Materials Through the Ages

European Style in 1900-1909
This was an era where day dress were made with translucent linen or cotton and were known as “Lingerie dresses”. They were worn in warm climates. The portrait of Miss Eden by John Singer Sargent in 1905 depicts this type of dress and material. The details include tiny pintucks, lace, and embroidery. The low neckline became popular during this era, and was acceptable to wear outside the home. The interesting aspect of the full-bodied bun is associated with the Gibson Girl.

Swimwear 1920s

This photo depicts the transition from long skirts for woman swimwear, to a more figure hugging wool jersey sleeveless suit. The jersey shirts were paired with built-in leggings that hit at mid-thigh or longer. Although the cut and material wasn’t ideal for warm weather and water, it was a step forward in the direction of more risqué styles of swimwear.

Umpa Fur 1950

This is a 1950 Umpa Fur advertisement from the 1950’s. Umpa fur specialized in luxurious mink coats and played a large role in keeping “Old Hollywood” warm

Chanel Suit 1954

The classic Chanel suit was re-launched in the 1950s with the help of Pierre. The suit was all about a collarless jacket paired with a skirt that went slightly below the knees. It gave women a look of elegance and sophistication. The suits were primarily made of tweed or jersey, with the lining made of contrast silk. The edges were trimmed with braids, velvet or ribbon.

Jacqueline Kennedy 1961

This photo is of Jacqueline Kennedy, who is forever remembered for her style and elegance. This dress was made by Ethel Frankau at Bergdorf Goodman in 1961. This was an off-white sleeveless gown in chiffon. The draping and cut worked beautiful with her silhouette. Chiffon is one of the main fabrics used in evening wear as overlay, which gives an elegant and floating appearance. This is apparent in the gown.

Halston 1970

During the 1970s, Halston dominated the high fashion with his long, fabulous Studio 54 appropriate designs. This was disco-influenced fashion, with fabrics made of spandex and polyester paired with platform shoes. Outfits were detailed with sequins and beading. The photo above is of designer Halston himself and model Karen Bjornson wearing his design in 1970.

Eco-Friendly Fashion 2009

FIN, a Norwegian eco-friendly high fashion brand, was established in 2006 by Nikolai Herlofsen. They focus on providing luxury clothing and saving the world at the same time. They only use organic and Fairtrade certified cotton and organic alpaca in the production of their garments. There are no pesticides or harmful chemical during farming, and they guarantee the farmers are making minimum income. I believe the transition from traditional to eco-friendly fabrics will continually become popular. This brand is already popular with a few celebrities like Keira Knightly and Kate Bostworth.

Six Functions of Dress

Ceremonialism
The Royal wedding in 1981 between Diana and Prince Charles was a date we will always remember, but so was her infamous dress. The gown that Princess Diana wore is an example of Ceremonial Function of dress, and was nothing short of amazing. Designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, this elegant dress featured a 25-foot train and was crafted with antique lace, ivory silk taffeta, and over ten thousand pearls and sequins. The gown was hand-woven and the lace was sewn with gold thread. Interestingly enough, some of the leftover parts of fabric that weren’t used are being sold in auctions and on the internet today.

Sexual Enhancement
Bustiers were introduced to enhance a women’s shape by slimming the waist while lifting the bosom. They became popular in the early 1900’s and are still fashionable today. One very well-known bustier was the cone-shaped bra designed by Paul Gaultier for Madonna. She wore this during her 1990 Blonde Ambition tour. This is an example of Sexual Enhancement.

Group Membership
When the favorite Upper East Side teenagers on the show of Gossip Girl aren’t sipping martinis at Butter or plotting manipulative schemes, their dutifully maintaining their top grades at the Constance Billard school and St. Judes School for boys. As you can see, they are all putting their distinctive personal style in the official school uniform, but the look is a keep example of Group Membership.

Gender Differentiation
The difference between the dress code between men and women in the Islamic community is a prime example of Gender Differentiation. Women must cover the entire body, only the hands and face may remain visible. The material must be thick so it is not see through, and must hang loose so that the silhouette is not apparent. The dress cannot have bold designs to attract attention and one can not wear clothing for the purpose of increasing one’s status in society. See http://www.islamfortoday.com/7conditions.htm for reference. The only guideline men have to follow is that they must not show their naval area and must cover their head. Some men take their dress code lightly and think the women’s code is more important and spend their lives lecturing various women about what to wear and what not to wear.

Decorative
This is a photograph of a woman in the Karo People region in South Ethiopia. The region is known to be masters of body painting, especially when a dance or celebration is coming up. Men, women, and children use white chalk, yellow mineral rock, black charcoal and to paint themselves. The men usually have wild hairstyles and ornaments. Head pieces, necklace beading, and animal skins are also used for decoration. One very unique feature is the long nail that is sticking through the woman’s bottom lip for ornamentation.

Environmental Protection
This photo, taken by Edward S. Curtis in 1929, is a great example of Environmental Protection clothing. Due to the Arctic climate, this particular Eskimo family kept warm from the freezing temperatures through their fur coats and hoods.

Leifsdottir's Spring 2010 Show

Leifsdottir’s Spring 2010 Mercedes Benz Fashion show was exotic and the show was “one with nature”. Many described it like “entering a fanciful garden party”. White bird cages with real birds were in the room, and the décor was filled with beautiful chairs and a white fountain. The clothing had an Indian influence with the use of navy blue, vibrant pinks and yellow, lime green, and white. It is a beautiful, whimsical collection that consists of everyday dresses, cocktail attire, blouses, skirts, and structured bottoms. The designs are flirty and fun, but sophisticated for the curves of the everyday woman. What I loved the most about the collection was the draping of all the different types of sleeves. This detail in each of the design really made the collection branch out from other designers. The accessories were elaborate and consisted of headpieces filled with leaves and dragonflies, gold rope necklaces, and beaded gold pumps.

Christian Siriano Spring 2010 Collection

I was very much impressed by Christian Siriano’s show at the Promenade during Mercedes Benz Fashion week. He is very talented and I have been following him since his debut on Project Runway. He is a young designer with youthful and innovative designs. His Spring 2010 Collection consisted of chic professional wear, party dresses, and exquisite formals. His collection had a lot of Mediterranean influence, and had a “resort” wear appeal. Christian himself noted that it was “a lush take on Mediterranean Travel”. There were lots of ruffles and pleats which provided structure and femininity to the designs. His choice of color palette consisted of khaki, white, coppers, vibrant reds and hues of blue. Fabrics were sheer and delicate, with the use of chiffon, organza and satin. His Collection really focused on the everyday woman, besides a few exceptions for the Red Carpet of course. I love his choice of bringing big hats and bangles as accessories back on the runway. What I thought was also interesting was all the models on the runway were wearing his shoes from his Spring 2010 Payless line, which included gladiator heels, pumps, and booties. Christian is one of the hottest new seasonal designers, and I know we will see more of him in the future!

My Fashion Muse

I love this 1950's Dior photograph by Walde Huth. This photo illustrates the true beauty of vintage fashion. It includes the two aspects that get me excited about fashion: Paris and Couture. The photographer captured the elegance a design can provide to a silhouette in a simplistic way. This blog will be my fashion source book for my fall semester at Academy of Art University. Each posting will include images, articles, and citings that relate to 20th Century Fashion History. This is a first for me and am excited to join the Blog World.