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| The shapes and colours of fashion have varied a lot through time, for
men as well as women. Based on studies of human reactions it has been established
that certain shapes and proportions are found to be 'beautiful' for men
and women in terms of biology - shapes and proportions closely linked to
hormones, specific to the two sexes. One would immediately expect these
shapes and proportions to be the dominating ideal of fashion through the
ages. However, this is not the case. One period might find the sex-specific
shapes enhanced to the point of ridicule while another period finds them
played down so low that you can hardly tell the two sexes apart.
It seems that taste in fashion varies, absorbing changes in the conditions of life: the economic situation, levels of unimployment, birth- and death-rates and human values at specific times in history. This way of looking at Fashion History gives an idea of why specific looks go in and out of fashion as fashion is a reflection of society and history at any time - including our own time. Lectures given on Trend History will be tailored to meet the specific interests of any audience. |
One ongoing research program is 'mapping European Trend History', comparing the painted and photographed evidence of fashion to the contemporary social and historical conditions. As a part of this research a project dealing with the evolution of the French hood of the sixteenth century has come to life. New theories have been born: a time line for the various versions of the French hood, the sociological aspects of the French hood and the construction of the French hood. The theories will be presented in an article in Medieval Clothing and textiles, Vol. 13 which will be published in 2017. A tutorial video on a reconstruction of a French hood according to the construction theory is available now.
Please send an e-mail for further information about Trend History. |
