Fashion History

Dictionary entry

1. Fashion Plate 1770s–1930s / Technique

   The illustrated medium that delivered the latest fashion in hand-colored prints, the ancestor of the magazine, the illustration and the style drawing.

2. Dandyism 1790s– / Style

   The aesthetic that makes a work of the self through tailoring, cleanliness and restraint — origin of the plain suit and of self-assertion through dress.

3. Rational Dress 1850s–1900s / Style

   The reform movement that refused the corset and the trailing skirt, redesigning dress from health and freedom of movement — functionalism in clothing.

4. Flapper 1920s / Style

   The 1920s figure who made bodily liberation visible in straight silhouettes, short hems and bobbed hair — wearing the same spirit as Art Deco geometry.

5. New Look 1947–1950s / Style

   Revived the curve against wartime utility — cinched waists and long, fabric-rich skirts — opening the golden age of postwar couture.

6. Space Age Fashion 1960s / Style

   Translated space-race optimism into material experiment — metal, plastic and geometric cuts presenting the body as a future artifact, the 1960s couture avant-garde.

Back to index position