Fashion from the early 2000s has slowly been seeping its way into our consciousness throughout the past year with nostalgic sightings sprouting up intermittently on runways and our favorite style icons. From Kendall Jenner’s silver sequin plunging halter dress to Chrissy Teigen’s chain hip belt to Vetements’ reworked Juicy Couture tracksuits — it was only a matter of time before someone busted out the most controversial of them all: low-rise jeans.

That’s right, just when we finally found our rhythm with the wonderfully feminine and flattering high-rise waistline, the denim style made famous by cardio-loving pop stars like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Gwen Stefani and Jessica Simpson is headed for a resurgence. Are we really ready for the return of the visible butt crack, muffin tops and peekaboo thong strings?

[ The Carrie Bradshaw-Approved Going-Out Top Is Back ]

Yes, low-rider jeans are happening and they’re happening all around you. They’re happening on the runways of Balenciaga, Rodarte, Proenza Schouler, Alexander McQueen and Roberto Cavalli (obviously). They’re happening on all the supermodels, including the Hadids, Emily Ratajkowski, Gisele Bündchen, Lily Aldridge, Kendall and Karlie Kloss. They’re also happening on revered style icons Rihanna and Victoria Beckham. So they’re happening, OK? You’ve been fully warned.

The silver lining to the low-rise jean reemergence is that we don’t need to relive them as we did the first time around. We can pair them with a stylish oversized T-shirt or, better yet, pair them with the über popular bodysuit. And this is why, despite our shared apprehension of this trend, we will undoubtedly give low-rise jeans another shot. Maybe.

While you ponder whether you’re willing to take the plunge into hip bone-baring denim, take a look through some of the notorious low-rise jeans moments ever.

[ Next: Don’t Call It Tacky: The Return of 2000s-Era Denim ]

The post A Look Back at Fashion’s Most Notorious Low-Rise Jeans Moments appeared first on theFashionSpot.

[ Next: Iconic Models From the Year You Were Born ]

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Far more fun than the cakey, unsettling 100-layers-of-makeup videos taking the beauty blogosphere by storm is the occasional 100-years-of-(insert fashion category here) retrospective that allows us to look back on trends old, newer and newest and reflect on the ways in which fashion evolves and often repeats itself.

Swimwear, for instance, has come a long way since the all-concealing costumes women wore at the turn of the 20th century. To illustrate this fact, Mode made a video (which debuted on Elle) showcasing 100 years of swimsuits, from 1916 to the present. Rather than simply trying on retro and current beachwear, Mode’s eternally patient and well-postured leading lady rocks the pantsuits of the 1910s, the yellow polka dot bikinis of the 1960s, the bondage-inspired bikinis of today and more iconic styles…in body paint.

Each look took expert painter Allison Pynn and Mode’s team of hair and makeup artists between 60 and 90 minutes to create, making the video an over ten-hour-long labor of sartorial love. Of course, this being the Internet, the endeavor has been distilled into a brisk three-minute spot for your viewing pleasure.

See all the swimsuit transformations in the video above and, yes, you will need to repress the urge to flee your desk and jaunt over to the nearest body of water, chlorinated or no. But take heart, it’s already humpday.

The post Watch: 100 Years of Swimsuit Styles in 3 Minutes — Using Body Paint appeared first on theFashionSpot.

Now that the Met Gala talk has cooled off, it’s time to focus on what the occasion was really about. Held to raise money for the Met’s fashion department, this year’s ball also celebrated the opening of the museum’s latest exhibition: Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. More about the subtle techniques and technologies hidden in today’s designs than outright robots, Manus x Machina explores the relationship between man and machine. Since 2016 isn’t the first year designers have innovated with technology, here’s a countdown of the top moments in fashion tech history.

The post 8 Unforgettable Fashion Tech Moments in History appeared first on theFashionSpot.

Fashion is often seen as the icing on the cake, the adornment to our pre-existing lives, but fashion is so much more than embellishment. Fashion reflects and informs our society’s culture. It is our aspirations, our conformity, our individuality, our politics and so much more.

Nothing demonstrates the mirroring of society through fashion more than the miniskirt. The evolution of the miniskirt is a tale of post-wartime austerity, sexual liberation and youth rebellion.

 

@ollie_henderson today at #MBFWA // #STARTTHERIOT

A photo posted by Jess Rodgers (@jessxtwo) on Apr 9, 2014 at 2:34am PDT

Although there were allusions to the miniskirt in 5400-4700 B.C, in contemporary fashion, the mini skirt first came to life in the 60s on the streets of London with Dame Mary Quant (although this is debated as Parisian designer André Courrèges developed his futurist short skirts at the same time).

Mary designed clothes for young women of the day, claiming that the miniskirt was for functionality, something you could move in. It also was the sprit of the time. “A miniskirt was a way of rebelling,” Mary said.

Mary Quant in 1965, Photo: Getty

But to truly see why the mini skirt was so rebellious and liberating in its time we must look outside of fashion to discover what the youth of the 60s found so restricting. So allow me to briefly run over the socio-political landscape of the pre-mini era and how this relates to fashion and the development of everyone’s summertime favourite, the miniskirt.

1939-1945

1940, Photo: Getty

World War II wartime caused shortages of everything from iron to nylon. The government imposed restrictions on clothing manufacturing and purchases. Men could no longer have double-breasted suits, the only elastic available was for women’s undergarments and skirt hems rose to knee length in order to use less fabric.

Women were also entering the work force whilst the men were away; this required clothing to be more practical. Women’s fashion was simple, unfeminine and utilitarian.

1945-47

Post Wartime debt and post war inflation were big on people’s minds, this made the post war fashion quite modest.

1947-49

Dior dress in 1947, Photo: Getty

Clothing restriction ended the resurgence of Haute Couture after the austerity of war had begun. As Parisian fashion houses reopened we saw the birth of Christian Dior’s famous ‘New Look’ in February 1947. The skirt hung just below the calf and was fitted at the waist. ‘New Look’ rejected the masculine look of wartime and brought us a soft, flowing femininity.

Early – Mid 1950s

Economy boom leads to mass consumerism. With the men of war returning and getting back to work, many women returned to the home to have children, leading to what we now call the “baby boom”. The economy was thriving and new marketing strategies from the fashion industry were developed to keep it that way.

They were aimed specifically at women, aka the bored housewives who did the shopping. With these new marketing strategies, women were told how to dress, to impress their man, or how to get one. Life without a husband in the 50s was scary, you were cast out from society and branded marketing told you how to avoid this.

Photo: Getty

This also led to limited diversity in fashion as women became afraid to break the mould. The combination of cheaper synthetic fabrics being developed, the desire for a more lavish lifestyle out of post wartime austerity and socially enforced conformity lead to the 50s fashion we all know – excessive fabric in big puffy skirts, feminine shapes in bright and bold colours and most of all uniformity.

Late 50s — Youth Rebellion Building

Out of all restrictive societies comes rebellion. Women were tired of conforming in their new lives, and the youth, who had mostly lived their lives in post war safety and abundance, couldn’t understand their parents’ strict moral attitudes. We start to see new styles coming out in the form of pedal pushers, leather jackets and the rebellious greaser style.

1960s — Sexual Revolution

Twiggy wearing a miniskirt in France, 1966, Photo: Getty

The time of social restlessness is prime for new ideals to form. “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan was released in 1963, discussing the many concerns of women’s restrictive lives, along with the 1962 release of Helen Gurley Brown’s “Sex and the Single Girl” . Feminist literature started the Second Wave Feminist movement.

This along with developments in pharmacology leading to the first oral contraceptive, “The Pill”, found new freedoms never before experienced by women. This new celebration of women’s independence and sexual liberation was expressed through their clothing.

No longer would women be restricted with corsets and weighed down with cumbersome gown-like skirts. The new fashion was wide in the waist, movable, individual and sexy. We bring you the era of the miniskirt.

“It was in the air — a mini-skirt was a way of rebelling. It stood for sensuality and sex. Wearing one was a surefire way of upsetting your parents,” observed Laurent Cotta, a fashion historian. The mini skirt was a reaction to wartime, to pharmaceutical development, a response to authors and academics and a cry out of youth rebellion.

 

We have new stock coming very soon The lovely @ollie_henderson wears Jesh buckle top Shot by @kittycallaghan styled by @jodienatalina #jeshcreative #olliehenderson #kittycallaghan #jodienatalina

A photo posted by @jeshcreative on Jul 23, 2014 at 5:08pm PDT

The sexual revolution wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the conformity of the consumer market of the 50s as a response to the austerity born from wartime.

Yes, Mary may have presented it to the masses, but the world was asking for it. Fashion is not only a reaction to itself, searching for the next new season style, but also an inevitable reaction to the zeitgeist.

I think Mary Quant said it best herself. “Fashion is not frivolous. It is a part of being alive today.”

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Believe it or not, there was a time in the history of makeup when contouring was not a thing. I know, I know: what did they do instead? Well, according to makeup artist and Face Paint: The Story of Makeup author Lisa Eldridge, that answer varied over time. Eldridge takes us through 5,000 years of makeup in 7 minutes, shedding light on how culture informed the reigning beauty trends of each era. 

In early Egyptian society, makeup was experimental and worn daily by men and women of all classes. Obvious makeup was frowned upon in the classic Greek period (a woman’s main role was to be virtuous and stay in the house) so they wore a light dusting of white powder on the skin, a hint of color on cheeks and defined unibrows. Heavy blush distinguished the aristocracy from the middle class in the mid-18th century and flappers at the close of the 19th century preferred dark eyes and small rosebud mouths.

Women’s empowerment in the 20th century gave us the freedom to experiment with makeup as we see fit and helped usher in today’s YouTube guru culture. Contouring doesn’t make the cut (that’s totally 21st century!) but we do see flashes of 60s mod, 80s neon and 90s grunge as Lisa takes us through the remaining decades.

Watch Lisa model 5,000 years of makeup trends in her video above.

[via hellogiggles]

The post Watch: Makeup Artist Lisa Eldridge Demonstrates History’s Best and Worst Makeup Trends appeared first on theFashionSpot.

For example, a handful of the 20th century’s most legendary designers were closely tied to Naziism. In some cases, this is a byproduct of the historical circumstances: During the Nazi occupation of France, which began in 1940, designers were forced either to collaborate with the Nazis (who saw immense value in the French fashion industry, and even considered relocating it to Vienna or Berlin) or close their doors*. Although it’s understandable that some didn’t have the courage to resist Nazi occupiers, others went out of their way to embrace the regime. 

Below, we’ve assembled a list of five big-name designers with ties to the Nazi party:

Coco Chanel

Published in 2011, Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel’s Secret War exposes Coco Chanel‘s activities as a spy for the Third Reich. The New York Times review of the book opened thusly: 

“Gabrielle Chanel — better known as Coco — was a wretched human being. Anti-Semitic, homophobic, social climbing, opportunistic, ridiculously snobbish and given to sins of phrase-making like ‘If blonde, use blue perfume,’ she was addicted to morphine and actively collaborated with the Germans during the Nazi occupation of Paris.”

Cristobal Balenciaga 

Some suspect that Balenciaga’s success in Nazi-occupied Paris had something to do with the designer’s close relationship with Hitler’s ally, General Franco. According to Stitched Up by Tansy E. Hoskins, Balenciaga designed many dresses for Franco’s wife prior to the start of the war and, decades later, even came out of retirement to create a wedding gown for the fascist leader’s granddaughter.

However, he stood up to Hitler when asked to relocate the French fashion industry to Berlin: According to the designer himself, “Hitler wanted to transfer the French couture to Berlin. He sent six enormous Germans to see me … to talk about it. I said that he might just as well take all the bulls to Berlin and try and train the bullfighters there.”

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton: A French Saga reveals that the leather goods house had strong ties to the Vichy regime in Nazi-occupied France. Louis Vuitton was the only brand allowed to operate a store on the ground floor of Hotel du Parc, which was used as the premises for France’s puppet government, led by Marshal Philippe Pétain. According to The Guardian, the luxury brand also produced items “glorifying Pétain, including more than 2,500 busts, a fact not mentioned in any of its business records.” 

The family’s eldest son, Henry, was a regular at a popular Gestapo cafe, and “was one of the first Frenchmen to be decorated by the Nazi-backed government for his loyalty and his efforts for the regime.”

Christian Dior

Although Christian Dior never professed Nazi sympathies, as an employee of Lucien LeLong during the occupation, he dressed a a clientele of wives and mistresses of high-ranking Nazi officers. Although his niece, Françoise, was vocal about her Nazi views, his sister Catherine (the Miss Dior), was a member of the Resistance.

Hugo Boss

The German designer joined the Nazi party in 1931 (Hitler came to power in 1933) and created the uniforms worn by the Hitler Youth. The company also used forced labor from Nazi prisoners in its factories. In 2011, the company issued a formal apology about its activities during the Second World War. 

[Hat tip: Stitched Up: The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion]

*For more about this, read Fifty Years of Fashion: New Look to Now, by Valerie Steele. 

The post #TBT? Five Big-Name Fashion Designers Who Had Ties to the Nazis appeared first on theFashionSpot.

Gossypium hirsutum is the Latin name for the Upland Cotton Plant.

After it was discovered growing in a multitude of places all over the world, cotton has been at the center of wars and political movements several times in the past 150 years, large and small scale. It is nearly impossible to calculate the toll that it has taken on human lives and the environment since 1800. 

The “Free Produce Movement,” created in 1827 by the Quakers, is an interesting example of a growing awareness of ethical consciousness regarding the production of cotton: it had actually made a case for an all-encompassing boycott of slave-produced cotton. In lieu of this, dry goods stores along the Eastern seaboard of North America sold cotton that had been grown in North Carolina, without the stain of slave labor attached to it. This is an early example of principals taking precedence in the dialogue of cotton and ethics. 

The legacy of cotton development in India lasts to this day. Because of the great demand for cotton during and after the American Civil War as well as the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, the growth of cotton production and exportation in India grew by 700%. As of 2009, India was second in both overall production and exports of cotton.

The influences of cotton in India are not just agricultural, however; the mercantile nature of the British Empire meant that all cotton produced in India was to be sent to Great Britain, the cloth being sold back to the Indians by British mills. In fact, in protest of this policy, Mahatma Gandhi would spin his own yarn and weave his own cloth, a practice that was quickly deemed illegal.

The continuous controversies surrounding cotton throughout history and across continents and cultures to this day draw many connections to fashion and our industry today. Whether the example is the American Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, or even the Indian Revolution, it is not a reach to surmise that cotton production has always held deep roots with regard to ethics: it could create enormous fortunes, but in tandem with this, great suffering was also experienced.

I am including an interview with Dr. James Vreeland, who rediscovered color-grown cotton growing in Peru in the 1970s. He continues to educate the world as to the many aspects of this noble fiber, and some of his knowledge can be found below:

John Patrick: How old is cotton exactly?
James Vreeland: At least 5,000 years old, and getting older with new finds.

JP: Where was cotton first discovered?
JV: Peru.

JP: What is the rarest cotton in the world?
JV: Mauve-colored cotton.

JP: How many varieties of cotton exist?
JV: Four species, hundreds of varieties.

JP: When you “discovered” color-grown cotton, what did you think?
JV: Tremendous future for the past.

JP: In your opinion, who “owns” the cotton seed and plants?
JV: Those that grow them.

JP: Have you ever met a cotton seed thief?
JV: No, but they exist. The USDA stole Egyptian cotton seeds a hundred years or so ago.

JP: Will genetically-modified cotton take over the world?
JV: No.

JP: What is the future of cotton?
JV: Brilliant.

The post A Brief History of Cotton: How Much Do You Know About the World’s Most Popular Fabric? appeared first on theFashionSpot.

Here’s some of the work of Clementina Maude, Viscountess Hawarden, an amateur 1860s Kensington-based photographer who turned her camera gelatin dry plate on her two daughters and their voluminous crinoline frocks. 

Even though her ambition was broader than just showcasing the fashions of her day (she belonged to the Photographic Society of London and Lewis Carroll counted himself among her admirers), the romantic mood of the pictures, dramatic way she posed her models and her attention to the way fabric drapes and crinkles and moves makes this work as proto-fashion editorial as it gets. (Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione, was staging similar photographs with herself as the model around the same time in Italy.)

Anyway, enjoy the pictures. And thanks to tFS Forum user quinten for leading me to them. For more context and a really convincing argument for what makes Clementina Maude’s work fashion photography, I really recommend this post by librarian Dave Walker at the Kensington Library. 

Images via RBKC Library Blog

Related:

• Beauty Ideals Through the Ages
• Evolution of the Manicure: Winning Hearts and Fingertips Since 5,000 BC

The post Here’s Some of the Earliest Known Fashion Photography appeared first on theFashionSpot.

5,000 BC – 3,000 BC

Rumor has it, Indian women used henna to dye their nails as far back as 5,000 BC, while over in Babylonia in 4,000 BC, they used solid gold tools to get the perfect mani.

Not to be outdone, in 3,000 BC, the Chinese decided to invent their own “stain”: a complex mixture of beeswax, gelatin, egg whites, gum Arabic, and flower petals that took forever to dry and also designated social status. Apparently, red and black colors ruled the land.

1300 BC – 1^st Century BC

Queen Nefertiti and Cleopatra of ancient Egypt can be accredited with making red nails as popular as they are today. Back then, however, the rich and powerful were only allowed to don this color. The rest of the population was confined to pale shades.

600 BC

All that glitters was definitely gold (and silver) for the Chinese during this time period. Supposedly, the longer the nails, the higher up a woman was in social status.

1500s

Psh, and you thought nail art was a new trend!? The Incans were reportedly prettying up their nails with images of eagles long before we were ever blinging out ours. 

Early 1900s

Much later in the early 1900s (approximately) porcelain nails were introduced, says celebrity manicurist and Director of Education for Dashing Diva, Pattie Yankee. “These nails had to be sized for a woman’s fingers, then hand made. They were extremely expensive and were glued on and taken off. They could be reused as well, as a full set could cost around $600!”

1920s

Drawing inspiration from car paint (yep, you read that right!), the first nail lacquer was born. “Basic colors were popular originally, such as reds,” notes Pattie. The moon manicure was also all the rage at this time.

1930s

In 1932, Revlon launched a groundbreaking new polish that used pigments instead of dyes to color the nails. By 1937, they were selling the opaque shades in drugstores and department stores, and by 1940 they had developed an entire manicure line.

1950s

As the years progressed, acrylics became the most in demand service to “enhance” your nails. The first acrylics originated from dental products (basically the same substances that dental crowns were made from), explains Pattie. “Several manicurists even got their products from dentists to use. This was soon deemed too dangerous to apply to nails, so safe/professional acrylic products were developed.” Of course, red nails with red lips continued to be in vogue.

1960s

Focus shifted away from red nails in the 60s as pretty pastel shades came onto the scene and dominated hands throughout this decade.

1970s

Eventually, colors evolved to the full spectrum, such as various reds, oranges, and eventually the French manicure style polish, says Pattie. “The shape changed from almond shaped to more square nails around the mid 70s through to the 90s, and French manicures became extremely fashionable.”

1980s

In the 80s creativity abounded and women went wild with nail art. “This included multiple polish color applications to one nail, airbrushing, hand painting, embellishments, feathers, foil art, bright shades of pink, neon hues, real gold nails, and nail charms,” details Pattie. “Just about anything was experimented with to create designs. Longer lengths were in and very square shapes. Various products were introduced to enhance the nails and their length, to include gels, tips, ‘organic’ nail powders and advanced types of acrylic blends.” 

1990s

According to Pattie, after the run of nail art, consumers became more aware of their nail ‘health’ and products advanced in this direction. “Late 90s to early 2000, natural nails became popular again.” Black also had its heyday with the grunge crowd.

00s

Into the 2000s, nail polish colors evolved to every and all shades, notes Pattie, and within the last 18 months, nail art has arisen again with a vengeance. “Various gel products and gel polishes were introduced, 3-D nail art, glitter, and Japanese style art are now seen on all types and classes of women. The shape has also gone back to the original almond shape and even to a more dramatic stiletto shaped nail,” she says. 

Now

Recently, the evolution of nail appliqués has become the biggest trend, says Pattie. “The first appliqués were introduced by the Minx brand in 2007, and now Dashing Diva is the innovator in the field, offering appliqués with embellishments to make producing the popular 3-D art styles a breeze for anyone.” Gel polishes are also trendy, although removal is difficult, she notes. “Our Colorfx appliqués duplicate the look of gel polish without the harsh removal.”

The Future of Manicures

So where are manicures headed in the future? Pattie thinks nail art will advance further to rebirth the gold nails and charms of the 80s. “Manicures will then go back to short and natural as the country becomes more environmentally and health conscious,” she predicts.

What do you think the future of nails holds? 

images: IMAXtree, Dashing Diva

The post Evolution of the Manicure: Winning Hearts and Fingertips Since 5,000 BC appeared first on theFashionSpot.