fashion history exam 1

4 motivations

4 motivations

• protection

• status

• modesty

• decoration

6 themes

• designation of gender differences

• designation of age

• designation of status

• identification of group membership

• ceremonial use of clothing

• enhancement of sexual attractiveness

direct evidence

• Fabric

• Garments

• Beads / Jewelry

• Actual remnants of
  costume

indirect evidence

• Sculpture

• Paintings

• Frescoes

• Written word

• Literature

limitations of clothing production

• geography

• accessibility

• cultural choices

What is “fashion”?

a style, design, or garment worn by a specific group for a short period of time

zeitgeist

a sign of the times

draping v. tailoring

• Draped dress is created by the
  arrangement around the body of
  pieces that are folded, pleated,
  pinned, or belted in different ways

  • typically worn in warmer climates

  • draping leads to tailoring

• In tailored garments, pieces are cut

  and sewn together

  • They fit the body more closely and

    provide greater warmth than do

    draped garments

  • More likely to be worn in cool

    climates

pre-historic fashion

140,000 - 3400 BCE

world’s oldest jewelry

• 140,000 BCE

• found in a cave in Morocco

• direct evidence for decoration? protection?

Venus of Willendorf

• 25,000 BCE

• first evidence of fashion

otzi the iceman

• 3,400 BCE

• found in the alps

• first direct evidence of clothing items

Mesopotamia v Egypt

cultural, geographic and daily living

Mesopotamia

the land between two rivers

• chosen fabric: wool

• choice of dress: draped

Sumerians

• 3500 - 2500 BCE

• kaunakes

• first writing system, cuneiform symbols: records of law, military victories, medicine, etc

kaunakes

• pagne wrapped skirts

• Worn like a sheepskin draped like

  a loin cloth and often thrown over

  the shoulder to look like a shirt or

  a stole.

• Later more like a skirt and the

  upper body gained more mobility

  – wrapped and fastened with a

  belt. Gender differences emerged.

• tunics

chignon

essentially a bun

• worn by men and women alike

• held in place by a fillet (like a hairband)

Babylonians

• 2000 - 1500 BCE

• fringe

• decorative fabrics

• elaborate shawls

• flamboyant fashion

• increased complexity

• math

• kandys

kandys

an open overcoat with sleeves

assyrians

• 1500 - 323 BCE

• first armor

• coat - like fringed tunics

• swathing their women in veils

egypt

3000 - 300 BCE

• many gods but 1 human leader

• motifs: scarab, eraues, eye of horus

• pyramid: geometry of the social status

• clothing based on status, weather

• chosen fabric: linen

• jewelry, body conscious, cleanliness, cones of scented wax

• egyptian garments: shcenti, kalasiris, shawls, sloaks, tunics, bead-net dress, sheaths

kalasiris

• light linen, almost sheer

• sheath? wrap dress?

• lighter the linen, the richer the fabric and wearer

bead-net dress

costume for egyptian men

• loincloth

• schenti

• upper body coverings: leopard skin

• tunic, shawls, cloaks

schenti

• Earliest periods – knee length,

  fitted closely around the

  hips...curved shape was

  produced through draping.

• Middle Kingdom - longer,

  sometimes to ankles. Shorter

  for soldiers or hunters.

  Sometimes double layered.

• New Kingdom – Pleats

  started to appear both in

  long and short. And longer

  became fuller...

scarab

eye of horus

uraeus

pectorals

diadem

• crown like

amulets

• crown jewel of necklace

nemes

a scarf like construction that completely covered the head, was fitted across the temple, hanging down to the shoulder behind the ears, and with a long tail at center back that symbolized a lion's tail

• famously worn by king tut

white crown

• hedjet

• worn by pharos ruling over upper egypt

red crown

• deshret

• worn by pharos ruling over lower egypt

pschent

Combination of the red and white crowns – uniting Lower and Upper Egypt

blue crown

• khepresh

falcon headdress or vulture crown

• worn by queens or goddesses

• symbolize power or royal protection

lock of youth

shaved head or pigtails worn by the children of the royal family

flat crown

• famously worn by nefertiti

crete

• 3000-1400 BCE

• tiny island of crete

• minos: the keeper of the minotaur/palace of knossos

• flamboyant dress, fashion phenomenon

  • indirect ev: serpent goddess

• fabrics: wool and linen

• spinning, weaving and dying

• complex garments: women’s silhouette and men in perizomas (loincloths)

• Minoans maintained political control

  over Crete and Greece from 2900 - 1450 BCE

• mycenaens come in after the volcano

minoan women’s clothing

• Complex garments that

  resembled modern clothing

• Sewn together / Not draped.

• Skirts that were draped then sewn, full shapes..

• Blouses that were contoured to the body – cut low in front to expose the breasts

• Hot climate = light clothing

• Skirts that flared from the waist in a bell

  shape with many decorations attached –

  later made with strips of fabric sewn

  together

• Tight belts made of metal (waist cinchers) – perhaps since early childhood?

• Apron-like garments

• Long, flowing hair styled with fillets, beads, ribbons, gold and bronze

minoan men’s clothing

• LOINCLOTH (fitted athletic briefs)

• Worn by athletes

• Both men and women jumped over the horns of bulls?? – reinforced at the crotch

• Also, SKIRTS – pronounced in front, tassle at the back (not unlike the kanuakes or schentis)

• Tightened belts

• TUNICS – depicted in paintings

• Poncho-like CAPES and SHAWLS

perizoma

mycenaens

1400 - 1200 BCE

mycenaen men’s armor

• Above the knee TUNICS: fringe, etc.

• Long sleeves

• CUIRASS

• HELMETS: polka dots, horns, plumes, masks

• GREAVES

• Sandals with laces

mycenaen tunic with long sleeves

mycenaen helmets

cuirass

greaves

mycenaen themes

• PRODUCTION OF TEXTILES

• CROSS CULTURAL INTERCHANGES / TRADE

• POLITICAL CONFLICT

• CHANGES IN SOCIAL VALUES / GENDER ROLES

ancient greece

650 - 323 BCE

• mythology and philosophy: socrates, plato and aristotle

• indirect ev: marble sculptures and paintings and ceramics

• significant textile production: dyeing and fulling wool

• draping for garments

chiton

ionic chiton

doric chiton

himation

Rectangular, usually over left shoulder and under the right

chlamys

Rectangular worn by men over a chiton, leather or wool, pinned over the shoulder, served as a blanket when traveling

fibula

petasos

perizoma

zoster

strophium