History of Costumes – A Case Study

A costume is a collection of clothes that evolved during a given period in history or from a specific country, according to fashion terminology. The clothing worn in prior eras pales in comparison to the ultra-modern attire worn now. We'll look at early man's attire and track humanity's progression via the fashion evolutionary process.

Each epoch in clothing history had its own distinct styles and trends. Continue reading to learn about the evolution of costumes.

History of costumes in ancient Egypt, Greek, and Rome  

The earliest costume styles may often be traced back to the period of the ancient Egyptians. Traditional Egyptian clothing was composed of linen, which was suitable for keeping cool in a tropical desert climate.

Retainers worked naked, or virtually naked, back then. The Egyptian men wore linen serape skirts. The women wore simple jacket-style clothing that had no fitting and frequently dropped to the waist. The Egyptians did not consider uncovered women's upper bodies to be filthy or obscene back then.

Apparel was simple and sometimes decorated with natural-colored textiles. Ornate collars, hats, irons, earrings, and rings crafted with extraordinary skill were worn by wealthy Egyptians. All of these embellishments contribute to make them more appealing in otherwise simple clothes. Even in this ancient time, it is evident that the show of luxury is an enormous factor, especially among the wealthy.

Costume design in ancient Greece and Rome was made up of draped pieces of fabric. Needles were primitive, rudimentary, cumbersome, and difficult to hold and use at the time. As a result, no extensive sewing was possible.

The customary clothing in ancient Greece and Rome was created by belting woven woollen cloths in colorful patterns. Long tunics, which were still in their early stages, were worn with a mantle, which was a big cloth garment that people wore over the tunic like a cloak. These garments resembled masks and were frequently kept in place by brooches or legs.

The Toga was a garment worn by the wealthiest and most distinguished members of the community in Rome. Women were not permitted to wear the Toga; instead, they wore the Stola, a sort of dress made of draped fabric that could be painted in various colors. The Stola worn by the Statue of Liberty is a classic example.

During this historical period, the Greeks and Romans saw clothing as a strong statement of social position. Typically, the style and color of a person's clothing differ according to their position and social standing. Ordinary Romans, for example, wore clothing composed of rough and coarse woven hair. Rich Romans, on the other hand, donned clothing made of luxury textiles such as finer hair, linen, or silk, painted in extravagant bright stripes. The purple stripes on the togas of Roman senators at the period distinguished them.

History of costumes in the medieval period

The divide between regulars and the wealthy grew even more visible during the medieval era through the garments they wore. Clothing became a strong indicator of one's social standing. The impoverished were unconcerned with fashion because they lacked the means to be worried about it. They dressed simply in garments they produced at home. The wealthy, on the other hand, could purchase various costly pieces of the time and even engage experienced tailors to construct more attractive apparel for them.

The focus of medieval attire was on comfort and usefulness. Basic tunic-style clothes were typical medieval apparel. Men wore their tunics with woven leggings or loose pants, whilst women wore their tunics as dressy garments with lower necklines and laced up at the waist. Outer clothes was washed infrequently, although undergarments were washed more frequently.

Armour was worn to battle by knights and warriors. The armour was a type of protective garment constructed of a primary chain mail that was interlocked in a sophisticated design by meticulously connecting small rings or loops together. This armour protected the wearer from sword slashing injuries.

However, because this armour was costly to produce, it was typically kept for exceptional knights and other important soldiers. To prevent restricted movement in battle, the armour had to be precisely fitted to the warrior. During the medieval time, this armour, along with the helmet and other ensembles, made a powerful fashion statement.

History of Costumes in the renaissance period

The Renaissance era lasted from the 14th to the 16th centuries. Thus, the age was one of expansion and cultural resurgence, particularly in the arts, architecture, literature, and other types of learning.

Clothing was extravagant throughout the Renaissance period. People dressed to wow others. In the Renaissance, costly and heavy fabrics were utilized to construct clothes for fashion. As fashion styles were used to make a grandiose statement, clothing garments were large, exaggerated, and extravagant. Typical costumes included puffs near the head, shoulders, and even the thighs.

Jerkins, a sort of leather or velvet jacket, were worn by men. These jerkins were paired with tights, full-length trunks, or nether-hose, which was a form of hose kept up by garters below the knee. The crotch of these men's tights was fully open, which was subsequently covered with a codpiece, a pouch-like piece that covered the front of the pants. This codpiece was the outfit's focal feature. It was frequently adorned and sometimes cushioned to attract attention.

Women wore sheer volume in the Renaissance period, with severe corsets that highlighted tiny waists and flattened the bust. Women's gowns from this era had a high waist, massive puffy sleeves, exaggerated shoulders, and a massive skirt with several volumes. Depending on one's riches, heavy brocades, velvet, silk, furs, and taffetas were used to make these costumes. These textiles made the clothing extraordinarily weighty in general.

People of this era also wore ruffs, which were simple ruffles fastened to the neckline of a dress's bodice. It gradually evolved into elaborate separate garments worn on dresses. It was cut, carefully starched, and pressed to create crisp, exact folds before being elaborately embroidered or lined with lace. Although the ruff was fairly excessive, it was appropriate for the age because fashion was all about flamboyant excesses.

History of costumes in the 17th and 18th century

Dresses began to lose their lavish excesses as the 17th century advanced. Women's dresses began to have a sleeker form than they had previously. Skirts were still full, but the volume had been reduced somewhat. The stiff style of the Renaissance period was replaced with natural-looking silhouettes that were softer and more attractive.

The ruff fell out of favor as fashion moved its emphasis from flamboyant excesses to comfort and simplicity. Women displayed their arms publicly for the first time in history when short sleeves became popular. As an undergarment, women wore a linen shift. Dress bodices and skirts were fashioned in separate parts.

Men's doublets, jacket-style garments with or without sleeves, were lengthened to form waistcoats. On this waistcoat, a frock coat was frequently worn. Men abandoned their traditional thigh-high tights in favor of breeches. This look is reminiscent of the three-piece suit that is popular nowadays.

Another distinguishing feature of this era's outfit was the use of white wigs. White wigs were used to identify high-ranking members of society. Men shaved their heads and wore white wigs. Women, on the other hand, extensively powdered their hair to obtain the white wig effect. Wigs developed as well, from being stretched, free, and flowing to being held back at the nape with ribbons.

Women's hairstyles, particularly the pompadour, were designed to reach dizzying heights. Women had their hair styled extravagantly in order to have it as high as possible. These massive hairstyles were connected with the French royalty and were embellished with embellishments.

History of costumes in the 19th century

Men's clothes progressed from knee-length breeches to full-length trousers during the nineteenth century. Waistcoats and coats were still popular, but only for formal events. Men's formal attire included a dignified top hat and a cravat.

The employment of corset-pinched waistlines in the bodice of women's garments defined costume fashion in the nineteenth century. These gowns emphasized small waists, which led to voluminous skirts. As formal dress, men began to wear three-piece suits with waistcoats and outer coats.

As fashion became more industrialized, more women were brought into the textile workforce due to the necessity for less expensive and mass production of materials and clothes. This industrialization met the market's desire for low-cost ready-to-wear apparel. A common feature of costume dress was a high-standing collar and broad cone-shaped skirts that were wide at the bottom. Men's apparel transitioned from elaborately and colorfully made three-piece suits to darker hues.

History of costumes in the 20th century 

Corsets were popular again in the early 1900s. Women's clothing emphasized an hourglass body with slim waistlines attained with corsets, leading to voluminous skirts that gave the breasts an almost conical shape. The "Gibson girl" look quickly became fashionable, as women wore attire influenced by men's outfits. Suits, shirts, and ties were incorporated into female-appropriate attire by clothing designers. Lighter fabrics and more comfy clothing styles were also popular.

Headdresses have become an important aspect of fashion. Distinguished men wore top headdresses, while the middle and lower classes wore bowler headdresses and a basic cloth cap.

Women dropped the corset in the 1920s to obtain a boyish look in the history of clothing. They wore slip-on dresses with low hemlines, minimized their busts to attain a flat-chest effect, and bobs were the haircut of choice.

The former fashion trend was supplanted by more conservative styles in the 1930s. Women's costumes with hemlines reaching the knees grew more popular, and figure-hugging garments that emphasized the feminine look rather than the boyish aspect of the previous decade were common. Clothing trends were modest in the 1940s, and shorter hemlines that went over the knees were popular since there was a limit to how much fabric could be utilized on one outfit.

In the 1950s, women's fashion featured broad shoulders with full knee-length skirts and short boxy jackets with pencil-style skirts. Circle skirts were also fashionable in the 1950s, combined with short collared blouses that buttoned up the front and cardigan-style sweaters with a simple neckline.

Men began wearing cardigan sweaters in the 1950s. Men's trousers became narrower, and jackets became less structured. James Dean, a music icon, made wearing a white shirt and trousers a huge fashion statement at the time. Elvis Presley popularized the wearing of blue suede shoes.

Costume trend went a little out of control in the 1960s. Women's hemlines ranged from short mini skirts and dresses to maxi dresses, with wild designs, colors, genderless sandals, and tie-dye clothing becoming popular.

Bell-bottomed pants and platform shoes were fashionable 1970s costume accessories. John Travolta greatly popularised the wearing of the three-piece suit after wearing one in the classic movie Saturday Night Fever.

Grunge artists mostly influenced costume fashion in the 1980s and 1990s. The grunge fashion trend began in the 1980s and continued through the 1990s.

Final thoughts

The history of clothes will not be forgotten. It will continue to progress. Trying to improve and spice up our dressing is unavoidable as long as we wear clothes. Costume design will certainly continue to evolve as new styles, accessories, and trends replace the old. This essay should have shown you how costume fashion has evolved over the centuries.