Overview of Fashion

Foundation 0 Surabhi Dalela & Roopali Rawat

Semester 1
Group: B , C & E

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 Factors Influencing
Fashion

Social Factors
Cultural Factors
Economical Factors
Political Factors
Technological
Factors
Sports
Music
Designers

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 Social Factors
Class/Segment, Income group, Gender,
Ethnicity, Age, Occupation, Body Shape

Awareness! People are more

knowledgeable about fashion elements and
colors for the season. This demand is self
generated or imitated by fashion
magazines or window displays. Wearing a
latest trend is not trying to be in sync but
to feel confident.

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 Social Factors
 Office goers no more succumb to the typical
sari or plain wear salwar suits. The idea is to
maintain the formal décor and this is possible
with specially tailored office suits be it a pant
suit or a skirt jacket. The variations in the
length of the skirt is to be dealt with decency.

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 Awareness! Teenage and Kids are more
knowledgeable about fashion elements
and colors for the season. This demand
is self generated or imitated by fashion
magazines or window displays. Wearing
a latest trend is not trying to be in sync
but to feel confident.

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  Comfort is required in all arenas be it kids
wear, shoes, sports wear or gadgets. This
makes more need for designers to experiment
on newer creations.

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 Cultural Influences
  Since the 1960s, sources of fashion influence have
multiplied. 
 Centers of fashion influence include Paris, Milan,
Tokyo, London, New York and Los Angeles. 
 Fashion no longer "trickles down" from couture to
the mainstream; fashion directions come from
everywhere - various ethnic groups, youth looks
from the street, etc.

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 By the late 1960s,  interest in the
world's cultures was evident in fashion. 
Designers stopped "looking to the future
for inspiration and began to plunder the
world's ethnic minorities.  Every culture
had something to offer"

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  Fashion designers have since incorporated
more and more design elements from other
cultures into their lines Contributing to this
trend is the fact that ethnic diversity has
become more evident in the US.A few
examples of ethnic influences found during this
time period include:

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• 1963     Hawaiian Influence  - "Blue
Hawaii" - Elvis film - set in Hawaii
• 1965     Russian Influences  - "Dr.
Zhivago" - film - set during Russian
revolution - overcoats worn by
Russian military and by Julie Christie,
the female lead, in the film inspired
coat designs
• 1976     Russian Influences  - Yves
St. Laurent was inspired by Russian
influences for his Winter 1976-77 line..

 In this collection, St. Laurent was

inspired elements of European
peasant dress (embroidered folk
blouses, milkmaid's tunics, and
Cossack [Russian]  costume) and
transformed them into fabulous
couture garments 1977    
• Egyptian Influences  -  King Tut's
treasures visit US; US designers
inspired; jewelry, makeup and a few
clothing items inspired by Egypt
(Tortora & Eubank, 1994). Steve
Martin performs "King Tut “ on
Saturday Night Live

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 Indian Culture
 The 1960’s have been characterized as a decade of rebellion,
nonconformity, counterculture, and above all a period of youth.

 In America during the 60s and early 70s, there was

widespread interest in Indian culture in the fields of art,
philosophy, and religion. intellectuals, musicians, and religious
leaders were responsible for introducing young Americans to
Indian culture and philosophy .

 Intellectuals such as Alan Watts and Allen Ginsberg introduced

Eastern religions (Hinduism and Zen Buddhism) to American
youth while lecturing at colleges around the country. 

 Popular musicians, such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones,

showed interest in Indian religions and music. 

 George Harrison studied Indian music from Ravi Shankar, a

famous Indian sitarist, and the Beatles began incorporating
Indian elements into their music. 

 Additionally, Indian musicians toured US campuses in the 60s

and early 70s (Kim, 1990).
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   Cultural Authentication of Indian dress in the US

 In incorporating Indian costume styles into 1960s contemporary

American fashion, the degree of cultural authenticity varied
between social systems.

 Nehru Jacket
The Nehru Jacket was one element of Indian dress that penetrated
western dress. 

 Tie Dye
The psychedelic tie-dyed garments of the sixties, seventies and
today are derived from an Indian resist-dyeing technique called
bandhani (Hindi for "tie" or "bind").

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Chinese Influence 1960 –present

 In the late 1960s, China's long isolation from the West began to end.  In
Europe, the Chinese worker's suit became a mode; the Mao suits were
found in Parisian fashions in 1967. 

  This especially has brought Chinese influences into Western apparel

over the last few years.  Mandarin collars, cheong sam (chi pao)
variations, fabrics with typical Chinese motifs such as the dragon have
been very popular.

  Additionally, designers of Chinese heritage have come on to the fashion

scene in the 1990s, including Anna Sui and Vivienne Tam.

Mao, wearing the suit,

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Important Designers influenced Fashion
 Armani - brought soft Italian tailoring to women's wear in the 80s.  "It is impossible to
overestimate the influence of Georgio Armani on late twentieth century fashion.  His
unstructured, beautifully made suits are high on the wish-lists of all sorts of women"
 Courreges - Associated with "space age" designs.
 Rudi Gernreich - Known for sport clothes and for such radical looks as a topless
swimsuit, see-through blouses and 'no-bra' bras in the 1960s.
 Halston - the quintessential 70s look.  soft layered effects, pantsuits or jumpsuits.
 Donna Karan - dresses women like herself.  Casual, soft looks; lots of knits.
 Calvin Klein - Klein's signature is immediately recognizable.  He has a spare, lean and
simple look that makes everything sexy and sophisticated in the subtlest of ways. Or
in Klein's own words: "My personal philosophy of style is simplicity. Minimalism to me
is the sexiest quality a man or  woman can posses."  He works in every fashion
category for men and women, including tailored clothing, home furnishings and
accessories.  He has made his name not only through designs that lead, rather than
follow the pack, but through a knack for promotion and especially his provocative
advertising campaigns, that tick some people off and titillate others, but in every case,
make you remember his name

 Karl Lagerfeld - took over Chanel line in 1982.

 Ralph Lauren - known for western looks, outdoor wear and use of natural fiber fabrics
 Mary Quant - Influential in the Mod styles of the 1960s.  Important for the mini-skirt
of the late 1960s.  Helped make London a fashion center in the 1960s
 Yves St. Laurent - originated many innovative styles, soft fluid looks, impeccable
couture styling, often uses ethnic inspirations.  Was at Dior before opening his own
house in 1962.  YSL "is the designer who most exactly defines the main thrust of
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fashion" & Surabhi
(Clancy, 1996, p. 160) in the early 80s.
 Economical Factors
 Asian Countries like India are emerging from recession. Younger age
group & more spending power, international brands are coming in
henceforth economy is strengthening.
 Spending power of people is increasing. Almost all graduates enroll
themselves in professional courses and position themselves in
respecting posts --- more disposable income
 When the economy is bad and conservatives are in office, people tend
to dress more severely. During periods of more liberal administrations,
and when the economy is doing well, fashion becomes more extreme,
more expensive, and more colorful. Hemlines rise and clothing
becomes more flamboyant and free-spirited eg:- recession time (sale)
lesser merchandise in stores, 9/11

 Changes in fashion help to keep the manufacturers, distributors and

retailers of clothing and footwear in business. It also provides work for
advertisers, models and various others. The media benefit from the
advertising revenue.

 Spending patterns is now going towards high fashion & luxury products,
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retailers and manufacturers working at margins between 100 to 200%
  The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in
the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression
varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929
and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s. It was the longest,
most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century, and is used
in the 21st century as an example of how far the world's economy can
decline. The Great Depression had devastating effects in virtually every
country, rich and poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices
dropped, and international trade plunged by half to two-thirds.
Unemployment in the United States rose to 25%, and in some countries
rose as high as 33%
 The "dot-com bubble" (or sometimes the "I.T. bubble”) was a
speculative bubble covering roughly 1998–2001 (during which stock
markets in Western nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth
in the more recent Internet sector and related fields.
 The period was marked by the founding of a group of new Internet-based
companies commonly referred to as dot-coms. Companies were seeing
their stock prices shoot up if they simply added an "e-" prefix to their name
and/or a ".com" to the end, which one author called "prefix investing".
 A combination of rapidly increasing stock prices, market confidence that
the companies would turn future profits, individual speculation in stocks,
and widely available venture capital created an environment in which
many investors were willing to overlook traditional metrics such as price to
earnings ratios in favor of confidence in technological advancements
 People in high spirits, spending patterns towards luxury products was the
call of the day, retailers and manufacturers working at margins between
100 to 200%

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 The bubble bursts
 Over 1999 and early 2000, the Federal Reserve had increased
interest rates six times, and the economy was beginning to lose
speed. The dot-com bubble burst, numerically, on March 10,
2000.
 People lost jobs, companies closed down and got liquidated…
people curbed their spending resulting on necessities

Current Recession 2008 – till date

 A recent Time magazine article alludes to the fact that, taking a
clue from the looming recessionary trends in the USA, designers
are sending more black garments down the runways. Actually
this trend seemed to start earlier this year with the showing of
very bright crayon-hued accessories from shoes to belts to
handbags to co-ordinate with the darker Fall/Winter 2008
garments being shown.
 Whenever the economic picture seems a bit uncertain, most
scale back on discretionary items and are reluctant to take on
any additional financial obligations.
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 Political Factors
 Political Events have always influence Fashion

 World War 1: After WW1 women wore shorter skirts and dresses. During
WW1 women worked in factories and it was dangerous to have long hair and
long dresses. Women working in factories had to cut their hair, and raise
hemlines. world war one affected fashion by money issues and based upon
how much time and labor someone had

 World War 2: Shorter skirts, swimming suits, work clothes, etc. Women
started to wear less clothing and skirts became shorter because it costed
less and money was tight in the 1940s. Work clothes turned into nothing
more than the army clothing soldiers wore in the war. Also, leather and T-
shirts became very popular in the 1940s

 Between the wars: The period between the two World Wars, often
considered to be the Golden Age of French fashion, was one of great change
and reformation. Carriages were replaced by cars, princes and princesses
lost their crowns, and haute couture found new clients in the ranks of film
actresses, American heiresses, and the wives and daughters of wealthy
industrialists.
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  Gandhi: The first true Indian designer was
Mahatma Gandhi when he urged the people of
India to wear khadi garments. It was not only a
call to create self reliance but a call to wear
something that could prove the unity of India.
Khadi was given a more important status by
Gandhi after his return from South Africa. While
in search of the charkha Gandhi felt that for a
nation to turn self-reliant, it had to return to
indigenous manufactured goods.

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 Mughal influence on Rajputs: The
Mughal women used to cover their faces
, this made a mark on the Rajput culture
where women enjoyed much freedom
before the invasion of mughal and
gradually the purdah system was
introduced all over.

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  The American flag is used prominently in
dresses where as most of the countries bar use
of national flag in clothes as respect toward the
national flag.

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 Technological Factors
 The most radical innovations will occur in the area
of "clever clothes.“

 New fabrics will take the lead, and fashion

designers will embrace the decorative and
functional potential of revolutionary materials.

 Fashion fabrics with integral anti-perspiring or

scent-releasing features will become ordinary.

 "Technologists will invent more multi-purpose

fabrics, accessories, and makeup and extend the
range of sensory and audio products to wear.
Computer-aided design will provide made-to-
measure garments for the mass market."

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  The fashion world of the recent past will still be
recognizable, however. "Youth will be in charge”.

 Pop music, videos, movies, television, and the

fashion press will still promote fashion's idols and
help to spark the latest fads.“

 There will be more sophisticated "virtual fashion"

websites to speed the dissemination of style ideas
worldwide.

 Despite access to online shopping, people will still

want the experience of trailing around the mall
looking for that perfect outfit.

 Working from the home in comfortable, informal

garments will be an option of many, but the subdued
suit and corporate image will retain their hold on
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Roopali workers' wardrobes
& Surabhi
 Sports Influence On Fashion
 Sportswear began as a separate category of clothing in
the early 20th century. Before this people had to adapt
their everyday fashion wear to the sports they were
playing. Sportswear in turn has had a major effect on
every day fashion. It is now difficult to tell whether
many items are intended for sports or fashion purposes,
so blurred is the line between the two.
 Brief History of the Influence of Sportswear 1960s-1990s
 In the 1960s sportswear began to enter the mainstream fashion
market. The tracksuit became a popular clothing item and this
continued into the 1970s with velour clothes that were
incorporated into disco fashion.

 Tracksuits tended to be bright and baggy and branded trainers,

particularly from Nike were very popular.

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  As sports were popular, it became fashionable to be
seen in sports clothes -- sportswear fashion Became a
part of main stream fashion

 Tennis fashion also became popular. The fitness craze

overtook America and many other countries throughout
the 1980s. This led to a sharp increase in sportswear
sales and consequently influenced the fashion of the
day.

 Sportswear tends to be well made by popular brands and this

signifies quality. Brand names such as Adidas were often
seen on the high street and became essential fashion
items for casual wear.
The technology used cost money to develop and investors and
companies can gain more profit by offering the technology to a
wider group of individuals. 

 Many sportswear brands such as Tommy Hilfiger were

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highly aspirational and seen as a status symbol and
 Today
 Sports clothing is particularly popular in hip hop fashion. It has become a feature of the urban street
scene in which it is used as a fashion statement and a lifestyle symbol rather than sporting clothing.

 These are examples of how sportswear and contemporary fashion are now collaborating together to
make quality fashionable garments. As both are inspired by the street scene and have a similar
shared history this tends to work extremely well. As well as sportswear incorporating fashion ranges,
contemporary fashion designers have used sportswear as an inspiration.

 Although brands still have collections designed exclusively for athletes and sports enthusiasts most
also have a fashion range available.

 Recently there has been growth in what is known as "luxury sportswear". These styles and designs
focus on both luxury and comfort and have been used by top designers who wish to add something
extra to their collections. Many fashion designers such as Stella McCartney now have their own
sportswear collection, in addition to this, sports players and specific sports have become inspiration
for sportswear lines. It is therefore difficult to impose a  

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 The Rise of the Cult of Celebrity
Sports Personalities
 In addition to this many well known celebrities began wearing sports clothes as
casual items, these increased the profile and popularity of sporting brands
 Today the main sports brands include Adidas, Reebok and Nike.
 All companies spend vast amounts on marketing and try to attract sports
personalities such as David Beckham who has participated in advertising for
Adidas.
 This is not a new concept, the major fashion brand Lacoste initially derived from
the 1930s tennis player Rene Lacoste's sense of style.
 However, the current popularity of the celebrity and the great interest in sport has
meant that many wish to imitate their favorite sports star's clothing and style .

 In summary, sportswear has had a profound influence on fashion over

the past fifty years. The comfort and excellent clothing technology that is
provided by sportswear has trickled down onto the high street and
influenced the fashion of the time. Sportswear has been particularly
popular on the urban scene and many fashion designers have been
influenced by the casual designs. Sportswear has become more
fashionable in recent years due to the cult of the celebrity, particularly
the interest in sports personalities and the celebrity endorsements used
by big brands.
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 Music

The connection between fashion and music

is one of everlasting glory.
Taking Londoners by storm in the early
1960s, fashion’s influence on music (and
vice versa), became something incredibly
meaningful and symbolic to a generation of
young revolutionary minds

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  Vivienne Westwood & Malcolm Mclaren dressed the Sex
Pistols early in the decade in ripped up t-shirts with safety pins and
bondage gear- which literally kick-started the “punk” fashion
aesthetic.
 Mary Quant invented the mini skirt and hot pant which every
hippy & freedom lover of the 60s adapted into their wardrobes.
 The bikini made it’s first appearance after being featured in the
musical Beach Party.
 Musicians started wearing psychedelic prints , while London
Modernist’s style became what is known as Mod- conjures up
preppy images of the early Beatles.
 Andre Courreges created the futuristic “space look” with white
boots & goggles.
 Brian Jones epitomised the look of a dandy with tailored velvet
suits, anoraks and flowing ensembles in bright colors.
 As the years go by there are more bonds formed between
designers & musicians: David Bowie and Kansai Yamamoto- who
designed his Space Oddity glam rock outfits
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 Good site: for extra reading

www.fashion-era.com/sports_fashion_until_1960

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