AliFashionSourceBook:20thCentury

A fashion source book is a person's own personal playground. It is a place where diversity is welcome, imagination is encouraged, and self expression is demanded. The purpose of this online fashion source book is to become knowledgeable of the History of 20th Century Fashion. Fashion of the 20th Century was fast paced with ever changing ideals of beauty each decade. This source book will enable you to see how fashion directly impacts our lifestyles by numerous posts and images.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

San Francisco Fashion vs. Tongan Fashion

The San Francisco image was found in the Tanforan Mall about 10 minutes outside San Francisco. I took numerous pictures in several malls and feel this fashion represents the area I currently reside the best (San Francisco Bay Area). People from San Francisco love to represent where they are from; not only through their clothes but also through their music. Scarves seem to be the "in" accessory and go with all fashions; both casual and dressed up. It adds personality to one's outfit; whether it is wrapped around the neck in a knot or loosely hanging with a t-shirt on.

The other images are traditional Tongan attire. I wanted to add these to this blog to show the complete difference between the American and Tongan culture. My husband is Tongan and find much interest in their fashions. These outfits are always worn during traditional ceremonial traditions. Head dresses, large beads, and accessories often accompany the traditional "matte" that you see on both the female and male.

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This particular street trend I have been noticing is more of a futuristic approach, somewhat “space age”. These trends seem as if they came straight out of the Jetson’s cartoon with metallic colors, matte finishes, wide shoulders, and shiny materials. Futuristic fashion includes a minimalist uniform with an androgynous geometric silhouette; almost similar to the mod fashions. These images are inspired by the “space age” look by using shiny, almost plastic-type materials, and a-line skirts/dresses. The wide shoulders also tie into the “space age” fashion. The female design has a belt that looks as if it was made out of a plastic red bubble; very futuristic feel.

Rave clothes are an important and dynamic part of rave culture. For those people involved in this culture, clothing and rave fashion are essential. During the past several years, popular rave fashion moved from eccentric things to the fat rave pants. There developed two primary styles in rave wear: creative and bright candy style and more sophisticated club style. It is known today for ravers to dress more for comfort and pleasure. Rave clothing must be lightweight, loose-fitting and comfortable. People who attend Nu Rave clubs may bring with them florescent accessories such as glow sticks and they may wear colorful neon hats, jackets and glasses. The above designs had a strong inspiration from the current rave street trend by using neon and bright colors, glow in the dark lettering, and loose-fitting tops; appeared more comfortable.

Hip Hop fashion was established in the early 1980s through sportswear and fashion brands such as Sportif, Kangol, Adidas, and Pro-Keds. During the 80s, hip-hop icons were known to wear bright-colored tracksuits, sheepskin and leather bomber jackets, Clarks shoes, Britishers AKA British Walkers and sneakers. Hair cuts such as the jheri curl was popular in the early 1980s while the hi-top fade was popularized by Will Smith and Christopher “Kid” Reid of Kid ‘n Play in the late 1980s. Popular accessories attached to the hip hop fashion were multiple rings, large eyeglasses, Kangol bucket hats, nameplates, and name belts. Heavy jewelry, particularly gold, was very popular in the 1980s. In general, women’s fashion focused on large gold hoop earrings, while the men’s fashion focused on heavy gold chains. The above images are inspired by hip hop through their tall hats that are turned to the side, gold chains, and bright colors. The men’s fashion is also accessorized with an oversized bag, oversized glasses, red arm bands, and white low-top sneakers. Both designs incorporate both the old school hip and new aged hip hop fashions.

The beginning style of punk dress was much different from what would now be considered the basic punk look. The original punk fashions of the 1970s were intended to be as confrontational, shocking and rebellious as possible. Punk elements included torn up, deconstructed articles, deliberately offensive slogan covered dress shirts, anarchy symbols, clothing with controversial images, and leather rocker jackets and customized blazers with safety pins. The above images are inspired by punk fashion through the bold make-up and hair color, as well as the deep colors and high, over-the-knee design stalking.

Disco was the first club and dance fashion. People treated it as the weekend fashion when they went partying or dancing. The disco styles for women were skintight garments such as a cat suit with black tights. Form fitting Lycra was an ideal fabric as well as bright shimmering fabrics such as satin, velvet, and PVC. Men also wore these materials in the form of figure hugging suits, wide flared trousers, and platform shoes. These looks were very posh with exotic and tropical prints reflecting the influence from foreign travel. The above images take on the disco fashion by incorporating the Lycra material. The shiny material with bold prints was also another indicator of the disco fashion of the 1970s.

Hippies were the natural outgrowth of the Beat movement in the 1950s. Rebelling against a society grown increasingly conformist and repressive, they were focused on freedom and getting back to nature. Their dress was meant to be an expression of the person and the times. The Hippie era is known for popularizing large statement pieces such as big leather belts, bold bags, and layers of jewelry. Floral prints and busy motifs were also an important part of Hippie fashion, as well as the reoccurrence of fringe. This style was often loose and made of natural fibers like cotton and hemp. The above images were inspired by the hippie chic look with flowy materials and loud prints; very natural look.

Mod (short for modern) was a trend that started in London in the late 1950s and was most popularized in the early to mid 1960s. Prominent elements of this culture included pop music, fashion and scooters/motorcycles. Mods wore tailored clothing that were brightly colored and often Italian designed. Mod prints were paisley, large floral or geometric prints. Mods were also known to drive scooters; Lambretta, Piaggio, Vespa. The above images were inspired by the Mod look of the 1960s by the shape of the dress and geometric print designs.

The Beatnik style was originated in the 1940s in San Francisco by existentialist intellectuals and artists. They were known to be very anti-materialism and really inspired the hippy movement in the 1960s. The description beat generation was an earlier label invented in California in 1948 by author, Jack Kerouac, but the term beatnik was first coined by Herb Caen in an article published by the San Francisco Chronicle on April 2, 1958. Beatniks listened to jazz music and wore dark sunglasses which they called “shades” to imitate the look of jazz musicians. Black berets and black clothing became a staple with beatnik dancers, artists, and intellectuals. The above images replicate the beatnik style by incorporating shades, berets, and dark colored clothing.

The Teddy Boy style was a reaction against post war years. The new generation went against their parent’s idea of fashion to make sure the fashion was far too camp for working class sensibilities. This style was dated back to Edwardian style; they shortened Edward to Ted, which is where they got the name. This style was velvet collars on long jackets that started off with grey, blue, or plain materials. In later years Teddy Boys were known for their big quiffs, bright colors, high-waisted drainpipe trousers, brightly colored socks, and narrow ties with horizontal stripes or American style bootlace ties. Loose drape jackets and cutaway collar shirts were also a staple with the Teddy Boy style. The above examples do a great job of integrating this style into their look by using velvet material along the collars of their jackets. One image incorporates the newer look of the Teddy Boys by using bright purples with a designed tie, while the other image focuses on the beginning stages of the Teddy Boy style concentrating more on plain colors such as grey.

“A zoot suit is a suit with a high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed pegged trousers accompanied with a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders.” This style suit was made popular by African Americans, Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans, Filipino Americans, and Italian Americans during the 1930s and 1940s. Zoot suits were generally worn for special occasions, such as a birthday party or dance. The amount of material and tailoring required made them luxury items, which was said to cause a riot during World War II because people felt these were wasted materials that should be going towards war efforts. These instances are one of the factors that contributed to the Zoot Suit Riots. Wearing these suits was a declaration of freedom and self-determination, somewhat rebelliousness. The above images are a great replica of the Zoot Suit with the wide legged, tight-cuffed pegged trousers accompanied with a long coat.

The above dress is one of many pieces inspired by the gothic era in Jill Stuart’s Fall/Winter 2009 Collection. Many of her pieces combined Glamour and Goth to produce a sexy, fierce and cutting edge look. This entire collection had an over arching gothic feel to it, but in a way that was ultra sexy and sleek; no where near scary. Black was the dominant color paired with gorgeous silk dresses, skinny leather pants, sheer tops and beaded frocks. Even the items that were made of softer shades were accompanied by the rock-star, edgy look. Goth was apart of each item in this collection, whether through the clothing or accessories, there was an edge to each piece.

The above dress is from Ossie Clark’s 2009 Spring Collection. This dress, along with a few other pieces from this collection, were inspired by ancient Greece. Ancient Greece fashion is known for there innovative way of draping materials strategically over the body. During summer seasons, the material would be made out of a lighter material; replicated in the above picture using sheer materials. Ancient Greece is also known for their continued fashion, not only focusing on the outfit itself, but concentrating on accessories; replicated above with the pin on the shoulder, which is a great asset to this beautifully draped dress.

The above dresses are a part of Sophia Kokosalaki’s 2008 collection. They were inspired by ancient Egyptian fashion; which is known as the oldest real fashion in the world. Early Egyptians were fond of gold, so most of their accessories and clothing were made from gold. Egyptians were really into fashion from head to toe, so their creative style really inspired Sophia’s 2008 collection; which included the rich cultures of the hieroglyphics, Tutenkhamen, and mummies. After a summer spent in Crete, Sophia became intrigued by the glamorous times of Ancient Egypt and was determined to bring these times back through her rich prints and gold colors.

High heels are most commonly worn today by women. These shoes typically vary in height from a kitten heel of 1.5 inches to a stiletto heel of 4 inches or more. High heels that are higher than 5 inches are normally worn only for aesthetic reasons and are not considered practical. There are numerous "adventurous" styles that are generally worn for evening wear and dancing, as well as court shoes that are known for their more conservative styles used for work and formal occasions. High heels are not allowed in the medical field due to the severe foot problems that podiatrists have prescribed due exclusively to high heel wear.

Platform heels became dominant in the 1970's. Platform shoes were known to have soles that were at least four inches in height, often made of cork, rubber, plastic, or wood. At the beginning of the fad, (which dated from 1970 through the 1980's) they were worn primarily by young women in their teens and twenties, and occasionally by younger girls, older women, and young men (the disco era). Platforms were worn primarily for the sake of attracting attention. Glam rock musicians wore platform shoes as part of their act.

Chopines, also known as platform shoes, were created in Turkey in the 1400's and stayed popular throughout Europe until the mid-1600's. Chopines were worn almost exclusively by women. They could be seven, eight, or even thirty inches high requiring women to carry a cane or stick to help them walk. The design of the shoe was generally cork or wood stacked as the heel. The chopines became a status symbol to the Venetians revealing wealth and social standing for women. It has also been noted that scholars have speculated if heels were used not only for aesthetic reasons but also to prevent women from escaping the harem.

The figures on murals dating from 3500 B.C. show an early version of the shoe (heel). In ancient Egypt an early version of the heel was worn mostly by the higher classes, and the lower class society were known to walk barefoot. These heels were pieces of leather laced onto the feet or sandals made of woven rushes. There are also some tales of both upper-class males and females wearing heels for ceremonial purposes. It was also thought that Egyptian butchers would wear a heeled shoe to keep their feet away from the blood of their job.

A loose skin, fur, or fabric wrap was an all-purpose outer layer of clothing for nearly all cultures from the Neolithic Age to the 19th century. At the turn of the 16th century, cloaks again began to be seen as a more common component of daily fashion, both in their old form, and increasingly in the style of a shorter cape. The influence of Spanish fashion, where the cloak had always remained popular, during the second half of the 16th century led to the reintroduction of cloaks throughout Europe.

Men's trousers trace their ancestry to the individual hose worn by men in the 15th century (which explains why the word "trousers" is plural). The hose were easy to make and fastened to a doublet at the top with ties called "points". At this time, these were not trousers, but trews. As time went by, the two hose were joined, first in the back then across the front, but still leaving a large opening for sanitary functions. Originally, doublets came almost to the knees, effectively covering the private parts, but as fashions changed and doublets became shorter, it became necessary for men to cover their genitals with a codpiece.

Following the fall of the Roman empire, the tunic continued to be worn with varying sleeve and hem lengths throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. Often reaching the knees or ankles, it was usually worn over underclothes consisting of a shirt (usually hip-length or longer) and drawers (usually knee or ankle-lenght). It may be accompanied by hose. Wool and linen wee common fabrics used, though the wealthy sometimes wore fancy silk tunics, or a lesser fabric with silk trim. In Western culture, its use continues primarily in a religious and uniform context. It is the primary garment worn by the clergy and members of the religious order.

During the 13th century, gloves began to be worn by ladies as a fashion ornament. They were made of linen and silk, and sometimes reached to the elbow. It was not until the 16th century that they reached their greatest elaboration when Queen Elizabeth the I set the fashion for wearing them richly embroidered and jewelled, and for putting them on and taking them off during audiences, to draw attention to her beautiful hands. Embroidered and jewelled gloves also formed part of the insignia of emperors and kings.

Camouflage is widely worn in the Midwest and Southern parts of the United States for hunting purposes. These fabrics are dyed with splotches of green, brown, black, and tan intended to make the wearer of the garment made of this fabric hard to distinguish from the background; keeping the animals away. These particular pieces are made to withstand any rain storm or cold winter snow. These suits are water proof and made with suspenders and hoods to protect the wearer from any wind, rain, or snow. They are also lined with certain materials to keep you dry and warm while you hunt.

Tattooing has a major role in the Polynesian culture. As there is no writing in the Polynesian culture, the Polynesians used this art full of distinctive signs to express their identity and personality. Tattoos would indicate status in a hierarchy society: sexual maturity, genealogy and one's rank within society. Nearly everyone in ancient Polynesian society was tattooed. Tattooing was not only a sign of wealth, but also a sign of strength and power. Therefore chiefs and warriors generally had the most elaborate tattoos. Men without any tattoos were despised, whereas those whose bodies were completely tattooed – the to’oata – were greatly admired. Many Polynesians like to experience the traditional tattoo. Traditional tattooing tools consist of a comb with needles carved from bone or tortoiseshell, fixed to a wooden handle. The needles are dipped into a pigment made from the soot of burnt candlenut mixed with water or oil. The needles are then placed on the skin and the handle is tapped with a second wooden stick, causing the comb to pierce the skin and insert the pigment. The name tatau comes from the sound of this tapping

All American Indian moccasins were originally made of soft leather stitched together with sinew. Though the basic construction of Native American moccasins were similar throughout North America, moccasin patterns were subtly different in nearly every tribe, and Indian people could often tell each other's tribal affiliation simply from the design of their shoes (In fact, the common names of some large nations like the Blackfoot and the Chippewas refer to their characteristic moccasin styles). Tribal differences included not only the cut of the moccasins, but also the extensive beadwork, quillwork, and painted designs many Indian people lavished on their shoes. In some tribes hardened rawhide was used for the sole for added durability, and in others rabbit fur (or, later, sheepskin) was used to line the leather moccasins for added warmth.

In most tribes, Native American men wore breechclouts or breechcloths (a long rectangular piece of hide or cloth tucked over a belt, so that the flaps fell down in front and behind), sometimes with leather leggings attached in colder climates. Most Indian men did not use shirts, but Plains Indian Warriors wore special buckskin war shirts decorated with ermine tails, hair, and intricate quillwork and beadwork. In most tribes, it was common for Native American women to wear one-peice dresses, but some wore skirts and leggings instead.

Ceremonialism

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is often called the Lunar New Year, especially by people in mainland China and Taiwan Clothing mainly featuring the color red is commonly worn throughout the Chinese New Year because it is believed that red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. In addition, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize a new beginning in the new year. Wearing new clothes also symbolizes having more than enough things to use and wear in the new year.

Sexual Enhancement

The traditional Indian clothing for women is the Sari, which can be worn in many different ways. Even though it is a single length of material, the sari is a very versatile garment. It is a rectangular piece of cloth, which is sometimes five and usually six yards in length. The style, color and texture of this cloth vary, but the most traditional ones are the handloom or hand woven saris. Today the Sari is made from cotton, silk or one of the several man-made materials. Indian clothing is famous because it is colorful and also graceful. Outfits for women are designed to be graceful. The Sari is still so popular even after centuries because it has a sense of luxury and sexuality to it.

AliFashionSourceBook:20thCentury

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Sunday, September 13, 2009

San Francisco Fashion vs. Tongan Fashion

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Connection Between Street Trends and High Fashion

Space Age Fashion

Rave Fashion

Hip Hop Fashion

Punk Fashion

Disco Fashion

Hippie Fashion

Mod Fashion

Beatnik

Teddy Boys

Zoot Suits

Fashion Designs that show Influences from Historical Artistic Styles

Gothic Fashion

Byzantine Fashion

Surrealism Fashion

Ancient Greek Fashion

Abstract Fashion

Ancient Egyptian Fashion

The Historical Genealogy of the Heel

Draped and Tailored Garments

Draped Garments

Tailored Garments

Six Social Functions of Fashion

Environmental Protection

Decoration

Group Membership

Gender Differentiation

Ceremonialism

Sexual Enhancement