introduction

What is Fashion?

“Fashion, a general term for the style and custom prevalent at a given time, in its most common usage refers to costume or clothing style. The more technical term, costume, has become so linked in the public eye with the term "fashion" that the more general term "costume" has in popular use mostly been relegated to special senses like fancy dress or masquerade wear, while the term "fashion" means clothing generally, and the study of it. This linguistic switch is due to the fashion plates which were produced during the Industrial Revolution, showing the latest designs. For a broad cross-cultural look at clothing and its place in society, refer to the entries for clothing, costume and fabrics” –Wikipedia

  Ancient Clothing

In the Ancient and Medieval world, clothing was very hard to make since there are no engine-powered machines which made the clothes very expensive. Because of this, most people had very few changes of clothing; many people probably owned only the clothes they were wearing. Many children had no clothes at all, and just went naked. Most clothing was made of leather or fur, or woven grasses during the Stone Age. By the Bronze Age people had learned to spin yarn on a spindle and to weave cloth out of the yarn on looms. Although many clothes, especially coats, were still made out of leather or fur, most clothes were made out of wool (from sheep) or linen (from the flax plant) or cotton. Some rich people wore silk. In the Middle Ages (the medieval period), people invented the spinning wheel, which made spinning yarn go faster. Clothes were a little less expensive than they had been before, but still most people had only one or two outfits.

 

 

sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion

http://www.historyforkids.org/

Ancient Greek Fashion

GREEK FASHION

 Clothing 

Ancient Greek clothing was typically homemade and the same piece of homespun fabric that was used as a type of garment, or blanket.

Clothing for women and men consisted of two main garments-a tunic (either a peplos or chiton) and a cloak (himation).

            

 

Clothing for Women

Women sometimes wore an epiblema (shawl) over the peplos or chiton. Young men often wore a chlamys (short cloak) for riding. Greek men occasionally wore a broad-brimmed hat (petasos), and on rare occasions, Greek women donned a flat-brimmed one with a high peaked crown. 

Footwear

Women and men wore sandals, slippers, soft shoes, or boots, although at home they usually went barefoot.

           

 

Hairstyles for Women

Greek women (except slave women) wore their hair long. This woman’s style was fashionable in the Classical period. The hair is piled up at the back of the head in place with a net and ribbons. Diadems, and other gold hair decorations, were worn on special occasions.

 Accessories

Greece accessories have always been an integral part of Greece fashion. Greece has always been the first country to name in the world of fashion.

 The country is referred as the birthplace for fashion and style.

 The fashion is perfect only when there is an appropriate combination of clothing and accessories.

Greek people were always extremely fashion conscious. Both men and women in the ancient Greece used to be very fond of wearing accessories matching their dress. Especially the rich women of the Greek society were used to the jewelries made of precious and semi-precious stones. The style of wearing or carrying valuable accessories in Greece became out-of-fashion in the renaissance period. It came back again in the modern Greece fashion and at present, again the use of Greek accessories is on a high.

The Greece- accessories are renowned all over the world because of its quality and this is why, they are among the products exported.

 
 Sources: 

http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Clothing/

http://cache2.artprintimages.com/p/LRG/29/2942/5TXRD00Z/louis-bombled-pictorial-history-of-clothing-in-ancient-gaul-and-in-france-up-to-early-1600s-pub-larousse-1929.jpg

http://www.sashayllc.com/_borders/Passion%20for%20Fashion%20logo.jpg

http://www.periscopejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/anticFash.jpg

http://www.vroma.org/images/mcmanus_images/shoes.jpg

http://dallasvintageshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/ancient_gree_jewelry.jpg

 

Ancient Roman Fashion

ROMAN FAHION

Roman Clothing

Women in the ancient Rome are indeed fashionable. They were known because of their fashion statement, they have a lot of layers of cloth used. Their clothing is called Stola, a very long cloth. Women have a different tunic with men in ancient Rome, the difference is that the woman has a sleeves fastened with buckles on its cloth. Roman women loves colorful and bright colored-clothes therefore they usually have vibrant colors for their Stola.

 Accessories

For roman women they are fond of wearing different accessories like necklaces, armlets and anklets. Aside from those, they also have different hairpins, earrings and hairnets which were made of solid-gold.

Hairstyle

Women in Rome usually have golden-red colored hairs, they often dyed their hair to look good. Even their hair has an accessories which were jewelry hairpins. 

sources:

http://www.adrianaallen.com/blog/?tag=ancient-rome

http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Greeks/Romans/Wright/clothing.html

Anciet Egyptian Fashion

ANCIENT EGYPT

Ancient Egypt fashion consisted of a variety of colors and was generally adorned with precious gems and jewels. Egyptians dressed in light linen clothing made from flax. The cloth was nearly always white. Women had simple, ankle-length sheath dresses with a shawl or cloak for cooler weather.

Egyptian women owned jewelry and used make-up, especially eye paint. Favorite eye shadows were green powdered malachite and black crushed lead ore.

 

Hair and hairdressing

            Egyptian Women paid great attention to their hair. Some colored their long tresses with henna. Others shaved their heads or cut their hair short. Wealthier Egyptians owned elaborate wigs made from human hair, which they wore for banquets and ceremonial occasions. Wigs also protected the wearers from sunstroke. In later times, even village women wore wigs when they worked outside.

sources:

http://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/ancient-egypt-fashion.html

http://www.the-beauty-blog.com/Egyptian-Eye-Makeup.html

http://www.dressingupboxonline.co.uk/productmore.asp?prod=1651

http://www.bead-z-mommys-business.com/Ancient-Egyptian-Jewelry.html

http://www.buyegyptiancostumes.com/cleopatra-wig.html

Ancient Indian Fashion

INDIAN FASHION

 

Indian clothing varies widely and closely related to their local culture, religion and their climate. Indian women wear a long-sheet of colorful cloth with patterns which is called Sari.  Little girls they wear a long skirt worn under a blouse called a Pavada.

Sari is a female garment in the India. it is a strip of unstitched cloth which is wrapped around the waist.

Accessories 

Necklaces are very popular fashion accessories in Indian women in all ages. Necklaces are made of a variety of materials, ranging from glass beads to gold and diamonds. One special necklace is the Mangalasutra which is worn only by married Indian women.

Kajal

 

Kajal is a small dot on the forehead of a woman. From the time a child is six days old, her mother applies Kajal to its eyes to mark the child's beauty. This 'imperfection' is said to protect from evil.

Sindoor

Sindoor is a dot on forehead of woman indicating married status of Indian Women, power, protection for her husband. It is applied by the husband as part of wedding ceremony.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clothing_in_India
http://www.info4india.com/Indian-Fashion/