London as one of the four fashion capitals

Fashion has been of interest to people since ancient times. As soon as the first communities of people appeared and social stratification began, a hierarchy was formed. The appearance of a person had to clearly show to which social stratum he belonged. This was best demonstrated by rich robes.

Fashion appeared only in the 18th century and its birthplace is considered to be Paris. The word fashion itself comes from the Latin “modus” – moderation. And the first fashion designer can be considered a French seamstress Rose Bertin, who in 1770 opened a fashion shop “Le Grand Mogol” in the centre of Paris, whose clients were the ladies-in-waiting of Marie Antoinette and the Queen herself. She also became the creator of the first couture fashion collections, creating small collections of clothes for customers at their request. Since then, fashion has gradually taken over all countries and continents. London did not escape this fate. In the 18th century it was the capital of men’s fashion, where such street subcultures as “teddy-boys” and “punk” were born. And in the 60s of the last century, it was London that became the trendsetter of world fashion, music and art. Since then, the capital of the island nation has firmly held this status, sharing it with Paris, Milan and New York. We will tell you in more detail about how London fashion originated and where it comes from.

The history of English fashion

The British favoured goodness in everything. Costumes were made of cloth, and woollen and linen fabrics were used, which they made themselves. Expensive fabrics were brought in by merchants from the Continent. Fashion trends were transformed on the island with the accession of the next monarch to the throne. Fashion in Britain can be divided into the Tudor, Victorian and Edwardian eras.

An age of opulent crinolines

Furs, thick fabrics, and layered garments were a distinctive feature of Tudor vestments. It was justified. Great Britain even now does not spoil its inhabitants with sunshine, and at that time the climate on the island was much more severe. Because of their massiveness, such garments were mostly very uncomfortable, but fulfilled their main function – to warm. This was enough. It should be added that England was one of the countries that produced the best quality cloth.

Doublets, jerkins and stockings.

Men wore shirts (a thin white cloth), and over it they put on a doublet (a short lined cloth or woollen coat) or a jerkin (a short jacket with short sleeves to which stocking trousers were attached). Later, when the knitting machine was invented, knitted stockings rapidly came into fashion. At the same time, appa-stocking trousers, which were stuffed with hair, became popular. They were so large that the English Parliament had to enlarge the seats in the hall where it met.

Corsets and furs

Women’s clothing in the Tudor period was a bit of a problem. It was difficult for them to dress or undress themselves. Aristocratic women of the time wore several pantaloons, as many petticoats, and used batting to make their clothes take on the shapes of the fashion of the time. They also had to wear corrugated collars made of bird feathers and used tens of kilos of starch. It is worth mentioning leather corsets, which entered women’s fashion in the early 16th century. They were worn on top of shirts by ladies of high society. On the street, ladies wore a haun made of thick, heavy fabric (fur-lined garment with lined sleeves and a fur collar). At the same time, a skirt decorated with patterns was also put on the lower part of this garment. With all the complexity of constructions, women’s clothes of that time looked beautiful and bright. Ordinary people dressed more simply. But urban women over time began to imitate the fashion of the nobility, complicating their costumes.

Wigs and Spanish hats

There was no special finesse in the wearing of headdresses. Men, like women, wore elaborate wigs, but covered them with Spanish hats. As for women, they arranged their hair in enormously high hairstyles, as elaborate as their outfits, which were adorned with jewellery. Women of not the highest rank and simple townspeople made do with caps on a frame, which in richer ladies were decorated with beautiful embroidery and jewellery. What women of the time wore on their heads can be divided into two types. These are the so-called “gable”, which was made of several layers of fabric and the French bonnet “french hood”, which was characterised by a veil. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, by her decree, hats could only be worn by the nobility.

Square toes and heels

The shoes of the English were not subject to special fashion trends. The aristocrats and the poor, who could afford it, wore soft shoes with square toes. The fairer half preferred shoes made of thin and soft leather. But brocade, velvet shoes with soft soles were also popular. Later, heels on shoes began to appear. The fashion for them spread Catherine de Medici. Because of her small stature, she got into the habit of wearing shoes with heels. In 1660 the royal shoemaker Nicholas Lestage made for Louis the Fifteenth shoes with heels 10 centimetres high.

“High-end” fashion

The monarchs stood out from the crowd with their sumptuous attire. King Henry’s hood alone, made of crimson velvet, was embroidered with damask gold, decorated with eight huge rubies set in gold, sixteen golden flowers with four pearls in each. But even more impressive were the king’s codpieces. They were all decorated with embroidery and jewels.

Victorian era

The fashion of the time was greatly influenced by the Industrial Revolution, which entailed significant economic growth.

Slender femininity

Femininity and slenderness were considered the highest canons of beauty. Women still wore tight corsets, which tightened the waist, making the figure look like an hourglass. The corset restricted movement to such an extent that women had to move in small steps and appear helpless, making them appear fragile and in need of protection and support in the eyes of many men. Women’s dresses consisted of many layers, so they were very puffy. Skirts were decorated with lace, bows and colourful ribbons. Fabrics for dresses were used habitual, more often chosen velvet, silk and satin fabrics. Traditional colours were deep blue, dark green or coal black. These colours made the outfits luxurious. High hairstyles became fashionable (so women added height to themselves). Skirts of many layers, lace embroidered blouses, and shawls were also popular. Those who could afford it adorned their outfits with precious stones.

Male constancy

As for men’s fashion, it has not undergone much change. Except for one thing – men began to wear corsets. It allowed not particularly slim men to look manly and athletically built. A little later, dinner jackets became fashionable. This was the era of the Industrial Revolution, so clothing, both men’s and women’s, no longer had any exclusive character, becoming more accessible to the lower strata of society. The factories put the sewing of clothes on a stream. However, handmade fashionable garments were still favoured by the nobility.

The Victorian era has left its deep mark on modern fashion as well. Women still decorate their dresses with lace, bows and ruffles.

The Age of King Edward

The fashions of the time hold a longing for morals and family traditions. This is the time when Englishmen, both men and women, began to slowly get rid of tight corsets. Fashion magazines, salons and ateliers became commonplace. High fashion rapidly entered the lives of English ladies and dandies. Women still wore corsets, but it is no longer so constrained movement, its design has changed. Thanks to its new types, a woman’s figure became similar to the desired letter S, which was considered at that time the standard of female grace and beauty.

Hats, jazz and trenchcoats.

Hats did not disappear. The most fashionable styles cost a lot of money. They were decorated with feathers of outlandish birds, flowers and patterns. Long coats, surtukes and bowler hats became fashionable. For many of them a real icon of style was Queen Victoria’s son, the Prince of Wales, with whose easy hand the male half of England began to wear trousers with arrows and turned up trousers. Soon surcoats began to be replaced by short jackets with no shoulder pads and high waists.

The jazz that was winning the hearts of young Englishmen forced a good half of the men to dress in the fashionable puffer trousers and tight jackets.

The First World War made the military uniform so popular that the trenchcoat was also worn by purely civilian men.

How did London become the fashion capital of the world?

London now ranks alongside such fashion capitals as New York, Milan and Paris. The main role in this was played, as they say, by the “swinging sixties”. It was then that the high-profile British invasion of the fashion world took place. This was thanks to the cultural revolution that turned the British capital into a centre of attraction for fashion, music and art.

Young Londoners were not afraid to experiment boldly, introducing colourful elements into their clothes, using many accessories. This attracted famous stylists and fashion designers to London, giving rise to some of the world’s most innovative and creative designers.

Modern fashion in England

Now English fashion can be divided into three directions.

1. Classics

In this direction, recognised masters who create “English classics” realise their ideas. These are clothes that preserve old traditions and forms of English clothing. Example: tweed suits by fashion designers Jean Muir and Bruce Oldfield.

2. International style

This is one of the most popular styles, as it does not have pronounced extravagant features. Katherine Hemnett, who became famous for her collection of clothes with slogans in defence of ecology, works in this direction.

3. Vanguard

Fashion in this style is in constant demand. Therefore, British designers closely follow new trends and offer consumers new looks.

The gods of modern British fashion

The UK has spawned many fashion talents who have become world renowned.

Vivienne Westwood

Westwood began her rise to fame in the 70s with her punk-inspired collections. Westwood quickly gained popularity with her eclectic and avant-garde collections.

Paul Smith

Another designer who plays an important role in British fashion can be considered the author of the clothing brand “Paul Smith”. This designer became famous thanks to the collection of clothes created by him, which combines elements of ethnic style and is complemented by accessories in the form of records, paintings, hoovers.

John Galliano

In the 90s he became the most famous British designer. His success came from high-waisted dresses, which he combined with the usual heavy boots. This fashion designer is known in the fashion world as a designer who strives to revive forgotten cutting techniques in tailoring. His collections featured taffeta crinolines, transparent blouses, clutches and plumes.

Alexander McQueen

At the age of 16 he started working in one of Savile Row’s workshops. His speciality is men’s suits, which he sews to order. The designer became famous for his pret-a-porter collection, which he presented in London. The grotesque images and the behaviour of the designer himself (during one of the fashion shows, he unexpectedly took off his trousers) became a special feature of the collection.

Famous English fashion houses:

• Burberry;
• Stella McCartney;
• Pringle of Scotland;
• Pringle of Scotland;
• Ozwald Boateng;
• Rigby & Peller.

The new is the well forgotten old

What’s better: a skin or a corset? Knee-length shoes or a 20 centimetre platform? Designers never cease to amaze the world with their creations. But many, speaking about fashion, believe that “everything new is well forgotten old”. Therefore, if you want to be always on trend, you should not hurry to throw away the things in which our grandparents once walked. After all, at any moment these clothes can be in fashion again.