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98501065 Sophia Chen
Professor Michael Cheng
Writing and Reading (II)
2010/10/19
Fashion
When 1960s, bell-bottomed jeans were hot. From 8 to 80, every one’s closet
must collect one. As time wheels on to 1970s, people fell in love with Punk. The
punker you were, the more rebellious you were and thus you’re cooler. As time ticked
away to 1980s, shoulder-pads gained a great vogue. It’s not a big deal for people
padded their shoulders like King-Kong walking on the street. As examples indicate,
fashion is always flowing, changing and never stilling. You can never foretell what is
going to catch on. So what do people wear and how is their taste before modern times?
Let’s trace back to times before 20th century. Before modern times, the sources or
inspiration of fashion were mainly from the Court, the exotic style from foreign land
and sometimes the ordinary equipment would turn out to be fashionable item
overnight.
In modern times, every individual gets the right to show personality and taste on
his outfit and chase after fashion, but 3-400 years ago, only the rich and leisure
noblemen get privilege to be hipsters. To public, clothes is only coverings for the
body－totally practical. Clothes is not adornment and far away from “styles”. Besides,
only making a new piece of clothes would cost both villagers and townspeople
bloodily. Yet, to noblemen, custom (which is more than clothes) is a way to show off
wealth and well lineage. One’s social rank can be recognized by the fabric he used,
the delicacy of embroidery and how prestigious the tailor he hired. That is, fashion is
also a method of displaying social ranks. Therefore, the role model of fashion
undoubtedly is the most dominant and rich person－the emperor, of course. The
Court’s taste was on the cutting edge. Every one of the upper class mimicked the
Court. For instance, in the early 1700s, Louis XIV (The Sun King) would often wear
intricate heels adorned with fighting scenes. The king even ordered that only nobility
can wear red heeled shoes and no others’ shoes can be high than his. During this
period, high-heeled shoes along with Rococo style prevailed. It became almost a
miracle to see one’s feet were right on the floor. The heel even reached the height of
four inches just because Louis XIV was obsessed with the image of femininity. High
heeled shoe rides on the peak and never falls down but it’s only being opposed a little
while in French Revolution.
In addition to seek vogue from the Court, exotic imports are also the inspiration
for fashion. First-ever styles from foreign land can always invoke people’s fashion
gene. The fashion in the Tang Dynasty of China (618-907) showed a good instance of
how influential the Silk Road is. Female at that time exposed their upper breast like
wearing corset without additional coverings. Since it takes a lot of their life for
nomads to ride on horse, it would be inconvenient for women to nurse children with
breast covered well. Thus, the nomads’ women would lower down the neckline so that
they can breast baby easily. Chinese were stunned by such view and appreciated this
openness. Female imitated them as a showing of pride on their female body. It is a
time that Confucian norms were greatly abated by the costumes of tributaries and
merchants from the Silk Road. Few would think this style is to fall from virtue;
actually, some poet even glorified it. “As melting snow in early summer, half veiled
the tender breast”－ the extolment from poets just boosted this fashion.
Hunting fashion from the Court and exotic style still can’t satisfy people’s
appetite; thus, they began to focus eyes on plain equipment. Boots at first are only
equipment used for certain purposes. Only in specific circumstances such as riding
horse, crossing over bushes, and preventing people from getting stuck in mud would
people put on boots. However, in order to gratify the noble, cobblers try their best to
adorn the boot and the noble love it. Besides the brilliant handicraft, the image of
boots- handsome, gallant, and forceful is also another reason for people to get crazy
about. Thus, even when normal days, people would wear boots hanging around. In
some portraits of the Court in mid-seventeenth, every courtier and ladies all wear
boots. These portraits manifest how popular boots are.
No matter how the fashion gets started or who the pioneer is, as long as people
start to imitate it, it becomes a new trend. Any stuff or any idea could be fashionable
item. Maybe someday you got a hole in your left sock, and suddenly every one falls in
love with holed socks.