Looking back to look forward
A brief historical perspective of fashion.
Karen M. Videtic
Virginia Commonwealth University
Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising
20th Century Dress
• Fashion is evolutionary, rarely
revolutionary.
• Fashion is a mirror of the times.
• Fashion is not based on price.
• Consumers establish fashion by
accepting or rejecting it.
• All fashion ends in excess.
Historic Fashion allows us to explore:
• Social themes and
societal events
• Economics
• Culture
• Artistic influences
• Technological influences
What goes around, comes around.
• Product developers look for
historic influences.
• They know that fashion is
evolving from previous
seasons.
• They understand that
“events” can change the
direction of fashion.
• Product developers drive
inspiration from historic
fashion.
Turn of the Century
• US Events:
– Spanish American War
– Immigration averages
one million a year
– 20% of the wages are
earned by women.
• Fashion Trends
– Bustle
– Pigeon chest
– Trumpet skirt
1980’s: Glitz to the Max
• US Events
– Ronald Regan is elected
– Time names the computer as man of
the year.
– Iran hostage crisis
• Fashion Trends
– Brooke Shields loves her Calvins
– Dress for success
– Flashdance influences fashion
– Overtops with stirrup pants
Workshop Assignment
• This decade will be the
• Form a production team basis for your new line
centered around of clothing that you will
someone who has a produce later in the
computer. workshop.
• No more than 5 people • Be prepared to make a
on a team. presentation after we
• You will be assigned a return from lunch.
decade to research. • Resources can be found
on the computer and
from my resources.
Websites for your research.
• www.costumegallery.com
• www.costumes.org/history
• www.teonline.com/costume
• www.dept.kent.edu/museu
m/costume
• Museum of Costume, Bath
• Victoria and Albert
Museum, London