FASHION AND COSTUMES

Fashion and Costumes

Fashion and Costumes

Introduction

Fashion

When we talk about fashion, we generally think about famous designers such as Chanel, Versace, John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood but the term fashion covers a huge range of different clothing and accessory styles, markets, and industries. In fact, it need not even refer to clothing or accessories. What is fashionable in one culture would often seem very out of place in another. Some occupations demand that workers wear a particular uniform and some workers adopt their own informal uniform. Fashion can also be used to emphasize rank or standing in the community. It can also emphasize a feeling of belonging to a particular group. Particular styles of dress are considered suitable for one group of people but not for another. For example, a kilt is acceptable for a teenage girl to wear, but not as acceptable for an older woman. It is acceptable for a man to wear a kilt but not a skirt, and a T-shirt and shorts is acceptable wear for participating in sport or on a summer day, but not in the office or in the middle of winter. We tend to make assumptions about people because of the way they are dressed. So although the basic purpose of clothing is to cover or enhance the body, what we wear sends out important signals to others about who we are and what we would like to be.

Modern Fashion

Today's fashions and fashion industry are very different to that of a thousand years ago or even a hundred years ago. In the past, fashion styles have been limited by what fabrics and dyes were available. In most of the world, but particularly in the Western world, the 20th century saw the most dramatic changes in fashion styles, and in particular those for women. It was World War I that had the most significant effect. During this time, the role of women in society changed dramatically, with many joining the workforce and taking a much more active role. As a consequence, clothing became much more adaptable and easier to wear. After World War I, fashions did become more feminine, but were not as restrictive as in the past, with shorter dresses and much simpler and more practical styles. The reign of the ankle-length skirt and the boned corset was finally at an end. Tubular-style low-waisted dresses became popular in the early 1920s followed by the more fitted suits and dresses. Men's dress was also becoming less formal, as was sportswear, which up until this point had covered much of the body (Hooks, 1992).

However, it was the 1960s when street fashion really took hold. Styles began to change for the first time, and fashions for the younger generation led the way, as new dyes and further developments in the industry brought mass production of clothing and drip-dry, non-iron, bright fabrics onto the market. The wearing of jeans also became very popular and added to the range of casual clothing available for ...