Five Fascinating Fashion Facts
Whether you’re a fan of haute couture clothing or you prefer a classically simple T-shirt and jeans outfit, fashion plays a role in your clothing choices. Some of today’s popular fashions and trends have surprising beginnings. Here’s a closer look at some of the fashion world’s most fascinating facts.
1. Denim
A durable cotton warp-faced textile that features a woven diagonal ribbing created by blue warp and white weft thread, the material was first produced in France’s city of Nimes. It took its name from “sergé de Nîmes” and became popular in the United States in the late 1900s when Nevada tailor Jacob W. Davis created the first pair of this kind of pants reinforced with rivets! Through the years, manufacturers have used this sturdy material for clothing, accessories, furniture and upholstery.
2. Heels
The origin of high heels can be traced back to the 10th century when Persian horsemen wore heels to better secure their feet in the stirrups. The look became popular with male royalty and courtiers, particularly during the reign of France’s King Louis XIV. A higher heel allowed the wearer to tower over others. King Louis was known for his shoes’ signature red heels, which he forbade courtiers to wear.
3. Sneakers
One of the most popular styles of footwear around the world, they are available in a variety of materials such as rubber, canvas and denim. Named for their quiet soles, the shoes’ first iteration in the late 1700s was a rubber-soled plimsoll that had no right or left foot. In the 1890s, the U.S. Rubber Company began producing Keds, a rubber shoe with canvas tops. During the First World War, the company went on to mass-produce these comfortable shoes. Sneakers went global in 1924 when German Adi Dassler created his eponymous shoe, Adidas.
4. Little Black Dress
The Little Black Dress or LBD entered the American consciousness when American Vogue published one of the designs of French fashion designer and businesswoman Coco Chanel. It was a simple and elegant black crepe de Chine sheath dress with long narrow sleeves. Vogue correctly predicted that the dress would become a uniform for women. From the 1920s to today, designers continue to create versions of the LBD.
5. White Wedding Dress
The white wedding dress is one of the most popular looks around the world for brides of all ages. The world’s love affair with the white wedding dress began when Queen Victoria wore a white court dress to her 1840 wedding to Prince Albert. White court dresses were the required dress choice for debutantes waiting to be presented at court. Before Victoria and Albert’s wedding, European and American brides wore dresses of all colors, often choosing darker hues for practicality. Following the royal couple’s marriage, a white wedding dress indicated social status and wealth.
If these five facts, from denim and sneakers to the white wedding dress, have surprised you, try searching online for the origins of any fashion item or trend. The answers you find not only satisfy your curiosity but also give you some scintillating trivia to break the ice at any social or professional gathering!