Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
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COSTUMES OF INDIA
From the onset of this era, stitched garments became functional whose credit can be give to the Mughals.
MEN’S STITCHED GARMENT
JAMA: – These are outer garment for formal wear and are knee length wrap around robe with fitted torso and flared bottom. They are fasten on the left or right with long tabs.
ANGRAKHA: – Just like Jama, Angarkha is also long sleeved gown. The key difference is U-shaped or V-shaped cut in front and triangular opening in the front. U shaped cut in the front is popular in Rajput whereas the V shaped cut was popular in Muslim in the Mughal court. The inner lining through the triangular cut is known as purdah.
CHOGHA/ATMASUKH: – Chogha was a loose long sleeved garment worn to beat the weather. It was used in the muslim court and was known as Atamsukh in rajput court. It was padded with cotton wool to keep the wearer warm. Borders were embroidered with silk brocade. The short sleeved version of Chogha was known as Farji.
SHERWANI: – During war of indian independence as a symbol of proud heritage. Sherwani is more structured, tailored and padded long coat, cut with high round neck and fastens down the center front with six- seven button. Unlike Chogha, Sherwani’s armhole was round. During 19th century as an assimilation of British clothing, Indian garments became close fitted and stretched. Jawaharlal Nehru used to wear Sherwani.
BAGALBANDI: – Bagalbandi translate to a garment that which ties on the side. A shorter version of Jama worn as a jacket.
ANGARAKHI: – Term used for jacket which is a shorted version of Angarkha.
SARDI: – Sardi, is the name given to a short-sleeved or sleeveless jacket worn over a long sleeved garment(jama or angarkha) like a waistcoat.
PAIJAMA: – Derived from the Persian word; pae meaning feet and jama meaning covering. Worn both by men and women.
WOMEN’S STITCHED GARMENT
GHAGRA: – Originates from the term ghera which means flare. Ghagra is full panelled skirt worn with tight fitted bodice known as choli.
CHOLI: – Constructed to support the bust. Strings tied around the neck
Worn with Saree and Ghagra by hindu women in Rajput Courts. It has Folded sleeves and gussets at underarms for more space.
KACHLI: – As women began to step outside the feminine roles and started participating in the political and social life, new styles such as kachli over the choli appeared.\
PESHWAZ: – Long flared ankle length garment attached with tight fitted choli and open at the center. The ensemble is completed with straight paijamas. In 17th century Peshwaz became really fashionable garment in the Muslim and Northern Hindu courts. The collar and cuffs used to depict the european influence in indian textiles.
KURTA: – Popular in Himalayan- Kashmir range, Kurtas’ fabric was folded, sleeves were attached. For extra fullness panels were attached.
ABHO: – Abho is a traditional decorated tunic worn by women in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The embroidery consist of very large yoke-panel pointed downwards and ending in highly ornamental pendant medallion.
TILAK: – Tilak is made up of number of pieces, some of them possibly fragments from other dresses. It has highly decorative yoke attached in a way to form V-shape at the neck. The sleeves consist of several differently sized panels.
SALWAR: – Loose and baggy in the upper part, narrow but not really tight on the lower part.
FARSHI PAJAMA: – Farshi pajama derives it names from the word farsh meaning floor. It’s a highly flared garment with its bottom flare touching the floor.
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ANCIENT INDIAN HISTORICAL COSTUMES
There are 3 important things in Indian Ancient History – Untariya, Antariya and Kayapan.
INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
Indus Valley Civilization lasted from 2500 – 2000 BCE. Harappa, Mohen jo Daro were closer to Gujarat.
BUST OF A BEARDED MAN: – Three important elements from this figurine are – Art of weaving was known to them, Coarse cotton and copper sewing was found and Trefoil Pattern.
DANCING GIRL: – Dancing Girl is a prehistoric bronze sculpture made in lost-wax casting about c. 2300–1750 BCE in the Indus Valley Civilisation city of Mohenjo-daro.
THE VEDIC PERIOD
The vedic period span from 1500- 500 BCE. Upanishads were written, events which were happening were being written in books named Rigveda, Samveda , Yajurveda, Atharvaveda. Upanishads are in short social and political texts.
Men used to wear Adhivasa – a kind of Untariya that was worn at the top, a Nivi or dhoti, Mrigchaal.
Women used to wear Stanapatta, an Antariya in Kakshya fashion (passed between the legs tucked at the back) and a Kurlra – Headband or head ornament.
THE MAURYAN PERIOD
Mauryan empire ran between 322 – 185 BCE. Mauryas were great warriors with Chandragupta Maurya being their founder.
Men used to wear Pratidhi, Kayabandh, Uttariya, Patka , Antariya. The Greek influence during this period was visible through a new breast covering called the Pratidhi.
THE KUSHAN PERIOD (AD 78- 101)
Interest in Buddhism arose during this period. One of the important costume development in this period was a rectangular cloth garnent draped over both lower and upper body. Kushan Royal Costume – Chogha, Tunic, Chalana.
THE STAVANA PERIOD (220BCE – 218AD)
Also known as Andhra dynasty under Andhra rulers greatest Buddhist architecture was built. Poduction of cloth and textile flourished during Stavana period.
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THE DECADE OF F.R.I.E.N.D.S. – 1990s
1990s is considered as an exclusive time period in fashion history. The ideal body type has very high standards. Romantic era where reality was a thing and people appreciated it.
Terminologies associated with 90s are Minimalism, Supermodel Stardum and Conceptual Fashion. Less is more was the catch phrase of this period.
MAKEUP: – Makeup was very minimalistic with pastel eyeshadows and brown lips. Lip liners were in popular demand.
SLIP DRESS: – The slip dress is a silhouette that defined ’90s fashion. Flattering, sexy and easy to wear, when we think of the classic slip dress directly we think of a silky number.
CO-ORDINATES: – Wearing the top and bottom piece of same color became a thing of 90s. Made in silk or satin these pieces highlighted female curves.
High neck tops, white shirts, denims and tees were extremely popular. The minimalist approach could be seen in all the designs.
CALVIN KLEIN: – One of the most famous brands, became really popular in the 90s because of its approach towards clothes.
JIL SANDERS: – In 1989 she took the company public while retaining all the voting shares and thus creative control. The minimalism that Sander had espoused from the beginning began to be embraced by other designers and by the public at large; she is often recognized as being among the major designers who helped influence the minimalist style that defined the fashion of the 1990s.
ERA OF SUPERMODELS
Called as the era of supermodels, 1990s Vogue magazine became revolutionary because it was a the first time that models were featured on its cover page.
Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington were called – The Trinity. They became immensely popular after the Vogue shoot.
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ASSIGNMENT – 6
BRIEF: – The assignment requires to make a deconstructed garment from old shirts.
So in the beginning I simply chose one of my shirt and one took one from my dad. I was not really sure with what to do exactly and so I just simply wore both the shirts om each shoulder and wrapped the sleeve around waist. To be honest it is the most common and easiest thing to attempt.
Hence, for my final design I decided to something different. I took four shirts in all – two of my dad’s old shirt which could be cut and two of mine.
From the old shirts, I separated the sleeves, pocket and back of the shirt. Then I wore my shirt one on each shoulder and wrapped the other sleeve on the back. Placing the cutout shirt from my bust portion I stitched it up.
Next I added one of the cut sleeve on one arm and a pocket on the other and the garment was ready.
This was a really exciting assignment. From being not sure of what to do to making a deconstructed garment that actually looked good, I enjoyed the whole process.
JAPANESE DESIGNERS OF THE 1980s
In the early 1980s two progressive fashion designers from Japan, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto, introduced their collections to the Parisian public for the first time making an indelible mark on the fashion world.
These designers started making clothes in a completely different way from what the Americans were making. Their designs were male clothing but their concept was that such garments can be worn by women as well. The deconstructed look was their accent.
REI KAWAKUBO: – Rei Kawakubo, is a self-taught Japanese fashion designer known for her avant-garde clothing designs and her high fashion label, Comme des Garçons (CDG), founded in 1969. Rather than respond to trends, Kawakubo rooted her designs in concepts, straddling art and fashion. Thus, her designs, especially early in her career, used tremendous amounts of fabric and often looked voluminous on the wearer’s body.
YOHJI YAMAMOTO: – When Yohji Yamamoto first burst onto the fashion scene with the launch of his label in 1981, he introduced a dark approach to luxury womenswear that shook the industry. Famed for his androgynous avant-garde collections, his work and its global success set the premise for a generation of innovative East Asian creatives in a world previously governed by a Western aesthetic.
During the late 1970s Kawakubo started a professional and romantic relationship with fellow Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. They both produced clothes that redefined fashion and challenged conceptions of feminine beauty. The two debuted separate collections in Paris in 1981 and shocked the critics. The garments were dark (primarily black), oversized, and asymmetrical, and they twisted and bulged and otherwise did not conform to the lines of the human body. Kawakubo and Yamamoto continued to collaborate for several years and, together with Issey Miyake, were considered Japan’s most innovative fashion designers.
ISSEY MIYAKE: – In 1973, three years after he established a Tokyo studio, Miyake displayed his own independent collection in a Paris group fashion show and developed the layered and wrapped look that became his trademark.
Soon the New York department store Bloomingdale’s devoted a section to selling Miyake’s “East meets West” look—mostly T-shirts dyed with Japanese tattoo designs as well as coats featuring the sashiko technique, a Japanese embroidery that strengthens fabric and was typically incorporated into labourers’ clothing. Miyake became an internationally recognized name in the 1980s together with Japanese designers Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto, who presented their avant-garde creations alongside his fresh, boldly coloured work during the Paris ready-to-wear collections.
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LIFE IN THE 1980s
Russia had declared itself as a nuclear country and people were scared of the fact that there was a possibility of WWIII taking place. Shopping was not a necessity but became a habit. Aesthetic was of Neon colors, use of blues violets and magenta. Neon and Fluorescents, obsessed with Excess, bright and colourful watches were in demand.
A decade of 80s was full of excess, oversized, fitness, money and greed. President of USA, Reagan was in cold wars with Russia. In 1983 – The Day After, a movie talking about Nuclear drop came out.
YUPPIES: – the catchphrase of 80s was – “Greed Is Good” and people who were rich were these yuppies and were considered good people. Workaholics word was coined in the 80s because of them.
POWER DRESSING: – Women used to show power through various fashion products. Shoulder pads used to show power, geometric shapes were used to make sofas and tables. Blocks and bubble fonts, Strokes and squiggles along with primary and secondary color combinations were highly in use.
HIP HOP: – The 1980s was one of the most important decades in music history, not just because of the pop stars making hit records, but because of rap music’s injection into the musical bloodstream. DNCE, Salt n Pepper girls were the popular ones.
Black men with huge boomboxes, wearing leather pants, rookie chains with fade hairstyles and with track pants, oversized jackets with having printing on leather can be seen imitating the hip-hop culture.
DAPPER DAN: – Dapper Dan’s Boutique, the legendary Harlem couturier he opened in 1982, kitted out local gamblers and gangsters, then later hip-hop stars and athletes such as Mike Tyson, Bobby Brown and Salt-N-Pepa. His custom pieces repurposed logos from the fashion houses that had overlooked black clientele.
But later on Gucci went on to take inspiration from which caused some news and hence, Gucci had to contact Dan and then they also collaborated in future.
AEROBICS: – Fitness was a big thing in 1980s. One such person who made aerobics popular was Jane Fonda. She introduced this gym look with legwarmers, headband and most importantly the – leotards.
Style icon of this decade was Princess Diana. She was creating buzz with her cycling shorts and tank tops.
Some other popular emergence from 80s were the use of pastel colors. Miami Vice – series, great Tennis matches were popular. Cordless phone was first invented in 1980s which was known as brick.
Madonna was a famous emerging singer from 80s. She was bold and outrageous. On September 4th, 1984 – MTV music awards she created a huge buzz with the rather sultry performance. She started wearing things which were related to religious aspects with laces, chains.
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ASSIGNMENT – 5
THE 1970s
The decade of the 1970s was in many ways a continuation of the late 1960s with respect to social trends. The activists of the 1960s crusaded for social justice in the 1970s, gaining new freedoms for women, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, homosexuals, the elderly, and other ethnic and minority groups.
Hippies became a big nuisance, terrorist groups started hijacking planes. The Teddy buddies were also still present who did not make the situation any better. There were a few liberation movements like the Gay liberation movement.
The Gay Liberation Movement started in the Stone wall café. The scene before this was extremely cruel, police used to beat people for no reason. Fed up with the torture people started this revolt. They marched on the streets of NewYork.
GLAM ROCK: – Coming to fashion, it was really comfortable. People were not shying away from anything. Androgynous clothing became popular. Singers like David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Suzi Quatro started wearing androgynous clothes and the outrageous clothing.
Feathers and Lightning Bolt were two major symbol associated with glam rock.
Two important elements of 1970s
1. WIDE: – Everything seemed to be getting wider in this decade. Right from the pants to the hair all were becoming wide.
2. COMFORT: – The next concept was of comfort which was the dominant idea in the society. Clothes got wider for the purpose of comfort. Pantsuits became popular.
Lots of trends started in 1970s, with people beginning to experiment with their looks. Gypsy look, sporty attire were all famous.
Polyester was the most famous and major textile of 1970s. Women Liberation Movement also started during this time.
DESIGNER OF THE DECADE: – Yves Saint Lauren was the decade’s designer. He worked for women empowerment. Wearing paint suit was a way or symbol of representing Women empowerment. His version of pantsuit became really popular. The “Le Smoking” suit was made up of satin cummerbund, fairly loose trousers and a wool jacket.
Gypsy look was inspired from Russia as well as Rajasthan. Street look with a lot of plaid became famous. Disco Tech became a thing with the Saturday Night Fever.
THE DECO REVIVAL: – The multi storied departmental store which opened on Kingston Road, London channelized the 20s and 30s Deco culture. With its clothes and interior and Twiggy posing for Biba’s campaign, the Deco Revival began.
PUNK ROCK FASHION: – Punks cut up old clothes from charity and thrift shops, destroyed the fabric, and refashioned outfits in a manner then thought of a crude construction technique, making garments designed to attract attention. It deconstructed garments into new forms. Whilst torn fabrics, frayed edges and defaced prints are now considered normal in the 21st century, in the 1970s it shocked many people, because it had never been seen before.
Punk as a style succeeded even more when Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren formerly Malcolm Edwards, publicized the ideas through their joint design ventures. McLaren launched the ‘Sex Pistols‘ Punk music group. The punk group wore clothes from a shop called ‘Sex‘ that Vivienne Westwood and her partner Malcolm McLaren opened on the Kings Road, London. They sold leather and rubber fetish goods, especially bondage trousers. Later the shop was renamed Seditionaries.
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1960s – THE DECADE THAT THE LIBERALS LOVE TO HATE
America had seen a lot of loss but by the 1960s, the post-war boom had flourished for over a decade and had begun to wane. Under conservative Eisenhower, the nation had grown, but only cautiously. When Kennedy swept into office, his energy and enthusiasm inspired Americans to take on challenges both foreign and domestic. Kennedy’s goals were to stimulate the economy, reduce unemployment, support growth and democracy abroad and establish an important economic position on the international front. In UK 60s, the economy was booming and experimenting with clothing.
One of the most iconic dress of all time came from 1960s. Marylin Monroe wore a complete nude dress for President John F. Kennedy’s birthday party. The dress grabbed a lot of attention from the people present.
1960s is divided into 3 periods: – Early 60s – Chanel Cardigan look
Mid 60s – Return to childhood
Late 60s – Return to past
EARLY 1960s
Cardigan suits with a Bouffant hairdo was the style of 1960s.
BOUFFANT HAIRDO : – A bouffant is a type of hairstyle characterized by hair raised high on the head and usually covering the ears or hanging down on the sides. Jackie Kennedy was the style icon of this period with her cardigan suits and bouffant hairstyle.
On the unfortunate day of 22nd November, 1963 John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
CARNABY STREET: – This was the most famous place in 60s London from where most of the trends emerged.
THE MODS: – The Mods were an incredible 1960’s youth sub-culture who shared a common desire to embrace a new found financial and parental freedom and to stand out above the crowd with regards to originality in fashion, music and social status and what they achieved still influences aspects of contemporary life. They used to wear tailored suits, Parka jackets and ride Vespa.
THE ROCKERS: – The rockers were the tough kids; clad in leather, they greased their hair up into pompadours and took to the roads on motorcycles. They were outrageous, always fighting and troubling Mods.
Mary Quant emerged as a famous designer in the early 60s when she started making mini skirts and introduced it to the main stream market.
MID 1960s
This period was the time when everyone was dressing up like children. The lifestyle of people also had the sense of returning of childhood and hence, lots of plastic was used for accessories.
Twiggy was the style icon of this period. She had the ideal body structure, was skinny and looked like a doll that was the aesthetic of mid 60s. Twiggy qualifies to be the real 1960s model.
SPACE AGE: – In the ’60s, Space Age style revolved around the idea of exploration—of pushing boundaries further than ever before, whether that meant with materials or silhouettes. It truly felt new and exciting because the “future” everyone imagined of flying cars and men on the moon was still far off.
Star Trek series base on space travel came out during this time and became highly popular.
PACO RABANNE: – A cocreator of the 1960s Space Age movement, Rabanne is remembered for his use of nontraditional materials and unique linking technique. His chain dress became really popular constructed out of small metallic pieces joined together to make a garment.
LATE 1960s
This was the time of Timothy Leary, an American psychologist who started the use of a drug called LSD. This led to people being high on drugs and which in turn resulted in the Psychedelic fashion.
Art from this period was Art Nouveau, and then there was peacock revolution. The Peacock Revolution in menswear of the 1960s came as a profound shock to much of America. Men’s long hair and vividly colored, sexualized clothes challenged long established traditions of masculine identity.
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LATE 1940s AND 1950s – POST WWII
The postwar economic growth, often known as the postwar economic boom or the Golden Age of Capitalism, was a period of global economic prosperity that began following World War II.
1950s was the period of prosperity. The physical well being of Americans was as good as their economic health. Advances in medicine included new antibiotics and, perhaps most important, a successful vaccine against poliomyelitis, a disease that had crippled millions of children.
CHRISTIAN DIOR: – Christian Dior became really popular and most loved designer of this decade. His designs had an aesthetic that portrayed the women who wanted to do the household chores.
He founded House of Christian Dior on Dec 16, 1946 in Paris.
Women adopted new look with long fuller skirts, smooth rounding and sloping shoulders. Rounded pandora kind of shoulders, fitted skirt at the bottom.
It can be said thae 1980s fashion silhoutte – the circle skirt was somewhat a resemblance to the new look.
GIRDLES: – The girdles were a kind of bra that remained popular throughout the late ’40s and ’50s due to the ultra feminine look. The pointed, pre-formed, conically stitched and padded bra is what gave the breast a false point and enhanced weight. Without the protruding bullet shape, most 1950s dresses, blouses would be ill fitting.
Chanel did not like Dior as he made designs that were feminine where’s Chanel made the Cardigan Suit for practical women.
PILLBOX HATS: – These were small hat, usually worn by women, with a flat crown, straight, upright sides, and no brim. It is named after the small cylindrical or hexagonal cases that pills used to be sold in. They were highly popular in 1950s and 1960s.
TEENAGERS LIFESTYLE
The teenagers were divided into two sections. One were the well behaved, who used to study, and dress properly. They used to dress up in puller skirt and lettermen cardigans. The letter jacket derives its name from the varsity letter chenille patch on its left breast, which is almost always the first letter or initials of the high school or college the jacket came from.
Then comes the Teddy Boys and Teddy Girls who were the rule breakers. Teddy boys used to beat people and were not well behaved. Teddy girls who were also terrible and behave in similar way. They used to take inspiration from Edwardian period for dressing.
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EARLY 1940s – WHEN ‘WWII’ ENDED GREAT DEPRESSION
In 1939, the American economy was struggling. Unemployment was high, while prices and wages were low. By 1940, with Europe at war, everything had changed. The United States enters World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. It would face the Empire of Japan in the Pacific War. Germany and Japan suffer defeats at Stalingrad, El Alamein, and Midway in 1942 and 1943.
Women started taking in charge of various jobs. With men at war, women started working in fields and other “manly” activities.
THE RIVETERS: – Rosie the Riveter was an allegorical cultural icon of World War II, representing the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who joined the military. Rosie the Riveter is used as a symbol of American feminism and women’s economic advantage.
VICTORY ROLLS HAIRSTYLE: – Victory rolls were most popular during World War II, from 1940 to 1945. There are several theories about the style’s origins, the most popular of which are linked to World War II and postwar movements. Victory rolls, according to one theory, are associated with the aviation aerobatic maneuver of planes spinning horizontally as a sign of victory or celebration. Another connects it to the Allies’ victory over Germany, as it was a symbol of women at home assisting their loved ones fighting on the front lines.
The style was popularized by film actresses such as Ingrid Bergman and the majority wore this style to frame their face so it fit the beauty standards of the day.
ZOOT SUITS AND ZOOT SUIT RIOTS
Style-conscious Harlem dancers began wearing loose-fitting clothes that accentuated their movements. Men donned baggy trousers with cuffs carefully tapered to prevent tripping; long jackets with heavily padded shoulders and wide lapels; long, glittering watch chains and hats ranging from porkpies and fedoras to broad-brimmed sombreros.
The image of these so-called “zoot suits” spread quickly and was popularized by performers such as Cab Calloway, who, in his Hepster’s Dictionary, called the zoot suit “the ultimate in clothes. The only totally and truly American civilian suit.”
In the summer of 1943, tensions ran high between zoot-suiters and the large contingent of white sailors, soldiers and Marines stationed in and around Los Angeles. Mexican Americans were serving in the military in high numbers, but many servicemen viewed the zoot-suit wearers as World War II draft dodgers (though many were in fact too young to serve in the military). What occurred that evening and in the following days was a series of conflicts primarily between servicemen and zoot-suiters. Many zoot-suiters were beaten by servicemen and stripped of their zoot suits on the spot.
WWII ended in 1945 and hence, changed the economy.
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1930s – THE PERIOD OF GREAT DEPRESSION
The zeitgeist of 1930s was basically global economic and political crisis that culminated in the Second World War.
The decade became known as the Dirty Thirties due to a crippling droughtin the Prairies, as well as Canada’s dependence on raw material and farm exports. Widespread losses of jobs and savings transformed the country. The Depression triggered the birth of social welfare and the rise of populist political movements.
The consumer economy ground to a halt, and an ordinary recession became the Great Depression, the defining event of the 1930s.
HOLLYWOOD INFLUENCE: – Hollywood provided an infinite range of alternative reality. Some films provided escapism and reassurance, others offered hypothetical solutions to social problems across political spectrum.
The rich were getting richer and poor were getting poorer. The depressed people saw Hollywood as their escape when they saw movies like Rags To Riches.
SEED SACK DRESS: – During the Depression people used cotton flour bags and seed sacks to make clothes, curtains, diapers, awnings and other household items. Manufacturers got wind of their bags’ other uses and began decorating them. Color and patterns added a little style and joy to the common sack dress.
DANCE MARATHONS: – Also known as endurance contests, dance marathons attracted people to compete as a way to achieve fame or win monetary prizes. It was a people’s way of escaping reality.
Sometimes couples used to keep dancing till days in order to win and other times they would just pass away by dancing too much.
IDEAL BODY TYPE
The colour palette of the 30s were mostly filled with neutral and earthy colours.
BEAUTY IDEAL
One of the most famous hollywood personality of this decade was Jean Harlow. In her pictures she can be seen having the ideal body and beauty type.
The most popular print of this time was the polka dots. Seen on every other item, polka dots became extremely famous amongst the mass.
ELSA SCHIAPARELLI: – Known as the surrealistic designer of the fashion world, Elsa Schiaparelli was the designer of the decade. Her inspiration from the Surrealism art movement was easily visible in her designs.
She collaborated with a lot of artist of that decade out of which was one of the most famous surrealist artist of all time painter Salvador Dali.
The current creative director of the brand is Daniel Roseberry who has completely revamped the aesthetic from what was seen in the 30s.
Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel were arch enemies. Where on one hand Chanel was trying to demolish the ideal women body type silhouettes, Elsa Schiaparelli was doing just that by making feminine garments.
MADELEINE VIONNET: – Popularly known as the inventor of the Bias Cut Dress, Vionnet used to make her dresses first on a 1/4th scale for dolla before the actual garment.
1930s was the decade when backless dress emerged and the credit goes to Madeleine Vionnet.
African influence was highly seen in the fashion industry. With movies like Tarzan and King kong coming up safari became a common activity. Safari suits became popular along with leopard prints.
AMELIA EARHART: – She was one of the few female pilots who flew across English Channel but unfortunately her plane got lost and till date noone could find out what exactly happened.
Her style was popularly adapted by a lot of people with the aviators.
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1920s – THE JAZZ AGE
1920s was the period when women got certain power and that was surely reflected in their garments. The period is characterized by carefree, freedom and youthfulness with women finally getting the right to vote. Women started dressing in a carefree way and not in a prim-proper way like in the Edwardian era. Their make-up used to have the after party look with smudged eyes and pouty lips, which was another depiction to their freedom.
FASHION FOR WOMEN
FASHION PLATES: – Since photography was not readily available to everyone, illustrators where hired to create pictures that were featured in magazines. These pictures show the ideal body type of the women with loose clothing and drop waist.
THE EGYPTIAN COMEBACK: – During the 1920s a “mummy” was discovered in Egypt and it was news allover. This created a new trend and bought back the essence of that era’s costume. Egyptian party was extremely popular amongst the high class. Women started wearing clothes and especially gloves with Egyptian motifs on them.
The colors palette of 1920s was very metallic with gold and black with a lot of reflection of art deco. The garments were straight fitting made for the cubical body type.
FLAPPERS: – Flappers of the 1920s were young women known for their energetic freedom, embracing a lifestyle viewed by many at the time as outrageous, immoral or downright dangerous.
The classic image of a flapper is that of a stylish young party girl. Flappers smoked in public, drank alcohol, danced at jazz clubs and practiced a sexual freedom that shocked the Victorian morality of their parents.
FLAPPER DRESS: – Flapper girls donned fashionable flapper dresses with shorter, calf-revealing lengths and lower necklines, though not typically form fitting: Straight and slim was the preferred silhouette.
Flappers wore high heel shoes and threw away their corsets in favor of bras and lingerie. They gleefully applied rouge, lipstick, mascara and other cosmetics, and favored shorter hairstyles like the bob.
CLOCHE HATS: – A Cloche hat (Cloche meaning bell in French) is normally made of felt and is shaped like a bell designed to sit low on the forehead. Many flapper girls used to wear these hats.
FASHION FOR MEN
OXFORD PANTS: – Oxford pants were 25 inches wide at the knee and 22 inches at the ankle. At the most extreme, some Oxford pants came to 40 inches around the ankle!!!
RACCOON COAT: – In the 1920s, the full-length raccoon fur coat became an “it” item for wealthy college kids at American Ivy League schools, where football games were must-attend events. The trend appeared in men’s lifestyle magazines and newspaper fashion columns across the United States.
FAMOUS DESIGNER OF 1920s : – Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel revolutionized women’s fashion in the 1920s. Her take on style was free from the restrictions of the previous eras. Instead of creating garments with corsets, she opted for a looser-flowing silhouette to allow women the opportunity for more freedom.
Coco Chanel designed the famous little black dress that became an iconic dress for most of the women since then.
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ASSIGNMENT 4 – STUDYING ICONIC GARMENTS WORN BY AUDREY HEPBURN
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ASSIGNEMNT 3 – RECREATING VICTORIAN ERA PHOTOGRAPH
BRIEF: – Any painting or photograph from victorian era was to be chosen and then recreated, the recreation being up-to 95% same.
THE PHOTOGRAPH
This photograph belongs to the 1890’s, a few decades after the first photograph was taken. This picture shows the expression of one of the many people who were being photographed for the first time in Victorian era.
People did not had the knowledge about the line of sight or expression kept while being photographed. The women in this picture was getting photographed for the first time and her expression is a clear indication of that. Her eyes look striking in this picture and one can only imagine how striking her eyes were.
PROCESS OF RECREATION
FINAL OUTCOME
REFLECTION: – This has to be one of the best assignment ever. I enjoyed recreating the photograph way too much. I do not own any garment that has this look so I decided to use elements and make my existing one look like the same. I chose a mutton leg sleeve dress and draped a plain black fabric on top of it to make high neckline.
After that I made a cut out from white fabric and stitched lace and ribbon to it and attached the whole thing on my base clothing. My hairstyle is a bun that I tried to make like the one in picture and then the photograph was taken.
I had to keep my eyes wide open and since there was a flashlight that was being pointed at my eyes directly it proved difficult to keep my eyes open, but somehow I tried to get that striking look.
After editing the picture to give it the old film look I felt that I have somewhat achieved the recreation task. I am really pleased with the outcome.
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HISTORY OF COSTUMES – EDWARDIAN ERA
HISTORY: – The Edwardian period was known for elegance and luxury among the rich and powerful in Britain but also for moral looseness and for a general failure to prepare for some of the challenges of the twentieth century — particularly World War I, which broke out four years after the death of King Edward. It lasted from 1901- 1914.
WOMEN COSTUME – FIRST HALF OF THE ERA
The ideal body shape was considered to be the hourglass shape.
EDWARDIAN CORSETS: – This corset cinched in the waist too a much larger extent and was immensely popular during this time. It gave the ideal hourglass body type and was popularized by the Gibson Girls.
CARTWHEEL HAT: – These were big round hats made with lots of accessories, like ribbons, feathers, fabrics, etc., and weighed up-to 20-30 kgs. Cartwheel hats were really big and popular.
PARASOL: – It was an umbrella and was used as a stick. This was used not only as protection from the sun but also to provide them balance from the weight of the big cartwheel hats.
SHIRT WAIST: – A very popular and important item of clothing. It was always in light nude colors and was pared with dark colored bottoms.
DUSTER COAT: – Driving became a very popular activity during the first half of Edwardian era. This led to the widespread popularity of duster coat. These were beige color coats and was worn over the shirt waist when going for driving.
GIBSON GIRL
Charles Dana Gibson was an illustrator and his publications were really popular. He illustrated these women who had big, romantic hairdo. These women were called “Gibson Girl”. The hairdo resembled a cottage loaf. These women were really beautiful and they used to apply minimal makeup. Loosely tied hair and just rosy cheeks. They had the ideal body and beauty of that time.
WOMEN COSTUME – LATER HALF OF THE ERA
MONOBOSOM OR PIGEON BREAST STYLE: – This style was done by taping the body (breast) in such a way that it looked like one single breast like a pigeon. In this style the hips were pushed back to create a S look.
THE SAFETY CORSETS: – S-bend corsets, safety corsets or “health” corsets were worn during the late half of the Edwardian era. At the time, the S-bend was thought to be healthier for the wearer as it placed less direct pressure on the front of the abdomen. It also promoted a “proud” posture where the pelvis tilted forward and the bum was pushed back while the shoulders and bust were thrust forward.
MEN COSTUME
Men garments did not see much change after the neoclassical period. They wore a 3-piece suit in dark colors like we see today. They wore full pants or pantaloons and had white shirt, a tapered coat and black shoes.
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HISTORY OF COSTUMES – VICTORIAN ERA
HISTORY: – Victorian era lasted started from 1837 and ended with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. Her rule made Britain the most powerful empire in the world. This was also the time when photography started and people started exploring different areas of life.
CRINOLINE PERIOD
This period derives its name from the invention of a women’s undergarment called the “crinoline” (later called the cage crinoline or hooped underskirt) and lasted from 1850-1869.
WOMEN COSTUME
CRINOLINE: – Crinoline was a framework consisting of round/oval circles (shaped like a hoop) of whalebone, wire, or cane used to extend the skirt. There are caricatures showing how a crinoline was also used to carry children.
SHAWL BODICE: – Women used to wear a crinoline and then wear a shawl like dress on top of it. The skirt area was tiered.
MEN COSTUME
Men of this period started going for a very cinched in waist look called as the “Wasp Waisted Look”.
FROCK COAT: – This was a man’s coat reaching to the knee, buttoned down to waist level, and with full skirts.
PANTALOONS: – These were men’s bottom wear and were like loose straight fitting breeches.
Mean also started wearing corsets to the wasp waisted look. A lot of caricatures show two men pulling the strings of corset to get the waist cinched in.
TOPPERS: – The topper hats were becoming taller and taller. Wearing these represented that the person was from an industrial or a manufacturing family.
LA BELLA EPOQUE
(THE BEAUTIFUL AGE)
This period reigned from 1870-1914 and was called the beautiful age because of the invention of electricity. This allowed the people to work till late night. La Bella Epoque was also the period of trade and fair.
WOMEN COSTUME
PRINCESS POLONAISE: – The polonaise of this period became longer than the Rococo period. There were two types of bustle that were used underneath the garment.
SOFT BUSTLE: – Layered or padded with different soft materials. It was worn underneath the dress and would accentuate the hip area.
HARD BUSTLE: – Hard bustle was made up of iron rods and created a big structure. There were caricatures showcasing the a woman can carry a chair or a stool as a bustle that will work as a sitting arrangement also.
CUIRASS BODICE: – A tight fitted bodice with a lot of paneling. These panels were added so that the bodice could fit the body well.
SUITS: – Women started wearing suits for the first time in 1890s. The bodice was inspired from the cuirass bodice. Bicycle was invented and women used this opportunity. The size was the bustle reduced in their suits and was limited to the evening dress.
BLOOMERS: – During this time there were few women who decided that they won’t wear the so called feminine garments. Amongst them was the “Amelia Bloomer” who started wearing the bottom wear called bloomers. These bloomers were loose fitting bottoms that were worn as active wear.
BOATERS: – These were small hats made out of cane and was worn during playing sports.
SWIMMING DRESS: – These period was called beautiful age foe a lot of things, one being the participation of people in new sport activities. Swimming was one of them, which led to the making of swimming dresses.
CHARLES FREDRICK WORTH
Charles Fredrick Worth is known as the “Father of Haute Couture”. He was the first person to label the costumes that he made.
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SEVEN YEAR PERIOD AFTER NEOCLASSICISM
HISTORY: – This was a particular period for just seven years from 1830-1837 and was ruled by William IV. During this period women started dressing up decorating themselves again.
WOMEN COSTUME
GIGOT OR LEG O’ MUTTON SLEEVE: – These sleeves were made with full top gathered or pleated into armhole ad tapered to wrist where it looked like a regular sleeve.
FILLERS: – Proving heavy fullness to sleeves was not always naturally possible. Fillers were sort of paddings added underneath the sleeves and was tied around the arms.
PELERINES: – Pelerines were cape like collars that extended over the shoulders. These were highly popular during this time.
FICHU: – A triangular fabric or a scarf worn over the shoulder. These were a types of wide collars that were either attached or separate.
WIDE BRIMMED BONNET HAT: – These hats were extremely popular amongst women. Women were treated as men’s property, a doll. The garments also reflected that feature.
HAIRSTYLE: – Women used to part their hair in three section and make ringlets at the sides and put it on the top.
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HISTORY OF COSTUMES – NEOCLASSICISM PERIOD
HISTORY: – By the end of 18th century, the world witnessed the French Revolution. This revolution led to the birth of Neoclassicism or the Neoclassical art period. As the term implies, neoclassicism is a revival of the classical past. The movement began around the end of the 18th century, marking a time in art history when artists began to imitate Greek and Roman antiquity and the artists of the Renaissance.
WOMEN COSTUME
The costume of women had a lot of influence from Indian fabric and embroidery. The garments had an “empire waist line” (waist line started below bust). Color palette was mostly in whites and beiges as they were inspired from ancient greece.
SHORT STAYS: – Stays were cropped corsets worn by women and was made for the empire waist gown.
SPENCER JACKET: – Spencer jacket was a short waist jacket worn over the empire waist gown and usually ended under the bosom. These had mutton leg sleeves, the color usually contrasted with the rest of the costume. Spencers were worn indoors as well as out.
PELISSE: – Pelisse was a long, front-fastening coat with long sleeves and the high waist fashionable gowns.
SHAWL: – Women used to drape shawl on their shoulders in various manner on top on an empire waist gown.
SHOES: – Women used to have sandals with flared short heels which had pointed toe.
HEADDRESS: – Women used to wear Bonnet Hat. These hats were made of vermillion-colored satin, embossed with straw, ornamented slightly with straw-colored ribbons and surmounted by a bouquet formed of a full blown damask rose and buds.
One of the most common fabric used during this period was called “Lamé”. It is a type of fabric woven or knit with thin ribbons of metallic fiber.
MEN COSTUME
Men started going for a neat, clean, sharp look and opted for a much darker color palette.
CRAVAT: – Compared to Rococo period, men in neoclassical period wore cravats that were less fancy.
DOUBLE BREASTED WAISTCOAT: – The waistcoat is a close-fitting sleeveless garment originally designed for men that buttons (or occasionally zips) down the front to the waist. The waistcoat is designed to be worn underneath a suit or jacket, although it does not necessarily have to match.
DOUBLE BREASTED OVERCOAT: – The overcoat was worn over the waistcoat and was sometimes longer from the back.
BICORNE HAT: – As the name says this hat has two cornes pointed in opposite directions.
HAIRSTYLE
Women usually made a bun and had tiny tendril like curls stuck on their face.
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ASSIGNMENT 2 – STYLISING ROCOCO HAIE AND MAKEUP WITH CONTEMPORARY GARMENT
BRIEF: – The assignment was to get inspiration from Rococo period’s hairstyle and makeup and stylize it with my contemporary garment.
MY VIDEO: – It feels really questionable to combine a simple plain modern day garment with a heavy hairdo. So that’s what I decided to do. My concept is to make a look that can be used for a party even if it is not a 18th century themed one.
I chose my striped jumpsuit which is a casual one and went on with the heavy hairdo. Made a tall bun, powered it and added accessories. I kept my makeup limited to the red cheeks and mouches. I also added a lace choker to get the Rococo feel on my garment and I am done.
VIDEO LINK: – https://youtu.be/r-39i565x8I
PICTURES: – Here are a few pictures from the shoot.
REFLECTION: – The whole idea of combining two different era was terrifying at first and may that was the reason that I was not able to do justice at first. But with my second trial I tried to focus on the points that were told to me to work on in my feedback.
To say I was pleased with the second video would be an understatement. After all the efforts and time given in the making of video I was extremely happy with myself. I feel that my forte in mostly in drawing and those sorts of activities. But after the making this video I realized that even given more effort I can also style garments, do makeup and make videos. The whole assignment was real fun and I like the fact that I was able to do the same.
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HISTORY OF COSTUMES – ROCOCO PERIOD
HISTORY: – With strong ornamentation, fanciful curves, highly playful and vivid colors, and scenery of pleasure, it is extremely top of the line in its art style.
WOMEN COSTUMES
ROBE VOLANTE OR SACK GOWN: – Robe Volante as the name “sack gown” suggests was a gown that was loose from shoulder to the floor. It had pleats on the back and the shoulders.
ROBE À LA FRANCAISE OR SACK BACK GOWN: – Only the wealthiest women wore the robe à la française, which was made of rich fabrics and adorned with frilly decorations. It had box pleats and a form-fitting bodice with a square neckline that showed off a woman’s upper breasts a lot.
PANNIERS: – Pannier was an undergarment made out of wide hoops and extended sideways. It started with a romp and kept on stretching over time.
ROBE À LA POLONAISE: – The Polonaise style was described as the arrangement of a dress’s overskirt into three bunched swags to give the impression of wider hips and to show off the petticoat underneath. This was the first time ankles were show in any of women garments.
CARACO: – Caraco was an altered version of mantua but unlike it Caraco was a small jacket and had a peplum like waist.
LACE CHOKERS
HATS AND CAPS: – Bergère hat was a flat-brimmed straw hat with a shallow crown, usually trimmed with ribbon and flowers and was also called as the milkmaid hat.
Mobcaps were always gathered to a flat, often curved, brim. The bottom was typically gathered to fit the back neck with a drawstring, while the curved sides and top were tightly gathered and stitched to the brim.
MEN COSTUMES
CRAVAT: – These were the neckbands/ties that were sort of ruffled and extended till chest.
TRICORNE HAT: – This hat had three cornes in different direction and hence the name.
Rococo period was the last time when men wore such heavy garments.
HAIRSTYLE
Both men and women had an exaggerated hairstyle. One thing that was common and popular amongst the mass was powdering the hair with lead or cornflower. This was done in order to make them look more mature and wise.
WOMEN: – Women had a very huge hairdo. The bigger their hairdo was the more popular and beautiful they were. They used to decorate their hair with ribbons, feathers, pearls, etc.
MEN: – The periwigs were still in use but were now powdered with lead. Along with that buckled wigs were also worn by men.
MAKEUP
Women used to whiten/paint their face with white lead (ceruse). This lead harmed their faces in a really bad way, caused their eyebrows and eyes to fall of. They used to apply a lot of blush on their cheeks. Also they used to draw mouches to cover some spots.
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HISTORY OF COSTUMES – BAROQUE PERIOD
Baroque period is dated from the late 1500s to 1600s and was an art movement. The Reformation and the Counter-Reformation were the most significant factors during the Baroque era; the development of the Baroque style was considered to be closely linked with the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church, which had decided at the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes and direct emotional participation in response to the Protestant Reformation, encouraged the popularity of the Baroque style.
Early Baroque was all about drama and the use of light and shadows in its paintings and stone statues.
MEN COSTUMES
FALLING: – Falling was a wide flat collar which was worn both by men and women. These were made in simple linen, lace trimmed or were entirely made with lace.
DOUBLET: – This was a man’s upper body garment and had slash and puff, high waistline and was known for its flared fit. It was one of the first garments to display highly technical construction and sophisticated cutting and tailoring skills after the Middle Ages.
BREECHES AND CANNONS: – Breeches saw a change from the ones worn in Elizabethan era. They became long and went till or just below knee. “Three Musketeers” can be associated with these. Cannons were a part of the costume that was worn at foot.
CAPES: – Capes were worn by men over the doublet.
JACKBOOTS: – These were funnel shaped boots – called so because of their funnel shape like opening.
BALDRIC: – Baldric was a sash that went across to keep the sword.
BUFF COAT: – Buff coat was used as a protective garment ( also for winter protection) and was worn by soldiers as well as by members of the civic militia. This coat was made with leather of cow, camel or buffalo. Usually sleeveless, it was worn over a doublet often with gold embroidered sleeves.
CAVALIER HAT: – This was a low crowned and wide brimmed hat with feathers on it.
The outfit was usually matching and was made from same fabric. This was referred to as “en suite” and was a predecessor to our modern day “suits”.
WOMEN COSTUMES
DéCOLLETAGE NECKLINES: – These necklines were broad and plunging and exposed a lot of the front, back and shoulders. Déecolletage necklines were often accompanied with wide lace collars.
ROSETTES: – Rosettes were ribbon detailing done on skirts or sleeves of garments.
STOMACHER: – An essential part of the women’s gowns was the stomacher. It was a long V-or U-shaped panel in its most basic form that decorated the front of a woman’s body, extending down to her waist from her neckline. There were two primary purposes for the stomacher: to add decoration and to provide structure.
INNER AND OUTER SKIRT: – Women used to wear an inner and an outer skirt. The outer skirt was usually of the color of bodice.
Late Baroque period was the time of Louis XIV who was a very cruel ruler and had a very important court rule where all the aristocrats had to dress up lavishly or they were not allowed in the court. Although the textile industry flourished a lot during this time the people almost became bankrupt due to these rules but he was not bothered regarding this.
MEN COSTUMES
CRAVAT: – A piece of fabric was tied around the neck that worked like a present day tie.
PETTICOAT BREECHES: – The breeches were transformed into a loose fitting petticoat like structure.
RIBBON LOOP TRIMS: – Ribbon loops were added at the hemline of breeches, shirts, sleeves and even on hats.
JUSTAUCORPS: – Justaucorps replaced the previously used doublets and were mostly used as horse riding jackets. The justaucorps had a series of buttons and buttonholes along the entire length of the opening, reached to the knees, and had stiff, wide skirting that protruded in back.
SHOES: – High heel shoes were worn by men and women alike. The soles were red in color to show the power of the aristocrats.
The overall costume also consisted of an embroidered vest, voluminous shirt, lace sleeve cuffs and hats with two feather.
WOMEN COSTUME
WHISK: – Whisk was a flat, wide edged lace collar that fell over the shoulders.
ENGAGEANTES: – These were piece of fabric attached the hem of sleeves and were detachable. Dry cleaning and washing garments was difficult during this times, hence these sleeves proved beneficial. Rosettes were also used for the sleeves.
BASQUE: – A revolutionary development of this period was the Basque. This was a corset with sleeves attached so no stomacher was required.
MANTEAU OR MANTUA: – Mantua was a long one piece shrug like garment that had an attached bodice and a skirt. It contained a lot of lace, pearls, ribbons and golden embroideries.
HAIRSTYLE (MEN AND WOMEN)
Men used to wear Periwigs – for lower strata people it was made out of wool or horsehair and for upper class people it was made out of real hair.
Women used to have Fontange hairstyle that had ribbons and lot of wiring so that it stood straight.
–END–
HISTORY OF COSTUMES – ELIZABETHAN ERA
Before going for Elizabethan era let’s have a look at the Renaissance period. Renaissance lasted from 1400C.E. to 1600C.E. and is is considered as the period for the rebirth of Classical era. Some of the famous geniuses of this period were: –
- Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519): Italian painter, architect, inventor, and “Renaissance man” responsible for painting “The Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.
- William Shakespeare (1564–1616): England’s “national poet” and the most famous playwright of all time, celebrated for his sonnets and plays like “Romeo and Juliet.”
- Donatello (1386–1466): Italian sculptor celebrated for lifelike sculptures like “David,” commissioned by the Medici family.
- Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510): Italian painter of “Birth of Venus.”
- Raphael (1483–1520): Italian painter who learned from da Vinci and Michelangelo. Best known for his paintings of the Madonna and “The School of Athens.” (Source: – https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/renaissance)
ELIZABETHAN ERA – 16th CENTURY
The Elizabethan age is the era during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) in the Tudor time of the history of England. In English history, historians sometimes depict it as the golden age.
Clothing and fashion played an important role among nobles and the wealthy during this period. There were actually laws that said who could wear what types of clothes. For example, only members of the royal family could wear clothing trimmed with ermine fur. The nobles wore very fancy clothes made from silk and velvet. They used bright colors and had large ruffles on their wrists and collars.
COSTUMES
RUFF: – Ruffs were white long neck collars worn by men, women and children who did not belong to the lower section of the society. When first introduced, ruffs had been attached to the shirt (for men) or the smock (for women), but by the 1570s they were separate garments, tied with tassels. They could then be laundered separately.
FARTHINGALE: – Farthingale originated in Spain and was a dome-shaped skirt, that held skirt fabric away from the legs and offered ease of movement. The Renaissance costume hoop skirt was the Farthingale. It developed into a hoop skirt, beginning as a padded roll to stretch the width of the top of the skirt, and circular strips of whale bone, wood, or steel were horizontally inserted into the underskirt fabric.
BREECHES: – The pumpkin breeches worn during this period were voluminous and were basically two separate pieces worn on either legs. Breeches were worn by both the upper and lower classes and thus came from the most costly to the very cheapest in a variety of fabrics. The pricey fabrics used to make breeches were silk, satin, velvet, taffeta, leather and sarcenet (sarcenet was a delicate silk fabric).
CODPIECE: – In Middle English the word ‘cod’ means scrotum, therefore the codpiece was a piece of material used to cover this part of the body. Since the breeches were two separate piece with no center stitch, the need for codpiece arose. They were large, boned and padded. They grew to such a size that they were able to be used for carrying things inside such as a small weapon, money or even jewels.
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HISTORY OF COSTUMES – MIDDLE AGES
GOTHIC PERIOD: – The period between 12th to 15th century is known as the Gothic or the dark period. It is called so because very less is known about this time period. During the transaction between this period to Elizabethan era a lot of data has been lost. Now lets have a look at the costume of middle ages.
MIDDLE AGES COSTUME
KIRTLE: – Kirtle was more like an undergarment over which the formal gown or surcoat was worn.
SURCOAT: – Surcoat, sleeved or sleeveless outer garment worn by European men and women during the 13th and 14th centuries. It had a side slash which gave access to the inner pocket.
HEADWEAR: – Headwear consisted of a “Fillet” and “Barbette”. Fillet was a cap like headwear whereas barbette was a linen band that was wrapped around the head and chin.
DAGGING TECHNIQUE: – Dagging was a technique in which decorative element were added to the hem of garments and objects. It was created by cutting or slashing the fabric into different shapes.
PARTI CLOTHING: – This was a method of decoration or styling a garment where one half or one quarter of a garment was made in one color and pattern and the other or others in a different one.
HOUPPELANDE: – Houppelande during the early 15th century was a big dress with great use of dagging technique. It was extremely popular and one major garment.
During the later half of the 15th century the garment became more fitted with a belt on the waist. Women of this period had no facial hair. They used to shave off their facial hairs.
Mean used to wear a doublet and a hose. Hose was a kind of stockings that performed the role of pants. There were no pants as such.
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ASSIGNMENT 1 – CONTEMPORARY DORIC CHITON
BRIEF: – The assignment was to contemporise the ancient garment of either Egypt, Greece or Rome and make a video of the draping process for the same.
MY VIDEO: – I chose Doric Chiton from ancient Greece and contemporized it playing with the silhouette and added a stone filled belt. To complete the look I made a bun for the hairdo leaving the front hair tendrils out and topping it off with a DIY flower tiara.
VIDEO LINK: – https://drive.google.com/file/d/15fPxwuq2mLn9ADsw79mPvjhLh3ror8hJ/view?usp=sharing
(Kindly play on high quality)
PICTURES: – Here are the pictures from the shoot.
REFLECTION: – I am not really comfortable when it comes to being in front of camera, so it’s no doubt that I was anxious for this video shoot. After a few trials I was able to do it quite good.
For the draping I was really confused with the contemporarizing part. I decided that I will simply add pleats on one side. The idea came from the fact that my fabric (muslin) was way too long. It worked out nicely in the end and I was pleased with the look. This assignment made me think and ponder upon the ways a designer works when they are getting inspired from the traditional garments and making their collection.
The whole assignment right from the draping to the video shoot and constructing the video was an amazing experience. I learnt a lot of new things in draping and also on how to add transitions in video and I think that’s what has made the video look quite good.
HISTORY OF COSTUMES – ROME
History of Rome: – Rome was created in 753 B.C, as legend has it. By Romulus and Remus, Mars’ twin sons, the God of war. Left to drown by the king of nearby Alba Longa in a basket on the Tiber and saved by a she-wolf, the twins lived to kill the king and find their own city on the banks of the river in 753 B.C. Romulus became the first king of Rome, which is named after him, after killing his brother. In a non-hereditary succession, a line of kings from Sabine, Latin and Etruscan (earlier Italian civilizations) followed. Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Martius, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius and Tarquinius Superbus, or Tarquin the Proud, are the seven mythical kings of Rome. (Source: – Ancient Rome)
COSTUMES
TUNIC: – Tunic was the most common garment worn by all men – from higher to lower class. This was the basic tunic which was plain. Thin striped tunic was worn by children and knights. Thick striped ones were commonly worn by senatorial people (high class).
TOGA: – Toga was worn by only free men of Rome. It was a very lage piece of fabric which was draped around the body in a certain way leaving one hand free. “Unbo” was a piece of drape in the front that was pushed out and used as a pocket. “Sinus” were the side drapes. This particular toga with thick border stripes was worn by the senate.
Women who were infertile or worked as prostitutes were only allowed to wear toga.
TOGA CANDIDA: – Toga Candida was a plain white one. These were bleached by using chalk. This was worn by the candidates who applied for the senatorial job.
TOGA PRAETEXTA: – This type of toga had a deep maroon or purple border and was worn by the senate people. This made them easily recognizable that they belonged to the elite class.
TOGA PULLA: – Men of Rome wore Toga Pulla as a sign of mourning.
TOGA PICTA: – A pigment named Tyrian Purple derived from Murex snail was used to dye Toga Picta. Since production of this was difficult, hence, it was worn only royalty.
WOMEN GARMENTS: – Women wore three layers of clothes namely – Tunic, Stolla and Palla.
Tunic was the first piece to be worn. The female tunics, accentuating the form of the woman, were a little tighter than the male ones. Young girls also wore tunics, tied with a belt—and sometimes more than one when they went out. This tunic was an undergarment for wealthy women, and without a stola and a palla over it, a respectable patrician, wife, or member of an imperial family would never go out.
Stola was worn as an overdress and was made from a lightweight wool. It was constructed as a simple tube with the help of straps, round pins or simply knotting the fabric at the shoulders. It’s major identifying feature was a “V neck”. It was worn with double belt to create an extra folded layer at the hips.
Palla was a piece of fabric that was wrapped over the stola from head coving the body. These shawls were typically rectangular in shape, although they could vary in size. Pallas added to the woman’s charm, and the more folds of fabric she got, the richer she was, and if she wanted a calm walk, she might, among other things, cover her face from the stares. It was also useful to shield her from the wind and rain.
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HISTORY OF COSTUMES – GREECE
History of Greece: – There has never been a country called ‘ancient Greece.’ Instead, Greece, including Athens, Sparta, Corinth and Olympia, was broken up into tiny city-states. Each town-state governed itself. They had their own governments, laws and army. People of Greece were a lover of beauty and science. Their clothes were mostly made with linen fabric.
ORDERS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE
Ancient Greece had three main architectural orders which also classified the period of that time. These were Doric Period, Ionic Period and Corinthian Period.
DORIC ORDER: – The Doric order is distinguished by a simple, unadorned capital of the column and a column resting directly on the temple’s stylobate without a base. The material used varied from wood to stones.
IONIC ORDER: – This order originated in Ionia, a coastal region of central Anatolia—today Turkey—where a number of ancient Greek settlements were located. It is characterized by small, fluted pillars (flute and fillet) with a wide base and two scrolls opposite to each other. The echinus has an egg-and-dart pattern on it. With four more flutes than the Doric equivalent, the Ionic shaft comes with total of24.
CORINTHIAN ORDER: – Corinthian order originated in the state of Corinth, where the sculptor Callimachus drew a set of “acanthus leaves” surrounding a votive basket. It is a slender fluted column adorned with two rows of acanthus leaves and four scrolls. Of the three orders, Corinthian order is generally known as the most elegant. There are 24 flutes in the shaft of the Corinthian order.
COSTUMES
DORIC CHITON: – The oldest type of chiton is the Doric Chiton which was mostly made from wool. In this a single piece of fabric was draped by pinning it on shoulders and then tying it around the waist. The length of chiton used to be till ankle.
IONIC CHITON: – This type of chiton was made with lighter fabric like linen and sometimes even silk. In this one or two piece of fabric was used and the final drape pleats resembled the flute of ionic order. the fabric instead of just pinning at shoulders was pinned throughout the arm creating sleeves and was tied at the waist.
PEPLOS: – Peplos was a tubular stitched garment and folded inside out as per size of the wearer and was then pinned at the shoulder.
HIMATION: – This garment was usually worn by men and sometimes by women. A big shawl was wrapped around the body over either of the shoulder. The draping was usually done over the left the shoulder and under the right so that wearer can work with their right hand.
CHLAMYS: – This was a piece of fabric draped over a himation leaving the right arm free. This was worn by the travelers.
EXOMIS: – Exomis was a tunic like garment worn by the workers of lower strata.
ACCESSORIES
FIBULA: – Fibula can be classified as a brooch but was more commonly used as a safety pin. The metal components of the fibula was decorated with other material, either in the form of beads of amber or of glass threaded on the wire components, or in the form of inlays in the cast components of the fibula, frequently in the form of buttons or rods of coral. With sheet bronze “noise makers” on the ends, various bronze objects were also be threaded on the pin or suspended from fine chains.
PETASOS: – A bigger hat, known as the petasos, protected the Greeks, particularly when travelling, from the rain and the sun’s heat. The petasos was a wide-brimmed, low-crowned hat with a strap to hold it on the head of the wearer or to hang it down the back of the wearer until required.
CORINTHIAN HELMETS: – Corinthian helmets took their name from Corinth, which was one of the largest and most important cities. The helmets were made of brass or bronze. The most simple helmet featured a band descending across the temple and down to a point just below the jaw called the cheek guard across the forehead. There was a guard that stretched to cover the wearer’s nose from the middle of the forehead, and the back of the helmet went down to the level of the collar to secure the soldier’s neck.
The Greeks wore plumes as a way to identify themselves to avoid “friendly fire”. Also as a way to identify rank/status and to simultaneously cause a distraction to enemy soldiers through intimidation.
CUIRASS: – It is body armor which protects the wearer’s torso above the waist or hips. It was originally a heavy leather jacket consisting of a breastplate and a backpiece fastened together with belts and buckles and a gorget, a collar that covered the throat, covering the body from neck to waist.
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HISTORY OF COSTUMES – EGYPT
History of Egypt: – Ancient Egypt, geographically was divided into two parts – the upper and the lower Egypt based on the flow of river Nile. Their written language was called “Heiroglyphics” which was basically in pictorial format. Egyptians followed a federal system with Pharaohs being on top and slaves at the bottom. The linen was made from flax and was later woven in tabby weave. The two widely produced crops were flax and papyrus. Along with this there was an abundance of stone – “Lapis Lazuli”.
CROWNS
Where pharaohs had a variety of crowns, women had mainly the falcon crown and the flat crown of Nefertiti. The crowns of men were – “Hemhemet” worn by Osiris, “Deshret” worn by the pharaohs of lower Egypt, “Hedjet” worn by Pharaohs of upper Egypt, “Pschent” worn by the unified group belonging to both upper and lower Egypt “Khepresh” (made from Lapis Lazuli) by commanders/soldiers.
Nemes was a striped headcloth worn by Pharaohs that covered their crown and back of the neck.
WOMEN COSTUMES
KALAS/KALASIRIS: – This is a piece of fabric used as a pleated garment by Egyptians women by draping it around their body.
SHEATH DRESS: – This is a type of bodycon dress made with beads, feathers etc. This used to be transparent or was just a crisscross or strings of fabric.
Women of that period did not wore conservative clothes. It was common for them to have their bust area uncovered. The kalas was also sometimes worn below bust.
MEN COSTUMES
SHENTI: – This was basically a loin cloth worn by men from all strata. Men were identified from which strata they belonged on the basis of the draping style of shenti. The one draped in a way that it looked like a normal skirt and conical (starched) was worn by the Pharaohs and the non starched was worn by peasants and merchants.
APRON: – This was also a loin garment but was a bit more ornamented and was worn over the Shenti.
The priests wore a long linen robe with animal skin on top of it. The kalas was also sometimes inclusive of both men and women.
HAIR AND ACCESSORIES
Men usually had shaved head or an extension whereas as women used to wear wigs with various accessories. It is said that the shaved hair of men were used to make wigs for their female counterparts. They did a smart work with their hair or basically head. A crown like structure made with fragrant wax which used to melt and keep them fresh throughout the day.
USEKH: – These were neckpieces with beads and were broad worn by both men and women. For women there used to be vulture image on top of both corners. They believed that wearing a particular animal will have their spirit enter them.
For makeup, they used to have heavy high makeup which was again a hygiene thing. Their eyes were adorned with coal and lapis lazuli. Also the cobra on crowns is a symbol for royalty.
BEARD: – The Pharaohs used to have artificial beard which was thick, long and pointed. They used to have several varieties of beards. These beards were made with copper mixed with other metal. “Osiris” was the god of death, who wore a long, thick, pointed beard. The Egyptians naturally saw this god as an important figure, so they would decorate a (usually fake) beard when a king died, trying to emulate Osiris, hoping for a high place in the after-life. Having facial hair was considered a sign of low social status whereas the fake beards were considered as a sign of divinity.
CROOK AND FLAIL: – Crook (heka) and Flail/Flbellum (nekhakha) are two of the most important in the ancient royal reign of Egypt.
The crook was a hooked handle cane, often gold-plated and fortified with bands of blue copper. Maybe it was derived from the shepherd’s crosier. “Rule” was their hieroglyphic value. The earliest example of a sceptre for a crook or heka comes from Abydos.
The flail was a rod with three beaded strands attached to it. Using various types of beads, the threads could be very substantial, and the distances between the beads could be divided into many parts.
While the crook and the flail were most frequently depicted as emblems of the god Osiris, the reigning pharaoh even held them on certain ceremonial occasions, in addition to the coronation. With the end of the Pharaonic Era of Egyptian history, the crook and the flail did not die out entirely. These artefacts were, at least visually, brought over to Roman times.
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ZEITGEIST
Zeitgeist – meaning “spirit of the age” is a concept from German philosophy. In 1848, Matthew Arnold coined this term in order to capture the spirit of social unrest that suffused Victorian England.
Zeitgeist of the 1960s, created while attaining degree in Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising.
TANISHA KUMAR 
