How Has Fashion Changed From The 1800's To Now
From the 1800’s to now the fashion of our society has changed dramatically. Ranging from the clothing to hairstyles and accessories, nothing has remained the same. In the 19th century showing skin was not an option, whereas here in the 21st century one wouldn’t be surprised if you saw a girl with close to nothing on walking down the street. In the early 1800’s, women’s clothing styles were based on the ‘Empire silhouette.’ The Empire silhouette style consisted of dresses that were closely fitted to the torso just under the bust, falling loosely below. The beginning of the 19th century’s fashion was different than the rest of the 19th century and the ending of the 18th century. During this time, the dresses had taken away the natural shape of the waist in which took away the point of the tight fit corseting, often considered fashionable in other time periods.
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Different social classes were shown through the clothing that they had worn. Among the middle- and upper-class, there would be a change of dresses between the morning/afternoon and their evening gowns. They also had different dresses for certain occasions such as a walking dress, traveling dress, dining dress etc. There were not many options to choose from and were not extremely fashionable, but it was the style and they made it work. The morning dress varied a bit from the evening dress. The morning dress had cloth covering up to the throat and down to the wrists. It was worn inside the house, and generally was plain and avoided decoration. The evening dress was a little less severe whereas the sleeves were at a length just above the elbow and the neck and shoulders bare as for delicacy. They were often extravagantly trimmed and decorated with lace, ribbons, and netting. The bared arms would be covered with long white gloves.
Hairstyles were consistent through the time of the 19th century. Often, masses of curls were worn over the forehead and ears. The back longer hair was drawn up into little buns, or what they were known as then as ‘Psyche knots.’ The front hair was parted in the center and worn in tight ringlets, but they would have worn their hair in a short cropped hairstyle if there was somebody adventurous enough.
Respectable women would never leave the house without a hat or a bonnet.
The ‘antique head-dress, Chinese hat, Oriental inspired turban, and Highland helmet’ were popular in that time. If a bonnet was worn instead, elaborate ornamentations such as feathers and ribbons were known to be a popular decoration. On the other end, shoes consisted of thin, flat fabric which were silk or velvet. Also generally worn were leather slippers. Metal patterns were strapped onto the shoes to protect them from the rain or mud which had raised their feet an inch or so off of the ground.
The period of fashion during the late 19th century was known as the late Victorian era. In this period of time, the sewing machine and dye had been invented and had changed the appearance of fashion quite a bit. The dresses had then developed narrow and sloping shoulders, low and pointed waists, and bell-shaped skirts. Under the gowns the women had worn corsets, a knee-length chemise, and layers of flounced petticoats. The evening gowns had developed a very low neckline and were now worn off the shoulder with sheer shawls and opera-length
gloves.
Men’s fashion had also varied throughout the 19th century. In the early 1800’s, men wore a waistcoat or vest with tight-fitting, calf length frock socks. The vests had notched collars and were finished with double points at the lowered waist. When the men had a formal event to attend, a cutaway morning coat was worn in the daytime with light trousers, and a dark tail coat in the evening with trousers. Their shirts were made of linen or cotton with low collars and normally worn with neck ties.
Later on in the century, the blazer had been introduced. It was worn for sports, sailing, and other casual activities. The dinner jacket, or tuxedo, had also come into play and was then used for more formal occasions. The ties had gotten wider and then were tied into a bow or looped into a loose knot, fastened with a stickpin. The frock coats that were much longer had then got shortened to about knee length and were worn for business. The working class ultimately wore the bowler hats, while the rest of the men wore top hats. Hair was generally worn short and often with a pointed beard and quite the moustache.
The mark of a boy’s adulthood in this time was stepping out of the short pants and into long trousers. The knee-high boot was often the shoe of choice. As it became later on in the 19th century, the men’s wear had become more modern and formal for business. Close had been more leisure-based and was influenced on what a man wore out riding. Even when the man had to work out in town, he still wanted to look like a man of leisure.
Proceeding to the 20th century, fashion had noticeably changed. In the early 1900s, women’s clothing highlighted the silhouette of the mature, full-figured body. The dress styles of the era flaunted the low busts and curvy hips. The skirts were long and full and in a lot of cases contained a small train flowing from the back. Fashion had also started to move towards the slimmer, narrower silhouettes that emphasized flat busts and slim hips as the train of the skirt had slowly disappeared.
Moving towards the middle of the 1900s, women started to embrace their figures by wearing pants and short skirts. Dresses were then being made to fit close to the body in order to emphasize the elegance of the youth. Hems had finally been cut to the knee, and waistlines were almost entirely out of the picture. Not long after coming to express their selves, the Great Depression happened and it had forced more conservative trends to come back into play. The skirts had them become longer again and waistlines were back in the picture as the traditional feminine look was important again.
At the end of the 20th century, women had started to rebel and create their own fashion styles. Bell bottoms, increasingly short miniskirts, and blue jeans became extremely popular. This was the major turning point in which the clothing lines had started to become very diverse and one could not tell what exactly was in or out of fashion. They had a term of “anything goes” for fashionable clothing. Designer clothes became more popular than ever, and the wealthier class had dominated the styles because they had expressed power and money.
Women had finally started to opt for more comfortable, casual clothing. Rock and roll had become a big movement along with hip-hop, and encouraged flannel shirts, ripped jeans, and baggy pants as the “in” fashion. Spandex was a material used when exercise became more important, but had then been worn casually with bright greens and pinks. Comfort was the key aspect of their attire while moving into the beginning of the 21st century.
Unlike women’s fashion, the men’s fashion seems to remain consistent with a few alterations through centuries. In the early 1900s all that had changed that was apparent, was that the trousers tapered down tightly at the ankles. Pin-striped suits had come into fashion for the men with the arrival of gangsters. The suits that were previously a four piece set were then only a two piece set which included a jacket and a pair of pants. They were usually broad shouldered and had wide lapels. Mixing and matching had become a little more stylish in the era.
Into the late 1900s, men had worn bell bottoms and a lot of fabric that consisted of polyester, acrylic, and lycra. Pant legs had become a little looser, and the vest had slowly faded away. They would be wearing their favorite rock stars in branded t-shirts, jeans and leather boots or hi-top converse shoes. Khaki’s and cargo pants had also started to come into play as golf had started to have an impact on them.
Here in the modern day 21st century, women’s clothing, hair, shoes, and accessories have changed more than any other century before. There are new trends every day, and in six months one could find that one’s style has changed dramatically because of magazines and what they see on the television. There is no set clothing trend or any certain way to wear your clothes.
Now-a-days, the way one wears their clothes is the way they express who they are and what they stand for.. Some young adults and women like to wear limited clothing to show off aspects of their body that they are very proud to have, whereas others will be seen wearing baggy sweatshirts or clothes that hide what they don’t seemingly want to show. There are styles of clothing for almost every body and multiple ways to wear certain styles of clothing as well.
Clothing has now ranged from long dresses to dresses that barely go over the behind; skirts past the ankles to skirts halfway over the behind; shorts that can range from the knees to the most upper part of one’s thighs, and many more. The shirts are no longer covering skin, but now are designed to show even the most exclusive parts of an upper body. The leggings and spandex are now coming back from the 1980s and are extremely popular to wear with long sweaters or even regular shirts.
Women’s hairstyles are as straight, curly, short, or long as they want. They can wear hats as they please in which there is many to choose from. Clips, barrettes, and headbands are a huge necessity to keep hair back or style it in a specific way. Earrings can be as crazy as the girl or woman is feeling with their outfit, and usually is matched to the corresponding shirt or dress. Rings of all sizes and shapes, along with bracelets and long necklaces are a big necessity. They make the outfit unique or complete, and are part of almost every woman’s styles today.
Previously, men’s fashion had not differed from time to time, but now in the 21st century there is just as much variety in their clothes line as in women’s. Men are able to express themselves now more than ever with all sorts of name brands and styles of clothing. Young men who are more comfortable with themselves these days will go all day in sweatpants and white t-shirts and when it comes time to go out will throw on a nice name brand shirt or a polo, whichever they feel looks better on them for the occasion.
Business men and women often wear suits or collared shirts. There are many different styles of professional wear which can vary from high class name brands to a cheap one that you can find at your local variety clothes store. Dress pants are the formal wear with many different materials to fit one’s comfort level and figure. Men will usually wear leather shoes or boots, and woman will often wear a nice pair of heels or wedges to look more professional.
Living in the 21st century it seems there is more freedom to express one’s individuality and make a character your own. Throughout the centuries it feels as though there was no say and no input or comfort that a woman or man could have for themselves. It’s as though one would be trapped in a fake costume that we now would wear for Halloween and be somebody that they are not. Although there are many different trends and styles to choose from now, it will never be consistent, and centuries from now I cannot even begin to imagine what will be accomplished or created. The continuous cycle of change isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it definitely keeps everyone on the tip of their toes as to what is coming next.
Different social classes were shown through the clothing that they had worn. Among the middle- and upper-class, there would be a change of dresses between the morning/afternoon and their evening gowns. They also had different dresses for certain occasions such as a walking dress, traveling dress, dining dress etc. There were not many options to choose from and were not extremely fashionable, but it was the style and they made it work. The morning dress varied a bit from the evening dress. The morning dress had cloth covering up to the throat and down to the wrists. It was worn inside the house, and generally was plain and avoided decoration. The evening dress was a little less severe whereas the sleeves were at a length just above the elbow and the neck and shoulders bare as for delicacy. They were often extravagantly trimmed and decorated with lace, ribbons, and netting. The bared arms would be covered with long white gloves.
Hairstyles were consistent through the time of the 19th century. Often, masses of curls were worn over the forehead and ears. The back longer hair was drawn up into little buns, or what they were known as then as ‘Psyche knots.’ The front hair was parted in the center and worn in tight ringlets, but they would have worn their hair in a short cropped hairstyle if there was somebody adventurous enough.
Respectable women would never leave the house without a hat or a bonnet.
The ‘antique head-dress, Chinese hat, Oriental inspired turban, and Highland helmet’ were popular in that time. If a bonnet was worn instead, elaborate ornamentations such as feathers and ribbons were known to be a popular decoration. On the other end, shoes consisted of thin, flat fabric which were silk or velvet. Also generally worn were leather slippers. Metal patterns were strapped onto the shoes to protect them from the rain or mud which had raised their feet an inch or so off of the ground.
The period of fashion during the late 19th century was known as the late Victorian era. In this period of time, the sewing machine and dye had been invented and had changed the appearance of fashion quite a bit. The dresses had then developed narrow and sloping shoulders, low and pointed waists, and bell-shaped skirts. Under the gowns the women had worn corsets, a knee-length chemise, and layers of flounced petticoats. The evening gowns had developed a very low neckline and were now worn off the shoulder with sheer shawls and opera-length
gloves.
Men’s fashion had also varied throughout the 19th century. In the early 1800’s, men wore a waistcoat or vest with tight-fitting, calf length frock socks. The vests had notched collars and were finished with double points at the lowered waist. When the men had a formal event to attend, a cutaway morning coat was worn in the daytime with light trousers, and a dark tail coat in the evening with trousers. Their shirts were made of linen or cotton with low collars and normally worn with neck ties.
Later on in the century, the blazer had been introduced. It was worn for sports, sailing, and other casual activities. The dinner jacket, or tuxedo, had also come into play and was then used for more formal occasions. The ties had gotten wider and then were tied into a bow or looped into a loose knot, fastened with a stickpin. The frock coats that were much longer had then got shortened to about knee length and were worn for business. The working class ultimately wore the bowler hats, while the rest of the men wore top hats. Hair was generally worn short and often with a pointed beard and quite the moustache.
The mark of a boy’s adulthood in this time was stepping out of the short pants and into long trousers. The knee-high boot was often the shoe of choice. As it became later on in the 19th century, the men’s wear had become more modern and formal for business. Close had been more leisure-based and was influenced on what a man wore out riding. Even when the man had to work out in town, he still wanted to look like a man of leisure.
Proceeding to the 20th century, fashion had noticeably changed. In the early 1900s, women’s clothing highlighted the silhouette of the mature, full-figured body. The dress styles of the era flaunted the low busts and curvy hips. The skirts were long and full and in a lot of cases contained a small train flowing from the back. Fashion had also started to move towards the slimmer, narrower silhouettes that emphasized flat busts and slim hips as the train of the skirt had slowly disappeared.
Moving towards the middle of the 1900s, women started to embrace their figures by wearing pants and short skirts. Dresses were then being made to fit close to the body in order to emphasize the elegance of the youth. Hems had finally been cut to the knee, and waistlines were almost entirely out of the picture. Not long after coming to express their selves, the Great Depression happened and it had forced more conservative trends to come back into play. The skirts had them become longer again and waistlines were back in the picture as the traditional feminine look was important again.
At the end of the 20th century, women had started to rebel and create their own fashion styles. Bell bottoms, increasingly short miniskirts, and blue jeans became extremely popular. This was the major turning point in which the clothing lines had started to become very diverse and one could not tell what exactly was in or out of fashion. They had a term of “anything goes” for fashionable clothing. Designer clothes became more popular than ever, and the wealthier class had dominated the styles because they had expressed power and money.
Women had finally started to opt for more comfortable, casual clothing. Rock and roll had become a big movement along with hip-hop, and encouraged flannel shirts, ripped jeans, and baggy pants as the “in” fashion. Spandex was a material used when exercise became more important, but had then been worn casually with bright greens and pinks. Comfort was the key aspect of their attire while moving into the beginning of the 21st century.
Unlike women’s fashion, the men’s fashion seems to remain consistent with a few alterations through centuries. In the early 1900s all that had changed that was apparent, was that the trousers tapered down tightly at the ankles. Pin-striped suits had come into fashion for the men with the arrival of gangsters. The suits that were previously a four piece set were then only a two piece set which included a jacket and a pair of pants. They were usually broad shouldered and had wide lapels. Mixing and matching had become a little more stylish in the era.
Into the late 1900s, men had worn bell bottoms and a lot of fabric that consisted of polyester, acrylic, and lycra. Pant legs had become a little looser, and the vest had slowly faded away. They would be wearing their favorite rock stars in branded t-shirts, jeans and leather boots or hi-top converse shoes. Khaki’s and cargo pants had also started to come into play as golf had started to have an impact on them.
Here in the modern day 21st century, women’s clothing, hair, shoes, and accessories have changed more than any other century before. There are new trends every day, and in six months one could find that one’s style has changed dramatically because of magazines and what they see on the television. There is no set clothing trend or any certain way to wear your clothes.
Now-a-days, the way one wears their clothes is the way they express who they are and what they stand for.. Some young adults and women like to wear limited clothing to show off aspects of their body that they are very proud to have, whereas others will be seen wearing baggy sweatshirts or clothes that hide what they don’t seemingly want to show. There are styles of clothing for almost every body and multiple ways to wear certain styles of clothing as well.
Clothing has now ranged from long dresses to dresses that barely go over the behind; skirts past the ankles to skirts halfway over the behind; shorts that can range from the knees to the most upper part of one’s thighs, and many more. The shirts are no longer covering skin, but now are designed to show even the most exclusive parts of an upper body. The leggings and spandex are now coming back from the 1980s and are extremely popular to wear with long sweaters or even regular shirts.
Women’s hairstyles are as straight, curly, short, or long as they want. They can wear hats as they please in which there is many to choose from. Clips, barrettes, and headbands are a huge necessity to keep hair back or style it in a specific way. Earrings can be as crazy as the girl or woman is feeling with their outfit, and usually is matched to the corresponding shirt or dress. Rings of all sizes and shapes, along with bracelets and long necklaces are a big necessity. They make the outfit unique or complete, and are part of almost every woman’s styles today.
Previously, men’s fashion had not differed from time to time, but now in the 21st century there is just as much variety in their clothes line as in women’s. Men are able to express themselves now more than ever with all sorts of name brands and styles of clothing. Young men who are more comfortable with themselves these days will go all day in sweatpants and white t-shirts and when it comes time to go out will throw on a nice name brand shirt or a polo, whichever they feel looks better on them for the occasion.
Business men and women often wear suits or collared shirts. There are many different styles of professional wear which can vary from high class name brands to a cheap one that you can find at your local variety clothes store. Dress pants are the formal wear with many different materials to fit one’s comfort level and figure. Men will usually wear leather shoes or boots, and woman will often wear a nice pair of heels or wedges to look more professional.
Living in the 21st century it seems there is more freedom to express one’s individuality and make a character your own. Throughout the centuries it feels as though there was no say and no input or comfort that a woman or man could have for themselves. It’s as though one would be trapped in a fake costume that we now would wear for Halloween and be somebody that they are not. Although there are many different trends and styles to choose from now, it will never be consistent, and centuries from now I cannot even begin to imagine what will be accomplished or created. The continuous cycle of change isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it definitely keeps everyone on the tip of their toes as to what is coming next.