History of Fashion

It is a well-known fact that the rich and the famous have always influenced the seasonal trends but so have political figures and royalty. Even the media and the magazines are not way behind to report us about the daily style checks! Before we go ahead any further regarding fashion, it is beneficial for us to have knowledge about the key moments in fashion, triggered by various socioeconomic movements during the twentieth century.

From the 1900`s, one can find a whole lot of change and evolution in the history of fashion. It is exotic to know about the fashion fiestas right from the sheer elegance of Maharani Gayatri Devi`s pastel chiffon sarees, to the stylish paired down dressing of the 90`s. Apart from the Indian icons, one cannot forget the worldwide youth icon-Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales and whose death was a severe blow to the high fashion world, where her clothes were the daily news.

Highly prosperous societies have a chance to offer a variety of different fashions, to choose from the clothes or accessories. Fashion houses and their associated fashion designers, as well as high-status consumers (including celebrities), appear to have some role in determining the rates and directions of fashion change. Fashionable clothing started spreading rapidly from the upper classes to the middle and working classes in the West. As communications improved, evidence shows fashion also started in other parts of the world. It so happened that the everyday European styles replaced the traditional clothing styles of Africa, Asia and America. As national economies grow increasingly, international, clothing styles have become correspondingly global. Young people in Johannesburg and Jakarta, Boston and Buenos Aires all tend to wear the same kind of clothing. However, different cultures have modified these originally European styles in accordance with local values and lifestyles.

In particular, religious beliefs have also influenced the clothing that women wear in public. Thus, a woman in Iran or other Muslim communities may wear blue jeans and a T-shirt at home, but cover them up with an enveloping robe called a `burkha` when she goes outside. People also enjoy wearing their traditional clothing on holidays and other special occasions for reasons of national or ethnic pride. Let us now see the history of fashion worldwide and their influence in India through the ancient ages until date.


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