is often a good resource when looking into the fashion of the period. Portraits of the elite show the elaborate fabric, tailoring, and embellishment that went into a garment at this time. However, this article is looking at the undergarment – the ‘camicia da giorno’
Victorian Mourning Dress
When a monarch and their family do something, especially in regards to fashion, people tend to follow suit and so, due to Victoria’s deep state of mourning, mourning etiquette and mourning fashion became a staple for Victorian society.
Grace Kelly’s Iconic Wedding Dress
The wedding dress of Grace Kelly for her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco is now one of the most famous dresses in the world, but what makes it so iconic?
Maternity Fashions in History
In 2020, maternity clothing is a massive business, with most pregnant people choosing to keep up with the main fashion trends. However, having an entire fashion market dedicated to pregnancy is perhaps more modern than we think. In history, things were a tad bit different.
Tudor Execution Fashion - Dressing for Death.
From Queens to commoners executed at the hands of the state in the era of the Tudors, using your death to make a statement was imperative. Let’s take a look at what two Queens wore to their deaths and the impact these outfits had.
The Victorian Obsession with Costume Balls
Halloween is fast approaching! Getting dressed up and having a riot of a time is not a new concept, so let’s take a look into history, specifically the Victorian’s love of a costume ball.
Loose-fitting clothes and no corsets! Who was Paul Poiret?
Born in Paris in 1879, Poiret became a leading fashion designer and couturier during the turn of the 20th century. His work is deemed very important to the fashion world, for his innovations in silhouettes and changing the face of the corset.
I Hate Seeing Side Partings in Period Dramas - Here’s Why!
Side parted hair, it’s been a common hairstyle for centuries, right? Wrong! In actuality, side-parted hair only started being popular during the latter decades of the 19th century. Let’s take a look at where period dramas have got this oh so wrong and the few occasions where they’ve actually got it spot on!
PAST
PRESENT
FUTURE
This unofficial syllabus covers the brands, moments, designers, and ideas in women’s traditional workwear that have long been omitted from the conversation. While it’s not fully comprehensive, it is a good place to start if you want to look like you know how to change a tire.