Historical Fashion
Research
By: Shaneeza Baksh
Ancient Rome Influences – Ancient Rome clothing was mostly togas, tunics, brooches, breeches and the stola. In many ways the romans influenced fashion with the clothing they wore. One way would be their clothing and how it shows economic and political status. Poorer romans dealt with the clothing they had but if you were a wealthier man you could buy wigs for baldness or if you were a woman you could make them out of hair from the slaves. You were known for the colour you wore. Red was shown in the military and represented war, red and blue represented what senator you were on the borders of the toga and gold embroidery or purple represented royalty. Another thing was the draping of a fabric when they wrapped it around themselves. From the draping only men would carry money in the open area and using it as a “pocket” but women didn’t carry money.
Fabrics used – Romans used silk, wool, cotton and linen for their clothing. Clothing made of pure silk was rare and expensive so they weren’t worn till later on. Instead they used a mixture wit...
...hese materials were used because they could be easily found at a low price compared to Hemp fiber and silk. Hemp fiber and silk were used at first but then the Chinese realized there are greater uses for this material. Therefore they started to use the worn fishnet, bark and cloth.
Today, the United States is the fifth largest country in the world, with over 294 Embassies and Consulates around the world our influence is quite significant. Ancient Rome contained about 20% of the world’s population of the time; it is remembered as the greatest empire in history, with ties all over the eastern hemisphere from Britain, to Egypt, to all the way to China. Ancient Rome as we know contributed significantly to modern society and is not without influence on us here in the United States. Rome’s influences included aspects ranging from their public benefits, to their use of glass, to their use of concrete, to their administration system. But, there are three influences of Ancient Rome that still reverberate through time and still have an incredible impact in our society. The first influence that Rome gave us would be their form of government, specifically their Republic Era that lasted nearly five hundred years. Ancient Rome also gifted us with the idea of benefits for those who can’t provide for themselves. Furthermore, from Ancient Rome we got the idea of providing public services that are funded with tax dollars.
Clothing style is dictated by three particular interests. First is popular fashion, which was most influenced by either the church or the rulers, as styles were copied from the ruling class, and, as they grew more and more extreme, criticized by the ecclesiastical element. Second is commercial interests. The strong merchant class will always know how to push the richest and most expensive materials into the mode. And thirdly is personal artistic expression. Fashion is dictated by many factors such as geography, time, and social and ethical standards. But superseding these is the influence of strong personalities, the brave people who will don the unthinkable, and in doing so, create the latest trend. Personal expression and creativity will only be found in the bravest, and usuall...
...They had a reason for everything they wore from rings to length to additions such as the apron. Due to different pieces of art and literature, we are able to see how the Greeks advanced in fashion and how these advanced played a role in the advances religiously, socially and politically.
Clothing was valued in the Aztec society as each class of people wore different clothing and the wealth and power of each person could be depicted from the clothing they wore: Nobles wore precious stones and fabrics whilst the commoners were forbidden to wear clothes longer than the knees
Throughout history, there were many things that influenced fashion and the ideal body image of the time. Things such as politics, and changes in social roles were some things that had an influence on the fashion of the day. One particular shocking thing that had influenced on the fashion around the 1800s were sickness and diseases. Not only were diseases and sickness caused by different fashion trends, but it set the tone for certain ideal body images and also influenced the fashion of the time.
Rome's vast empire lasted for an amazing one thousand-year reign. Half of it referred to as the republic, and the other as the empire. However, after its fall in 5oo-a.d. Rome has still remained in existence through its strong culture, architecture, literature, and even religion (Spielvogel 175). Even after its disappearance as a nation Rome left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. Its ideals and traditions have been immolated, and adopted for over two thousand years. Whether, it is through its language of Latin, its influence of religion, or its amazing architectural ability Rome has influenced almost every culture following its demise. The heritage of Rome has been passed down through three different channels; one is through the eastern Roman Empire; through the Roman Catholic Church, and consciously by any and every one who has been in touch with Roman Culture (Hadas 157).
French rulers King Charles VII and King Louis XII were astonished by the sophistication found in Italy and decided to invade it. From then on it was not until the 1450's where fashion sense began. Ideas such as increasing trades and extending clothing materials allowed the fashion trend to grow and change. The ones to keep up or set the fashion trending during the Renaissance period were the wealthy or ruling class. Fashion had its own stated rules and laws for each class, those laws were named sumptuary laws and it made people had to keep up with the fashion since it changed every year, and the clothes they wore defined their social level. The rich literally wore their wealth, shown by the amount of jewels put into their clothes or the quality of the material. Each style of clothing represented who and what people ...
The use of art forms and sculpture as a means of conveying a message to its viewers has been rooted deep into culture throughout human history. Imagery has carved political views and depictions of society’s circumstances into permanent marks of antiquity. From the Ancient Roman architecture and sculpture to the 1900’s emergence of media in politics, we have continued to express our views, hardships, and culture in permanent ways, and use art as an intricate form of manipulation and persuasion. In the ancient times, the Romans used sculpture to portray individuals of power, such as Augustus, to mark a political ideology by making powerful figures look more pristine and perfect on a godly level. They would portray the unattainable perfection
Roman art was also deeply influenced by the art of the Hellenistic world, which had spread to southern Italy and Sicily through the Greek colonies there. The Etruscans and Babylonians can also be seen as inspirations. “With the founding of the Republic, the term Roman art was virtually synonymous with the art of the city of Rome, which still bore the stamp of its Etruscan art” (Honour and Fleming,1999). During the last two centuries, notably that of Greece, Roman art shook off its dependence on Etruscan art. In the last two centuries before Christ, a distinctive Roman manner of building, sculpting, and painting emerged. Indeed, because of the extraordinary geographical extent of the Roman Empire and the number of diverse populations encompassed within its boundaries, “the art and architecture of the Romans was always eclectic and is characterized by varying styles attributable to differing regional tastes and the...
With the decline and fall of the western empire, the classical age of Rome came to a close as disease, warfare and corruption conspired to bring about the downfall of an ailing empire that had once conquered the known world. Where once enlightened despots had ruled a debauched and unwieldy polity, now barbarians stood over the ruins of a once thriving metropolis. In its absence a new world would arise with new values and ideals. Turning their back on a pagan past the Christian children of these wild men from the north would spawn the greatest houses of future European nobility, and when they looked back for a legacy, they would not see their ancestors as pillagers picking at the bones of a defiled Rome, but instead as its trusted guardians, partnering with the Church to carry her legacy through the “Dark Ages”.
Rome contributed to major cultural advancements that transform cultural heritages and legacy through major attributes. Romans influenced groups and societies that history transpired to generations that came after the Roman era. Speaking of Rome has an essence in its own right when uttering the name “Rome” my mind automatically thinks of regal, royalty, power, and leadership. If this semester didn’t teach me anything it taught me the importance and significant of our history and how Rome is at forefront of making it all possible. The evidence of Rome’s nostalgic, historic input is evident throughout Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa.
“For as long as men and women have been wearing clothing, there has been a hierarchy based on garments. The clearest example arose when the sexes were segregated into skirts and pants: women would only wear dresses (a symbol of submission) and men would only wear trousers (proof of domination). Women’s clothing was created to impede and hamper movement (through tight or many layered skirts), while men enjoyed the ease and comfort of pant legs.” (Meza, Echazarreta) Women’s fashion throughout the ages can be used to trace the history of equality between men and women. As women achieved greater independence, they claimed the right to choose what they wore, and that included women being able to wear pants. There are three things that were instrumental in making it socially acceptable for women to wear pants, they include: the invention of the bicycle, WWII, and influential women.
Many people would not believe that there are so many similarities between modern day fashion and the fashion of the renaissance time period. Many differences may be seen between the two, but the similarities are remarkable. Throughout all of time, clothing has been the major representation of social classes. What people wear has always been the distinguishing factor between the wealthy and the poor classes of both the renaissance and current time period. The evolution from time period to time period has been vast, but the fact that what people wear represents what class they reside in is still very prevalent. From the fabrics, jewels, and accessories, you can still see many similarities from the renaissance time period to the current time period. “…much of what we know about historical dress comes from the apparel of the elite.” (Sauro) Although much time has progressed, fashion from the renaissance period has held a strong influence on the fashion in today’s society.
Introduction Historically, multiple styles of dressing have been created during the last several decades, which played an important role in modern fashion in the UK. Everyone has a different and unique dressing style in their everyday life. Some styles are influenced by vintage styles which are attributing to the deep effects of old vogue, and another group of dressing styles are inclined into the fresh element. Despite those different styles, some of them have even evolved into the milestones in fashion history. To start this essay, it will introduce the evaluation of the first significant revolution of dressing style in the 1960s.