Fashion History Timeline
@FITfashionstory
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The Fashion History Timeline is an open-access source for #fashionhistory knowledge & hub for #fashionresearch , with essays on artworks, garments and films.
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Flugel's "Great Masculine Renunciation" is explicitly white supremacist. White European men don't indulge in color and trim unlike women and the "lesser races" in the colonies. It's also BS; menswear just became about details and military garb/home wear remained flamboyant. (1/6)
The Great Male Renunciation—a term fashion historians use to describe a period in the 18th century when Western men renounced fashion and left dressing shenanigans to women—basically led us to the yawning chasm in style we see in this photo.
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Sargent’s 1897 portrait, Mr. and Mrs. I.N. Phelps Stokes, intrigued the public with its unconventionality of Edith wearing modern street clothes instead of formal dress and her husband, Isaac Newton, standing in her shadows. Read more!
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From Tom Ford's last collection for Gucci, this 2004 acid green sequin gown and fur wrap embodies the sex appeal of Tom Ford designs, an appeal which helped to revive Gucci during the 1990s. Read more!
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Womenswear in 1876 abided by the “more is more” rule, as the most fashionable styles had dramatic bustle silhouettes and extravagant trimmings. Read more!
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This 1855 day dress proves to be very fashionable for the time with various decorative elements such as fringe and bold patterns, reflecting the rise of voluminous garments and heavy embellishments that became so popular. Read more!
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Though teagowns were exclusively worn at home, they were still an opportunity for women to exhibit their taste and class. The gowns shown here are inspired by Art Nouveau and Japanese “exoticism,” and they epitomize the aesthetic of the late 19th century.
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Did you know the row of bows down the front of Madame de Pompadour’s stomacher has a specific name? This type of decoration is called an échelle or eschelle, and it was popular throughout Europe from the late 17th to late 18th centuries!
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Franz Winterhalter’s 1865 portrait of Empress Elisabeth of Austria depicts her wearing a glamorous evening gown, thought to be designed by Worth, which demonstrates her trendsetter status during the time. Read more!
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With a plunging heart neckline and ‘S’ shape silhouette, John Singer Sargent’s 1904 portrait of Lady Helen Vincent is a refined example of Edwardian era evening gowns. Read more!
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Chantilly lace is a kind of bobbin lace popularized in 18th century France. It is identifiable by its fine ground, outlined pattern, and abundant detail, and was generally made from black silk thread. Read more!
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A fashionable woman’s wardrobe in 1855 was extremely ornate with all varieties of trimmings, and brightly colored silks and satins in conjunction with the popular hoop skirt. Read more!
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Beetle-wing (or elytra) embroidery rose to fame in eighteenth-century India and was appropriated by English visitors for use during the period in which the East India Company and then the British military occupied the country. Read more!
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Vivienne Westwood’s 1990 corset from her “Portrait Collection” took an 18th-century painting and garment type and updated them to the 20th century. She emphasized the erotic power of the form, but employed more modern, flexible materials to improve comfort.
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Charles James’ 1955 “Butterfly” gown features a body-conscious sculpted sheath and large bustle skirt, which is reminiscent of the tightly fitted bustle dresses of the early 1880s. Read more!
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A staple of the Golden Age of Couture, Charles James’ 1955 “Butterfly” Dress shows off the designer’s exquisite attention to detail and architectural capabilities. Read more!
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Often overlooked in favor of the dominating “la garçonne” or flapper look of the 1920s, this Robe de Style by Jeanne Lanvin shows another one of the most popular styles of women’s dress during the decade. Read more!
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1540s womenswear was marked by an overall rigid silhouette with stiffened bodices flattening the torso, along with the Spanish farthingale, creating a firm cone shape. Read more!
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Alexandra, Princess of Wales, and later Queen of England, held a uniquely powerful influence over nineteenth century fashion.
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When Queen Victoria wore this white dress of Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace to her wedding in 1840, she broke from royal custom and encouraged a lasting tradition for Western bridal fashion.
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Christian Dior’s Eugénie ball gown was inspired by a nineteenth-century empress but injected lighthearted, modern flair to create a fierce, feminine gown for a collection that contributed to the survival of French haute couture.
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Although a scandal when originally exhibited in 1884, John Singer Sargent’s Portrait of Madame X continues to inspire black gowns with heart-shaped necklines and a body-clinging silhouette to this day. Read more!
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Gilbert Adrian’s whimsical 1942 dress is made of silk crepe and features playful lambs frolicking through a flower field on a sunny day. The dress was created during WWII, and served as a way to bring hope and happiness into American lives. Read more!
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Often used for evening and disco wear in the mid-twentieth century, Lurex is a shiny synthetic fiber made of aluminum-coated plastic which gives off a glittering metallic sheen. Read more!
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The ‘butterfly’ dress by 1950s couturier Charles James is considered one of his most famous pieces and represents his attention to detail and architectural capabilities. The ballet skirt is meant to emulate the wings of a butterfly. Read more!
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The justaucorps is a long-sleeved, knee-length coat worn by men in the mid-to-late 17th century and throughout the 18th century. Read more!
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Based on the 1811 novel of the same name by Jane Austen, the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility was adapted for the screen by Emma Thompson who also stars as Elinor Dashwood. The costumes were designed by Jenny Beaven and John Bright. Read more!
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This 1870 green silk day dress features many design elements extremely fashionable for the time including the bustle, vibrant hue, silhouette, and abundance of trimming. Read more!
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This 1867 white piqué afternoon dress with black cording was considered very fashionable for the time for its decoration and silhouette, and as well as its breathability during the summer months. Read more!
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The best parts of fashion are the details, and this gold silk day dress from 1859 has many, such as fringe and scalloped edges. However, the most breathtaking is the vivid floral brocade in a naturalistic design. Read more on the Fashion History Timeline!
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Roberto Cavalli’s 2003 denim ensemble references 18th-century menswear while staying true to his characteristic sexiness and use of denim. The embroidered coat is paired with a short mini-skirt and a silk bustier. Read more!
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1830s fashion was dramatic and overwhelming, marked by huge sleeves and hats, reflecting the Romantic movement. Extravagant dandies led the fashion world. Read more!
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This late 19th-century embroidered tea gown combines design features of several artistic movements of the time, including historicism, Japonisme, and Art Nouveau. Read more!
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1876 was a year that abided by the rule of “more is more”, as the most fashionable styles at the time included dramatic bustle silhouettes, combinations of multiple fabrics on a single garment, and extravagant trimmings.
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In the 17th through 19th century, wealthy European men wore loose, informal dressing gowns known as banyans while at home. The word "banyan" was derived from the Hindu "banian" or "banjan," a sign of colonialism's growing reach.
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Sophie Gimbel’s black cocktail dress is studded with sequins and rhinestones, which gives the impression that it is covered in stars. It reflects the influence of Christian Dior’s “New Look” silhouette and the emergence of cocktail attire in the 1950s.
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At the dawn of the 1920s, the world was still reeling from the First World War. The conflict had a fundamental effect on culture, and fashion. Essential to these new styles was a simplicity that had not been seen before in women’s fashion.
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Alexander McQueen’s 2003 Oyster dress debuted as part of his Irere collection; it served as a metaphor for female empowerment in a modern retelling of the birth of Aphrodite myth. Read more!
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The cuirass bodice, fashionable in the 1870s-1880s, was a form-fitting, long-waisted bodice that fit tightly over a woman's hips, almost giving the appearance of armor.
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Fashionable in eighteenth century Western women’s fashions, the fichu was a triangular shawl draped over the shoulders and crossed or fastened in the front. Read more!
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This 1860 evening dress is made in a delicate pink silk. The shape of the skirt here begins to anticipate the flat-fronted crinolines of the later 1860s, compared to the very round bell-shaped skirts then typically worn.
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In ‘The Hesitant Fiancée’ artist Auguste Toulmouche paints a scene of a bride angry at the prospect of her arranged marriage as showcased by her direct gaze to the viewer. Her gown is a high-neck dress embellished by a white fur trim. Read more!
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This light pink-peach dress covered in ruched bows and with a full crinoline-supported skirt epitomizes the early 1860s ball gown. With delicate detailing and a simple color palette, this garment is sophisticated yet perfectly in line with the time.
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This 1953 Sophie of Saks Fifth Avenue cocktail dress epitomizes the hourglass silhouette that was so favored in fashion at the time. The dress features three-quarter length sleeves with a deep v-neck and a full skirt that ends at the calves. Read more!
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This 1639 Rembrandt portrait is said to depict Maria Trip and displays her high status by representing her in expensive garments and accessories considered to be the height of fashion. Read more!
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The accidental discovery of aniline dyes in 1856 by Sir William Henry Perkin commenced a popular obsession with bright and intense colors in the mid-nineteenth century. Read more!
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This Callot Soeurs evening dress, influenced by Orientalism and the Directoire revival, embodies the latest trends of the time in its cylindrical silhouette and soft, unstructured look. Read more!
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The 1820s was a transitional period for women’s fashion moving away from Neoclassical influences, and turning towards Romanticism with lavish dresses and historical references. Read more!
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This brightly colored corset with steel boning and a front-opening spoon busk was a highly fashionable foundation garment for a woman’s wardrobe in the 1880s.
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This 1855 day dress proves to be very fashionable for the time with various decorative elements such a fringe and bold patterns, reflecting the rise of voluminous garments and heavy embellishments that became so popular. Read more!
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The Medici collar is a type of collar that stands upright on the back of the neck and opens in the front. This ruff was introduced to France by Marie de’ Medici in the 16th century, taking her name two centuries later. Read more!
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The year 1938 was a period of transition from the catastrophic Great Depression to World War II. Women’s fashion was exuberant: vibrant colors, Surrealist accessories, ornate hats with minimal embellishments were key trends.
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Coming from a modest background and determined to reinvent her image once married into high society, Valerie Susan Langdon commissioned James McNeill Whistler to transform her in the portrait, Harmony in Pink and Gray: Portrait of Lady Meux(1881). Read!
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This Callot Soeurs evening dress, influenced by Orientalism and the Directoire revival, embodies the latest trends of the time in its cylindrical silhouette and soft, unstructured look.
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This 1869 red silk dress embodies the transition during the later part of the decade toward the bustle and the period’s taste for bold colors combined with intricate detailing. Read more!
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Dress became highly inventive during the 1570s, allowing women to choose from differing styles and decorations. Queen Elizabeth used dress politically and dressing well and in keeping with the latest styles was essential at the English court. Read more!
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In the mid-1810s the carrick coat, a cape-like duster that featured three to five feathered layers of capelets that covered the shoulders, was introduced and became widely popular as a “bad weather” coat. Read more!
#fashionhistory
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This 1863 French day dress has a fairly simple and standard silhouette for the period; however the intricate embroidery and cornflower blue color make it extremely fashionable. Read more!
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Through her turbulent career, where she dressed the highest socialites and elites, Lowe experienced discrimination, debts, and disabilities. However, these obstacles did not sink her, as she broke through mid-century couture. A new New Yorker article profiles her career and life.
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To honor Vivienne Westwood in light of her passing, we’re highlighting her 1990 “Portrait Collection” corset which features an 18th century painting and emphasizes the erotic power of the body. Read more!
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Patrick Kelly was the first American designer to be admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter. Kelly’s designs included playful elements such as mismatched colorful buttons, bright colors, and the use of the heart shape. Read more!
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Despite some historical inaccuracies, the lavish costumes of Bette Davis’s character, Regina Gibbens, in the 1941 film The Little Foxes became a muse for fashion journalists and brought about a revival of earlier styles from the turn of the century. Read!
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Gilbert Adrian’s evening dress is fashionable because it followed the strict guidelines of General Limitation Order L-85 during World War II, but still was able to capture the sense of hopefulness felt by America with its playful and uplifting charm.
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Jean-Marc Nattier, an acclaimed 18th-century portraitist, was known for his mythological style, painting women in an imagined costume that was only loosely based on fashionable trends, as is true in his 1750/60 Portrait of a Woman.
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This Callot Soeurs evening dress(1910-1914) decorated with an overlay of sequins to glimmer in evening lights is influenced by Orientalism and the Directoire revival, and embodies the latest trends of the last years of La Belle Epoque. Read more!
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Christian Dior’s 1948 ‘Eugénie’ ball gown designed for his ‘Zig Zag’ collection, proves to be a frothy, feminine gown which draws upon 19th century inspiration all while keeping in line with his famous New Look. Read more!
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The Dictionary of Fashion History defines an échelle as: “Late 17th to late 18th century. A stomacher trimmed down the front with ribbon bows arranged like the rungs of a ladder.”
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Elite families would spend a percentage of their annual income on precious textiles that were dyed red. When cochineal from Mexico was introduced to Europe in the first part of the sixteenth century, it soon supplanted all the other red dyes.
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John Singer Sargent’s Miss Elsie Palmer is an intriguing portrait of a young upper-class girl who finds herself in between childhood and womanhood as well as mainstream fashionability and dress reform.
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This 1870 green silk day dress features many design elements extremely fashionable for the time including the bustle, vibrant hue, silhouette, and abundance of trimming. Read more!
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In 1856, women’s dresses were made mostly in silk, cotton, and velvet, and their silhouettes consisted of bodices fitted to the waist and full bell skirts that were accessorized with flounces, stripes, trims, and flowers. Read more!
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Madeleine Vionnet modernized fashion through her impeccable craftsmanship and advanced designs creating fashions that were functional, yet chic. The House of Vionnet presented the “Carnival Dress” in 1936. Read more!
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Échelle, or eschelle is a decorative ladder of bows descending down the stomacher of a dress, popular during the late 17th and 18th century. Read more!
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Madeleine Vionnet's two-part carnival dress consists of a bias cut silk halter dress in black with a detachable tulle skirt. The overskirt is embellished with a series of pin-tucked rosettes inspired by the Art Deco movement. Read more!
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Elsa Schiaparelli created this unusual lobster dress with the help of Surrealist artist Salvador Dali in 1937, demonstrating the interconnected nature of the fashion and art worlds in the early 20th century. Read more!
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At the start of the 1830s, womenswear was exuberant and dramatic, reflecting the Romantic movement. It was characterized by an extraordinary attention to the upper half of the dress and the sleeves. Read more!
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Franz-Xaver Winterhalter’s 1855 portrait of Empress Eugénie surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting shows off the most fashionable styles of the time with their ravishingly elegant dresses and accessories in a Rococo revival countryside setting. Read more!
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This 1855 day dress proves to be very fashionable for the time with various decorative elements such a fringe and bold patterns, reflecting the rise of voluminous garments and heavy embellishments that became so popular. Read more!
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This luxurious Dior silk satin gown embodies the elegance of Dior’s 1948 collection and fashionably exhibits the New Look silhouette of the time. Read more about Dior’s ensemble at the link below!
#fashionhistory
#20thcenturyfashion
#dior
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We’re pleased to announce the opening of the Museum of Historical Costume today, and to bring you the details of their first exhibition–“Fashion Repeats Itself. The revival styles in 19th-century ladies fashion.” Read to find out more!
#fashionhistory
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1930 was a transitional year. Designers’ 1930 collections moved away from the flapper’s boxy shape in an attempt to define the look of the modern woman who must navigate through the Great Depression.
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This Dior evening dress embodies the elegance of Dior’s 1948 collection and fashionably exhibits the New Look silhouette of the time.
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No longer “society’s best kept secret” as the Saturday Evening Post called her, Ann Lowe is now recognized as a pioneering African American couturier. Lowe was known for her one-of-a-kind gowns made of fine handiwork, often evoking floral motifs.
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Twenties fashion is often remembered for its glitz and glamour, though underlying this was a move toward simplicity in dress. For women, this meant shorter skirts and simple shapes, while men enjoyed casual suits. Read more!
#20sfashion
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Fashion at the start of the 1910s maintained elements of the previous decade, while beginning to move towards a simpler style. But mid-decade, World War I broke out, causing fashion change to slow. Read more!
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This cream patterned dress trimmed with pleated green ribbons was considered a fashionable garment in 1862 with its full crinoline skirt and simple, but deliberate trimmings. Read more!
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Pierre August Renoir’s 1883 portrait, City Dance, illustrates a graceful, languid couple dancing at white-tie formal ball. Read more!
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American painter John White Alexander replicated this same evening gown in paintings including Study in Black and Green over a six-year period as it slowly progressed from fashionable to outdated. Read more!
#fashionhistory
#digitalhumanities
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John Singer Sargent’s 1890 portrait of Elsie Palmer proves to be an intriguing artwork that tells the story of a girl who finds herself between childhood and womanhood. Read more!
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A pinnacle of 1880s fashion, this bustled gown’s many intricate style details, full silhouette, and bright red color make it a dress to be admired now and envied then. Read more!
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Sophie Gimbel’s black cocktail dress is studded with sequins and rhinestones, which gives the impression that the dress is covered in stars. It reflects the influence of Christian Dior’s “New Look” silhouette. Read more!
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Thierry Mugler’s campy “Birth of Venus” dress from Fall/Winter 1995 was made to celebrate the brand’s 20th anniversary and features the body-conscious design and theatrical flair that Mugler was known for. Read more!
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The corset was the foundation of any 1880s woman’s wardrobe-though it's bright red color makes it unusual. Steel boning and front opening spoon busk created an hourglass shape. Red coloring, cream stitching, silk cord, and white trim were added just for the wearer. Read below!
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As the daughter of a king, Madame Adélaïde would naturally want to portray her wealth and status in a state portrait. Labille-Guiard does just that, demonstrating it through expensive fabrics and elaborate embroidery. Read more!
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Often anachronistically called the ‘S-bend,’ the dramatic straight-front corset of the early 1900s was invented by Dr. Inès Gâches-Sarraute for health purposes, then swept up into the tides of fashion. Read more!
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Lurex is a synthetic fiber made of aluminum-coated plastic which produces a metallic sheen that is also tarnish-proof. It was invented in 1946 and outpaced satin as an eye-catching fabric for stage costumes and accessories. Read more!
#fashionhistory
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This 1863 French silk day dress has a fairly simple and standard silhouette for the period; however the embroidery and cornflower blue color make it extremely fashionable. Read more!
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1770s womenswear simplified earlier fashions, leading to new styles that exemplified the casual aesthetic taking hold with increased use of cottons, wools, and linens demonstrating the popularity of informal ensembles. Read more!
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This Dior evening dress embodies the elegance of Dior’s 1948 collection and fashionably exhibits the New Look silhouette of the time. Read more!
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The floral embroidered blue silk gown designed in the early 1880s features tiered pleats, a bustle, chenille fringe and multiple embellishments which incorporated many different fashions of the time.
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This portrait by John Singer Sargent portrays Elsie Palmer, the daughter of wealthy American founder of Colorado Springs. Many portraits of Palmer were commissioned, though this painting stands 75 inches tall, making it larger than life-size. Read more!
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