In a nutshell, fashion stands not only for the Motorcycle Leather Jacket clothes we wear but also for culture, identity, history, and society itself. As such, it serves as a medium of self-expression-through multivalent symbols. Over time, fashion has been influenced by and has influenced art, politics, and technology. This thesis examines an ever-changing, lively industry-fashion-with an account of its history and its future relevance in social culture.
An Introduction to Fashion: A Historical Overview
Fashion is as old as civilization itself. The primitive clothes were decided out of necessity: to keep them warm, or protect them from the environment. Yet as societies developed, clothing started taking on additional meanings such as status and power. For example, ancient Egyptians dressed their women in elaborate garments with fine linen, signifying royalty and wealth; the simple tunics worn by the lower classes had contrasting meanings.
Fashion has evolved through the centuries. The Renaissance period saw the luxury class displayed wealth and influence with fashion. Ornate dresses, richly embroidered with gold threads and adorned with jewels, were symbols of status and elegance. France, the court of King Louis XIV in particular, became synonymous with fashion trends, with the ostentatious attire and extravagant hairstyles from Paris being replicated across Europe.
The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century saw drastic and radical changes take place in the fast world of fashion. Textiles and garments were now mass-produced and much cheaper; that meant such products were now within the means of the middle-class consumer. As fashion underwent this process of democratization, the idea of prêt-à-porter was born, and, thus, it became the basis of the modern fashion business as we know it.
The Birth of Modern Fashion: Designers and Haute Couture
By the mid-20th century, the world of fashion had Leather Motorcycle Jacket evolved further with the emergence of haute couture, that is, custom luxury fashion for the elite. This French designer Charles Frederick Worth is regarded as one of the first designers to present haute couture in the 1850s and is thus credited with laying the foundations for the high-fashion business with boutique enterprises.
The 1920s saw the likes of designers such as Coco Chanel gain preeminence, whereby her women’s fashion liberated from the earlier century’s ostentation into sheer simplicity and elegance. Chanel is credited with the invention of the little black dress, tweed suit, and pearls, which have come to symbolize restraint and sophistication.
Mid-to-late-20th-century fashion was characterized by Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and Hubert de Givenchy; each designer, in his innovative collections and highly identifiable style, would alter the face of fashion. Dior's famous "New Look" was a dramatically important change in other aspects-it proclaimed a return to femininity in the years following utilitarian styles birthed during World War II.
