Crazy Fashion Trends in the History of Clothing
Every generation has introduced or been victim of some ridiculous styles of clothing, garments that people love to hate. Modern complaints include falling down pants as well as the absurd notion of purchasing jeans that have been professionally ruined with tears and bleach stains. Underwear worn as outer wear, canada goose outlet a look that’s been around since the 1980s is another concept that seems foolish.
Whether impractical, like stiletto heeled platform shoes, or just plain ugly like those horrid polyester printed pants of the 1970s, crazy outfits seem a modern conceit.
cheap canada goose uk Let’s not confuse generational objections to new styles with crazy fashion trends. People once objected to women wearing canada goose factory outlet pants. In the 1920s, oldsters had a fit when Flappers wore hems that ended just below the knee. The older generations often believes that their own canada goose outlet sale modes of dress were the most attractive, sensible, and darn right decent. cheap canada goose uk
Outlandish outfits parade down the runway every Fashion Week. The strange garments, hairstyles, and accessories offered up by designers are art pieces and not intended for public consumption. Themes offered in these shows inform the design of new styles and suggest certain fabrics, textures, and shapes. We may see celebrities sporting some pretty nutty outfits at shows or on TV programs but canada goose outlet jackets they are canada goose outlet online uk specialty designs, a romp with creativity, not styles worn by fashionable people.
The historic clothing presented in this article were garments worn by the elite, clothes that denoted respectability and status, clothes that may appear to be beautiful but were ridiculous, uncomfortable, and impractical.
The Birth of FashionUp to the Early Middle Ages western garments were generally canada goose black friday sale simple. The main difference between clothing of the elite and commoners was expressed by the types of materials used in clothing construction. Royalty and the wealthier class used finer fabrics in their garments. There wore finer goose outlet canada weaves and cuts of linen and wool, added embellishments, and topped it off with jewelry.
The concept of fashion was introduced canada goose outlet online as the world recovered from the Black Death. After the plague decimated the European population, new opportunities canada goose outlet uk were available to clever people. A new mercantile class emerged. Trade routes to the East opened up providing new textiles and inspiration. A new mercantile class emerged. New and more sophisticated tailoring added new cuts and styles of clothing and headgear. Suddenly, the idea of sporting unique fashions popped into popular consciousness.
Being part of the elite meant dressing the part. When royals decided to support their skirts with official canada goose outlet gigantic, inverted baskets, canada goose outlet nyc the wealthier merchant class couldn’t wait to jump on board. So much so that the Church and governments created sumptuary laws to canada goose outlet reviews regulate the types of clothing that would be worn depending on status and income. The laws imposed fines but were often ignored.
canada goose uk black friday Children Dressed Like AdultsToday, many parents dress their children in much the same manner as they canada goose outlet parka dress themselves. Children wear jeans or khaki pants, a tee shirt, canada goose outlet toronto factory and sneakers just like mom and dad. These current styles are all about comfort. In the past, the high fashion of canada goose outlet uk sale the wealthy classes was not created for comfort. Far from it. canada goose uk black friday
Canada Goose Online During much of Western history, clothing of the upper classes was worn to display status. Children were depicted in portraiture as a reflection of the family’s social position. There was no gender differentiation in children’s clothing for babies and toddlers. It was not until the late 1700s, when a romantic view of childhood as a unique period in life, that children’s clothing became looser and simpler than the clothing of adults. Canada Goose Online
The painting on the right is not of an unattractive middle aged woman but a two year old boy.
Crazy HatsIn the Early Middle Ages, women wore veils. Sometime around the 14th century, the simple and modest veil seemed suddenly so dull, that a bit of tweaking created some odd headgear. Why sit around looking perfectly reasonable when you could imprison your head in a complicated system of wires canada goose outlet in usa and padding? Heads formerly covered for modesty began to sport architectural wonders.
Canada Goose online A woman of high status needed attendants to help her dress. When a woman waltzed into the dining hall with her veil held up by a butterfly shaped wire structure, she was just screaming, Canada Goose online
canada goose store “I can’t even put on my own hat!” If that’s not status, I don’t know what is. canada goose store
buy canada goose jacket cheap We’ve all seen those dunce caps on the heads of cartoon princesses. Originating in France, a hennin often featured thin veil fabric spewing out of the top like a volcano. buy canada goose jacket cheap
Canada Goose Parka Horned hennins, through a complicated structure of wire, supported and shaped the veil into a headdress that resembled two large horns. Canada Goose Parka
A butterfly headdress was a structure attached to a cup. Hair was tucked into the cup. The fine fabric of the veil was held in the shape canada goose outlet store of butterfly wings.
canada goose clearance sale While such over the top creations indicated the high status of the wearer (or fashion victim), religious leaders looked askance at such vanity. Hennins were denounced from the pulpit and a few zealous priests burned the crazy headgear in protest. canada goose clearance sale
canada goose uk shop Crazy ShoesIn 1360 men’s shoes began to sprout pointed toes. As the style gained popularity, the length of the point increased. Called Crackowes or poulaines, the style so infuriated the higher echelon that laws were enacted to regulate the length of the point. England’s Edward III mandated toes of shoes extending no longer than two inches beyond the actual toe. Scofflaws could be fined up to 40 pence. canada goose uk shop
Canada Goose Coats On Sale Not to be dissuaded from just looking a little silly, poulaine aficionados took to wearing shoes with points that extended up to 18″ beyond the toe. How did they walk in canada goose outlet black friday those things? (A question that’s been asked about various forms of footwear ever since) Canada Goose Coats On Sale
Just after the turn of this last century, the long pointed toe came back, this time appearing on men’s boots in Mexico, associated with the tribal dance craze.
The FarthingaleThe late 1400s introduced a style that canada goose jacket outlet was to reappear several times over the years. If extravagance equals status, you were at the top of the A list when you wore enough fabric in your skirt to make drapes for the entire castle.
uk canada goose outlet Catherine of Aragon and her retinue brought the farthingale from Spain to England. A giant skirt was held away from the body with a system of hoops and straps similar to the crinoline cage of the mid 19th century. uk canada goose outlet
canadian goose jacket As if the standard Spanish farthingale wasn’t enough, the French farthingale or Wheel farthingale enclosed the wearer’s waist in a large, circular frame. The skirt stood out canada goose outlet store uk away from the body, but the fabric fell straight down. canadian goose jacket
The Italian farthingale tilted up at the back.
Canada Goose sale Above the skirt, a woman’s body appeared angular with a bodice slanted like an upside down triangle. The front of the bodice was made stiff with pasteboard and held in place by a stomacher which canada goose outlet shop was made of wood. Canada Goose sale
Canada Goose Outlet Crazy Collar The RuffWhat began as a fancy collar evolved into the ruff, a style that lasted two centuries. Queen Elizabeth I took the Spanish ruff to an extreme. While the Spanish created a puffy, pleated collar, the Tudor ruff raised up beside the head, surrounding the face like a frame. Canada Goose Outlet
canada goose The question was, what to do when you own 3,000 dresses? Queen Elizabeth I invented the clothes closet for storage. Then, to further distinguish herself, she encircled her head with a wire cage and covered it with starched lace. No one else’s ruff could be greater than the queen’s so laws were enacted to restrict ruff size. canada goose
buy canada goose jacket Men wore ruffs as canada goose outlet well. Generally made of linen, the ruff was starched canada goose outlet new york city and pleated. A large, well pleated ruff could use 10 yards of fabric. Eating with http://www.mycanadagoosejacket.org such a wide collar proved impossible which led to the creation of special long handled spoons buy canada goose jacket.