Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

Department of Education of Kherson City Council

Kherson Academic Lyceum named after O.V.Mishukov
of Kherson City Council at Kherson State University

TERM PAPER

GLOBAL FASHION INDUSTRY: THE ORIGINS AND UP-TO-DATES IN

THE UK AND THE USA

Work done by
Skrypets Kateryna Anatoliivna
Form 10 UFPh
Kherson Academic Lyceum
named after O. V. Mishukov
Kherson City Council,
Kherson State University

Supervisor:
Yakovleva Valeriia Leonidivna,
English teacher
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Kherson - 2019
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 1. THE BACKGROUND OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY IN
THE UK AND THE USA.......................................................................................6
1.1. The original features of British fashion........................................................6
1.2. The US contribution to the world’s fashion................................................10
1.3. Queen Victoria II - the creator of a wedding dress.....................................13
Conclusion to chapter 1........................................................................................17
CHAPTER 2.THE BRITISH AND THE US WORLDWIDE FAMOUS
STYLE ICONS......................................................................................................18
2.1 Marilyn Monroe – “blonde bombshell”.........................................................18
2.2 Queen Elizabeth II and her hats collection.....................................................22
Conclusion to chapter 2........................................................................................24
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................25
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INTRODUCTION

Who said that fashion doesn’t matter? Like most other global industries,
fashion has its dark side. Exploitation of garment workers, lack of diversity, and
environmental damage remain issues that the industry must do more to address and
resolve. But this vast creative industry has the potential to initiate significant
change. Fashion matters. To the economy, to society and to each of us personally.
Faster than anything else, what we wear tells the story of who we are – or who we
want to be. But fashion is too often seen as a frivolous, vain and ephemeral
industry. Many people fail to appreciate just how important and wide-reaching it
really is. It's the second biggest worldwide economic activity for intensity of trade
– employing over 57 million workers in developing countries, 80 per cent of whom
are women. Both countries have made a very big breakthrough in the history of
fashion and are worthy of comparison. Both England and America have their own
particular fashion lines. As we know, America prefers more street and loose
clothes, while the British dress more restrained.

The relevance of the work is proved by the fact, that fashion is an integral
thing of our lives. It has always been an important part of how people define
themselves and others. As such it can be a powerful tool of influence. This can be
direct: studies show we are more likely to trust and even obey orders from people
dressed in suits or uniforms. Fashion’s influence can also be indirect and constitute
a form of soft power. Fashion industry will never stop developing and will always
stay an interesting source of research.
The object of the term paper is the fashion ancestry of two world-known
countries: the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
The subject of this work is American and British fashion legislators and
individuals who influenced fashion formation.
The purpose of conducting this work consists in determination of some
fashion peculiarities and main features, studying the greatest fashion icons in
certain English-speaking countries.
The tasks of this work are:
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1) to find out the origin features of British and American fashion;

2) to examine some of the most outstanding people in fashion industry: Queens
Victoria II and Elisabeth II, Marilyn Monroe and Kate Middleton;
3) to compare the UK and the US contribution to the world’s fashion.

To accomplish these tasks two chapters were written. The first chapter
includes information about the original features of British fashion and the US
contribution to the world’s fashion. Moreover, there is some information about
Queen Victoria II as a creator of a wedding dress. The second chapter of this work
contains the information about the fashion icon Marilyn Monroe and Queen
Elizabeth II and her hats collection.

Structurally the term paper consists of the introduction, two chapters,

conclusion and list of sources.
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CHAPTER 1

THE BACKGROUND OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY

IN THE UK AND THE USA

1.1 The original features of British fashion

During the Victorian Era, a woman's place was at home. Unlike in the earlier
centuries when women could help their husbands and brothers in family
businesses, in the nineteenth century, the gender roles became more defined than
ever. Their dress styles reflected their lifestyle. Victorian fashion was not intended
to be utilitarian. Clothes were seen as an expression of women’s place in society
and were hence, differentiated in terms of social class. Upper class women, who
did not need to work, often wore a tightly laced corset over a bodice or chemisette
and paired them with a skirt adorned with numerous embroideries and trims; over
layers of petticoats. Middle class women exhibited similar dress styles. However,
the decorations were not as extravagant. The layering of these garments makes
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them very heavy. Corsets were also stiff and restricted movement. Although the
clothes were not comfortable, the type of fabrics and the in-numerous layers were
worn as a symbol of wealth. Neck-line Bertha is the low shoulder neck-line worn
by women during the Victorian Era. The cut exposed a woman’s shoulders and it
sometimes was trimmed over with a three to six-inch-deep lace flounce, or the
bodice has neckline draped with several horizontal bands of fabric pleats.
However, the exposure of neck-line was only restricted to the upper and middle
class, working class women during the time period were not allowed to reveal so
much flesh. The décolleté style made shawls to become an essential feature of
dresses. Corsets lost their shoulder straps, and fashion was to produce two bodices,
one closed décolletage for day and one décolleté for evening. Boning Corsets were
used in women’s gowns for emphasizing the small waist of the female body. They
function as an undergarment which can be adjusted to bound tightly around the
waist, hold and train a person’s waistline, so to slim and conform it to a
fashionable silhouette. It also helped stop the bodice from horizontal creasing.
With the corset, a very small tight-fitting waist would be shown. Yet, corsets have
been blamed for causing lots of diseases because of the tight waist bound. Ill
condition examples were curvature of the spine, deformities of the ribs and birth
defects. As a result, people started to oppose the use of corsets in later times.
Sleeves were tightly fit during the early Victorian era. It matched with the tight fit
women’s small waist in the design, and the shoulder sleeve seamline was drooped
more to show a tighter fit on the arm. This eventually limited women’s movements
with the sleeves.
However, as crinolines started to develop in fashion, sleeves turned to be
like large bells which gave the dress a heavier volume. Engageantes, which were
usually made of lace, linen, or lawn, with cambric and broderie anglaise, were
worn under the sleeves. They were easy to remove, launder and restitch into
position, so to act as false sleeves, which was tacked to the elbow-length sleeves
during the time. They commonly appear under the bell-shaped sleeves of day
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dresses. Silhouette changed over time supported by the evolution of the

undergarment. In earlier days, wide skirts were supported by fabrics like linen
which used horsehair in the weave. Crinolines were used to give skirts a beehive
shape, with at least six layers petticoats worn under the skirt, which could weigh as
much as fourteen pounds. Later, the cage crinoline was developed. Women were
freed from the heavy petticoats and were able to move their legs freely beneath the
cage. Silhouette later began to emphasize a slope toward the back of the skirt.
Polonaise style was introduced where fullness bunched up at the back of the skirt.
Crinolines and cages also started to disappear with it being more dangerous to
working class women. Tortures or bustles were developed. In the 1840s, collapsed
sleeves, low necklines, elongated V-shaped bodices, and fuller skirts characterized
the dress styles of women.
At the start of the decade, the sides of bodices stopped at the natural
waistline, and met at a point in the front. In accordance with the heavily boned
corset and seam lines on the bodice as well, the popular low and narrow waist was
thus accentuated. Sleeves of bodices were tight at the top, because of the
Mancheron, but expanded around the area between the elbow and before the wrist.
It was also initially placed below the shoulder, however. This restricted the
movements of the arm. As a result, the middle of the decade saw sleeves flaring
out from the elbow into a funnel shape. Requiring undersleeves to be worn in order
to cover the lower arms. Skirts lengthened, while widths increased due to the
introduction of the horsehair crinoline in 184. Becoming a status symbol of wealth.
Extra layers of flounces and petticoats also further emphasized the fullness of these
wide skirts. In compliance with the narrow waist though, skirts were therefore
attached to bodices using very tight organ pleats secured at each fold. This served
as a decorative element for a relatively plain skirt.
The 1840s style was perceived as conservative and "Gothic" compared to the
flamboyance of the 1830s. During the early and middle 1860s, crinolines began
decreasing in size at the top, while retaining their amplitude at the bottom. In
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contrast, the shape of the crinoline became flatter in the front and more voluminous
behind, as it moved towards the back since skirts consisted of trains now. Bodices
on the other hand, ended at the natural waistline, had wide pagoda sleeves, and
included high necklines and collars for day dresses. Low necklines for evening
dresses.
However, in 1868, the female silhouette had slimmed down as the crinoline
was replaced by the bustle, and the supporting flounce overtook the role of
determining the silhouette. Skirt widths diminished even further, while fullness and
length remained at the back. In order to emphasize the back, the train was gathered
together to form soft folds and draperies. The women's shoes of the early
Victorian period were narrow and heelless, in black or white satin. By 1850s and
1860s, they were slightly broader with a low heel and made of leather or cloth.
Ankle-length laced or buttoned boots were also popular. From the 1870s to the
twentieth century, heels grew higher and toes more pointed. Low-cut pumps were
worn for the evening. During the 1840s, men wore tight-fitting, calf length frock
coats and a waistcoat or vest. The vests were single- or double-breasted, with
shawl or notched collars, and might be finished in double points at the lowered
waist. For more formal occasions, a cutaway morning coat was worn with light
trousers during the daytime, and a dark tail coat and trousers was worn in the
evening. Shirts were made of linen or cotton with low collars, occasionally turned
down, and were worn with wide cravats or neck ties. Trousers had fly fronts, and
breeches were used for formal functions and when horseback riding. Men wore top
hats, with wide brims in sunny weather.
During the 1850s, men started wearing shirts with high upstanding or
turnover collars and four-in-hand neckties tied in a bow or tied in a knot with the
pointed ends sticking out like "wings". The upper-class continued to wear top hats,
and bowler hats were worn by the working class. In the 1860s, men started wearing
wider neckties that were tied in a bow or looped into a loose knot and fastened
with a stickpin. Frock coats were shortened to knee-length and were worn for
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business, while the mid-thigh length sack coat slowly displaced the frock coat for
less-formal occasions. Top hats briefly became the very tall "stovepipe" shape, but
a variety of other hat shapes were popular. During the 1870s, three-piece suits
grew in popularity along with patterned fabrics for shirts. Neckties were the four-
in-hand and, later, the Ascot ties. A narrow ribbon tie was an alternative for
tropical climates, especially in the Americas. Both frock coats and sack coats
became shorter. Flat straw boaters were worn when boating. During the 1880s,
formal evening dress remained a dark tail coat and trousers with a dark waistcoat, a
white bow tie, and a shirt with a winged collar. In mid-decade, the dinner jacket or
tuxedo, was used in more relaxed formal occasions. The Norfolk jacket and tweed
or woolen breeches were used for rugged outdoor pursuits such as shooting. Knee-
length topcoats, often with contrasting velvet or fur collars, and calf-length
overcoats were worn in winter. Men's shoes had higher heels and a narrow toe.
Starting from the 1890s, the blazer was introduced, and was worn for sports,
sailing, and other casual activities. Throughout much of the Victorian era most
men wore fairly short hair. This was often accompanied by various forms of facial
hair including moustaches, side-burns, and full beards. A clean-shaven face did not
come back into fashion until the end of the 1880s and early 1890s. Distinguishing
what men really wore from what was marketed to them in periodicals and
advertisements is problematic, as reliable records do not exist.

1.2 The US contribution to the world’s fashion

In many ways, the 1950s took a big step back, especially for women. During
World War II while the men were away, women began to gain an independence
that was rare before the war. They left their homes to work in offices and factories,
earning and managing their own money. Clothing was heavily restricted
throughout and just after the war. Everything from the length of skirts to the size of
collars was regulated. This resulted in a slim, straight silhouette. Women wore
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comfortable clothing like suits and shirtdresses, and even began to regularly wear
pants, especially to work. They had to “make do and mend”, buying or sewing
well-made clothing that had to last and fixing garments that were past their prime.
In 1947, Christian Dior permanently changed the fashion industry, as well as
created the look that would dominate the next decade. Dubbed the “New Look” by
Harper’s Bazaar editor Carmel Snow, Dior’s first fashion collection, shown in
Paris, was the exact opposite of the ‘40s look. The fabric was luxurious and
voluminous. Shoulders were soft instead of squared, the figure was hourglass
instead of boxy, and the short, straight skirt of the ration-happy ‘40s was replaced
by a huge, billowing one that hit at mid-calf. There were also skirts that were so
slim and fitted that women found it hard to walk. Bodices were extremely tight,
accentuating a tiny waist. The whole look was reminiscent of the mid-nineteenth
century. To achieve the look women had to once again squeeze into some serious
undergarments. A boned corset achieved the ‘wasp waist,’ and bust and hip pads
completed the hourglass figure. Many women were outraged, especially in the
United States. Protests were held targeting Dior and his new clothing. Women had
just gained a large amount of equality and weren’t ready to give it up — both in
work and in fashion. The new clothes used excessive amounts of fabric, needed
constant maintenance, and required a complete coordinated accessory collection to
be “perfect.” However, after the hardships of the war, everybody was ready for a
change, and by the start of the ‘50s, everybody was wearing the New Look. The
man was the bread winner, the woman the feminine ‘happy housewife.’ Instead of
scrimping and saving, women began to spend a lot of money on getting dressed.
Their appearance was linked to their husband’s success. Even if she was not
wealthy, looking the part, became an obsessive occupation. Radio, TV and
magazines reminded women daily of their desire to be beautiful for their husbands.
The full look of the 1950s was mature, glamorous and very put-together. Dresses,
skirts and undergarments were constricting, but a wide range of new ‘leisure
clothes’ allowed people to dress casually at home. Women were expected to be
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impeccably dressed and groomed in public or when their spouse was home, always
with coordinating hats, shoes, bags, belts, gloves, and jewelry. In privacy, women
dressed much simpler, more comfortable. Eventually, these casual fashions became
public clothing as well. Men wore serious, somber business suits at their newly
created office jobs, and leisure suits or slacks on weekends. Shoulders were broad
and jackets were boxy. They were also expected to be well-groomed and put
together, suits and pants perfectly pressed. Read more about 1950s men’s fashion.
Paris, cut off from the world during the war, once again became the center
of fashion. Designers held fashion shows twice a year, and the U.S. and Britain
often bought the rights to copy the garments (or simply stole the designs) and
churned out cheaper versions to be sold in department stores. Fashion magazines
like Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily, mail order catalogs had a sharp increase in
product advertising that brought designer fashions into every home. Thanks to the
war efforts, the U.S. had made huge advancements in mass production techniques
and used them to create new ‘ready to wear’ clothing. Everyone was able to wear
the latest fashions.
Designers, led by Dior, started contracting out the manufacture of some
clothing, and a wide range of accessories that were stamped with their labels.
Everything from perfume to gloves, hats, bags, and ties were ‘branded’ by the
designers. This practice is widespread today, as you can see by visiting any
department store, but was a new idea in the ‘50s. Dior also set up boutiques all
over the world – another novel idea that is the norm in fashion today. Fabrics were
often luxurious, especially for evening wear. Velvet, tulle, silk, and satin were
popular. Cotton and wool were often used for daywear, along with new synthetic
fabrics. Polyester and rayon were used to make all kinds of clothing, from blouses
and men’s shirts to dresses and suits. Nylon and elastic, conserved for the war
effort, began to be used for a wide variety of clothing, especially undergarments.
These fabrics were made into delicate underwear, nightgowns and stockings.
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Nylon did such a good job of replacing silk stockings that they’ve been known
ever since as simply nylons.
These new synthetic fabrics were seen as ‘miracle fabrics.’ They could be
washed and dried easily, didn’t need to be ironed and didn’t shrink. Few designers
chose to break from the New Look model, but a couple paved the way. Coco
Chanel hated the New Look so much that she reopened her business after closing it
at the start of the war. In 1954, she came back with slim suits – the brand’s
signature look – in wools and tweeds. Jackets were boxy with no collar, and skirts
were straight and comfortable. She topped the look off with costume jewelry and
the famous quilted bag. Hubert de Givenchy unveiled his ‘sack dress’ in 1957. It
was completely loose, taking the emphasis away from the waist entirely. It was to
be the inspiration for the iconic tunic dresses of the 1960s. The conformity of the
‘50s eventually backfired. Young people everywhere grew cynical, and the happy
housewives started to feel trapped (there was a dramatic rise in the use of sedatives
and anti-depressants during the ‘50s).
The New Look lasted throughout the 1950s, but the high-maintenance
lifestyle eventually gave way to the rebellious culture in the ‘60s. Teenagers
wanted to be individuals who didn’t look like their parents, and their mothers were
ready to break free again. Fads were short-lived and garments were cheaply made.
Clothing wasn’t constrictive anymore and was looser and much shorter. The
flowing hippie look and the graphic mini-skirt gave women both choices and a
way to express themselves.

1.3 Queen Victoria II - the creator of a wedding dress

When the question “Why do brides wear white” is asked, the most frequent
answer is “Because Queen Victoria did”. The answer is more or less accurate, but
glosses over centuries of white wedding dresses worn before Queen Victoria’s
wedding, and decades of colored wedding dresses after her wedding, and also
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doesn’t explain why Victoria wore a white wedding dress. Long before Victoria,
white was a popular choice for wedding dresses, at least among the wealthy
nobility.
Weddings were usually more about political alliances and transfers of wealth
than they were about romance, and so the wedding dress was just another excuse to
show the wealth and culture of the bride’s family. Wealth could be demonstrated
with jewelry (brides in some parts of Renaissance Italy, for example, wore their
dowry sewn onto their dress as jewels), but textiles were also an important means
to display wealth, and the more elaborate the weave of the fabric, and the richer the
fibers uses, and the rarer the colour, the better the demonstration of wealth. Before
the invention of effective bleaching techniques, white was a valued colour: it was
both difficult to achieve, and hard to maintain. Wealthy brides, then, often wore
white to demonstrate their money, not their purity. There also seems to have been
some traditions involved with wearing white and luck in the late 18th century.
In The Good-Natured Man, a play by Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in
1768, a maid laments the lack of a white dress at her mistress elopement, saying “I
wish you could take the white and silver to be married in. It’s the worst luck in the
world, in anything but white.” Unfortunately, we don’t have any further context to
the tradition, and how widespread it was, and in what cultural context. Historical
records though, do back up the frequency of gowns of white and silver. Metallic
fabric was also very common among the nobility, as nothing says wealth more than
cloth woven with gold or silver. Victoria’s tragic cousin Charlotte (who would
have been queen had she not died in childbirth, and who was also her aunt because
she married Victoria’s mother’s brother) was married in a metallic cloth, as were
most brides in the English royal family for centuries before her. So, if royal brides
in England and other European countries wore cloth of gold and silver, why did
Victoria break with tradition and wear a white dress? Well, because Victoria was
not an ordinary bride. Unlike most royal brides, she did not enter the marriage as a
princess, about to become the Queen Consort. She was the Queen, the head of
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state. She needed to make a statement as the leader of her country, not as an
ornament to the throne and the future mother to the heir to the throne. So, Victoria
chose a dress that made a political statement. A dress that put her duty to her
kingdom on display, rather than her wealth or beauty.
One of the main concerns in late 1830s England was the effect the Industrial
Revolution was having on traditional textile industries. In particular, the invention
of machine laces was decimating handmade lace industries across England and
causing widespread poverty and unemployment among the skilled artisans. In
order to stimulate and support the lace industry, Victoria chose for her wedding
dress a large piece of handmade Honiton lace (read more about it here, on my now
defunct textile blog). The rest of the dress then became a vehicle to showcase the
lace, and white was chosen as the most suitable colour to do this. In the case of
Victoria’s dress, white symbolized practicality and patriotism, rather than purity.
Victoria was so fond of her wedding attire, or so besotted with Albert and the
whole romance of the wedding, that she posed for numerous paintings in her dress,
and she and Prince Albert also dressed up in their wedding attire years later and
recreated the wedding in photographs.
A close inspection of all the different depictions of Victoria’s dress reveals
numerous minor differences, making it very likely that she had elements of the
dress altered as the mood suited her, and to align with changing fashions.Victoria’s
wedding attire was not devoid of symbolism though: she wore a wreath of orange
blossoms (symbolising purity) and myrtle (symbolising love and domestic
happiness), and these became the most common flowers carried and worn in
Victorian weddings. A sprig of myrtle from Victoria’s bouquet was planted, and
cuttings from the resulting bush have been carried by every royal bride in her
family since then. Kate will almost certainly have one in her bouquet come the
29th.
Victoria’s wedding was widely publicised, and widely copied, sparking a
huge increase in the number of brides who wore white (and the brides who wore
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lace, and the popularity of honiton lace, just as she had hoped). However, it wasn’t
enough to make white the mode for every bride. In the 1840s white was still a
very expensive fabric and colour, and only fairly wealthy women could afford a
white dress. Some with just enough money did manage it, and then re-dyed the
dress successively darker colours to hide marks and make it last for further
seasons, meaning that there are less extant white wedding dresses than we might
expect.
In addition, in 1840 the US was still struggling to establish its national
identity, and women in the US were less inclined to take up fashions started by a
British queen. This would change in the 1860s when the American Civil War
encouraged women in both the South and the North to look to Britain as a cultural
and fashion leader. It was not until the 1850s and 1860s that the trends that Queen
Victoria had initiated became widespread for brides. The high-profile marriages of
other British royal brides, such as Victoria’s daughter, Victoria the Princess Royal,
and her daughter in law, Alexandra of Denmark, who both followed the traditions
set by Victoria, helped to further conventionalise white wedding dresses. Other
international royal brides, especially ones such as the Empress Eugenie, who were
marrying into less stable monarchies, also followed Victoria’s lead to lend
substance and respectability to their marriages. The biggest factor, however, in
popularising the white dress, was changing socio-economic circumstances.
The 19th century saw the rise of a large middle class with expendable
income for the first time in modern history. This middle class strove to emulate
the customs of the upper class and had the means to do so. And what family more
epitomises the enviable aristocracy than the British royal family? Between Queen
Victoria in 1840, Empress Eugenie in 1853, Princess Victoria in 1857, and
Alexandra in 1863 the die was cast. White was the thing for brides to wear. If
they could afford it. Despite the rising middle class, many still couldn’t afford a
dress only for their wedding day, and so ‘best’ dresses of any colour were worn by
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brides until the advent of very cheap and effective bleaches made white dresses for
any occasion very common at the turn of the century.

Conclusion to chapter 1
Taking everything in consideration, we may say that the main part of the
features of British fashion appeared in the Victorian era. With each decade, some
specific fashion standards are increasingly updated and become more convenient,
more practical and more beautiful. Taking into account the US contribution to the
world’s fashion we should note that the 1950s took a big step back, especially for
women. During World War II while the men were away, women began to gain an
independence that was rare before the war. They left their homes to work in offices
and factories, earning their own money. Clothing was heavily restricted throughout
and just after the war. Everything from the length of skirts to the size of collars was
regulated. This resulted in a slim, straight silhouette. Women wore comfortable
clothing like suits and shirtdresses, and even began to regularly wear pants,
especially to work. Also we gave an answer to a simple question “Why do brides
wear white”. The most frequent answer is “Because Queen Victoria did”. She was
the Queen, the head of state. She needed to make a statement as the leader of her
country, not as an ornament to the throne and the future mother to the heir to the
throne. So, Victoria chose a dress that made a political statement.
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CHAPTER 2

THE BRITISH AND THE US WORLDWIDE FAMOUS STYLE ICONS

2.1 Marilyn Monroe – “blonde bombshell”
Marilyn Monroe was a highly intelligent woman who played the role of the
naive girl incredibly well. However, the problem for Marilyn was that she also
adopted the same persona off-screen blonde bombshell persona. This would come
back to haunt her in later years when she would struggle to shirk off the image of
an attractive but rather dim woman. In many ways she became a victim of her own
image and acting ability. Marilyn Monroe’s thespian talents were rarely displayed
on screen. However, real life was an entirely different matter as Monroe perfected
her character, a character which she started when she chose to adopt a new name
Despite all controversies her personality could provoke, you can hardly dispute the
fact that Marilyn Monroe has significantly enriched the history of fashion with
some outstanding outfits. Her attitude, her elegance, which looked almost
effortless and uncoined, influenced the whole generation of actresses and singers.
In the history of cinema of the 20th century, we know many examples of
successful cooperation of stars and fashion designers. The dresses they created
became part of the iconic image and we inextricably associate some characters
with certain items of the wardrobe. That’s definitely a win-win situation for both
designer and celebrity. While the creator utilizes celebrity’s audience, the star is
declared a style icon and tastemaker. One of the most well-known collaborations
was a partnership of Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn. ‘His are the only
clothes in which I am myself,’ she told reporters in 1956. Givenchy formed her
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image that remained in our memory. But not many of us know, that Marilyn
Monroe also had her own private wizard with a needle and thread. For a man who
created some of the most iconic dresses of the 20th century, William Travilla is
surprisingly little known. It was he who dressed Marilyn Monroe for the screen.
The leading costume designer for 20th Century Fox, Travilla create the
costumes for eight of the star's films, from Monkey Business (1952) to Bus Stop
(1956). Travilla once said, 'My clothes for Marilyn were an act of love, I adored
her.' He knew how to create gowns that worked within the framework of film
stock. Marilyn always looked fabulous on-screen. Travilla’s visions were
synonymous with style, class, elegance and sex appeal. And all these
characteristics are forever associated with Marilyn. Every appearance of the dress
from Marilyn’s wardrobe at the auction causes among collectors and fans a similar
excitement which before could perhaps cause the appearance of the star on the red
carpet. And two of the most expensive Marilyn’s dresses ever auctioned were
creations by Travilla. Pink Dress from Gentlemen prefer blondes (1953) Sold for
$310,000 in 2010 Compared with the jaw-dropping bids for other dresses, the price
tag of this satin robe looks like an offer from the Christmas sale. The shocking
pink gown was worn by Marilyn Monroe as the gold-digging “Lorelei Lee” in one
of cinema’s most memorable song and dance sequences as she performed
“Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”. The reason for the ‘low’ price is that there
were rumors that the dress was just a copy.
Some people noticed differences in design, such as the absence of the felt,
the original dress was lined with. But even more surprising is the fact that this
dress could have never been created. Originally Travilla designed an incredible
showgirl costume, embellished with a mass of diamonds, for the scene. However,
the breathtaking outfit, costing close to $4,000, didn’t leave the cutting room. At
the same time the scandalous pictures of Marilyn, posing nude for a calendar back
in 1949, came out and Travilla was given strict instructions to cover Monroe up.
The iconic dress is probably one of the most successful “Plans B” ever. Made from
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a silk satin called peau d'ange, it was long and figure-hugging but still allowed the
actress the freedom to dance. The strapless dress was decorated with a pink satin
belt and an oversized bow attached at the back. “Apart from the two side seams,
the dress was folded into shape rather like cardboard. Any other girl would have
looked like she was wearing cardboard, but on-screen I swear you would have
thought Marilyn had on a pale, thin piece of silk. Her body was so fabulous it still
came through.” stated William Travilla. The dress became the subject of numerous
imitations and parodies in pop-culture and symbolizes the essence of glamour and
sex in the ultimate female form. Madonna imitated the whole original scene in the
Material Girl music video. White dress from The Seven Year Itch (1955) Sold for
$4.6 million in 2011 Monroe once wrote to Travilla, “Billy Dear, please dress me
forever. I love you, Marilyn.” Of course, as everything on Earth, this fruitful
collaboration ended one day.
After 1956’s Bus Stop Travilla’s contract was not renewed by 20th Century
Fox. But in 1955 this partnership has given us the most famous dress in cinema
history. The light-colored ivory halter-neck dress blown up by a passing train in
the subway scene of The Seven Year Itch became a part of the most iconic images
of the entire 20th century. Today the dress is as well the most popular element of
Monroe’s legacy. The cinematic history was made on 15th September 1954, as the
famous scene was shot at 586 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.
The characters, played by Monroe and her co-star Tow Ewell exited the
theater, and Monroe’s character stepped onto the grate in the sidewalk, saying
“Ooo, do you feel the breeze from the subway? “. What happened next became a
worldwide sensation. Smiling Marilyn, who flirtatiously tried to keep the dress
down, nailed one of the most iconic scenes in movie history. Among hundreds of
fans in the crowd was Sam Shaw, a photographer, who shot the famous "flying
skirt" image. The scene took three hours to film, but finally, Billy Wilder was
forced to re-shoot the sequence on the Fox lot in California. Between 2,000 and
5,000 spectators, attracted to the set in New York, were too loud, so the takes
 21

couldn’t be used in the film. Shaw was the special still photographer for the film
and proposed to use the original location shots from the movie theater scene as the
logo to promote The Seven Year Itch. The legendary cocktail dress, which played a
significant role in the most extraordinary moment of Hollywood history, obviously
was not the designer’s favorite creation. Travilla called it “that silly little dress”.
The dress indeed has a simple sewing pattern with a typical silhouette for a
cocktail dress, which was in vogue in the 1950s and 1960s. The dress fits closely
to the natural waistline. Below the waistband is a softly pleated skirt that reaches to
mid-calf or below the calf length. Although the designer never paid much heed to
his creation, it’s now one of the most famous dresses of all time. Whenever we see
an image of Marylin nowadays, in pop culture or on postcards, most likely she will
be presented wearing her trademark dress. Travilla kept the dress locked up with
many of the costumes he had made over the years for the actress. After his death
the collection was discovered, the dress became a part of the private collection of
Hollywood memorabilia owned by Debbie Reynolds. Due to personal financial
troubles, Reynolds sold the dress in 2011.
Happy birthday Mr. President dress, 1962 Sold for $4.8 million in 2016.This
unique crystal-emblazoned dress, worn by Monroe for a very special moment in
May 1962, hit an all-time high at least twice. At the Christie’s auction in 1999, the
dress sold for a then-record $1.27 million. In 2016 it set up a world record for a
dress again. At the three-day auction, dedicated to Monroe memorabilia, the dress
sold for a breathtaking $4.8 million. While the asking price for the dress, which
features more the 2,500 hand-stitched crystals and 6,000 shimmering rhinestones,
was only $3 million. “It's the most historic, important piece of Marilyn Monroe
that could ever be offered – it's like the Holy Grail,” Darren Julien, President and
CEO of Julien's Auctions, told The Telegraph.
Though the price seems even reasonable if we take into account, that this
glamorous gown is not only a symbol of the iconic performance at Kennedy’s
birthday gala but one of the last outfit Monroe wore in public. On 5 August, she
 22

was found dead in her bed in Brentwood with just a sheet around her. The sheer
sparkling dress was designed by Lean Louis, a famous Hollywood costume
designer. For almost twenty years Louis worked as head designer for Colombia
Pictures. Did you know that the dress Monroe wore at Madison Square Garden was
just a replica? Louis had originally designed a version of the dress for Marlene
Dietrich. Her live performances always had almost a magical effect to the audience
thanks in no small part to her fascinating outfits. And it was obvious that for this
defining moment Monroe needed a dress, which would mesmerize every single
man. Dietrich sent Monroe to Louis and he designed a similar dress, based on the
sketch by Bob Mackie. Then he was only 21 years old and just started to work in
Louis’ atelier. Probably a unique moment in Hollywood history, when a celebrity
wore a dress previously worn by another celebrity and it didn't spoil a moment at
all. The dress was so tight, that Monroe was said to have been sewn into it. This
backless flesh-colored gown remains an example to emulate for modern celebrities
and pioneered the trend for “naked” dresses. Today we could hardly imagine any
red carpet without a star, who is wearing something inspired by this Louis’s
creation. Back in 1962, Monroe’s outfit came as a bombshell. As she took off her
fur coat, many of 15,000 guests gasped in shock, thinking at first the star was
indeed naked. The iconic dress was bought by Ripley’s Believe it or Not.
According to its website, the dress will be on display from Feb. 10 to March 31, at
the company’s location in St. Augustine, Florida.

2.2 Queen Elizabeth II and her hats collection

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, this is the full name of the Queen, became queen
at the age of 26 when her father, King George VI, died while on an official tour of
Kenia in 1952. Quite a number of Brits consider having to play the role of the
queen to be a very difficult job which prevents you from having a normal lifestyle.
By the way, the majority of people in Britain think the Queen is doing her job of
 23

representing Britain around the world excellently and very professionally. In her
country she does charity work and participates in various events of symbolic
importance.
Elizabeth II is the Queen of the United Kingdom. She is the monarch of
sixteen sovereign states, their respective overseas territories and dependencies. She
is also the head of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations, the Supreme
Governor of the Church of England, and the Defender of the Faith. She holds each
title equally well however she is mostly involved with the United Kingdom, which
is the place of residence of the Royal Family.
Queen Elizabeth II certainly knows how to accessorize. She has worn about
5,000 different hats over the past 50 years. The Queen in pink with a pink hat, the
Queen in blue with a blue hat, the Queen in green with a green hat... That's how we
know her now. But was it always that way? Here's a look back at her carefully
planned style. The Queen's outfits are legendary. Her fancy hats always match with
her suits and her hemlines are weighted down – to prevent windy wardrobe
embarrassments. You’d be hard pressed to find a picture of Her Majesty without
one of her signature Launer handbags. She reportedly owns more than 200 of
them! It always has the same shape. Classic, black, it's just big enough to hold her
lipstick, reading glasses, mint lozenges, and a handkerchief. That's how the world
has known her for the past 60 years.
Queen Elizabeth II rarely shows up bareheaded. She has hats in all shapes
and colors. Some are light and playful, trimmed with little flowers, while others
look strict and sober. They always match with her outfits. Who could tell how
many she actually has? It's one of the world's best-kept secrets. Even when she was
younger, she was the queen of headgear. Here she is on the beach, donning a
casual hippy style. Even a princess needs to pitch in: During World War II,
Elizabeth Windsor was part of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women's
division of the British Army. She learned mechanics and how to drive trucks. She
was always in her headgear. She wore a bright – no, neon – green outfit to her 90th
 24

birthday parade. In fact, throughout her 65 – year reign the Queen has sported
dozens of bold shades, from fuchsia to lemon to royal blue. The real reason for her
bright-colored, blocky numbers is actually way more sensible – and touching.
According to her daughter-in-law Sophie, Countess of Wessex, the Queen
wants to make sure members of the public can catch sight of her through the
crowds. “She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, ‘I saw the Queen’,”
Sophie said in the documentary The Queen at 90. “Don’t forget that when she turns
up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, 10, 15 deeps, and someone wants
to be able to say they saw a bit of the queen’s hat as she went past.” The Queen
has always been aware that she needs to stand out from the crowd, and it is for this
reason that millinery has always played an important role in her wardrobe.

Conclusion to chapter 2

Taking everything in consideration, I should say, that Marilyn Monroe was a

highly intelligent woman who played the role of the naive girl incredibly well.
However, the problem for Marilyn was that she also adopted the same persona off-
screen blonde bombshell persona. In many ways she became a victim of her own
image and acting ability. Despite all controversies her personality could provoke,
you can hardly dispute the fact that Marilyn Monroe has significantly enriched the
history of fashion with some outstanding outfits. Her attitude, her elegance, which
looked almost effortless and uncoined, influenced the whole generation of
actresses and singers. As for the hats collection owned by Queen Elizabeth II we
may conclude that she certainly knows how to accessorize. She has worn about
5,000 different hats over the past 50 years. The Queen's outfits are legendary.
Queen Elizabeth II rarely shows up bareheaded. She has hats in all shapes and
colors. They always match with her outfits.
 25

CONCLUSION

Nowadays more and more people start thinking about fashion. We usually
judge strangers by the clothes they wear, because it is the only thing we know
about them. There is a proverb: “Good clothes open all doors”. This vast creative
industry has the potential to initiate significant change. For one, clothes, in order to
be relevant, need to be aligned with our values as they shift. What we wear tells the
story of who we are – or who we want to be. Fashion is too often seen as a
frivolous. But we are increasingly wary of disposable wardrobes. A lot of people
waste money in order to seem to be fashionable and follow modern tendencies.
Furthermore, they don’t choose the things they like just to correspond with social
demands. Running this rat race people forget about their personal identity, their
tastes and wishes.
Both countries have made a very big breakthrough in the history of fashion
and are worthy of comparison. England and America have their own particular
fashion lines. This work has helped to understand that fashion is an integral thing
of our lives. It has always been an important part of how people define themselves
and others. By studying a lot of sources on the issues raised in our work, many
interesting facts from the fashion industry in the USA and the UK have been
highlighted. We examined some distinguishing features of the most outstanding
people – Queens Victoria II and Elisabeth II, Marilyn Monroe and Kate Middleton.
It was important to find out the origin and history of some special items in fashion:
Also, we compared two countries – the UK and the USA in such an area as
fashion.
From time immemorial, the British were famous for their elegance and in
some way stiffness in appearance. They were not a mock of something, but a real
hallmark of the English people. Despite the fact that the English women's fashion
still carried in itself echoes of the French trends, practical ladies of the time still
relied on convenience and comfort. There are hardly any people in the world who
 26

can wear a strict gray suit during the whole working week, and on the weekends,
they can bravely shock everyone around with their unusual, bold look.
Individuality and courage – this is what allows the British to express their own
self. They do not like to condemn the appearance of passersby. This is expected
from the rest.
It can be clearly said that England is different from America. For a long
time, the concept of “American fashion” as such did not exist. American fashion
was completely borrowed, brought from Europe until the twentieth century. Only
in the twentieth century, Americans began to depart from European canons,
creating their own unique fashion. America is a country of freedom and
independence. This motto is embodied not only in the way of life of Americans,
but also in fashion, which every day becomes more and more popular all over the
world.
Taking into account everything written above, I can make a generalizing
conclusion that these countries are very different, but they still have one similarity
– fashion of Britain and the United States in its own way is incredible and
delightful.
 27

LIST OF SOURCES
1. Designer's Handbook on Forms and Style of Clothing Authors: Simon Travers-
Spencer, Zarida Zaman Publisher: Ripol Classic, 2008
2. Design in fashion. Clothes modeling
Caroline Thatham, Julian Simen Publisher: Ripol Classic, 2006
3. Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte Publisher: Moscow Children's Literature, 1991, 505
4. Coco Chanel (biography), 2004
5. Komissarzhevsky FF "The history of the costume." Minsk, "Modern Writer",
2006
6. Costume of the twentieth century from Paul Puare to Emanuel Ungaro.
Moscow: ed. GITIS, 2006.

INTERNET SOURCES
1. http: //www.moda-veka.ua
2. http: //www.5arts.info/kniznaya-illustraziya-19-veka-v-anglii
3. http://histua.com
4. http://osvita.ua
5. http://www.goodreads.com