The clothes we wear and the trends we follow are such a tremendous part of our lives, and yet few people take the time to think about where their preferred style of shoes or favorite shirts came from.
While each up-and-coming fashion trend might seem new and random, the designers often look to the past for inspiration. They say that history repeats itself, and this is particularly true with fashion trends, as specific fashion items make a comeback. Throughout the years, fashion designers have taken inspiration from historical dress of previous centuries. Whether it”s specific textiles, or patterns on the fabric, or the style itself, designers everywhere take inspiration and create a more contemporary version for the runway.
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Alexander McQueen was a famous fashion designer known for his wearable art and his designer clothing. In many of his fashion lines, he created an upgrade from historical fashion to contemporary pieces that are known on the runway as high fashion. In autumn of 2008, McQueen created a line that was inspired by the Directoire Period (1790-1820) of dresses with a straight skirt and a square neckline. Similarly, this type of style is used in every-day life with dresses that become popular in the summertime.
Wedding dress designers are also hugely inspired by historical fashion, mainly in the Crinoline Period (1850-1869) which involved massive skirts that envelop the woman. The same style is often seen on the red carpet by celebrities. The most simple of trends in today”s fashion was inspired by history”s fashionable norms, such as a single poof strategically placed in the skirt of a wedding dress, or even the neckline.
While most college students roll out of bed and slip on a T-shirt, rather than a tuxedo or ball-gown, the subtle embellishments in clothing items as simple as shorts and jeans are also often inspired by embellishments that were popular among the masses a few hundred years go.
For example, some headbands that we just throw on our head to keep our hair out of the way while we”re taking a test were inspired by Roman headdress. Strappy Gladiator sandals have also made a comeback in recent years, showing just how intertwined history and fashion can be.
Most people overlook what fashion truly means in one”s life, but the clothes we wear represent history, art, expression and inspiration. Not only are fashion trends a way to better understand history, but, as fashion is an expression of the self, it also shows that contemporary society and the people who exist today aren”t that different from people who lived centuries before.
Claire Kennell can be reached at [email protected]