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1790
High-waisted dresses in the "Empire style" of Josephine Bonaparte, French Emperor Napoleon's wife, become vogue in the United States. They remain in style throughout the nineteenth century -
1830
During the 1830s, men's pants are first tailored with buttons visible down the front of the fly. Mormon leader Brigham Young discourages people from wearing them, calling them "fornication pants. -
1840
A new petticoat style becomes vogue in the 1840s; women's skirts take on a bell shape with the addition of several heavy layers of petticoats extending from a tightly corseted waist. The new style sparks considerable controversy, as the extra skirt layers imply a degree of decadence and materialism that alarms many social critics who think that women should assume a simpler, more pious way of life. -
1851
The Bloomer (or "American") Costume first appears in Amelia Bloomer's newspaper, The Lily. Bloomers are ankle-length trousers the large Turkish style or straight-legged "pantaloons" worn with a midcalf-length dress. -
1870
Full-size paper patterns for sewing clothing are made available for the first time. -
1880
Elongated female bodies come into fashion during the 1880s, and previous inventions like Olivia Flynt's breast supporter are rendered unfashionable because they do not reduce the waistline to produce an hourglass silhouette. -
1885
The New York department store Bloomingdale's begins to send out mail-order catalogs. -
1886
Denim manufacturer Levi Strauss devises its "Two Horse Brand" leather patch, showing the jean being pulled between two horses to indicate its strength. -
1908
French couturier Paul Poiret furthers a growing public disenchantment with the corset by designing "corsetless" dresses. Feminists and proponents of health and hygiene have already been criticizing the corset for a number of years. -
1909
The first undergarment local of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) is chartered in New York City. -
1910
Viscose rayon, made from cotton waste or wood pulp, is invented. -
1915
In the mid-1910s, department stores begin opening brassiere departments and the brassiere becomes more profitable than the corset. -
1925
World War I ended and euphoria was the order of the day. Fashion responded by dropping waists to high hip levels and dresses became unfitted. While some gowns retained the design complexity of the Teens, the trend was toward Simplicity. Simple bodices, shaped using only a few tucks or shirring at the shoulders, or a little gather at the side seam reflected this new freedom. As the decade began hems lines perched above the ankle -
1990
Some common items of clothing from the 1990s: black leggings with oversized sweater, low heel shoes, flannel shirts, denim everything, t-shirts, sweatpants, skirts, Birkenstocks, solid colors, silk shirts, turtlenecks (under cardigans or sweaters), plain white Keds and army surplus clothing to name a few. -
1990
In the 1990's men and boys rarely wore dressy clothing. -
1998
In 1998, spaghetti strapped shirts were worn by girls, teenagers, and women. -
1999
In 1999 people wore silver to represent the new mellenium. -
2000
The 2000s fashion are often described as being a "mash-up",[1] where trends saw the fusion of previous styles, global and ethnic clothing (e.g. boho), as well as the fashions of numerous music-based subcultures. Hip-hop fashion generally was the most popular among young people, followed by the unisex indie look later in the decade. -
1920
Shape and silhouette constantly evolved. More radical styles like the hobble skirt and the lampshade skirt each enjoyed their moment in the sun. The Edwardians became more playful and innovative, taking an interest in asymmetrical draping techniques. Considerably less boning was used in bodices and boning was now solely for supporting the shape as opposed to changing it. Suits were fashionable for daywear and walking was eased due to a really big fashion happening -
1980
One word comes to mind when you think of the 1980s: BIG. Overconsumption, oversized and just plain over-the-top were cornerstone features in this decade of excess and materialism. It was a time of abundance, optimism and unabashed greed. Shoulder pads returned to fashion in a super-sized version, and the “power suit” reflected women’s emerging status in the workplace. The term “Yuppie” was coined as an acronym for the Young Urban Professional who was a career
