Fashion Terms with a Musical Twist
I think fashion and music go hand in hand,and they always shouldLady Gaga BANDE/BAND: The old French word, “bande,” referred to a ribbon or strip of cloth that encircled or joined something together. Bande became anglicized to “band” but kept its meaning of joining things or people together. It was a rather functional job so […]
Don’t Be Boring: The Fashion DNA of Rock ‘n’ Roll
“The only rule is don’t be boring.”Attributed to Diana Vreeland Elvis Presley Buddy Holly Little Richard Before there was MTV or social media influencers, there were three very unconventional performers who rocked into America’s homes on small black and white television screens: Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Buddy Holly. Together they formed the roots of […]
Swimming Against Tradition: From Bathing Machines to Beach Culture
Life is simple: Just add waterUnknown Walking on a bustling street in New Delhi, India, a few years ago, I encountered a cluster of monks encircling and escorting a naked monk, who had rejected all earthly material goods, including clothing. To protect him from public view, his acolytes surrounded him as he walked through the […]
American Fashion 1976-2026: Fifty Years of Reinvention
If you can dream it, you can do itWalt Disney Charles Frederick Worth bustle dress ca 1885 Iris van Herpen, 2022 In those few, direct words Walt Disney captured the spirit of America. The very founding of the country was a dream realized. Fashion, too, allows the individual or an entire generation to dream of […]
1876-1976: Steps To America’s Fashion Footing
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the differenceRobert Frost Written in 1913, the opening lines of Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken, perfectly captures America’s courage to effect and embrace change. From the founding in 1776 to the American Centennial in […]
American Independence Wore Many Looks: 1776–1876
“The journey of a hundred years begins with a single step”Lao Tzu The Declaration of Independence was but a single step that created political freedom from Britain. In the hundred years to follow (1776-1876), there were many more steps to create a uniquely American culture and style, but that did not necessarily mean complete independence. […]
What People Wore When History Changed : America 1776
“Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new”Henry David Thoreau On July 4th, 2026, America celebrates the 250th anniversary of independence from British rule. While many current traditions and festivities are descended from original celebrations and are much the same, styles in clothing are not even remotely similar. In a multi-part […]
Too Hot to Handle: The History of the Coolest Styles
If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?Steven Wright Tube Top When Elie Tahari (founder of Tahari clothing brand), stumbled upon tubes of unsalable fabric, the result of a manufacturing error, he saw an opportunity. With no straps, buttons or zippers, the top was inexpensive to make and was perfect for the free-wheeling […]
From Paper Dolls to Paper Fashions: A Material Re-Imagined
“The visionary starts with a clean sheet of paper and reimagines the world” Malcolm Gladstone Betsy McCall original paper doll and clothes. Once upon a time, in the 1950’s, young girls learned about fashion, style and dressing by playing with paper dolls. Many of today’s Grandmothers may remember spending many happy hours playing with a […]
Ellen Von Unwerth and the Untamed Glamour of Fashion Photography
“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things”.Theodore Levitt Left: Ellen Von Umwerth in plaid jacket Fashion photography, like calligraphy (see Letters, Lines and Limitless Creativity: The World of Nicolas Ouchenir here), is an art form adjacent to the world of fashion designers, shows and models. One of the most legendary fashion […]