Historical Garment Studies
Historical Garment Studies
Taught by Sister Orem, Brigham Young University of Idaho
No-Bra Bra
In the seventies, if you couldn't go braless there would be a bra to make it look like you could. More natural bras that would silhouette the natural female figure came into style, moving away from the artificially shaped 50s'60s bras. Some of these bras even came with a nipple bump sewn into the bra to create an even convincing no bra look. Women's liberationists who view the bra as a threat to their freedom, demonstrated their cause by wearing nothing but themselves underneath their blouses.
Pedal Pushers
Pedal Pushers were calf-length trousers that gained popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. They were often cuffed and worn tight to the skin and can be related to modern day capri pants. It was worn historically by female cyclists in which it got its name "pedal pushers." Today they are called toreador pants, or pirate pants! My mom although calls them poopy diaper pants saying they look like, well you know...
Cloche Hat
The Cloche hat is a bell shaped hat for women that was invented by milliner Caroling Reboux. (A milliner is a person who makes or sells women's hats.) They were especially popular in 1922 to 1933 The name "Cloche" means the word "Bell." It had more of a snug fit to show off the short bobs and hairdos. It would be worn so low over the eyebrows at times that women walked with their chins up and eyes cast down "Gibson girl anyone?" It created an air of confidence and allure for the wearer. Personally, I believe that the cloche hat could have been the earlier version of the bucket hat we all know and love today!
Haute Couture
Haute Couture is the fusion of both fashion and costume. It brings the art of garment making to the practicality of garment wear. In the earlier years of the 20th century Paul Poiret carried on Charles Worth's legacy and couture came to life once again in the postwar period. This began with Christian Diors "New Look." in 1947. As a mixture of design and technique, it remains a force in fashion today.
Little Lord Fauntleroy suit
The Little Lord Fantleroy suit was a velvet cut away jacket with matching knee pants, worn with a fancy blouse and a large lace or ruffled collar. They became popular right after the publication of Burnetts story in 1885 called Little Lord Fauntleroy.
They became a major fashion trend for boys until after the turn of the 20th century. Calling someone a Little Lord Fauntleroy means to call someone an excessively polite and well dressed boy.
Sources
Sources 1 (Links to an external site.) and 2 (Links to an external site.)
Textbook page 387
Pelisse Mantle
A Pelisse is a fur-lined robe as apart of a uniform which was originally a short fur trimmed jacket worn on the left shoulder of light cavalry soldiers ostensibly to prevent sword cuts. The Pelisse connected the trends of military styling and exoticism. The fashion was then applied as a fashionable style of a woman’s coat worn in the early 19th century. It's seen more today on decorative jackets where one side is more heavily detailed than the other.
Negro Cloth
A negro cloth was a coarse and strong cloth used for slaves clothing in the west indies and southern colonies. It was a sharp woven material made of cotton or blended coarse threads also homespun. They were inexpensive and most were very uncomfortable. One freed from slavery recalled the feeling of the cloth to be "Needles sticking one all the time."
A La Victime
This haircut will never not be iconic and I will never look at a pixie cut the same way again. The A La Victime "like the victim" is a haircut that many fashionable young people in the upper and middle classes adopted that imitated the look of the thousands of people who were excecuted by the government during the bloodiest period of the revolution.
They would sport scarlet ribbons to symbolize the blood of the dead, and cut their hair short the way the executioners cut their victims hair. These people did this to celebrate the fall of the old government while cheering themselves through a horrifying period in history.
Banyans
Banyans were the garments that every gentleman in the 18th century loved. They were influenced by Persian and Asian clothing mimicking a kimono-like style. They were also called morning gowns or nightgowns. They were worn around the house as an informal coat before the day began and around the day's end. They were mainly made of cotton, linen or silk.
Tricorne Hat
The Tricorne was a style of hat that was popular during the 18th century, but it wasn't called a "Tricorne" hat till mid 19-th century. Before hand it was known as a "cocked" hat. This hat allowed gentlemen to show off the style of their wigs, and their social status. And because it was genuinely a smaller hat it could be more easily tucked under the arm when going into buildings.
Canions
Canions were tight, tubular garments which extended from the hem of Round Hose, Slops, or Trunk Hose, extending to the knee. Common in the second half of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Trunk hose were often worn with canions, a loose-fitting hose for the upper leg. An exaggerated form of trunk hose was known as pumpkin breeches. Made with contrasting vertical panels of fabric, these breeches ballooned outward, making it look as if the wearer had a large pumpkin about his waist
Trunk hose were often worn with canions, a loose-fitting hose for the upper leg. An exaggerated form of trunk hose was known as pumpkin breeches. Made with contrasting vertical panels of fabric, these breeches ballooned outward, making it look as if the wearer had a large pumpkin about his waist.
Sources
Late Middle Ages Gown
Women began to wear tighter tunics and a long flowing gown thrown over it. These gowns were made of five major components; leather, linen, wool, silk and fur. This both increased warmth and style. They closely followed the lines of the body from shoulder to below the waist with a separate and fuller skirt sewn into the bodice
Winter Mantle
The winter Mantle is a form of medieval shoulder cape or cloak worn in the winter to keep the wearer warm and would usually have fur lining. Surviving the winter in the middle ages could be typically difficult and the mantle would be worn indoors and outdoors. It would be rare to wash this outer garment and with the amount of time spend around smoke the mantle would act as a natural deodorant eliminating odors through the campfire smell.
FLAMMEUM
A Flammeum is a (Flame-colored) Veil worn by a Roman bride. It covered the head and/with the exception of the face. It would descend over the back to the feet. When the bride was brought into the nuptial chamber, the veil was removed by the bridegroom. It was believed to had apotropaic powers and was used primarily to ward away evil spirits as it believed that the bride was incredibly vulnerable during this time in her life. It is thought that as the red veil is to cover her from head to toe it would give the impression that she is on fire, hence giving her her apotropaic power.
Empire Waistline
The Empire Waistline is in which a waistline of where a dress drapes out is fitted at the bust, and not at the waist. The Empire Waistline began in the Neoclassical-era when women began to copy the flowy Greco-Roman art, which featured thin ribbons cinched beneath the bust. A few trend-setting socialites even sprinkled themselves with water to enhance the clinging effect of the garments. Dresses fine enough to be drawn through a woman's ring were worn summer and winter, contributing to epidemics of influenza, which was called "muslin disease" during the Neo-classical era. A contemporary rhyme lamented:
"Plump and rose was my face
And graceful was my form,
Till fashion deemed it a disgrace
To keep my body warm."
Uraeus
The Uraeus is worn by kings and queens and other superior members of royalty. It is a representation of a cobra which was a symbol of royal power and the Goddess Wadjet ands name is translated into “the chosen one.” It also symbolized the connection between the royalty and the Gods. It could be worn on a headband or as part of another headdress.
Sources
Survey of Historic Costume, page 44
Traditional Wedding Dress
Anglo-Saxon Viclandic Wedding Dress
I've always been incredibly intrigued with my family ancestry, and on my dads side we have been able to trace back to the Anglo Saxon era. Me and some of my relatives are able to speak the old Anglo tongue, and when I went to Iceland a few years ago; the cold winter air felt like I had connected to something ancient and benevolent in me.
"Viking" Wedding traditions begin with a connection to their Norse Gods, in which weddings are always held on Fridays, which is Frigg's Day or Freya's Day. The weddings would then last up and till the next week.
Vikings didn't exactly have ring bearers, but their rings would be resting on swords that they would trade each other in the traditional sword trading ceremony. Their hands would be bound together with ribbons as they would say their vows.
And of course a feast would follow.
Bearing in mind that weddings were held outdoors, a wedding dress would be complete with multiple layers, and a fur lined cloak over the top. Where they would go all out though would be the hair, complete with a deaddress or bridal crown of silver and crystal, straw or dried flowers.
