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Observations in Fashion

Fashion—A Brief History of Everyday Clothing

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Fashion staples have an interesting history. Stilettos, bikinis, bras, handbags and sunglasses were born out of necessity and desire. And it seems they are here to stay.

Trends have a beginning but not everything stays relevant thereby becoming a classic wardrobe staple. Fashion, sometimes,  just vanishes. Oversized shoulder pads, chunky platform shoes and catsuits are just a few trends that have had their moment in the closets of the most fashionable icons. However, their claim to fame was only momentary. There are styles though that never seem to go out of fashion–these are the classics. What is interesting is how these classics came about.


Stilettos

There is some confusion as to what constitutes a stiletto and who invented this sensual shoe. A true stiletto is a thin long heel whose stem is made of steel or various alloys. Its name is taken from the stiletto dagger. Shoe designer Roger Vivier is mostly credited for creating this classic heel just after WWII but Savador Ferrengamo has also been given credit—the jury is still out. However, there have been other examples of the stiletto throughout history.
Parisian André Perugia (1893-1977) who began designing shoes in 1906 created incredible heels which were very similar to the stiletto. The stiletto was only made possible through technology that allowed for a slim piece of metal to be embedded and then attached to the heel.
Heels though have been around forever and were famously worn by both men and women even before the time of Louis XIV.

Bikinis

The bikini first debuted in France and was designed by Parisian engineer Louis Réard in 1946. He named it after the island Bikini Atoll where nuclear testing had taken place. The story goes that models refused to wear the risque bathing suit so they had to hire a stripper to model the now ubiquitous 2-piece bathing suit. By 1957 the bikini was everywhere on the French Riviera but it wasn’t until the 60s that it became popular in the US. The 50s were still the era of our prudish society when Modern Girl Magazine wrote,”It is hardly necessary to waste words over the
so-called bikini since it is inconceivable that any girl with tact and decency would ever wear such a thing.” Oh, how times have changed!

Mary Phelps Jacobs patented the first bra.

Bras

Some historians suggest that bras might date back to ancient Greece when women would strap their breasts down with a piece of cloth. The word “brassiere” was first used sometime in the early 1900s and comes from the French for upper arm or haut du bras. These were more like camisoles made with whalebone supports. It was out of necessity that Mary Phelps Jacobs successfully designed (and eventually patented) the bra in 1917.

Fashion in the 20s was liberating for women as they stepped out of the Victorian age into the age of the Flapper. Designs of the 20s were slim and cut for women who were flat-chested. Plunging necklines were also quite popular during that era and the corset was outdated for the sensibility of the Flapper. And Mary Phelps Jacobs was NOT flat-chested. Needing something to support her bustline she constructed her first bra using ribbon and two handkerchiefs improving on it along the way. Necessity really is the mother of invention.

 

A chatelaine from the 16th century.

Handbags

From the beginning of civilization men and women used several different inventions to handily carry their small stuff around. Pouches were quite popular until the 16th century when
women often wore their purses on a chatelaine. This necklace was designed with chains to which small utensils could be attached, such as keys, scissors and sewing tools. It was at the end of the 16th century with the invention of pockets that men ceased to wear handbags. Pockets in women’s clothing did not appear until much later but by then the handbag had become an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe and that is still true today.

Because of the voluminous nature of styles up to and through the Victorian era handbags were not always visible. Bags could be pinned to corsets and placed in the folds of fabric. It was the Flapper era that introduced us to the modern handbag as we know it. The streamline silhouettes of the 20s left no hiding places for pouches filled with necessities. Consequently, women began carrying a more decorated accessory that is more familiar looking for us today.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses have been around since prehistoric times. The inuit people wore them for practical reasons. Today we wear them to protect our eyes from the sun but also we wear them because of the cool factor. Sunglasses have been a fashion staple since they were mass-produced by Sam Foster in 1929.

The glamor of wearing sunglasses was first brought to us by the stars in Hollywood who wore them to avoid being recognized by their fans. However, another reason they may have worn sunglasses was to hide their bloodshot eyes. In 1938 Life Magazine anointed them as the latest fad. Each season delivers a newish frame. For years now the popular style has been the large frame brought to us by Jackie O in the 60s.

Sunglasses, like bikinis, bras, handbags and stilettos show no signs of disappearing as they have carved a place in our wardrobes as essential pieces. What will change, however, is the style. And that is how history is made!

Eat well, laugh a lot, and be chic!

It’s Not You That Needs a Makeover It Is The Fashion Industry

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The fashion industry is out of style with its old-fashion notions of  what modern women really want. Time for a makeover!

The fashion industry still lives in the 50s. It prides itself on creating new platforms for design  talent but has been operating for an eternity in the same antiquated boardroom. Sure, trends change at lightning speed but the industry itself still grabs onto archaic concepts of beauty with bare white knuckles.

One would think that an industry which prides itself on creativity would lead the charge by preaching a broader image of beauty. Sadly, that is not the case. The industry still resonates with old-fashioned notions and clings to sexist perceptions. It appears that the fashion industry is overdue for a full makeover!

Where did the women go?
Creative directors for major brands in women’s wear is still dominated by men. Not to disparage the design talents of men but I have never understood why more men fill the position of “creative director” for major fashion brands than women. Interestingly, women make up about 80% of most student bodies for fashion schools but only 20% fill the much coveted title of creative director.  The consumers for women’s clothing are mostly women. This conundrum begs the question, “Where are the women?”

There was a time when women designers dominated the fashion scene. That moment occurred in the early part of the 20th century. During this time in our history it was considered a woman’s job to design women’s clothing. However, that ended when financiers realized that fortunes could be made in women’s apparel.

From L to R and R to L
Madeline Vionnet, Elsa Schiaparelli, Jeanne Lanvin & Nina Ricci

In fact, the most prominent designers in the first half of the 20th century were Coco Chanel, Madeleine Vionnet, Elsa Schiaparelli, Jeanne Lanvin and Nina Ricci.  There is no questioning the talents of Charles James and Alexander McQueen. But the idea of women as mere mannequins has become tiresome. Walking down a runway and walking down four flights of stairs while carrying a large tote bag  requires a different fashion sensibility. It is designers like Phoebe Philo for Celine that show us how it is done. Her style speaks to the modern women with her exquisitely designed ready-to-wear that move easily with the body.

Why is body shaming still a thing?
Over the last few years the industry has tried to convince us that they are all inclusive when it comes to diversity in body shape. Campaigns have appeared with plus size (man do I hate that expression) models like Ashley Graham. But what we are not seeing is a consistency in their messaging. Plus size models rarely appear on the runway and the covers of fashion magazines.

What dominates still is the rail-thin model. This problem manifests in a unacceptable way—our worth is still evaluated according to size. The disingenuous act of including a handful of not size 4 models onto the runway still falls short of representing women.

From Lane Bryants “I Am No Angle” campaign

The Truth will set you free.
The truth is the average woman in the US is between a size 16 and 18. Women larger than a size 14 struggle to find a good selection of fashion even though they make up a larger portion of the market. In addition our vocabulary distinguishes large sizes for women in a negative way. Men’s stores that feature large sizes are referred to as Big and Tall. Women’s stores that feature large sizes are referred to as Plus Size.

Have we forgotten what 50 looks like?
Major brands using “older” women in their campaigns are spotty. It was a thing to feature mature women in ads several years ago. Lanvin, YSL and Celine caught our attention with older women in the pages of fashion magazines.

Jacquie Tajah Murdock at 82 in ad for Lanvin 2012

But today they are almost gone. The half-assed compliment, “you look good for your age”, is drenched in disgust for the face of older women who look their age.
Two years ago author, scholar, and professor Mary Beard felt obliged to begin a crusade for a woman’s right to age today. “You are looking at a 59-year-old woman,” says Ms. Beard, “That is what 59-year-old women who have not had work done look like. Get it?”

From 2010 ad campaign–Dianne Keaton is 64

No, we still don’t get it. We are confused because when we see women like Diane Keaton as an ambassador for L’Oreal products at 64 years old with no visible signs of aging we begin to examine, too closely, everything that is wrong with the way we look.

It is not we that need a makeover—it is the fashion industry. The absence of women making the creative decisions, the untenable face of beauty and the indifference to the diversity of our culture are out-of-fashion.

Eat well, laugh a lot, and be chic!

10 Ways You Are Killing Your Clothes

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As well-intentioned as we may be there are 10 common mistakes  most of us make that are killing our clothes. We take care to have our clothing cleaned regularly at our favorite eco friendly cleaners. In addition, we painstakingly put our jackets, pants, shirts and skirts back in the closet exactly where they are supposed to be after each wear. Here’s what we can do about it.

~Stop dry cleaning so much. Dry cleaning can be very harsh on your clothing and it can even be the culprit in turning your white clothes into a sad state of yellow and grey. Yes, even your cherished green cleaners use chemicals that can be harsh on your clothes. Instead try spritzing them with a little diluted vodka. Take a clean spray bottle and add 1 part vodka to 3 parts water, spray onto clothing. and then let it air out in your bathroom when you shower. The vodka will kill the bacteria and the steam will air out residual odors.

~Take the plastic off. Leaving your clothes in a plastic bag can wreak havoc. It is important for fabric to breathe because moisture can get trapped inside the bag creating mildew. Consider ripping the plastic off your clothing the minute you get home. If you need to store your clothes place them in a zip garment bag made of muslin.

~Leather (unless it has been treated) should never be worn in the rain. Using your leather jacket as a raincoat or your nice leather boots as rain boots is a big mistake! Water can actually dry out your leather leading to cracking. In addition water can leave marks and stain your very expensive pieces. One more thing—don’t ever place anything adhesive on your leather jacket like one of those “Hello” name tags you are required to wear for conventions and meetings.

~Stop using Woolite on your delicates. Woolite is a detergent and detergents are hard on your delicates like your lingerie and wool/ cashmere sweaters. There are any number of fantastic liquid soaps for your good stuff. Try Laundress, Tocca or Forever New.

~Never ever hang your clothing on wire hangers. Those wire hangers will destroy the shoulders of your shirts. Any other hanger that is coated, shaped or smooth with round edges will work.

~Never hang your sweaters on hangers with a hard edge. Some experts will recommend that you never hang your sweaters—I disagree. If you want to hang your sweater use a lingerie hanger.  However, hangers with an edge will ruin the shoulder of your sweaters.

~Stop putting your workout wear, or, for that matter, anything with lycra in the dryer. The heat from your dryer will kill the memory of clothing made with lycra. In effect heat will breakdown the lycra creating a half-life for your workout wear. Therefore, it’s best to wash in warm water and hang to dry.

~Clean clothing immediately when grease, wine, blood or any unsightly stain appears. Stains set very quickly. The sooner you take care of your stain the more likely the stain will disappear after a cleaning. Once you notice a stain hit it with cold water or seltzer and then take it immediately to the cleaners or wash.

~Be careful how you iron. It is best to use a pressing cloth  (a piece of smooth white cotton fabric will do) when you are ironing your fancy duds.

~Read the care label. Always read the care label. And unless you know a lot about the consequences of laundering different types of fabric follow the instructions!

Your clothes will stay looking new longer just by making a few tweaks in the way you care for them. You made an investment in your wardrobe and now your investment will pay off.

Eat well, laugh a lot, and be chic!