Various Timelines of

Fashion History

M.Voc. Fashion Design (1st Semester)

 01. Greek Period (500 - 146 BC)
02. Roman Period (500 BC - 323 AD)

Prominent 03. The Renaissance Era

Fashion Periods
04. 18th Century Fashion
05. The Victorian Era

in History
06. 1920s-Art Deco Era
07. 1940s-Women in Pants
08. 1960s-Movements and
Groovy Times
01. Greek Period 500 - 146 BC

Ancient Greek clothing developed from the Minoan Civilization of Crete (2000-1450
BCE) through the Mycenaean Civilization (1700-1100 BCE), Archaic Period (8th
century to c. 480 BCE) and is most recognizable from the Classical Period (c. 480-323
BCE).

Generally speaking, most of what is known of ancient Greek clothing reflects only the
upper-class as they were most often depicted in artworks
In the Minoan Period, upper-class men of The Mycenaean fashion sense was
the court seem to have dressed primarily in influenced by the Minoan, but during the
loincloths, a cloak, sandals, and sometimes Archaic Period, clothing was simplified and
a headpiece while women were more remained so through the Classical Period.
completely covered save for the breasts
which were exposed.
Garments in Greek Period
The types of garments were essentially the same from the Archaic through the
Classical periods:

Strophion – a cloth band which served women as a bra

Perizoma – a loincloth worn by men and women as underwear

Chiton – a tunic of two different styles, Doric and Ionic, worn by both sexes

Chlamys – an outer garment used as a short cape or cloak, worn primarily by men

Peplos - a garment worn mainly by women over a chiton or instead of one

Epiblema – a shawl worn over a chiton or peplon by both men and women

Himation – a larger outer garment worn as a long cape or cloak by both sexes
chlamys
02. Roman Period
In Ancient Rome, the clothes in which the
Romans wore said a lot about who they were
and their status in society.
Most Roman’s wore colorful clothing, and dyed
their clothes in purple, indigo, red, yellow and
other colors. There were also expensive dyes
that could be used by those wealthy enough to
show their status. Clean, bright clothing was
also a mark of respectability and status among
all social classes.
500 BC - 323 AD
Linen and hemp were also commonly used in
Roman clothing, as these could be produced on
Roman territory.
Silk and cotton were imported from China and
India.
In producing the clothes, fibers were pressed
mechanically with a mallet and smoothed with large
combs. They were then spun and woven on looms.
Most fabric and clothing was produced by
professionals, and these were available for all
classes, at a price.
Roman Period Men’s Clothing
The toga was probably the most significant
item in the ancient Roman wardrobe, worn
predominantly by men, and known as the the
national garment of Rome.
The basic item of dress for both genders during
Roman times was the tunic, made of two
pieces of undyed wool sewn together at the
sides and shoulders. It usually had very short
sleeves, covering hardly half of the upper arm.
Men had theirs belted so that the garment just
covered the knees.
The main types of toga were:
● Toga Virilis: This was as a plain, unadorned
toga made in off-white color. It was worn by
any adult male.
● Toga Praetexta: This was an off-white toga
with a broad purple border. This toga was
reserved for Senators and Curule Magistrates
such as Consuls.
● Toga Pulla: This toga was a dark toga
reserved strictly for times of mourning.
● Toga Candida: This was an artificially
whitened toga worn by candidates for political
office.
● Toga Picta: This was a special all purple toga
embroidered with gold thread worn by a
Roman general during a triumphal parade.
Roman Women’s Clothing
Originally, both men and women wore togas. Stolas were made of linen, cotton or wool and
There were two types of toga for women, generally had no sleeves.
similar to tunics worn by Greek women: peplos
Over the stola, citizen-women often wore the palla,
and chiton.
a sort of rectangular shawl up to 11 feet long, and
Peplos were made from two rectangular pieces five wide.
of cloth partially sewn together on both sides
It could be worn as a coat, or draped over the left
with the open sections at the top folded down
shoulder, under the right arm, and then over the left
in the front and back. It was pulled over the
arm.
head and fastened with two large pins, forming
a sleeveless dress. A belt was then tied over or
under the folds.
01. The Renaissance Era 14th - 17th Century

Some Facts of this Era.

❖ There were laws that regulated who wore what. Clothing depended on the class system.
❖ Upper Class wore fabric like Silk, velvet and brocade.
❖ Lower Class wore fabric like linen from flax plant, wool or sheepskin.

Women Clothing Men Clothing

The basic styles from this era for women were
gowns with tight bodices, and full skirts down to
the ankles.
These gowns restricted movement for the wealthy
women, but lower class women wore looser
corsets since they were servants and needed
freedom for movement.
There were many layers to men’s clothing as well
and it starts with upper class men putting on a
shirt with no collar or cuffs, a doublet, which is a
long-sleeve garment, then lastly, a jerkin, which is a
sleeveless jacket.
Men needed to keep their modesty too, so they
wore stockings along with knee-length trousers.
02. 18th Century Fashion
About this time.
It was all about the extravagance, the
ridiculousness, the bourgeoisie and white wigs.
This style was called Rococo: florid or excessively
elaborate
During this time, influence for art, culture, and
fashion shifted from Versailles to Paris. Fashion
designers became more popular as everyone
wanted to get their hands on the latest styles.
The lower class despised how the wealthy would
show off their wealth; this led to the end of the
Rococo era due to the French Revolution.
1700s
Fashion Trend
Women's style included waists held extremely tight
from corsets, plunging necklines, and showing
their décolletage.
The Pagoda sleeves, which started from the
shoulder to the elbow and ended with a flare and a
new silhouette for women came along.
Wide hoops worn under skirts that extended
sideways. These were called panniers, and they
were worn for formal occasions as they would
accentuate tiny waists.
03. The Victorian Era From 1837 to 1901
Women Fashion. Men’s Fashion

The fashion for women in the Victorian era started Men started wearing longer trousers than their
with large dresses, and by 1883, the silhouette short knee-high trousers. Men wore these trousers
changed with a bustle dress. for day and evening dress.

The waistline started to deepen to its natural The famous top hat was developed during this
position. time—as an image of Abraham Lincoln wearing his
top hat pops into our heads.
Corset was still worn during this era.
Also as accessories, bonnets and hats were very Men kept it simple during this time, wearing a long
popular and were worn inside and outside. coat, a waistcoat, straight trousers, and a high
collared shirt.
By 1880, a group of high society women started to
embrace simpler styles called the ‘artistic’ dress.
The artistic dress was less restrictive and did not
require a corset to be worn with it.
04. 1920s - Art Deco Era
About this Era
Art Deco style was about geometric shapes,
biased cut dresses, dramatic accessories, pops of
color, and of course, a ton of gold and silver.
The liberalism of women in the 1920s was part of
the evolution of the Art Deco style.
We see designers like Jean Patou, Madeleine
Vionnet, and Gabrielle Chanel emerge to create
modern styles for women.
Paul Poiret was a huge influence during the Art Deco
era. Poiret’s inspiration was a melting pot of Western
historical styles, folk traditions, avant-garde art, and
ancient cultures.
From 1837 to 1901
Women’s Fashion
Women Fashion did a full 180 in the 1920s with
the development of flapper girls, dresses with
shorter hems, drastically shorter hair, and the
influence of Art Deco style.
Daywear : consisted of flat and straight dresses,
which gave designers more space for artistic
designs like embroideries, appliques, and
geometric prints.
Nightlife: Women wore dresses that reflected the
Charleston and jazz dancing; they wore short
gowns made with silks and velvet, and
embroidered with sequins, pearls, and metallic
threads.
05. 1940s - Women Wear Pants
Pre World War II:
There was a struggle for women to gain the
right to wear pants.
Women needed to stick with the traditional full
dresses and long skirts.
In 1909 French designer Paul Poiret created the
“harem pant”; the harem pant was seen as more
feminine and modern. As expected, the pants
were not favored and the trend ended.
From 1837 to 1901
During World War II
Finally by World War II, it was time for women to
wear pants.
As Millions of American soldiers went to war in
Europe, women were hired for empty job positions
to keep factories running. It was not practical nor
comfortable for women to wear dresses in these
factories, so women wearing pants became more
normalized in the 1940s. By women wearing pants
in the ‘40s,
This also led to more rebellion during the ‘60s and
‘70s fighting for pants to become a part of women’s
fashion.
06. 1960s - Movements and Groovy Times
About this Era:
The three movements that specifically
influenced fashion were The Youth Movement,
The Civil Rights Movement, and The Women’s
Liberation Movement.
The ‘60s was also a decade where hippie chic
style developed—and it still lives on today.
Hippie culture aligned with The Youth
Movement; the youth during this time rebelled
against what was happening in society, and
wanted to break free from the restrictions of the
past.
Fashion changed for men as well as they started to
wear more casual clothing. Men had more ability to
wear clothing that showcased their personality and
style.
Men’s clothing incorporated more patterns and
colorful palettes to their wardrobe. Mick Jagger,
Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles were a big influence
for men to become more fashionable and futuristic
with their style.
All in all, the 1960s brought on many revolutions
and new social norms to the world. Futurism, mod,
hippie chic, and the black power movement
changed the way we see fashion altogether.
Thank You !