Clothing throughout the Times

Throughout the times clothing has changed considerably.  We have gone from wearing a fig leaf to developing clothes made from raw materials to a blend of different materials.  Have you ever wondered about the evolution of the clothing world?  How did we get from the beginning to now?  Fashion changes yearly and sometimes daily.  From the beginning of time the fashion world has gone through many changes, so good and some bad.  There is sure to be more to come in the future.

Ancient Egypt

In ancient Egyptian times the clothing choices were limited.  Most of the clothes they wore were made out of linen, because of the extremely hot temperatures.  Linen was the cooler material and they didn’t sweat as much.  Linen is made from flax seed, which was harvested by men.  Once it was harvested then it would soak for days to soften it up.  Then the flax would be beaten and the women would take it and separate the fibers to make it thread.  Once the thread was made, then they would use a spindle to create the fabrics. As time progressed they were able to trade their linens for silk.  They had wool available to them, but rarely used it due to the climate.  Animal skins were worn more by pharaohs and priests, but never by the lower class of individual, because it symbolized being the first servant to God and it was thought that only pharaohs and priests were in this order.  The kings and queens of that time would have ceremonial clothing that were adorn in feathers.  

Jewelry was made from the bones of animals, ivory, shells found in water and ostrich and tortoise shells.  The bones had to be carved when they were fresh and uncooked, then they were polished up to bring out the shine in them.  This helped in making it look like ivory, but at a less expensive price or trade for the piece of jewelry. The type of jewelry that was chosen made a statement about the wealth, power, status and religious beliefs of the individual wearing it.  It was believed that adorning oneself with items that were beautiful would make you more attractive not only to other people, but to the Gods.  The more beautiful you appeared, the more it showed you were a good person.  When a person had been defeated in battle they had to give up their jewelry.  

Footwear was scarcely worn.  The Egyptians that wore shoes were the ones that lived in the more mountainous regions of Egypt.  Footwear was worn on special occasions, though.  Most of the shoes that were worn had the toe turned upward and were tied to the feet with two thongs.  They were made mainly of leather and sewn together.  The cheapest kind was affordable, but unattainable by the very poorest of the people.  It was often said that if you were unable to afford sandals, then you would never be able to achieve a higher social status.  Kings and queens would were sandals that were decorated more elaborately to show off their higher status. There were known to be sandals made of gold, which could have been very uncomfortable, but they symbolized the status and power of the person seen wearing them.

Greek Clothing

The fall of the Mycenaean did away with the bell dresses and tight bodices of the Greek culture to what is now associated with what is thought of as being Greek style of dress, the draped cloths.  The Mycenaean clothing was later adopted for the French.  The fabric that was used in the universal outfits was mainly wool.  It was spun to be soft or coarse and worn loosely around the body.  It would be made to fit the person from their shoulders to their ankles with at least six inches left over to cover their feet.  It was draped over the person’s frame and looped around to be pinned at the shoulders to form a cape.  It went from being pinned with open pins to having pins adorned with beading to show some character to the outfit.  During the Ionic period the fabric turned from wool to silk and it was cut to fit the person’s frame.  There was no overlapping fabric and it was measured from the shoulders to the ankles.  The newly designed garments were now being fabricated with roomy sleeves for a more cohesive design.

The jewelry of this time frame was known to be made mostly of bronze and copper.  They had advanced smelting techniques.  The first attempts at jewelry making consisted of beads in the shapes of animals and shells.  Around 1400 BC it has been founded that they were beginning to use gold and gemstones.  By the year 300 BC, they had mastered the use of color gemstones and carving intricate details into them.  They were known to use pearls, emeralds, amethysts, and even ivory to make their jewelry.  They were the first known society to use cameos.  They would make them from the agate stone called Indian Sardonyx, which were brown, cream and pink striped.  As time passed their techniques and designs became more complicated with an abundance of new materials to use.  They learned how to make necklaces, rings, earrings, and even head wear in different fashions and with different materials and gem stones to suite the taste of the public.

There are plenty of depictions of the Greeks being barefoot and in all actuality they were most of the time.  They would take off their shoes when they entered any building as a sign of respect.  But, as far as shoes for being outside there were plenty of styles to go around.  They had a winter shoe with fur lining.  They had leather boots with high soles to give them extra height.  These boots were normally worn by theater performers.  They had boots that were completely enclosed and they had to step into them.  There were shoes made of a single piece of ox hide that were tided up the legs.  These shoes were easy to make and were worn by everyone.  

Roman Clothing

Roman clothing was almost the same as the ancient Greek clothing of that time, but it did have its own style.  Clothing needed to be simple, in simpler times, so most of the clothing was made from wool and some linen.  There were only a few things that could constitute as needles, so sewing was scarce.  Any garment that needed to be held together was done so by clasps or broaches.  The Romans wore undergarments.  These were made from linen.  Both sexes has underwear type garments that consisted of a loin cloth knotted on both sides and women wore a brazier type garment, which was a band that was up under their breasts and either over or under their clothing. The women’s tunic was ankle length and the men’s was to the knees.  The woman’s tunic would come with long sleeves.  If the tunics had purple stripes down them, then you were of a higher rank than everyone else.  The toga was another form of dress worn by the masses.  When a person was wearing a toga, they were generally naked underneath.  This garment took on a semicircle when encasing the body and leaving only one arm free.  The toga gave way to the tunic and was only seen worn on special occasions.  Status was determined on the type of clothes being worn.  The rich had seamstresses, dyes, fullers, and tailors on their payroll that could make them the best looking garments to wear.   Women’s clothing was white at first then went to more colorful garments.  They would wear a long white tunic and a short colored one over top.  The layers symbolized status ranks.  

The Romans had access to a number of different exotic materials and gemstones, thanks in part to the land they controlled.   Man jewelry pieces were not only decorative but they had a purpose.  For instance, the broach was invented to not only decorate the clothing, but to keep it fastened together.  There was a piece of jewelry called the fibula, which was a large safety pin type piece of jewelry that was ornately decorated with a cameo, a winged victory or a woman’s bust.  The Romans liked to use what is known as the hemisphere in jewelry making for necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  The coiled snake was amongst one of their more popular designs.  This was a symbol of immortality.  Pearls, emeralds, peridots, carnelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, amber and opal were among the favorite gemstones to use during this time frame.  Men would be seen wearing only a single ring and women would be seen wearing many forms of jewelry.  

There were a few varieties of footwear available at that time.  There were sandals made from a single piece of leather with an opened top, which could be tied to your leg.  There were shoes where the sole was separate from the upper portion.  There were hobnailed shoes secured to their feet with the use of laces, perhaps the very first sneaker.  There was a sandal that had a thong between the toes.  Soldiers wore a heavy sandal that had a separate upper piece, which were then fastened together by thongs.  There were also wooden shoes.  Women’s shoes were similar to men with exception of softer, finer leathers being used.  The winter shoes all had cork soles and some were thicker to provide height.  

18th Century European Clothing

European clothing in the 18th century involved hoop skirts and corsets for women and men had shirts, jackets and breeches.  Panniers, which were things worn under the dresses to hold them out, were used throughout this time.  During the late 18th century the hoops and the panniers had disappeared and the invention of the bustle pad took place.  The styles included many layers of cloth being pinned together over the bodice of the dresses in order to create what is now known as the empire silhouette.  The gowns that women wore were typically open fronted with a corset or lace sewn into it.  Men’s clothing continued on from previous centuries, but the fabrics changed.  The men’s coats were called waistcoats.  They were cut straight to the waist, but then had tails to the mid thigh.  Shirts were always long sleeved and depending on the occasion could have a ruffled wrist or a straight wrist.  The breeches were made to fit snugly.

During this time, diamonds became widely popular.  It popularity was so intense that imitations were produced to simulate the look of diamonds at a cheaper price.  Unlike the past century’s style of jewelry making, the metal settings of this period were meant to be as hidden as possible, so the gemstones used would get more attention.  The flower shaped brooch was popular in this century.  It consisted of a variety of gems.  Both, men and women, wore jeweled buckles on their shoes.  The chantelaine was invented during this time frame.  It was several pieces of gold jointed together with scenes sketched in each one.  It was fastened to his or her clothing and used to carry various objects that were of use to them throughout the day, such as watches, keys, or scissors.  During the last thirty years, the cameo once again became popular after the archeological studies of Pompeii and Herculaneum.  
French military boots were worn from the late 17th century to the mid 18th century when the shoe was invented for men.  They wore high heels like the women, for high court, but theirs were painted in different colors.  The heels were made to be sturdy, painted red, had a high tongue, and long square toes.  The informal shoes were made from leather with lower heels, shorter toes.  During the beginning of the century, the formal style of the men’s shoes changed to be more like the informal style.  The shoes were fashioned with red heels and buckles so they could be distinguished from the informal shoes.  In the late 18th century the boot was reintroduced as a fashionable shoe for men.  Women’s shoes were divided into three separate categories, mules, backless slippers and shoes.  Women’s shoes had pointed toes and high curved heals until the late 18th century when low heeled slippers were invented and became the fashion for the next fifty years.

19th Century Clothing

In the early 19th century, the tight laced corsets were abandoned as women’s fashion and trousers were introduced into the men’s fashion.  In women’s fashion the empire silhouette was invented.  The dresses were fitted just under the bust and then they flowed loosely all the way to the ankles.  The new designs took away from the natural waist line.  The shorter dresses were made of an almost transparent material that was easily draped over the frame of a woman and were less confining to the figure.  The morning dresses, which were worn around the house, were long with a high neck and long sleeves.  Ball gowns or evening dresses, which were worn during dinner and nights out, were elaborately decorated with lace, ribbons, or netting.  These dresses were often cut low and had short leaves.  The woman’s arms were often covered by long white gloves.  By the 1890, women’s dresses had gone from the empire wear to an hourglass shaped dress.  The upper body was corseted to a small waist and then butt, hip, sleeve, and bosom pads were added to the dresses. Men’s fashion was changed in that the pants went from mid calf to ankle length. The pleated frills and ruffled cuffs were no longer in fashion by the end of the century.  Trousers were often snuggly fit; coats were tailored, plain and dark.  

In the 19th century there was a need for a mass production of jewelry, so the middle class families could afford to adorn themselves with jewels.  The hand made production of jewelry making gave way to machine produced jewelry.  The invention of plating metal alloys took place as well as the mass production of imitation stones, which improved the quantity and quality of the precious gems.  The goldsmiths were not out of work; however, they were still in high demand by the upper class for pure gold and gemstone creations.  Taking its inspiration from past styles, such as Gothic, Renaissance, Greek, Entruscan, Roman, Rococo, Naturalistic, Moorish and Indian, the jewelry of this period was considered eclectic.  During this period there were retailers, such as Faberge and Tiffany’s, emerged that catered to the high class for their jewelry wants.   Jewelry was now taking on shapes of animals, insects and floral arrangements during this time period.  All these pieces would be shaped and encrusted in precious gemstones, so that the wearer of the object would seem more pleasing to the eye.  
The footwear of the 19th century is much like the footwear of today.  Men were limited on their choices of footwear.  They had boots or oxfords, where as women had many choices, ranging from pumps to high heels and ankle boots.  These shoes can still be found on the shelves today.  They shoes worn back then ranged in colors and set a standard for what was being produced in the up coming years.  The first half of the century seen shoes still being produced by hand, which made for a long wait on the production of the demanded product.  By mid century machines were invented and then mass production began.  Shoes were then manufactured so you could distinguish the left from the right and standard sizes were released.  

20th Century Clothing

During this century the fashion designer emerged.  No longer were the days where everyone wore the same type of material or style.  This was a new era in clothing and clothing styles change every year.  Until 1910 the style of the padded dresses and corsets were still the fashion trend.  During the early years, the style changed to loose fitting gowns that women didn’t need a third party to help them get dressed in.  Long dresses with pinafores were the normal thing to wear until the 1920s.  When the roaring 20s came in the dress lengths became shorter.  Women were after something with a little more pizzazz.  In the 1930s, fashion became a victim to the great depression and designers went on to creating a more romantic silhouette.  The brash style of the 1920s was out. In the 1940s, the zoot suit was created for men, while the women style of clothing resembled those of the 1800s. In the 1950s the women’s suit was formed for the working woman.  Sequins, chiffon and fur were all introduced into the wardrobes of the 1950s.  Off the rack clothing had become more popular during this time period than designer clothing.  The clothing in the 1960s catered to the younger generation.  The skirts became shorter, as the mini shirt was invented in 1965.  Colors were made to be bolder and the fabrics were synthetic.  Men’s clothing changes with the use of fabric.  The suits were meant to fit more snuggly to the body, which forced men to look at their figures more.  Jeans became a widespread phenomenon.  The bikini was invented as well as bell bottom jeans, tie-dyed shirts and paisley prints.  The 1970s began with a continuation of the hippie style of dress, but the skirts soon grew longer and the call for unisex clothing ballooned.  More men’s clothing store emerged.  What was known as the beatnick look came about toward the end of the 70s.  In the 1980s, spandex, lyrica and leather pants emerged.  Evening gowns and long dresses were back in style.  Acid washed jeans, some that had a shredded knee and shoulder pads were placed in shirts and suit jackets.  Sweatshirts, leotards, and headbands all came in as a part of working out in fashion.  The 1990s brought in a minimalist attitude when it came to fashion.  The need for comfort rather than elegance took shape in the 90s.  There was no longer a want for body hugging clothes; women and men wanted something that they could be comfortable in.  People were buying oversized clothing to suit their everyday needs.  

Jewelry at the turn of the century was still focused on the rarities of the Art Nouveau style.  Different metals with precious gemstones were used.  By the time the 1920s came around there was a want for costume jewelry pieces.  The pieces were look at for their decorative value rather than their monetary value.  Plastics were introduced in the making of jewelry pieces.  In the 1930s, there was a backward trend when it came to jewelry, the designs went back in time because of the depression and jewelry was regarded as an investment.  In the 1940s and 1950s plastics were reintroduced and with the discovery of PVC new methods were used to create significant pieces.  The 1940s jewelry was known for its chunkiness.  During the 1960s jewelry was seen more as a wearable piece of art.  This brought on a men’s jewelry line, as it was no longer perceived as just a thing for women to wear.  The 1970s and 1980s brought an interest in the Far Eastern style of jewelry.  Bigger and boulder pieces of jewelry were sought out. 
The beginning of the century seen the fashion of boots and sexless shoes, but by the time the 1920s rolled the around men were still wearing boots as casual wear and two tone shoes were in fashion for both sexes in the 1930s. The 1950s brought loafers for the men and stilettos in every color for the women.  The 1960s seen a boot being the must have item for women and sneakers for the men.  The 1970s brought on the platform for both men and women, along with shirt boots and cowboy boots.  The 1980s brought us to the styles of today.  
 

With the way fashion is today who knows what the styles of tomorrow will bring.  We could revert back to the styles of the hoop skirts or the empire silhouettes.  Some dress shirts for women have the empire waist as well as dresses do.  As we have come to find out in the ever changing world of fashion what was once old will be new again. The fashion industry always changes.  For all we know the ever changing world of fashion can revert back to the hoop skirts and padded dress for women and the short pants for men with the jackets with tails.  The suit will always be in style for a man’s wardrobe.  But, as far as jewelry and shoes go they are forever changing styles and shapes.  The different types of metals and gemstones being used in jewelry can differ and become expensive, but can also be recreated in a similar less expensive version.  Shoes went from not having a distinct size and side to the shoes we know of today.