History can be told from different aspects: political, social, religious, anthropological, cultural and so on. All these are facets of the same story, of the same continuum.
I immediatly think about Art, about artists who through their paintings permit us to have a look at usages and customs from the past. For example canvases that testify ladies’ hair-style, ornaments or clothing from that Renaissance that so much influenced our lifestyles, including fashion.
The same thing could be said of Vermeer’s paintings, in which the painter represented the Dutch middle class of the 17th century. This middle class whose development had been favoured by the commercial trade between Orient and West. In that case fashion reveals details about the history of the American colonies, oriental charm, or trendy colors, costume or fittings as well… It’s not to forget the french luxury and sumptuousness either, that tried to pervade all over the Europe.
On the contrary, the 1700s will be a period with a “before French Revolution” and an “after French Revolution”, in France: fashion will change strongly and it will be ready to accept all the new political, cultural and social innovations of the 18th century, from the enlightenment and the new way to see and live life. History will influence clothing and so clothing will point the new ideology.
With this concise introduction I’d like to tempt you to go on, deep and snoop around this subject, trying to understand what we really express wearing a specific dress.
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Italian version here.
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