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Paris, New York, London and Milan are the fashion capitals. But during the Second World war, France was the city of fashion, with names like Dior, Chanel and Givenchy. The fashion magazines like Vogue, founded back in 1892, and later like Elle, which was founded in 1945. In this moment begin the standard for women’s fashion reviews, exposure and marketing.

1900s is a time of changes. This century was bowing to simplicity. From 1890s the woman fight for independence, to be more practical, feminine and free-form. This was the Belle Epoch or Beautiful Era.

The popular image was the Gibson Girl – shapely s-bend corseted women all trying to out do each other with extravagant millinery.

Before the 1900’s, women’s corsets were boned instruments of torture. Corsets were replaced and skirts became softer and made of more supple materials, though still fitted tightly to below the knee and then spread into a flowing train.

By 1910 the skirt trains had disappeared and hips became more emphasized with little semi fitting coats, cut away to reveal frills. Freedom of movement was now demanded by more and more women. One popular accessory which remained fashionable until 1910 was the parasol! No women were seen without one.

Hairdressing received much attention too. Marcel waves, arranged in ‘pompadour,’ supported and inspired Edwardian hats with curves, picture hats, large hats well-trimmed with feathers or loops of ribbon, tried to vie with the splendour and shape of the hair!

    During the First World war, women worked in factories, drove ambulances, tended the wounded in field hospitals… Skirts became even shorter, hair was either tied up or cropped.

    The first sportswear and genuinely feminine swimwear began to appear after 1918. New American synthetic materials such as rayon and later nylon, were for a time not openly welcomed by the old guard of fashion houses. But young guns like Coco Chanel and Madame Vionnet saw a distinct advantage to the idea of mass production – the possibility that all women, regardless of income, could be glamorous and fashionable.

    Swimsuits in the USA dared to change more rapidly than anywhere else. the early 1920s saw swimsuits revealing more leg and worn often with black stockings. But by 1922 the popular Jantzen sport swimwear, with its sleek body hugging design was to take the world by storm.

The first woman to open her own fashion house in the world ! Callot Soeurs ( run by four sisters ) and milliner Caroline Reboux who pioneered the now famous Cloche Hat – one of the defining design images of the Flapper days of the 1920’s.

As 1920s fashion quickly evolved – women’s styles settled somewhere between the garconne or ‘boyish’ look of straight-cut chemise dresses to the more exotic ‘Robe de style’ of fuller flouncy skirts and dresses. Costume jewelry was now a major style accessory thanks to Chanel.

In 1926 black was the favourite colour, it began the first shift dress and hair was shorter.

Elsa Schiaparelli, an Italian fashion designer, was as an artist first and foremost, rather than a draper like Vionnet. She first burst to prominence in 1927 in Paris with her ‘white bow’ knitted sweater which was featured by Vogue in December 1927 with the caption “artistic masterpiece”. Elsa also laid the foundations for the big shouldered look.

The gamine look was out and feminine curves were back in. Cloche hats hung around till 1933 until the new French beret styles, worn at an angle, took the fashion world by storm.

Max Factor, was now an integral part of 1930s fashion. Permanent waves were the norm in the early 1930s, but by the late 1930s, hairdressing magazines such as The Beauty Shop began to encourage women to grow their hair longer.

Another noted addition to the chic looks of the 1930s, in particular as a sportswear or beach accessory were sunglasses. Tortoise shell framed with tinted glass of the 1930s were worn by many female Hollywood stars.

During the war – fashion had never used so little fabric; short sleeves and knee length skirts in close fitting styles which accentuated the female silhouette.

The early 1940s fashion was dominated by the Americans, with broad shoulder pads, pleated skirts, up-do war hairstyles and increasing use of makeup gave American women for a time the pedestal.

In 1950 the new Look gave way to the Body-line – a shapely silhouette that had more angular hip lines. Skirts went from full circle and pleated affairs to the ‘pencil skirt’.

the clothes were lighter, the colours were pink, white, sky blue. The women wore big skirts, hig heels and a big hairstyle.

In year 60 there were a lot of colours and short skirts. Woman wore troussers too. In London was all about being ‘Retro’, and there was a huge interest amongst the younger generation in militaria. Pop fashion was born and the retro theme culminated in popular music with the Beatles.

Young designers like Mary Quant, John Bates, and André Courrèges, all tapped into the new modernist space age era. Mary Quant is generally credited with inventing the miniskirt.

In year 80, like in 1970s, people wore leather jackets and trousser, fit jeans, big t-shirts and it was extravagant. There were alot of colours.

The early 80s were somewhat subdued in color, where we see a lot browns and tans and oranges. Blocky shapes were everywhere and dressing like a tennis player was the cool thing to do. Velour was hot and velvet was even hotter.

In years 90 people wore jeans t-shirts, shirt, dresses. One notable shift in the western world was the mainstream adoption of tattoos body piercings aside from ear piercing and to a lesser extent, other forms of body modification such as branding.