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Showing posts from July, 2016

The Story of the Mini Skirt

Jean Shrimpton shocked people in 1965 at Derby Day. The mini skirt has become a fashion staple, but when it first emerged, it was shocking.  Mary Quant was one of the early promoters of this racy garment, naming it after her favorite car, the Mini Cooper.    "Among the many revolutions of the Swinging ’60s, from The Beatles to the first man on the moon, the miniskirt remains one of the era’s most enduring icons. While opinions differ on who invented the abbreviated garment, with Mary Quant, André Courrèges, John Bates and Jean Varon among the contenders, in London − the miniskirt’s launch pad − it was local designer Quant who was the driving force behind the city’s ‘60s fashions."  Read Article:  http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140523-short-but-sweet-the-miniskirt

Visual History: 50 Years of the Chanel Bag on the Street

A modern version of the timeless classic Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel No. 5 bottle bag was invented by Coco Chanel in the 1920s and became a world recognized fashion icon. " The genius of the Chanel bag can be found in its versatility—it has managed to be the perfect accessory, be its wearer in jeans or black -tie, artfully disheveled or painstakingly put together, for more than half a century, invading not only our wardrobes but our cultural consciousness as well. Whether it’s clasped in the hands of Holly Golightly, slumped wistfully next to  Paul Varjak  toward the end of Breakfast at Tiffany’s,  or slipped over the shoulder of a sensibly suited  Princess Diana  during an official visit, it communicates a much-sought-after sense of sophistication and polish." Read Entire Vogue article:   http://www.vogue.com/866951/visual-history-50-years-of-the-chanel-bag-on-the-street/

Women's Fashions of the 1920s - Flappers and the Jazz Age

"Women's fashions of the 1920s are a large part of the Jazz Age identity. New technology and the end of the horrors brought about by World War I and the 1918 Flu Pandemic gave rise to a youthful exuberance personified by the Flapper." https://bellatory.com/fashion-industry/WomensFashionsofthe1920-FlappersandtheJazz-Age

The history of the Hawaiian (also called the Aloha) shirt.

http://www.thealohashirt.com/history/

The intriguing history of the tuxedo.

http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/tuxedo.htm