Summary of lectures 1 - MKDA Fashion History and Theory
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Course
L_AABAMKD216
Institution
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)
This document is a summary of all of the key events that occurred in fashion from Lecture 1 to Lecture 10. The material is color coded into the following sections:
Yellow: Gender
Red: Cultural Exchange
Green: Economic / political policies
Purple: Technological Advances
This document can b...
Ancient Greece (800BC - 146BC)
- Garments were very expensive + precious, mainly produced at home
- Making the fabric was an extensive project, could be dyed in many colours
- Wool + linen most prevalent fabrics (no cotton)
- Multipurpose + unisex
- Dresses didn’t really change during Ancient Greece
- Nudity = part of the culture (men would exercise naked)
Ancient Rome (753 BC–476 CE)
- Made use of sewing, cutting and wool
- Nudity no longer as accepted as in Ancient Greece
- Clothes were dyed purple using snails (different snail species = different shades of purple)
- Gender influenced names of garments worn
Middle Ages 500-1300
➔ Garments conformed to the anatomy of the human body.
➔ Illustrated Manuscripts, like Bayeux tapestries, depicted contemporary dress.
➔ Fusion of traditional dresses from ancient Rome and Barbarian dress traditions.
➔ Introduction of luxury products from Turkey and Greece to Europe.
➔ Continuation of the ancient Roman tradition of emperors wearing purple.
➔ Advancements in sewing and pattern-making knowledge.
➔ Emergence of fitted cotte and surcotte with long sleeves, featuring wide openings.
➔ Trend of men sporting long hair.
➔ Church influenced norms of dress for both genders.
➔ Knights wore intricately designed cloaks.
➔ Disproportionately long sleeves symbolized respect.
➔ Fashion dynamics and diversity began to emerge, offering choices in attire.
Jacques Esterel, unisex gown ‘sumérienne’ 1970, inspired by
mesotopian statue.
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Early Middle Ages as beginning of ‘fashion industry’ 1100-1300
➔ Birth of the fashion industry during this period.
➔ Wool and cloth industry innovations, enable the cutting of luxurious fabrics.
➔ Refined garments accessible to a growing wealthy demographic.
➔ Aristocratic consumption patterns developed.
➔ Novelty for distinction became a prominent goal.
➔ Internationalization of luxury goods market through fairs and trade routes.
Late Middle Ages (1300 – 1500)
➔ Rising popularity of exotic fabrics like silk and cotton.
➔ Influence of military costume on everyday clothing.
➔ Innovations in pattern making continued to evolve.
Gender codes in Fashion during Middle Ages
“The women shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for
all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God“ Deuteronomy 22:5
➔ - Resulted in criminalization of trans identity through church
➔ - Because church and state were one, they could criminalize it
➔ In 1429, when she left Vaucouleurs to meet the Dauphin at Chinon, Joan of Arc wore 'men's clothes'. She
wore the doublet, hose and coif until the end of her trial in 1431. The judges felt offended by her attire.
When questioned about this, she replied that 'clothing is only a small thing' and that 'God approved her
behaviour’. In prison, she wore women's clothes but returned to her men's clothes. She claimed that she
preferred men's clothes to women's clothes. Subsequently, she was deemed to have relapsed and was
executed.
Alok Vaid-Menon (GENDER)
ALOK (they/them) is an internationally acclaimed gender non-conforming writer, performer, and public speaker. As
a mixed-media artist their work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition. They are the
author of Femme in Public (2017) and Beyond the Gender Binary (2020). They are the creator of
#DeGendorFashion: a movement to degender fashion and beauty industries and have been honored as one of
HuffPo's Culture Shifters, NBC's Pride 50, and Business Insider's Doers. Over the past decade they have
presented at more than 500 venues in 40 countries.
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LECTURE 3 - Elegance
Time period: 16th century (1500-1600)
Cone-shaped skirts:
- Renaissance fashion featured cone-shaped skirts.
- Skirt shape not determined by anatomy (Middle Ages) or fabric (Ancient Rome/Greece).
- Added volume underneath skirts for a distinctive look.
Abstract forms and geometry:
- Abstract forms in fashion during the Renaissance.
- Embraced geometry with inverted cone at the top and cone at the bottom.
- Aimed to achieve ideal geometric figures, closely mirroring the body shape.
Influence and international connections:
- Royal courts of different countries influenced each other.
- Central political figures included Henry VIII, French and Spanish kings, and Holy Roman Emperor (Charles I).
- German and Spanish fashion dominated the first and second halves, respectively.
National styles and trend leaders:
- Recognizable national styles in European fashion.
- Some countries, like France, Spain, and Germany, were trend leaders.
- Political and moral factors influenced 16th-century fashion evolution and the concept of elegance.
Renaissance impact on fashion:
- Renaissance era marked by a fusion of art and culture.
- Portraits offer insights into opulent styles of the elite.
- Fashion evolution tied to politics and morals, shaping the concept of elegance.
MEN’S FASHION
1500–1515 (Transition period)
1515–1550 (German Influence)
Wider Fashion Trends (1550s):
- Influenced by German fashion, emphasizing virility and the importance of men occupying space
- Popularization of straight-cut short hairstyles.
- Uniform of Swiss and German soldiers (landsknecht) featured multicoloured fabrics and intricate cuts, slashes,
panes, and layers.
- Short, almost "short-short," hairstyles gained prominence from the 1530s onward.
1550-1600 (Spanish Influence)
The Colour Black in Fashion:
- Adopted as a norm, particularly associated with the Spanish monarchy.
- Symbolized elegance and power.
- Difficult to achieve, similar to the rarity of purple in ancient Rome.
- It had a tendency to age quickly, revealing wear over time.
- Colonial commerce facilitated the rapid dissemination of black attire.
- Alternative dyeing techniques were discovered, notably in Mexico, by boiling red logwood chips
WOMEN’S FASHION
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