- The tuxedo, known for its satin or grosgrain lapels, black bow tie, and matching trousers, became one of formal evening wear, often seen at weddings, galas, and other special occasions.
The tuxedo, also known as a dinner jacket introduced by Prince Edward VII (later King Edward VII) of England, evolved from the "smoking jacket" of the 19th century, and gained popularity in the United States in the late 1880s.
Some iconic tuxedos that have stood out over the years for their elegance and design.
- Midnight Blue Tuxedo: This tuxedo, popularized by James Bond, adds a touch of modernity while remaining classic.
- White Dinner Jacket: This tuxedo, made famous by Humphrey Bogart in "Casablanca," is perfect for warm climates and offers a striking contrast with black trousers.
- Velvet Tuxedo: This tuxedo, which was often worn by person who makes a statement, is a velvet tuxedo that offers texture and richness, often seen in deep colors like burgundy or emerald green.
- Classic Black Tuxedo: This is most popular tuxedo; its sleek lines and satin lapels make it a favorite for formal events.
- The Vietnamese ao dai typically consists of a long, fitted tunic with high slits on both sides, worn over pants, and can be made from various fabrics,
including silk and brocade, often featuring intricate embroidery or patterns combining modesty with grace. It is a traditional Vietnamese garment known for its elegance and beauty, ladies often wear on their special occasions such as weddings, Tet (the Vietnamese New Year),
and other important ceremonies. While the traditional design remains popular, modern versions of the ao dai incorporate contemporary fashion elements, making it versatile for both formal events and everyday wear.
- The kimono is the most Japanese beautiful traditional clothing, it's a graceful robe that's worn on special occasions, known for its elaborate designs and rich fabrics.
- A pair of Diamond-Encrusted jeans made by Secret Circus company were adorned with flashy diamonds, making them a true luxury item
with a staggering price tag of over $1 million; the company did not reveal the identity of the customer who purchased the jeans.
- Jeans come in various styles, each with its unique cut and fit, some popular types include:
- Cowboy Jeans: Durable and rugged.
- Ripped and Repaired Jeans: Distressed with patches.
- Slim Fit Jeans: Snug around thighs and butt.
- Wide-leg Jeans: These have a wide cut leg from top to bottom.
- Low Rise Jeans: Short rise and low waist.
- High Rise Jeans: Extra rise in the seat.
- Flared Cut Jeans: Wide at the bottom.
- Mom jeans: High butt and loose front characterize these.
- Boyfriend Jeans: Loose and comfortable.
- Bootcut Jeans: Accommodate boots.
- Distressed Jeans: Worn look with rips.
- Stonewashed Jeans: Faded look with chemicals.
- Cuffed Jeans: Rolled up cuffs on the hem.
- Tapered Fit Jeans: Relaxed around the thigh and butt but tapered towards the ankle.
- Straight Leg Jeans: Classic and conservative, they maintain a straight fit.
- Levi Strauss patented jeans made from denim in the 1870s for miners, sailors and other working-class people since the material was cheap; today around 450 million pairs of jeans have been sold in America
annually and each American owns an average of 7 pairs of jeans.
- Cotton has been used for clothing for thousands of years back to ancient civilizations.
- The first material (e.g., cotton, flax, wool, leather, silk) used for clothing is the natural fibres obtained from both plants and animal sources; knitting was first introduced as a fabric creation technique, dating 6500 BC.
Clothing originated between 30,000 and 114,000 years ago; there is evidence of clothes being made from 90,000 to 120,000 years ago based on findings in deposits in Morocco; silk weaving was introduced to India circa 400 AD,
whereas cotton spinning dates back to 3000 BC in India. Textile clothing came to notice around 27,000 years ago, while actual textile fragments from 7000 B.C. have been discovered by archeologists.
- Textiles and rope fragments of woven fabrics possibly used for bags, baskets, wall or floor coverings, or bedding, found 30 years ago in Guitarrero Cave high in the Andes Mountains, Peru, have been dated to between 12,100 and 11,080 years ago, making them
the oldest textiles ever found in South America.
- In 1918, Earnshaw’s Infants’ Department suggested pink for the boys, and blue for the girls; however, in 1927 the Time magazine made a survey with a result that many large-scale department stores
in Boston, Chicago, and New York suggested pink for boys, and this trend of pink for boys was not as overwhelming. In 1940s, people started to accept using pink and blue to mark the gender of babies with pink being for girls and blue for boys; and it wasn’t until the the 1980’s, the
pink and blue rules really began stick with the public.
- The Ancient Egyptians were very fashion-conscious people. People dressed clothes to show their wealth and positions in the society. The lower classes wore garments made of less expensive cloth;
Noblemen wore a wraparound linen skirt called a kilt and a top of fine pleated robes; upper class women wore nice dresses with shoulder straps and a shawl. Young children and slaves rarely wore any clothes. Most people went barefoot while some rich people sometimes wore sandals.
- Bronwyn Bancroft (born 1958) is an Indigenous Australian artist, notable for being the first Australian fashion designer invited
to show her work in Paris. Working as a fashion designer, an artist, an illustrator, and an arts administrator, Bancroft established a shop called Designer Aboriginals in 1985, selling fabrics made by Indigenous artists, including herself.
Her artwork is held by the National Gallery of Australia, the
Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
- The most recognized types of traditional Chinese clothings are Pien Fu, Chang Pao, and Shenyi. The Pien Fu is a costume used
for ceremonies that has a long top and ankle-length pants or skirts. The Chang Pao, a robe made out of just one piece of cloth, was men's common wear, lower than the knees and with a round collar band;
it is a long gown featured collarless, narrow horseshoe-shaped sleeves, buttons down the left front, four slits and a fitting waist; the slits could enhance men's freedom of mobility while they were riding the horse. The Shenyi
is a top and pants or skirt, but they are sewn together to make just one piece of clothing instead of two.
- In China, traditional hats and ornate head gear were an essential part of custom dress code in feudal China. Men wore hats and women wore their hair ornamentally with showy hairpieces,
both of these indicating their social status and ranks. Men wore a hat when they reached 20 years, signifying their adulthood; poor men simply weren’t allowed to wear a hat. The ancient Chinese hat, which signified the social hierarchical rule and social status, covered only the part of the
scalp with its narrow ridge instead of the whole head like a modern cap.
- The fashion industry has grown at 5.5 percent annually, as of 2017 it was worth an estimated $2.4 trillion.
- PVH Corp (known as Phillips-Van Heusen), an American manufacturer of affordable shirts produced in factories in 40 countries, owns the Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein,
Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW, Speedo,
Warner's and Olga brands; it also made Trump dress shirts, tuxedo shirts and neckwear until 2/2016.
- Calvin Klein "is seldom involved in the design and the development of products bearing his name" and "all activities are subcontracted to licensees".
- For 214 years until 2012, it was illegal in Paris, France, for women to wear any form of
men's wear (e.g.; trouser).
- In 9/2013 the French Senate voted to ban beauty pageants for children under 16 and to impose up to two years in prison and steep fines of up to $30,000 euros for adults who try to enter children into illegal pageants or run illegal/underground pageants themselves.
- Textiles can be made from many materials, which mainly come from animal (wool, silk), plant (cotton,
flax, jute), mineral (asbestos, glass fibre),
and synthetic (nylon, polyester, acrylic).
In the 20th century, textiles were supplemented by artificial fibres made from petroleum.
- Silk is a strong, light, soft, and sensuous fabric produced from cocoons of the Bombyx caterpillar, or silkworm.
- Burberry was founded by 21-year old Thomas Burberry, who invented gabardine - the breathable, weatherproof and hardwearing fabric - in 1856.
- Many stores create an "illusion" of deep discount by using their deceptive sales practices with tags containing made-up “Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price”, "MSPR" or "List Price", and offer to sell the products at "our price", which is a much lower price, to fool shoppers into believing they were getting big bargains.
In June 2016, Michael Kors Holdings agreed to pay at least $4.88 million and change its sales practices to settle a class action lawsuit claiming it used deceptive tags.
Another class-action lawsuit that accuses JCPenney's use of deceptive discount practices also recently received the go-ahead from a federal judge in the U.S.
- Astronauts don’t do laundry during their space trip, they just throw their underwear out of the ship and let it burn up on its way back to the Earth.
- The average American household spends about 3.8 percent of their income on clothing or around $2,000 per year, per household.
- The average clothing cost per month for each American is approximately $67.00.
- As of 9/2014, the average waist size in the U.S. is 38 inches for women and 40 inches for men.
- Top five exporters of textiles in 2013 were China ($274B), India ($40B), Italy ($36B), Germany ($35B) and Bangladesh ($28B).
- The first fashion designer was Charles Frederick Worth (1825 - 1895).
- At 28, Alexander Wang is the rising star who built a global multimillion-dollar business in less than a decade.
- In the U.S. you pay around 9 times what an item costs to make in China. For example, when you buy a hooded sweatshirt, most of your money is going to the retailer, the brand, and the various buyers that shuttle the garment between the two.
The item itself costs very little to make - a $50 hoodie at the Gap likely costs about $6 or $7 to produce at an Asian manufacturing facility.
- A 1.2-mile-long wedding-gown train, 200.8 meter-long dress was made in China in 2007. A
world-record-busting 1.85-mile-long wedding-gown train was recorded in Romania on March 20, 2012; it was certified as the longest bridal train in history by the Guinness World Records.
- The Marilyn Monroe's 'Subway' dress sold for
$4.6 million at Debbie Reynolds auction in June 2011.
Another dress that she wore at JFK’s birthday at Madison Square Garden in 1962 was also sold about $1.26 million at a Christie’s auction in 1999.
- When the former First Lady of the Philippines
Imelda Marcos and her husband, Ferdinand Marcos,
were kicked out of their palace and exiled in 1986, she left behind staggering amounts of personal belongings, clothes and art objects at the palace, including 2,700 pairs of pumps, stilettos and sling backs.
Almost 2,000 of these shoes were partly destroyed
by termites and floods after lying in storage in the Philippines for 26 years since she exiled; 765 pairs of Marcos' shoes remain undamaged in Marikina's shoe museum.
- In 1571, in England during Queen Elizabeth I's rule, a law was created that mandated that anyone over the age of seven must wear a hat on Sundays.
- Americans spent about $2.5 billion each year on Halloween costumes.
- Ten handbag's brands that most women like to have are
Coach,
Louis Vuitton,
Gucci, Dooney & Bourke,
Prada, Kate Spade,
Burberry, Fendi,
Channel, and
Ralph Lauren.
-
The most expensive clothing brands are
Gucci,
Channel,
Prada,
Armani,
Marc Jacobs,
Dior,
Guess,
Fendi,
Versace, and
Valentino.
- Old Navy got its name from a bar in Paris. In 1994, the creator of Old Navy, Inc., Ken Rapp, was visiting Paris, France and came upon a cafe distinctly named Old Navy Cafe; Old Navy was named after this visit.
- The dress Marilyn Monroe wore in a subway-grate scene in the movie "The Seven Year Itch" (1955) was sold $4.6 million at an auction in May 2011
- The most expensive shirt, which is valued at $45,000, was made by Swedish shirt-making company Eton; its studs and cufflinks are encrusted with diamonds.
- The most expensive necktie, which was made of pure silk with a decoration of 150 grams of gold and 271 diamonds weighing 77 carats, was purchased by
Bollywood film star Salman Khan in 2003 for $220,000.
- The most expensive jean was a 501 jean made in the US in 1880s and purchased by a Japanese collector for $60,000 in 2005.
- Reasons men should not tuck in a shirt?
- Silk is a strong, light, soft, and sensuous fabric produced from cocoons of the Bombyx caterpillar, or silkworm.
- The cheongsam (known as a "qi pao" in Mandarin) is a tight form-fitting Chinese dress with thigh-high slits and a high-collar. Traditionally a dress worn by
Manchu women, it received some international exposure in the Suzie Wong film. The slit is supposed to rise no higher than mid thigh.
- New clothes should be washed before children wear them, especially if the clothing will be in direct contact with the skin.
- Clothes that are dry cleaned will last longer.
- Fashion Week is not only dictating
clothing trends, but it is also about the latest in accessories:
shoes,
bags,
jewelry,
hats and
make-up.
- About 40 Fashion Weeks are held in different cities around the world every year, and the most biggest and prestigious ones are held in
New York,
London,
Milan and
Paris.
- Each of the Big Four is known for championing different styles – New York for sportswear; London for edgy, avant-garde design; Milan for its over-the-top yet stylish looks; and Paris for haute couture.
- New York Fashion Week is the oldest one, having been inaugurated in 1943 by fashion publicist Elenor Lamber.
- The first fashion magazine was originated in 1586 in Frankfurt, Germany.
- New York City’s fashion industry employs over 175,000 people and generates $10 billion in total wages.
- In France, married men use more cosmetics than their wives.
- The first bra was created by
Mary Phelps, a New York socialite in 1913.
Ida Rosenthal started designing bras with different cup sizes in 1921.
- Prior to 1850, 70 percent of the clothes worn were hand-stitched by the people who wore them.
- A clothing item is considered vintage if it was made between 1920 and 1960. Outside this period, it is considered to be retro.
- Clothes that are dry cleaned often last longer.
- The skirt is the second oldest women's garment in history. It's preceded only by the loincloth.
- 66% of American women have kept a pair of jeans that are too small for them in the hope that one day they will fit again.
- Toronto, Canada, is home to more than 550 apparel manufacturers with wholesale shipments totaling nearly $1.4 billion annually or 16% of the $9 billion Canadian market.
- 81 million American women - 50% of the female adult population - wear clothing in sizes 14 and larger.
- Some 65 million American women - 40% of the female adult population - wear a size 12 or bigger.
- Over 50% of the consumer population is not satisfied with the fit of off-the-rack clothes.
- In North America, the average person consumes over 80 pounds of textiles per year.
- Fashion and apparel industry is the second largest industry next to agriculture in terms of water consumption.
- Woman uses average 6 pounds of lipstick in a year but few of them know that one ingredient frequently used in manufacturing lipsticks is fish scales.
- Elizabeth I of England loved hats so much that she made it mandatory for all females over the age of 7 to wear a hat on Sundays and holidays.
- Napoleon Bonaparte dictated that buttons be attached to jacket sleeves to stop the annoying habit soldiers had of wiping their runny noses on their jacket sleeves.
- Perfume is an over $10 million dollar industry. It's been used as far back as the Ancient Egyptians.
- The modern era of perfume began in 1921 with Coco Channel's launch of Chanel No. 5, an exotic floral blend, created by Ernest Beaux.
- The first fake eyelashes made out of human hair were invented D.W. Griffith, a Hollywood movie producer, to enhance the look of actress Seena Owen’s eyes for a 1916 film.
- Neiman Marcus had the first customer loyalty program (InCircle), and the first in-store gift-wrapping service.
- Bavarian-born Levi Strauss moves to Gold Rush era San Francisco in 1853 to open a dry goods business. He sold clothes, boots and other goods to the small retail
stores of the American West. The first pair of Levi jeans was sold for about $5 worth of gold dust in the mid 1850s
- Woodblock printing, which is a technique for printing text,
images or patterns, is the oldest of these dating back to at least 220 CE in China; it is still used in India and elsewhere today.
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