Lipstick History

Lipstick history can be dated all the way to prehistory with numerous cultures using it. The ancient Egyptians and Babylonians are some of the many ancient civilizations that have used lipstick to color their lips, often red or purple. Queen Elizabeth I made famous the pale facial complex with contrasting red lips back in her time. Flushed, colored lips signify attraction and a 1770 law had been passed in England that forbade women from wearing lipstick. She was not only accused of being a harlot, but witchery through seducing men with makeup. Such a law was eventually lifted, but the Victorian era witnessed the frowning upon any woman who colored her lips in a lavish color or wore heavy makeup.

Lipstick in history has been popular until the early and middle nineteenth century when lipstick was viewed as for harlots. It wasn’t until the late nineteenth century when women started wearing lipstick in public thanks to famous actresses and dancers. Towards the early twentieth century, lipstick became mass produced, but was not yet contained in tubing like it is today. In lipstick history, lipstick itself was placed in wrapping that was to be applied at home by a paint brush. Women have contributed greatly to lipstick history since knowledge of making lipstick required skills in chemistry. Many women used their knowledge in chemistry to create the best brands of lipstick after the forties and onward. Lipstick history had been controversial over time, but since World War Two, women had come to wear makeup as a necessary accessory to complete their look.

Eyeliner History

Eyeliner can give both men and women a smoky mystique in the eyes that seems alluring yet dangerous. Eyeliner has come to be associated with exoticism and a sultry look that blends well with ancient Egyptian figures like Cleopatra, but not so well with recent historical figures such as Queen Victoria. Eyeliner has become popular amongst goth, alternative and emo cultures to achieve that dark look around the eyes. The history of eyeliner can be traced all the way to the ancient Egyptians who used kohl to give their eyes a certain mystique and they believed that eyeliner had the power to cure eye diseases. This style was resurrected in the 1920s with the rising interest in ancient Egyptian culture. Exoticism became fashionable with turbans, dark makeup and the influence of oriental fashion in western dresses. Women in the 1920s brought the use of eyeliner to another level by adding black grease and khol stick to make the eyes darker. In the history of eyeliner, women in the sixties used eyeliner but not as heavy as women in the 1920s. Eyeliner has become popular in recent decades as a way of adding accent to a woman’s eyes and a form of rebellion amongst various subcultures around the world.

Bowlers

Bowlers or derby hats were hats that could be worn by all classes. Bowlers were developed out of London in the 1840s and became popular among workers and the wealthy both. The type of hate you wore in the Victorian era symbolized who you were in society. It was top hats for the wealthy and floppy hats for the poor. Bowlers are the only hats that transcended class boundaries in the rigid social structure of the Victorian era.

Bowlers were also popular in the history of the American west and men of all classes sported the hat, doctors, lawyers, cowboys and outlaws, not only because it was fashionable, but because it was more snug and did not blow off easily in harsh winds as wider brimmed hats did. Bowlers have also been popular among the Quechua and Aymara women of the Peruvian region and parts of South America since the 1920s, introduced by British railway workers. Women can be seen wearing bowlers in that region today. Bowlers retain popularity to this day with people wearing it to make a fashion statement. The bowler hat is one the few hats in history that had come to transcend poor and upper classes and even gender and ethnic lines.

Gypsy Fashion

In mainstream, western society, gypsies have been considered a landless people who are always on the move. Many gypsies do not like to divulge their origins, but most likely, their origins can be traced to Northern India despite some claims they came from Egypt. Gypsies have undergone harsh persecution in European society, being labeled as sneak-thieves, lazy and disloyal. Much of the persecution of gypsies stems from their allegiance to no state or particular culture in Europe. Because of this, they were considered foreign and untrustworthy. The Jews have also undergone harsh discrimination because of perceived allegiance to no particular state and like the Jews they have been victims of the holocaust during World War Two. The only ethnic groups in Europe that have not underwent mass discrimination were the Cossacks in Russian history mostly because they were loyal to the Czar and remained in Eastern Europe instead of spreading around the rest of the European continent.

Because of widespread discrimination, gypsies have traditionally kept to themselves and were always on the move. Gypsy clothing is not the same in every gypsy circle, but things that bind gypsy clothing are color, beads, headbands and headwraps and the layering and folds of skirts. Within gypsy circles, they developed their own customs and fashions, but gypsy fashion has come to influence modern fashion around the world.

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History of Glases

The history of glasses does not stretch that far back in history since many were illiterate in the ancient world and the only ones who could truly read were either religious figures or the privileged. The only people who could read throughout history were monks, clergyman and the nobility. The history of glasses begins with monks splitting a glass ball in two for reading in the dark. Glasses as we know it today begins in the 13th century when spectacles were joined by a pivot made of wood or metals.

17th century lenses saw the use of ribbons and strings to be attached to the ears. Permanent attachments to the ears developed in the 18th century were Benjamin Franklin inventing bifocal lens for both near and far vision. It was not until the 19th century when the history of glasses transformed into a fashion accessory with colored or circular shades becoming very popular among men.

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Kidskin Gloves

Monarchs traditionally have set the standard of fashion in their countries. Elizabeth the first wore kidskin gloves which became widely popular in England throughout Europe. Kidskin gloves since became popular and mostly reserved for formal occasions such as weddings, operas and fancy dinners. Kidskin gloves of all kinds can been seen at balls, dances and other high-class occasions. Portraits have traditionally acted as standards and glimpses into what the most important people wore. These snapshots of the day transferred fashion to the nobility along with monarch rules of court dress. Women’s kidskin gloves known as opera gloves were first sported by Empress Josephine, Napoleon’s sister, in the early 1800s and the fashion of long gloves spread all throughout Europe.

As lengths of sleeves became longer so did kidskin gloves. After 1825 and through the Early and mid Victorian period, long gloves fell out of fashion in favor of long-sleeved dresses. Kidskin gloves became shortened and at wrist length. Gloves were to be worn at all times, even when bathing. The textures of the gloves were to be skintight so as to feel natural to the wearer. It was almost a second skin to the Victorians. By the late part of the 19th century opera gloves came back in style, once again being worn at fancy dinners and balls.

Breeches

Breeches became popular around the late 16th century when monarchs from both France and England included breeches as fashionable dress for men at court. Like many garments and shoes throughout history, monarchs are the ones who were the trendsetters of their particular countries or empires. Breeches were usually made of silk, leather, wool cotton etc. When monarchs started wearing breeches so did the nobles and hence the rest of the populace. Breeches were a type of pants that was beholden to no particular class.

Wealthy nobles wore breeches at court and around town while the average man wore breeches to work and also for everyday wear. Breeches served a practical use throughout the centuries because it gave men a chance to show off their knee high socks and buckled belt heels. There was no point in sporting such socks and heels if no one was going to see them with a long pair of pants so breeches came in handy to show off shoes and heels. Breeches also gave men a chance to show off their calves which were considered very attractive to flustered ladies. Breeches also gave a chance for men to wear knee-high boots for fashion and for practical reasons such as day laboring and working out in the ship yards. Breeches started to all out of fashion around the mid-nineteenth century when heels and knee high stocks fell from popularity. Trousers eventually came to replace breeches in the early 1800s. As trousers and pants became more popular, so came shorter boots for men and by that point heels and knee high socks were lost by the mid-Victorian era.

History of Stockings

Although the ancient Greek and Romans had their own variation of what we know as stockings, the official history of stockings started with William Lee, who first invented the modern stocking in 1589. In the history of stockings, such leg garments were mostly made for men with women wearing stockings later in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Throughout the history of stockings, men have worn them to go well with breeches and boots.

Original stockings were made of cotton and silk during the Victorian period and into the 1920s. Stockings underwent a setback during World War One period as such raw materials were needed for the war effort. By the 1920s, silk stockings grew popular in the advent of more liberal fashion trends. You can see plenty of risqué photos of sultry, young women and flapper dancers always showing their silk legs whenever they had the chance. Nylon hosiery did not arrive on the scene until the 1940s and were so popular the Japanese silk market collapsed and merchants could not keep up with the demand.

This craze was halted in the advent of World War Two when raw materials such as nylon were needed for the war. To compensate, women drew lines down the back of the legs to simulate the effect of hosiery. The post-war period saw the return of stockings throughout the decades. Pantyhose were invented in the 1960s, a variation on the British termed tights since men regularly wore tight all throughout the medieval and renaissance period. Today, stockings are preferred compared to pantyhose.

Edwardian Wedding Dresses

The only place where you'll find antique clothing today are modern variations on Edwardian Wedding Dresses. By the 1920s, Edwardian and Victorian clothing became a relic of the past and labled as antique clothing. In a 1920s world of female demand for voting rights and the trauma of World War One, fashions became more loose and any manner of clothing before the 1920s became labled as antique clothing. However, antique clothing has survived in the form of wedding dresses, especially Edwardian wedding dresses. Though there are Victorian inspirations in modern wedding dresses, Edwaridan women's dress became admired through the decade for its simplicity and elegant fashion.

Notice the puffy sleeves and layered dressing typical of the late Victorian and early Edwardian era. The long train was typical of the Victorian era and became shorter through the decades. Even Edwardian wedding dresses retained some classic Victorian elements.

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Edwardian wedding dresses also had the chance of being simple and imitating everyday dresses of women during that time period. Many women today prefer a throwback Edwardian wedding dresses that imitates the everyday dresses of the later period. As the twenties approached, women's dresses became more narrow because of longer corsets and by this time the long trains and signature S frame of a woman's body was beginning to fade.

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Edwardian wedding dresses are versatile since wedding dresses of that time period very much depended on the woman wearing them. A noblewoman could choose to have an elaborate wedding dress with lots of frills, layers, puffs and flounces or a middle class woman could opt to use a dress from her closet and turn it into a fine wedding dress. This is why so many designers and brides favor Edwardian style wedding dresses.

1920s Hats For Women

1920s hats for women complemented the short hairstyles that were in vogue at the time. Women also wore turbans, often adorned with feathers, and headbands and hairwraps. The roaring twenties was a far departure from the previous decades. In a post World War One world and with the women's suffrage movement, the fashions of women became more relaxed and this especially applied to women's hair and hats.

Bandeau: a decorative headwrap for women that could be fashioned in all different styles.

Cloche Hat: Popular during the 1920s but was actually worn from 1908 until the 1930s. The cloche has seen a resurgence in recent decades.

Turbans: Turbans had been worn in Europe for centuries by the upper class in the privacy of their own homes. In the 1920s, the sporting of turbans in public became popular. Turbans would also be decorated with such as feathers as peacock or ostrich.

Wide-Brimmed Hats: still in vogue during the 1920s for women with longer hair.

Headbands: Women with long hair wore decorative heads to keep their hair in place.

Fifties Hair

Fifties hair for women was a symbol of the more established gender roles that came to define the decade. Pompadours were still popular in the fifties which carried over from the forties. Curls were popular, especially short hair. Movie stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe helped ushered in this soft, feminine look for women. Those who had long straight hair would curl their long locks. Naturally straight hair would not become popular until the late sixties and seventies. Fifties hair for women was pristine and signified a very standard of beauty for women of the decade. Women’s hairstyle is always a reflection of a given society. Usually soft, curly hairdos with grandiose pompadours are signatures of societies which emphasized more rigid gender roles, decades in which women were home-makers while the men went off to work such as the fifties.

A perfect description of fifties hair for women was soft, delicate curly and short. Hair was pinned back and held in place by a chiffon scarf. Fifties hair followed in the tradition of holding hair in place through pin curling and rolling. Just like the forties, women kept their in place by leaving in curlers over night and reserved for extra styling in the morning. The fifties was also the first decade in which women needed to visit the hair salon’s regularly to keep up their hair. Updos were quite popular in the form of beehive hairstyles and other updos that would set the stage for bouffant in the coming sixties.

70s Punk Fashion

70s punk fashion was a mixture of glam and grunge fashion. It all started in Britain in the early seventies when young working class kids with little job opportunistic found a way of expressing their discontent through 70s punk fashion. Glam was a big influence on early 70s punk fashion with women, and sometimes men, wearing makeup. 70s punk fashion was also about making a statement against mainstream fashions such as disco and professional attire. Many women lashed out at traditional female attire by combining feminine and masculine garments in fashion. Offensive slogans were usually etched on jackets and t-shirts which gave a personal voice to young kinds without even opening their mouths.

Swastikas were also worn to be provocative and offensive and anarchist symbols were regular on those who exhibited 70s punk fashion. It was glam mixed with a grungier look. Singers such as Patti Smith wore regular or cheap clothing instead of traditional, flamboyant clothing of many rock stars. Cheap items such as safety pins were used as fashion accessories pinned on leather jackets or tattered pants. Big mohawks and colored hair was the norm for typical 70s punk fashion. Mohawks were common, tattered shirts and skin tight pants were the norm. The DIY or DO It Yourself philosophy was part of the punk movement which included using old clothing and making it your own style. Piercings came in the form of nose to ear chain piercings were common back in the day.

Dark Shadows DVD Complete Collection

In honor of the new Dark Shadows movie and to the memory of the recently departed Jonathan Frid, the original actor who played Barnabas Collins, this would be a great time to recommend the original Dark Shadows from the 1960s and the Dark Shadows dvd complete collection. For those who do not know, Dark Shadows was a gothic soap opera that lasted from 1966 to 1971. Though short-lived, it provided some of the most memorable storylines and characters that television has ever produced. Not only did the show have something for everyone: romance, horror, mystery and high drama, but the series also had some of the most historically accurate and high-quality costumes from 18th and 19th centuries. For those who love theater, the show had more of a theatrical ambiance than a normal television show and that is most likely because many of the Dark Shadows actors had a theater background. There were some campy moments in the show and they recycled the same actors to play different characters, but that is what made the show endearing. Throughout the series, the main character, Barnabas Collins, traveled back through time including 1795, 1897, 1840s and even the 1600s for those interested in early modern fashion. Visual media can be a great tool in understanding something and seeing people wearing the fashion from previous eras can definitely help in grasping what people wore in the past and the distinctions in historical fashion.

Victorian Fabrics

Victorian Fabrics such as lace and velvet were in style during this time period which allowed dresses and gowns dyed in various colors. For day dresses it was silk or regular cloth; for fancier evening wear it was satin or brocade topped with lace. Evening dresses usually had an extended train. Aesthetic preferences of evening dresses usually entailed with: “diamond stars, crescents and aigrettes” (80). Victorian fabrics also included lace flounces draped over puffy sleeve shoulders for an added touch of flair. Colors such as white were reserved for summer dresses with darker colors for the fall and winter. Sleeves became puffier from the elbow up to the shoulder. The fullness of the sleeves became more pronounced throughout the decade until 1896 witnessed the popularity of the “gigot sleeve” which started narrow at the wrist, above the elbow and manifested into soft folds which formed puffs. The gigot sleeve was also popular with the normal wide sleeve at the shoulders.

Heavy Metal Fashion

Though heavy metal fashion is considered anti-fashion, many who developed what is known as heavy metal fashion today were trendsetters without realizing it. Rob Halford from the heavy metal band Judas Priest started sporting leather and biker gear in promotion of their album Hell Bent for Leather. Members of the band Motorhead started to wear bullet belts onstage and Saxon sported spandex which would come popular in early heavy metal fashion. Other accessories such as combat boots and studded bracelets became the standard uniform of meatheads around the world.

Heavy metal fashion places a strong influence on masculine and warrior culture. Metal subgenres such as Viking metal, black metal and power metal all have strong themes of a warrior ethics. This is often manifested in long hair or beards and in the case of black metal wearing corpse paint which was typical of warriors in ancient days who regularly painted their faces before going to battle.

Heavy metal fashion emphasized male masculinity and rejected the hair metal scene. Viking metal draws on Europe’s pagan past and the culture of Viking warriors before the spread of Christianity. Though heavy metal fashion has rejected androgynous themes, there are certain bands within the Goth and doom metal subgenres who wear makeup in the traditional Goth style.

All of these themes can be seen in heavy metal culture today and all one has to do is go to a concert to see lots of piercings, makeup, spiked collars and bracelets.

Elizabethan Clothes

Elizabethan clothes were patterned on the fashions and tastes of Queen Elizabeth herself. Elizabeth I became the first Queen to define an age alone instead of a family dynasty. Instead of the Stuart or Tudor dynasty age, Queen Elizabeth came to define her own age and other monarchs would follow such as the Georgian period of the 1700s, the Victorian period of the Victorian period and the Edwardian era of the early twentieth century. Some Elizabethan clothes transcended gender. For instance, the ruff which was a frilly color that was attachable at the back of the neck. In the spirit of renaissance style, slits were used on sleeves and dresses to show contrasting colors.

Pale skin and lighter hair became the Elizabethan ideal. Women would dye their hair blonde using cumin seed, celandine and saffron mixed with oil. Queen Elizabeth wore many wigs along with using face makeup to make her skin pale as possible. Elizabethan fashion was home to some of the most bombastic dress in European fashion history; however, there were rules. Dress codes were called the Sumptuary Laws. Your social station determined what you could wear and even what color was acceptable. Ermine was for royalty while lower nobles wore furs such as fox or otter. Gold cloth could be worn by female relatives of the Queen along with countesses, marquises and duchesses. However, baronesses and viscountesses were barred from wearing those colors. Elizabethan clothes for women were some of the most rigid and confining of any age.

16th Century Fashion For Men

16th century fashion for men was just as elaborate as any other century. Hats were mandatory and a man could face a fine if seen without one. Materials included cotton, velvet and satin. It was mostly flannel for lower class men. White shirts were billowy with long puffy sleeves. Worn over the shirts was the doublet, a fancy type of vest that was usually tied on both the front and sometimes the back man. The doublet came in all kinds of rich patterns and came to define the Renaissance man.

Lower class men wore a type of trousers called trews that were loose fitting. Upper class men wore puffy breeches, sometimes called Venetian breeches. 16th century fashion for men also saw the use of the trunkhouse which were puffy-like breeches with slits revealing contrasting colors. These types of breeches would be toned down in later centuries, but would come to the standard of a man’s wardrobe for the next few centuries. Men wore hose at this time, often made of wool, but sometimes silk for men who could afford it. Both short and long boots were available, but regular shoes made of leather were also an option. It was also popular in the 16th century fashion period for men to wear capes which was also a nice accessory that usually stopped around the back of the waist and sometimes sported over one shoulder.

16th Century Fashion For Women

16th century fashion for women signified the innovation of the Renaissance period. 16th century fashion was all about layering. Women’s clothing was made of linen and wool, sometimes velvet or silk. Black was the preferred fashion since it made a good backdrop for elaborate jewels and pearls. The base of a women’s dress in 16th century fashion was the kirtle, a snug skirt that fit the bodice with long sleeves. In the early century, kirtles were worn by themselves with a simple girdle. Girdles are similar to belts, but thicker and could be adorned with jewels and chains. Chemise was worn over the kirtles.

Spanish and Italian royalty would make a great impact on 16th century fashion across Europe. The strong influence of French and English fashion would come in the next century. By the mid century, long trains were out of style. Farthingales were introduced by the mid century, a product of the Spanish royal court. They were made of cage wiring and whalebone and would come to make skirts wide and bombastic looking, similar to crinoline of the mid-Victorian era. The up side of renaissance fashion of the mid period was the separation of kirtles and dresses with the chemise discarded. Sleeves became tight fitting from the wrist to the elbow with puffy sleeves, sometimes showing slits to reveal more fabric beneath the dress. This is the first stage of the leg of mutton sleeves which would become fashionable throughout European ladies fashion. The late period saw hemlines propped up by farthingales, revealing elaborate heels and slippers. Hairstyles did not come into play until the late 1500s. Before that time, women’s hair was covered by gabled hoods. For married women especially, it was not appropriate for other men to see her hair.

Viking Clothes

Viking clothes were generally thick and draped in nature for both men and women. Clothing of Scandinavia was meant to protect inhabitants from the harsh winter weather. Shoes and articles of clothing were made of leather and sheepskin. The men went off to wage war and seize booty while the women stayed behind and tended to house chores while raising the children. Both men and women wore their hair long and often braided and pleated the hair. Viking clothes for women included an under dress with an overlapping apron called a hangaroc with a decorative trim at the bottom. The hangaroc was fastened tight with a belt and came with an attached pouch for collecting things. The hangarac was tightened with brooches at each side of the shoulders with decorative beads connecting them. Women also wore headscarves to keep their hair out of the way while doing chores.

Men generally wore a simple leather tunic with an attached knife and pouch. Hair was long and pleated with the side of the hair being braided sometimes. If the beard was long enough that would be braided as well. Men wore tights with boots made of sheepskin. When travelling around Europe they would carry in the arsenal axes, spears and swords for main weaponry. Protective gear included chainmail, leather tunics, shields and helmets. Such an arsenal of deadly weaponry and deadly fighting prowess made Viking warriors feared throughout the rest of Europe. To the rest of Europe, they were called Northmen and towns were often helpless when a Viking fleet hit the shores ready for battle and attainment of booty.

Sword History

Sword history stretches far back in Europe. In ancient Rome, nobles and warriors had swords and were trained extensively how to use them. During the Dark Ages, local kings would grant nobles and lesser nobles called vassals certain property in exchange for military service when necessary. The sons of these nobles were be trained as knights. Often the sons of noblemen would become knights who trained in the art of sword fighting from an early age. The blade had come to be associated with knighthood and nobility even after the Middle Ages in sword history. In England, for example, it was the nobles who would come to the king’s aid in times of crisis and would often serve as generals in the king’s army and it was considered a duty and a service to the king. With nobility came certain responsibilities such as defending the crown when necessary and those who did not were shunned by high society.

Musketeers in France served directly under the king and carried the rapier thrusting sword wherever they went for protection and sudden conflict. Traditionally, it was the nobleman who were the trained fighters while the ordinary men who were usually peasants and working people who were provided little weaponry and the training was often rushed in time for battle. In sword history, nobleman had the leisure time to perfect their sword fighting techniques and over time the sword often made a nobleman’s wardrobe. The nobleman carried the sword wherever he went in case of sudden conflict and the blade eventually became a part of a nobleman’s wardrobe ensemble.

Musketeer Outfit

The musketeer outfit was not only meant for protection, but style and flair. They were representatives of the king’s court and were his elite guards. The French Musketeer was started under King Louis XIII’s reign and the elite soldiers of France. They were trained in both the musket and sword for any combat situation. The tabard is the draping over the entire musketeer ensemble, often made of velvet and silk. It was not only fashionable, but provided protection against melee attacks to the upper body. The tabbard fit both in battle and on the court. There was the plume feather cavalier hat which was fashionable for the day and another accessory for the French court. A musketeer could also wear leather boots with any matching color gloves.

The gloves provided protection during sword practice and real combat along with the boots, providing protection against lower melee strikes. The rapier was the lifeblood of any musketeer and the art form of fencing was devoted to the thrusting weapon. The rapier is a departure from typical medieval cutting swords since it is primarily a thrusting weapon. The rapier is typically a symbol of an elite warrior such as the musketeer. Underneath the musketeer outfit was a plain white shirt and pants. The musketeer outfit was not your typical cumbersome medieval armor, but a way for always being on the ready for battle at any time while remaining fashionable in the King’s presence or around court. The musketeer outfit is one of the few outfits in history that successfully blended soldier attire with everyday dress.

Swiss Guard Uniform

The Swiss Guard uniform draws inspiration from the renaissance period. Though it appears that the Swiss Guard uniform has been unchanged for centuries, the concept of the modern Swiss Guard uniform was invented in 1914 by Commandant Jules Repond. The commandant drew inspiration from Michelangelo and Raphael’s depiction of Swiss guardsmen in the same type of uniform. There are variations on the modern Swiss Guard uniform, but all of the different styles still retain a renaissance quality. The Swiss Guard uniform blends well within the Vatican City instead of having armed soldiers with rifles patrolling the holy city in Kevlar and combat boots. The Swiss Guardsmen have traditionally carried halberds in history which can still be seen today in Vatican City.

In an age of modern weaponry, the carrying of halberds has more to do with tradition though the Swiss guardsmen are trained in using them and still has the potential of keeping away unwanted visitors. The Swiss Guards have been used as mercenaries dating back to the 15th century. Everyone, from the Pope to Kings all over Europe had used Swiss mercenaries as bodyguards and soldiers. Spain, France, Italian city states and the Holy Roman Empire have all used the services of the Swiss Guards at some point in history. France dropped the use of Swiss mercenaries during the French revolution, but Napoleon made use of their services during his tenure as emperor. The Swiss Guard was known for loyalty and strategic battlefield experience which was why many kings made use of their services. Switzerland was a poor country which forced many young men to travel Europe and made their livings abroad as professional soldiers.

Italian Fashion History

Italian fashion history dates all the way back to ancient Rome. The Roman Empire spread their culture around the world, including fashion. Some of the centers of Italian fashion were Rome, Milan and Venice. When the Roman Empire fell, the clothing of people in Europe became more localized and patterned after local kings and queens. The renaissance period saw the rebirth of Italian fashion having a major impact on the European fashion scene. Italy at that period was mostly broken up into city states, but the southern region became a major focus of the renaissance because of Italy’s link to ancient Rome along with the strong influence of the Catholic Church. By the late 1500s, Italy’s influence began to wane when Henry VII set up his own Church of England and the great schism within the Papacy which placed equal authority in Avignon, France. England became a rising power on the world stage thanks to Queen Elizabeth I along with the rise of the House of Bourbon in France. By the 1600s, monarchs of both England and France were the trendsetters who dictated fashion and dress of both men and women at court while Italy fell behind. These court rules sifted through both English and French society and eventually the rest of Europe. Italy did not have any influence on the fashion scene until the late twentieth century with such fashion designers as Prada and Dolce and Gabbana making huge impacts on world fashion today.

Prussian Helmet

The Prussian helmet was called the pickelhaube in German. Allied soldiers dubbed it the lobster tail helmet because of the curvature in the back of the head. The Prussian helmet was made of a boiled leather structure and plated with a metal finish, gold and silver being for officers. These kinds of helmets were worn by Kaiser Wilhelm II and Otto Von Bismark. They were traditionally reserved for upper military branches, but also for firemen and police. Though it provided head protection, the Prussian helmet was more of a status symbol. Various finishes and decorations were displayed across the helmet, often denoting rank within the Prussian army. The design of the helmet was originally a Russian design which had horsehair plumed from the spike portion of the helmet. The spike is simply an adornment of the helmet. The spikes themselves became reduced over time. The distinctive Prussian helmet made the German imperial army recognizable by allied soldier since few other nations sported such a grandiose helmet. Other versions of the Prussian helmet included the Napoleonic raupenhelm which resembled the helmet, but instead of spikes there was a Mohawk trimming of feathers or felt material that lined vertically across the helmet. The kingdom of Bavaria would later adopt the raupenhelm. The Prussian helmet can be seen in South America and parts of Northern Europe today. By World War Two, the Prussian helmet was faded out in favor of simpler helmets that would give protection against mortar attacks.

Devillock Hair

The devillock was created by bassist Jerry Only from the horror-punk band Misfits in the late 1970s. Only stated that he drew the hairstyle from Eddie Munster of the tv show The Munsters. Only can be seen sporting the do in promotional photos and at concerts and has never be seen without the famous do since the seventies. The devillock is achieved by keep the side of the hair short while growing out the frontal portion of the hair. The next step required is simple hair gel and styling to pull the hair forward over the forehead to keep the hair in place. The length of the devillock depends on the person’s preference, but the original hairdo went all the way down to the chin. The style is also popular throughout Asia and many fans of the Misfits. A similar style of hair can also be seen in emo and punk culture in the form of long asymmetrical bangs which usually cover one side of the face. The devillock hairdo, however, is more narrow and vertical, usually flowing down the center of the forehead and the bridge of the nose. When the strip of hair achieves a center down format that dives the face in half then you have accomplished the perfect devillock do.

Memento Mori Jewelry

Memento Mori jewelry was popular during the 16th and 17th centuries. Memento Mori is translated in Latin as “remember you must die” In an age high infant mortality, rampant disease and political conflict, death was common and all around so people needed reminders to live in the moment and cherish every moment of life. Memento jewelry did not necessarily encourage fast living but reminded the departed to live a life of virtue. Memento Mori jewelry also carried religious themselves and biblical passages to remind the wearer of their faith. They were typically made of gold and colored enamel, mainly black. Black was a good backdrop to showcase jewelry going all the back to the Renaissance era. Gold came in the form of trimming with enamel used for miniature statues of skeletons or any other statuesque forms. Memento Mori jewelry was especially popular during mourning periods and gave the living a sense of solace and comfort during times of grief. Themes of death originally was a relic of the dark ages when the bubonic plague ravaged most of Europe. The plague was so bad people felt they were living in the end times. During and after the effects of the plague, morbid art in the form of skeleton murals and other morbid paintings were reflected by artists. This is the first instance of death being translated into art and became an expression of people’s deepest fears and intrigue when it came to the matter of death. Memento Mori jewelry was a throwback to the medieval conept of death at a time when dealing with mortality was common in the 16th and 17th centuries.

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1940s Pants For Women

1940s pants for women may not seem controversial today, but in the 1940s, women wearing anything other than skirts or dresses caused quite a stir, especially among men. The Victorian ideal of rigid gender roles was starting to wane as the twentieth century moved by. Pants were traditionally reserved for men while women wore dresses, skirts and gowns. As more men went off to fight in the war, occupations traditionally reserved for men became available to women. Women not only wore pants to work in factories, but many house wives had dug through their husband’s closet and started wearing pants to conserve on clothing or to create new clothing to save on fabric materials. Designers like Coco Chanel and movie stars like Katherine Hepburn made 1940s pants for pants for women a popular style. Women often preferred slacks to traditional pants or trousers. While trousers and slacks were for day and work attire, it was still unacceptable for ladies to sport pants for evening and fancy events. Slacks for women were often flared and came with a matching jacket. Pants for women came to question assumptions of what men and women could wear. The establishment even went so far as to ban women from wearing pants in certain bars and restaurants. Despite these restrictions, pants for women showed no signs of waning and set the stage for working and professional women in the coming decades. This type of fashion would later spawn the pant suit for working women in a modern and post-modern age.

1920s Suits For Men

1920s suits for men largely resemble suits of today. Though 1920s suits had not changed much over the decades, the roaring twenties was the decade of modern fashion as we know it. By the 1920s, cravats, frock coats and capes had gone out of style and largely became reserved for older men. The standard three piece suit became the standard for 1920s suits for men: simple trousers, vests and a jacket. The tie became fashionable and cravats and ascots of the previous decade were out. The rise of corporations was starting in the twenties and those tailoring shops in every neighborhood were put out of business due to mass produce of 1920s suits for men. The twenties was a period when suits starting to become more widely accessible to the common man. This was also the start of the American dream mythos, the notion that any man can make it as long as he had the guts and innovative spirit to do so.

Vampire Fashion

Vampire fashion mostly draws back on Victorian and Georgian clothing. The vampire mythos mostly originates from the 1700s and 1800s so it should come as no surprise that many who pull off vampire fashion draw inspiration from those periods. Vampire fashion is an aspect of the Goth scene, combining Goth fashion from the early eighties with the antique clothing of earlier centuries. Places you are likely to find vampire fashion communities are Goth, and gothic Victorian to scenes or people simply interested in history and the vampire legend. Pale skin, thick eye liner and dark lips are the trademark signature of vampire fashion. People are so wrapped up in the vampire mystique that some claim actually to be genuine vampires. Bram stoker’s novel helped popularize the legend of the vampire in the coming twentieth century. Numerous novels, movies and television shows have helped popularize the vampire mythos. Visual mediums such as Twilight and True Blood have currently made the vampire more popular more than ever. Long hair and fangs is another accessory of the vampire image. Numerous rock musicians and bands have sported the vampire look through concerts and videos which made the vampire look more popular .

Frontman Peter Steele from Type O Negative sported genuine dental vampire fangs.

 Goth metal band Theatres Des Vampires

Grunge Clothes

The greating about grunge clothes is you don’t have to go to expensive shops to achieve the early nineties mystique. Flanels, dock martins, torn jeans and band t-shirts is all you need to achieve the grunge look. You can go to clothing donation centers, flea markets or dig out your own clothes you wore back in the day. Key chain wallets were popular back in the day and for a genuine early nineties look be sure to tie your jacket around your west.

Grunge clothes became popular with the popularity of alternative music of the early nineties. Bands like Bush, Nirvana and Pearl Jam gave rise to the alternative scene and the city of Seattle was the mecca of alternative music. Rock music of the early nineties took a far departure from the hair metal scene of the eighties. Alternative music placed more emphasis on music rather than the androgynous fashions of the eighties. There was less emphasis on looking prim and proper to rock out, but these anti-fashions became fashions within themselves.

Grunge clothes was also a way for kids to make a rebellious statement against their parents and society by wearing clothing the rest of society considered garbage. Grunge clothes expresses the vintage style to the letter, digging out old tattered clothing and tailoring it to your own individual style. Young kids at that time did not feel the need to follow trends, but rather help set up a movement bigger than themselves that made a statement about their place in society and expressing their interests and style.

Eighties Hair

Eighties hair for women saw a return to volume. Daytime soap operas, music and preoccupation with wealth and status was what drove eighties hair to become voluptuous and loud in nature. Fashion icons such as Madonna and Debbie Gibson set the standard for eighties hair. Seventies hair was more plain and simpler to manage. Seventies hair was about simplicity as well. Eighties hair returned to a fancier style reminiscent of the sixties and previous decades. Lots of hairspray was used to ramp up hair volume. The punk scene was popular which saw the rise of asymmetrical hairdos and Mohawks or liberty spikes. The new wave scene was popular and the hair fashion of the scene transferred to young people who sported the latest loud dos in clubs and concerts. Blonde was the color of choice for many women, especially frosted pink tips with blonde hair. Eighties came hair came in a variety of lengths and regardless of short or long, volume and styling was part of eighties hair theme. Whether long or short, hair was styled, frosted, dyed and curled in one form or another.

French Revolution Fashion

French Revolution fashion saw the changing of fashions for both men and women. Gone were the old fashions of big hair, stockings and fancy, buckled shoes. Trousers were worn by men instead of buckled shoes and stockings since they were considered a part of the old aristocracy. The frilly dresses and corsets for women were discarded and free flowing gowns were worn by women. This was the time of the enlightenment and such gowns were worn by women of ancient Greece and Rome, a throwback to an age of wisdom and reason. Makeup by men was also done away with for a simpler look. Clothing for both genders was toned down in color. Boots were introduced to complement trousers. Wigs were retained in the late 18th century, but gradually faded out by the early 1800s, but this was happening across Europe.

The French Revolution fashion saw a literal top down change in the way both men and women dressed. Nobles were being executed left and right at the beginning of the revolution. Everything with a hint of nobility and aristocracy was done away with, including the Christian calendar. The change in French Revolution fashion was a symbol of how people felt towards the nobility. This type of hostility had been building for years as Louis XIV's family lived in their own world of pomp and decadence at Versailles while many French citizens could not afford to feed their families. French fashions of the day became so grandiose and bombastic that it smacked in the face of ordinary French citizens who desired change in governance.

Fashions of the Last Russian Czar and Czarina

Empress Alexandria: wife of czar Nicholas II who reigned from the late 1800s to 1917.

Empress Alexandria wearing what was known as kokoshnik, a headdress for women that has been worn for centuries in Russia by women of all classes. Empress Alexandria's kokoshnik was studded with diamonds and made of velvet trimmed with pearls. Veils hung to the floor for married women. By the twentieth century, this style was abondoned in favor of a simple tiara.

Czar Nicholas II was never seen without his signature beard. It's sort of ironic considering he would have had to pay a beard tax under Peter the Great if he had lived during the 1700s. By this time, Russian imperial autocracy had chose to resurrect the Russian tradition of sporting a beard for men. Also, facial hair was in vogue during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. Nicholas II is shown wearing a blue sash with a left tasseled shoulder, a signature trait reserved for kings and generals.

Nazi Chic

Nazi chic is a fascination with Nazi uniforms. It is a widely popular subculture that is popular not only in Europe and the Americas, but Asia as well. In many Asian countries, the German role in World War Two is much more nuanced and not as taboo as in the Americas and Europe. Therefore, many in Asia view Adolf Hitler and the Nazis as charismatic figures who wore cool clothing. Punks wore swastikas in the early 1970s for shock value. Performers such as Souxsie Soux and Sid Vicious sported the swastika as a way of shocking people. Those who sport the Nazi chic look do not necessarily believe in Nazi ideals. Some people just like the way Nazi uniforms look along with the authoritarian complex related to wearing a Nazi uniform. In certain fetish communities, many enjoy the sight of a beautiful woman in skimpy Nazi attire: thigh high boots, whips, captain hats etc. Nazi chic permeates different communities who have their own aims, agendas and desires for sporting the Nazi look. It is an interesting community filled with controversy and a diverse group of people who have different perceptions.

The Japanese heavy metal band, Dir En Grey, sometimes wear Nazi clothing for shock value and promotional photos.

Celebrity Jessie James's ex-girlfriend Michelle McGee.

Sid Vicious sporting a swastika t-shirt.

Prince Harry wearing a Nazi uniform to a party.