Historical Fashion Fashion is another form of art showing a way to be creative and a way to express ourselves. This expression can be through the sketching of a design, the creation of the design, or the wearing of the design. No matter how we look at fashion, this particular art is constantly changing right before our eyes. As you watch a person walk down the street and you view their attire, you are doing the same thing walking around an art gallery viewing portraits. You are looking at someone’s passion for design. You are viewing their creation in different mediums. Using different textures in the art of fashion is like using oil or watercolor in painting. with showing the connection between fashion and architecture. The design of clothing can be compared to the designing of a sculpture. The sculpture of human figure such as a King or Pharaoh relates to that time period, or period style, just as a piece of clothing relates to and era or time period. The design of clothing varies from each of these time periods. The “casual” clothing designed in the Middle Ages 800-1200 of the Romanesque Period was of long loose garments. Just as in a vertical line on a painting they stood tall in these long gowns and extended their dress by wearing tall head dresses. The colors they would wear seem to be of a dark, dull nature being mostly of blues, greens, and browns. Both men and women dressed in garments that were almost identical to each other (Hansen 1956). The cloaks and loose garments are seemed to lack the visual element of color. With color giving us much pleasure you are not as drawn to this design. The common women of this time period rarely had jewelry to decorate their cloaks. The wealthy women and men would have their cloaks pinned up with broaches and possible some gold trim on the long tunic. The Renaissance Period 1550-1600 of the Spanish Fashion started with the women of wealth attire being of a more form fitting and over lapping with more of the bust exposed. Hats began to be for both the men and women. The tiny jeweled crowns the women wore along with the decorated long sleeves with gold would show the wealth. The men would have long plumes flowing from their caps. The attire of the men during this time changed a little bit more drastically. They started the knee length outer tunic and more of a warrior armour style (Hansen 1956). They added the wired lace collar with matching cuffs to the more elegant attire. Their color element again is somewhat dark but has the beginning stages of the secondary colors, using violet or purple as a sign of royalty. With these colors the men and women to me are portrayed as solemn. You rarely see as much as a smile on any of the pictured faces, much as that of the sculptures. The French Regency design 1715-1730 brought about the pastel color in elegant ball gowns. The women are tightly corseted in of both “common and wealth” descent, and along with their long skirts they started wearing hats and hair pieces (Hansen 1956). These implied shapes of the women are also another visual element in the art world. The satin looking gowns began to have a small pattern such as a stripe. Occasionally you would see a scarf around the more “common” or “less fortunate” woman, while the wealthy began to wear the lace and bows around their delicate neck. The men are ever changing and their dress has been influenced by the theatre. They seem to have developed the color harmony or color scheme. Jumping to the Nineteenth Century in the historical world of fashion we have brilliant colors that show a sign of cheerfulness and luxury. The designs look as if we are creating a powerful middle class. The colors would remind one of a well-used palette of an artist. Their futures and spirits were bright and glee. America was such a young country and so much for them to look forward to and their clothing portrayed the same image (Lester 1967). The only garment of design that was not of brilliance was the military uniform. The splendor uniform of the Napoleonic Wars is long gone. The neutral colors now being displayed in uniform was to help safeguard against the enemy’s marksmanship (Wilcox 1963). These duller colors have a color property referred to as intensity. The duller colors are said to be lower intensity. Just as the solider wants to lay low his uniform matches to that. The important note in men’s fashion world at the close of the 19th Century was the crease in their trousers (Wilcox 1963). The men could now be rid of their stockings with the knicker looking pants. The early 20th Century 1900-1940 started a new meaning to people. Instead of the layers of clothing and hoop skirts the women of fashion were now opting for the slim line look. The slim line look is just another visual effect of art of the early 1900’s. The women would now add accessories to their dress of lace, flowers, feathers, ribbons and veils. Women still being rigidly corseted, clothes were as elaborate as ever and the conspicuous show of wealth would continue. With their waists still pulled in so they could not breathe the common or house wife would not be wearing the ultra-feminine dress. Their dress is rather simple and plain. The colors were usually soft and pretty using the lilacs, greys, mauves and light blues as a few of the popular shades for these fashionable women. The low plunging neckline would be decorated with rich-looking jewelry of pearl chokers. Paul Poiret was one of the great designers of these elaborate styles. He had worked in Paris in two famous fashion houses, Doucet and Worth. (Bond 1981). His designs definitely showed the art of the figure. He decorated his “sculpture” or work of art by using vivid color, the wearing of scarves and turbans in their hair. The men of the early 1900’s would now be sporting high-standing collars and frock coats for all their formal occasions. The men as like the women were very clothes conscious. The less formal wore just a basic suit of a waistcoat and trousers. (Bond 1981). The suits were no longer just the basic dark colors they started using toning colors of light grey and brown. As we approached the latter of the early 20th Century design has taken a dramatic change. The Mid-20th Century 1940-1980 showed how fashion would crumble after World War II. Overall, most of the clothing became modest and somewhat somber. This was a reflection of the difficult social and economic situation. The women’s fashion of 20’s had moved over towards the romantic, feminine silhouette. The design was now more practical and basic styles were own by all women. The real difference of wealth and the common person started to be the textures of design. The better texture the more expensive the article. Designer CoCo Chanel made a comeback around 1954 with her new ideas (Bond 1981). It is like she is touching up a painting as she updates the braided suit, tweeds, and little black dress. Then entering the latter of the Mid Century you get the free spirit feeling. Looking at the painting by Beatriz Milhases, Mariposa, I have to compare it to the designs of the early 70’s. The painting has the effect of the “hippie” design or the clashing of the color wheel. Designer Kenzo Takada new what these young customer were looking for. He gave them this new look with fluid lines, unusual prints, and accessories to top off this craving (Bond 1981). Fashion again has taken a turn in the art world. The late 20th Century and the 21st Century have many influential fashion designers. Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren to name a few (Quinn 2003). Their knowledge of trends has helped them produce well-cut garments and keep the elegance of appeal of a whole new group of American customers. We are now producing mass production of garments and the tailoring for just one individual has decreased. Although we still have designers designing a certain gown for an individual this has tapered off and again is for the wealthy. The ever advancing technology has increased the speed of life and the speed for change (Worthington 1993). Artists and designers are also responding to this new age with their work as well.

Costumes in the fashion world have changed immensely. From the beginning of time the subject has definitely received its share of interest and attention in the fashion industry. Clothing alone is not just the costume. The painting and often tattooing is many times including while in costume. Painting and tattooing in this form to me is considered three dimensional because it can be viewed from any direction when looked at by the naked eye. Many times painting of the whole body is the costume. Such as the Adamese, who live in the Adaman Islands of the Indian Ocean (Lester 1985). The costumes made of material or fabric from the ancient times to the modern times differs in texture and design. The colorful material started from linen would drape over layers and layers of each other. These wraps would then be decorated with jewels. As you get into the Renaissance Period the costumes were designed with velvet and silk (Lester 1985). The skirts of the women would have large hoops or paniers designed to fit underneath. The paniers were bound with tape. Along with material and dye as mediums for this work of art called costumes, whalebone is also a medium. The whalebone was is great demand in the construction of paniers (Lester 1985). The sleeves of both men and women would be puffed and possibly ornate with gold thread. The shoes for costumes started with just the bare feet often tying a ribbon on the foot or wearing a gold ring on the toe (Lester 1985). Just like adding a different color of paint to a painting to change the beauty is like adding a ribbon to a foot to give it the same beauty. From there the flat sandal made its debut. After the sandal of course the boot and shoe would give the costume an added flare. Just as day time wear changed so did the costume. With added jewels, beads and different colors of material, and textures the costumes went from elaborate to fashionable. Texture plays an important part in the historical fashion world. From the very beginning of designing clothes to the present, textures have changed right along. Just as the fashion of texture changed so did the texture of painting and sculpture. The mediums that would be available to paint a picture, carve or sculpt would change along with the period style. It is thought that the very first textile in the fashion world would be felt, as opposed to skins from animals being sewn together. Felt is first thought of as being soft in nature, but some types of felt are tough enough to form construction materials (Bond 1981). Textures along with the color of clothing can appear to make a person seem poor, modest or rich & elaborate. Families would often trade jewels to the get the richest of cloth and show their wealth. The richer bolder and brighter colored cloths would show great wealth (Bond 1981). When I think of texture in fashion I think of soft and comfortable like the feel of marble from sculpture. Texture brings you to the painted picture to see it more closely to get the depth, as texture also brings you towards a piece of clothing with its bold colors and smooth cotton look. Fashion has made its presence known in the art world from ancient time to present. Just like in architecture, the fabrics, metals, glasses, and plastics that used also make an art. By examining the ideas, imagery, techniques, methods and materials we have great designers, painters, and sculptures giving us a finished piece of artwork. When you pick up your jeans lying on that floor, look at them! Someone designed them. There is someones expressing or feeling of an emotion when you hold that costume in your hand. The visual element of color is in every fabric. Fashion is like the colors on a used palette, as I mentioned earlier. Fashion and color is strong and bold in some areas, then pale with the beginnings of being diminished. Fashion and art share this common bond. This connection between the two have been in history since the beginning of time. Historical fashion is just that. The past of fashion and it will continue to have a past.