How does historical costume relate to contemporary fashion - Essay Example

How Does Historical Costume Relate to Contemporary Fashion? Ayesha Fardan Hasan Ibrahim Hasan Alfardan /Course: Date: Table of Contents I. Introduction ………………………………………………………………. 4 II. Historical Style of the Ancient Greek Women ………………………... 5 III. Comparison between the Revival of Historical Styles during the 20th Century and the Original Designs ……………………………………… 6 a. Madam Grès’s Design ..……………………………………… 6 b. Dolce & Gabbano …………………………………………….. 7 c. Julien MacDonald of Givenchy Haute Couture …………. 8 d. Other Modern Examples of Chiton ………………………… 9 IV. Josephine’s Outfit during Napoleon Period …………………………. 10 V. Comparison between Josephine’s Outfit and Its Revival ……………. 11 a. Banana Republic ……………………………………………... 11 b. See by Chloè ………………………………………………….. 11 c. Matthew Williamson …………………………………………. 12 d. Vanessa Bruno ……………………………………………….. 12 VI. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………….. 13 Figure I – The Chiton …………………………………………………………… 14 Figure II – The Stola ……………………………………………………………. 15 Figure III – The Palla ……………………………………………………………. 15 Figure IV – The Modern Chiton Exhibited by Madame Grès ……………… 16 Figure V – Dolce & Gabbano’s Modern Chiton ……………………………… 17 Figure VI – Julien MacDonald of Givenchy Haute Couture ……….………. 18 Figure VII – Other Modern Chiton Designs …………………………………… 19 Figure VIII – Long Gloves during Napoleon Period …………………………. 20 Figure IX – Josephine’s Outfit ………………………………………………….. 21 Figure X – Different Designs of Empire-Cut Dresses ………………………. 22 Figure X – Hand Gloves ………………………………………………………… 23 Appendix XI – Banana Republic Dress ………………………………………. 24 Figure XII – See by Chloè’s Design …………………………………………… 25 Figure XIII – Matthew Willaimson’s Modern Tiered Dress …………………. 26 Figure XIV – Vanessa Bruno’s Pleated-Front Dress ………………………... 27 References ……………………………………………………………………….. 28 - 30 Introduction With regards to clothing designs, there is a huge difference between ‘fashion’ and ‘costume’ in the sense that the word ‘fashion’ is referring to the latest clothing style that is acceptable within a society (Nellis, 2008) whereas ‘costumes’ are clothes normally worn by actors and actresses who are portraying a specific character in theatres (Knapp, 2008). Depending on the lifestyle and design preferences of each individual, fashion as a form of art, tells a lot about the age, gender, cultural beliefs, behaviour and status of each person. (Apparel Search, 2008) Basically, fashion in clothing enables a person to freely express their personal attitude and emotions. Similar to fashion, costumes also enables the audiences to determine a particular characteristic of each individual who is wearing a particular costume design. (Knapp, 2008) The first part of the study will discuss about the historical style of the Ancient Greek women particularly the Chiton. With regards to the history of garments, the researcher will analyze the factors related to: (1) how these garments are worn; and (2) who wore these garments. Eventually, the researcher will compare and contrast the difference between the revival of historical styles during the 20th century and the original designs. The second part of the study will highlight Josephine’s outfit during Napoleon period. In relation to this matter, the researcher will discuss why she wore such garment in relation to her social class. Similar to the first part of the study, the researcher will compare and contrast the difference between Josephine’s outfit and its revival. As part of the conclusion, the researcher will discuss several issues that made fashion revivals contributed to the culture of fashion. Historical Style of the Ancient Greek Women The type of available textile used in clothing has a significant impact over the historical clothing design for the Ancient Greek. Chiton – a Greek name for tunic is basically one of the three common types of garment that is generally worn by ancient Greek men and women between the Archaic period (c. 750 – c. 500 BC) up to the Hellenistic period (323 – 30 BC). (Koda, 2008; Britannica Online, 2008; Mason, n.d.) During the Achaic period, the commoners were allowed only to wear a white or off-white chitons. (Mavromatis, 2008) Usually made of lighter cloth materials such as linen, expensive silk, or wool (Ancient Greece, 2008; Britannica Online, 2008), chiton – a sleeveless tunic worn by the ancient Greek women which were made of two pieces of floor- or ankle-length cloth that were sewn together from bottom to top leaving sufficient space for armholes.1 (Ancient Greece, 2008) Top part of the cloth was fastened using few pins, brooches, or buttons to hold the cloth in a woman’s body. (McManus, 2003) For style purposes, the manner in which the sleeves of chitons were fastened varies from one woman to another. Women wearing a chiton also had the choice of placing a belt either below the breasts, waist or hips. (Womens Costume Patterns, 2008; McManus, 2003) Women could also choose between a round neck or V-neck and different colored fabrics. In most cases, the farbics used for chitons were decorated with different designs. (Ancient Greece, 2008) Depending on the social status of women, the elite wore extravagant attire which were normally elaborated with the use of headdresses, powdered hair, long wigs, expensive lace cravats, jewelries, perfume, and cosmetics. (Ribeiro, 2005: 323; DeBrohun, 2002) (See Figure I – The Chiton on page 14) Women in the past were easily accused of having a loose sexual moral based on the type of fashion and cosmetics they wear. (Ribeiro, 2005: 183) For this reason, married women in the past were required to wear stola – a white-coloured, long sleeveless tunic worn on top of chiton which is usually suspended at the shoulders. (McManus, 2003) (See Figure II – The Stola on page 15) When leaving the house for outdoor events, respectable Greek women normally wore a palla – a piece of rectangular cloth draped over the left shoulder, under the right arm, and back across the body over chiton and stola. (Rome, 2008) (See Figure III – The Palla on page 15) Comparison between the Revival of Historical Styles during the 20th Century and the Original Designs Madam Grès’s Design The historical clothing styles worn by the ancient Greek men and women serve as a classical guide of today’s fashion. Inspired by the ancient Greece clothing, Madame Grès designed an elegant classical evening gown which was exhibited at the Gucci sponsored Costume Institute’s Spring 2003 Exhibition and Gala at the Metropolitan Museum back in August 2003. (Special Exhibitions, 2008) Madame Grès’s modern ancient Greece floor-length gown design was made of cream colored soft cloth to give the dress a clean chic look. Instead of using a belt to enhasize a woman’s shapely body, Madame Grès considered a slim fit on the upper part of the dress with a full sunburst or fan pleated skirt to give the dress a soft look as the edge of the skirt touches the ground. Madame Grès also designed a palla effect by connecting a piece of the same fabric from the back of the dress which diagonally stretches over the right shoulder of the wearer to the middle-front portion of the dress. Adding to the soft appearance of the gown, Madame Grès allowed the excess cloth hanging from the middle-front part of the dress straight down to the floor. To give a more elegant look, the wearer of this gown had the option to wear hand gloves which extends to the middle part of the forearm. (Figure IV –The Modern Chiton Exhibited by Madame Grès on page 16) Aside from the difference in the type of fabric materials used in Madame Grès’s creation, the formal dress exhibited at the Gucci sponsored Costume Institute’s Spring 2003 Exhibition and Gala at the Metropolitan Museum back in August 2003 looks more sophisticated as compared to the traditional chiton. Dolce & Gabbano Exhibited last Spring Summer 2003 at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dolce & Gabbano designed a unique dress made of chiffon. (The City Review, 2008) Inspired by chiton, peplos, and himation worn by the ancient Greek men and women, Dolce & Gabbano designed a knee-length dancing costume with a skirt that has a pleated effect on the sides of the skirt which hangs a little higher on the sides as compared to the middle. The top part of the dress boldly reveals the right side of the upper shoulder which gives the impression of a Palla. The upper right side of the dress has a thin strap which reveals more flesh whereas the upper left side signifies conservatism of people during the olden days. (See Figure V – Dolce & Gabbano’s Modern Chiton on page 17) As compared to a traditional chiton, the selected fabric material used by Dolce & Gobbano’s modern chiton design gives the dress a less conservative appearance. Julien MacDonald of Givenchy Haute Couture Presented at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art back in Spring-Summer 2002, Julien MacDonald of Givenchy Haute Couture designed a modern inspired ancient Greek clothing night gown made of white silk mouselline. (The City Review, 2008) Similar to the traditional chiton and palla, the upper inner clothing of the dress was designed with a tight-fitting style to reveal the shape of a woman’s body. To give a classical effect, MacDonald used a grey coloured fabric material to give the dress a reflection of ‘antique’ appearance which allows the audiences to have the impression of historical times designed with an elegant touch. Just like a traditional palla, the length of the dress covers the wearer’s feet. (See Figure VI – Julien MacDonald of Givenchy Haute Couture on page 18) Between the traditional chiton and MacDonald’s fashion design, MacDonald’s idea of a modern chiton dress is created using less fabric for the chiton-like inner dress matching with grey-coloured vertical strands of irregular-shaped loose fabrics sewn at the top edge of the modern palla to give the wearer a slimmer and more attractive appearance. Other Modern Examples of Chiton Diane von Furstenberg, Lanvin, and Marc Jacobs also presented a casual dress that was inspired by the classic chiton. (Mason, n.d.) From left to right, Furstenberg designed a knee-length dress made of printed cloth that allows the wearer to tie the dress with a knot on the upper left shoulder. Similar to Furstenberg’s design, Lavin also designed a knee-length dress that holds the dress from the upper left shoulder. To enhance the wearer’s figure, a white two-to-three inch thick belt was used. Jacob designed an ankle-length black dress to enable the wearer to walk comfortably. Similar to a traditional palla, the dress holds up from the wearer’s right shoulder. To give a more revealing look, Jacob used a see-through black lace to partially cover the upper left side of the body. The dress was also designed with a fusha belt to enhance the lady’s curvaceous body. (Figure VII – Other Modern Chiton Designs on page 19) These modern chiton designs, as compared to the traditional chiton, were made of different fabrics such as printed and plain coloured silk clothing materials, etc. Considering the simplicity of these modern designs, designers like Furstenberg, Lavin, and Jacobs either used printed textile or belt to enhance the appearance of a single coloured fabric. Josephine’s Outfit during Napoleon Period The outfit of Josephine, the first wife of Napoleon Francois Joseph Charles Bonaparte, was an empire-cut gown2 designed with the use of different embroidery on extremely long heavy fabrics. (Nehelenia Historical Clothing, 2008; Genocchio, 2006) Over the years, the length of the skirt became shorter until it reaches the point that the bottom of the skirt touches the wearer’s ankle. (Nehelenia Historical Clothing, 2008) The sleeves were designed either with a long narrow sleeves, a short puffy sleeves and/or a combination of both. The dress design and colour varies from one empire dress to another. Aside from the empress’ red cloak, figure IX on page 21 reflects one of Josephine’s short-sleeves empire-cut dress which was heavily designed with specific floral images. The design of her other dresses were based on different emoboidered images that represents Josephine’s social status and preferred design. (Drumsta, 2006) Depending on the colour and design of Josephine’s dress, the empress has the option to match these dresses with either one or a combination of different accessories such as: (1) hats; (2) bonnets that were trimmed with lace; (3) parasols; (4) shawls; and (5) reticules – a cloth made pouch that matches the dress. (Nehelenia Historical Clothing, 2008) The cut of the dress’ neckline was normally a low-round shape but there were also choices between low-square neck and/or V-neck whereas the skirts of the empire-cut dress eventually became cone-shaped with matching trimmings on the different parts of the dress. (Nehelenia Historical Clothing, 2008) (See Figure X – Different Designs of Empire-Cut Dresses on page 22) Wearing hand gloves was also fashion statement during Napoleon period. In the case of Josephine, her preference of wearing long gloves became very popular. (Opera Gloves, 2008) (See Figure X – Hand Gloves on page 23) Comparison between Josephine’s Outfit and Its Revival Banana Republic Banana Republic designed a full knee-length skirt inspired by the traditional high empire waist sleeveless dress. Using a plain apple green coloured fabric, the upper portion of the dress is an overlapping V-neck which gives the wearer a slimmer appearance. To emphasize the high empire waist, a green and white stripe ribbon, matching the colour of the fabric, is used to add to the clothing design. (Fashion Tribes, 2006) (See Appendix XI – Banana Republic Dress on page 24) The clothing design of Banana Republic is much simplier and less heavy as compared to Josephine’s clothing design back during the Napoleon period. Having no detailed embroidery and less fabric, the dress made by Banana Republic reflects a more active woman as compared to the dresses worn by the empress. See by Chloè The modern short-sleeves knee-length dress designed by See of Chloè was made of a violet crepe fabric. (Glam, 2008) The A-line skirt and upper portion of the dress was semi-pleated along the empire-waist of the dress to give the wearer some comfort when moving around. The neckline of the dress is rounded close to the wearer’s neck. To enable the wearer to easily fit in the dress, See designed the dress with a front opening with bottons. (See Figure XII – See by Chloè’s Design on page 25) Similar to other modern dresses, the dress designed by See is simple yet fashionable as compared to the fancy and heavy dresses worn by the empress. Matthew Williamson The semi-formal knee-length tiered dress designed by Matthew Williamson was made of a combination of grey coloured and printed grey-and-white chiffon. (Glam, 2008) The sleeveless dress was designed with a V-neck. Similar with other empire-cut dresses, the grey tiered dress has a grey-coloured ribbon to enhace the body shape of the wearer. (See Figure XIII – Matthew Willaimson’s Modern Tiered Dress on page 26) Similar to the dresses of Josephine, the tiered dress designed by Williamson gives the wearer a fancy chic look. Given that the skirt of Williamson’s tiered dress is a knee-length, the wearer can still enjoy freely moving around with comfort which a woman could unlikely experience with the heavy dresses worn by the empress. Vanessa Bruno Designed for pregnant women, Vanessa Bruno’s pleated-front dress was made of soft fabric to make the wearer feel comfortable wearing the dress. From the mid-section of the empire-cut dress, Bruno designed a four large pleats to give pregnant women some comfort and flexibility during the entire period of pregnancy. (See Figure XIV – Vanessa Bruno’s Pleated-Front Dress on page 27) Just like any other modern designed dresses, Bruno as a designer considers the importance of simplicity and comfort that the dress could provide to the wearers more than a heavy detailed embroidery which is not practical with the fast-paced lifestyle most women during the 20th century. Conclusion It is necessary for each individual to pay close attention to the clothing designs since it enables us to know a little about a person’s personality, attitudes and beliefs including their socio-economic status in life. The modern clothing designs of dresses we have during the 20th century are more artistic as compared to the traditional chiton but less heavy as compared to the empress’ dresses. In general, the clothing design concepts of the traditional chiton, peplos, and himation worn by the ancient Greek men and women as well as Josephine’s empire-cut dresses during Napoleon period serves as a fashion guide for some of the modern day’s clothing designers. Modern fashion designers based their designs on the lifestyle, socio-economic status, and personality of their selected target market for a particular fashion design. For instance: Aside from wearing long gloves in theatrical play when portraying the role of Empress Josephine during Napoleon period, the use of long gloves is still considered as a significant fashion statement which is normally worn together with formal dresses up to the present time. (Opera Gloves, 2008) The only difference is the length of hand gloves since the length of hand gloves highly depends on the wearer’s preference in style. *** End *** Figure I – The Chiton Source: Roman Clothing: Women, 2003 Figure II – The Stola Source: Roman Clothing: Women, 2003 Figure III – The Palla Source: Women’s Costume Patterns, 2008 Figure IV – The Modern Chiton Exhibited by Madame Grès Source: Special Exhibitions, 2008; Women’s Fashion Spring, 2008 Figure V – Dolce & Gabbano’s Modern Chiton Source: The City Review, 2008 Figure VI – Julien MacDonald of Givenchy Haute Couture Source: The City Review, 2008 Figure VII – Other Modern Chiton Designs Source: History of Fashion Dictionary by Rachel Mason, n.d. Figure VIII – Long Gloves during Napoleon Period Source: Opera Gloves, 2008 Figure IX – Josephine’s Outfit Source: My Napoleon Obsession, 2007; Taking Pictures in Museums, 2007 Figure X – Different Designs of Empire-Cut Dresses Source: Nehelenia Historical Clothing, 2008 Figure X – Hand Gloves Source: Opera Gloves, 2008 Figure XI – Banana Republic Dress Source: Fashion Tribes, 2006 Figure XII – See by Chloè’s Design Source: Glam, 2008 Figure XIII – Matthew Willaimson’s Modern Tiered Dress Source: Glam, 2008 Figure XIV – Vanessa Bruno’s Pleated-Front Dress Source: Glam, 2008 References: Ancient Greece. (2008). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Culture & Society: Clothing: http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Clothing/ Apparel Search. (2008). Retrieved May 21, 2008, from Fashion Definition: http://www.apparelsearch.com/Definitions/Fashion/FASHION_definition.htm Britannica Online. (2008). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Chiton: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9082216/chiton DeBrohun, J. (2002). The National Centre for History Education. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Power Dressing in Ancient Greece and Rome: http://www.hyperhistory.org/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=741&op=page Drumsta, E. (2006). Brown University Library Center for Digital Initiatives. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Paris: Capital of the 19th Century: http://dl.lib.brown.edu/paris/Drumsta.html Fashion Tribes. (2006, February). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Get a Jump on Spring in a Jaunty, Leaf Green Frock with Adorable Ribbon Tie & Flattering Full Skirt from Banana Republic. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG: http://fashiontribes.typepad.com/main/2006/02/get_a_jump_on_s.html Fortuny, M. (2001). Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Dress: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/11/eust/ho_2001.702a.htm Genocchio, B. (2006, July 2). The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Art Review: Uncommon Threads: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A05E6DE1430F931A35754C0A9609C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all Glam. (2008). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Trend Watch: Baby-Doll Dresses: http://fashion.glam.com/articles/trend_watch/babydoll_dresses/ Knapp, M. (2008). About.com. Retrieved May 21, 2008, from Costume: http://theater.about.com/cs/glossary/g/bldef_cost.htm Koda, H. (2008). Timeline of Art History. Retrieved May 21, 2008, from The Chiton, Peplos, and Himation in Modern Dress: http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/hd/god3/hd_god3.htm Mason, R. (n.d.). History of Fashion Dictionary In Tortora P.E. & Eubank K. (ed) Survey of Historic Costume New York: Fairchild Publications, Inc. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.daapspace.daap.uc.edu/shared/media/e64e533686082b6cdeab3fef03a11087/orig/history%20of%20fashion%20dictionary.pdf Mavromatis, A. (2008). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Ancient Greece: http://www.annaswebart.com/culture/costhistory/ancient/index.html McManus, B. F. (2003, August). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from ROMAN CLOTHING: WOMEN: http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/clothing2.html Nehelenia Historical Clothing. (2008). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.nehelenia-designs.com/Ye_Olde_Online_Shoppe/Regency/regency.html Nellis, C. (2008). About.com. Retrieved May 21, 2008, from A Definition of Fashion: http://fashion.about.com/cs/historycostumes/a/whatisfashion.htm Opera Gloves. (2008). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from The History of the Opera Glove; From Josephine to Shania: http://www.operagloves.com/history.html Ribeiro, A. (2005). Fashion and Fiction: Dress in Art and Literature in Stuart England. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Rome. (2008). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Clothing Styles: http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00327/rclothing.html Special Exhibitions. (2008). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Goddess: http://www.metmuseum.org/special/Goddess/goddess_more.htm The City Review. (2008). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Goddess: The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art: http://www.thecityreview.com/goddess.html Womens Costume Patterns. (2008). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Roman womens costume consisted of three simple garments. TUNICA (underdress), STOLA (overdress), and PALLA (wrap).: http://images.google.com.ph/imgres?imgurl=http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisandpeter/radical_romans/female/palla.jpg&imgrefurl=http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisandpeter/radical_romans/female/female.htm&h=270&w=560&sz=16&tbnid=FW6J22GMrWBRWM:&tbnh=64& Read More