'We never go out of style'

If you have been keeping up with the latest fashion news, you most probably know that New York, London and Milan, some of the major current fashion capitals held their iconic fashion week. Major designer labels like Pucci, Fendi, Moschino and Prada exhibited their new clothing collections to audiences around the world. Usually, I don’t keep up with the latest fashion news. I only got to know about it when I stumbled across Snapchat’s live feed from the event.

Fashion is a popular style or practice, especially in clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, or furniture. It is a distinctive and often habitual trend in the style in which a person dresses. Although aspects of fashion can be feminine or masculine, some trends are androgynous. Fashion is an industry that generates good profit (British fashion industry is worth £21bn a year as of 2009) but it is highly competitive. What comes into my mind when I see the word 'fashion'? Something that makes modern-day society judge a person based on their clothing choices or style and completely disregard a person's personality. *cough TV show Fashion Police cough* Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be pessimistic. I enjoy watching fashion shows and I do get excited when a certain label launches a new collection. It’s just that I get quite agitated when people, especially fashion critiques condemn one's 'bad fashion sense', but if a designer label were to do so, their perspective changes and suddenly that style becomes 'high-fashion'. In my opinion, fashion paves a pathway for the media to create a highly materialistic society and instills the idea that one can fit well into society or rise above the rest if they have the latest fashionable goods. It’s no surprise that fashion; a powerful hand in society has caused many to become a victim of it. Fashion victims are often flooded with unsettled bank statements but a closetful of unnecessary items. I have to admit that fashion is not that bad either. It promotes change and distinguishes different times or era. For example, kitten heels were popularised by Audrey Hepburn in the 50's whereas bold colours/prints were a fashion staple during the 80's. As we all know, first impressions are crucial in the corporate world. As the saying goes ‘you never get a second chance to make a good first impression’, fashion acts as a guide for people to dress appropriately so that he/she can present themselves well.

Believe it or not, much of our most iconic fashion was developed in times such as early man and medieval times. Thanks to the evolution of the human brain, we have been able to change and tweak some of the earliest fashion items into trends that have found eternal popularity. Here are some facts mind-boggling facts about fashion.

1. Heels

Ah, something that most women drool over, especially the ones with the iconic red sole. Women have a love hate relationship with it as it enhances one’s posture and figure but also causes one to cry ‘ouch’ after wearing them for a long time. High-heels actually has roots in early Renaissance times, but they were worn by men! Why? By elevating themselves with a heel, they could show off their social status. Heels were also seen as functional when it came to horseback riding because it locked the shoe into the stirrup. Women started to don heels in the 16th century, when a rather short noblewoman named Catherine de Medici started wearing heels to compensate her short stature. In the 1950s, Roger-Henri Vivier re-popularised the high heel with the invention of the stiletto.

Audrey Hepburn in dons a pair of kitten heels.

2. Bikini

On July 5, 1946, Louis Reard unveiled a daring two-piece swimsuit at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool in Paris. The bikini was the first of its kind to show off a woman’s midriff along with her butt and cleavage. Western countries immediately ban the bikini from beaches and pools. The Vatican even publicly declared it sinful. Marilyn Monroe immediately took advantage of the controversy associated with the bikini and decided to pose in photos wearing it. By the end of the century, the bikini had become one of the trendiest beachwear worldwide.

3. Sunglasses

Sunglasses have early roots dating back through centuries as the Inuit wore glasses made out of walrus ivory to help block out the sun! Today, sunglasses have multiple uses from protecting our eyes from the harmful UV rays to being a trendy fashion item. Designers have made their millions from sunglasses, such as Ray-Ban, when they developed glasses exclusively for the military that eventually turned into a hot fashion trend. Pair your aviators with a leather jackets and you’re the coolest kid in town!

4. Air Jordans

Since its introduction into the sports market in the 80s, the Air Jordan evolved from being basketball shoes to high end footwear. Michael Jordan created a buzz when he wore his signature shoes to NBA games, which was against the rules at the time. However, Nike was happy to pay the $5000 fine he racked up every game. The jumpman logo is now an iconic symbol in popular culture.

5. Miniskirt

The miniskirt, one of the most poignant fashion items found its birth in the mid-twentieth century. Mary Quant created the miniskirt in 1965 and named her design after her favourite car: The Mini Cooper. She wanted to create something practical and liberating. However, when the mini skirt came out, women protested the garment because it was believed that it made a woman more vulnerable to rape. The miniskirt became a symbol for women’s freedom of expression in the late 60’s.

6. Leather jackets

In the early 1900’s leather jackets were worn by aviators and members of the military. In the later-half of the 20^th century, it gained its popularity as it became a trend in Hollywood films. A leather jacket was used to shape a character, providing an important ingredient used to define the very essence of ‘cool’. Many famous characters like James Dean and John Travolta will always be remembered sporting a leather jacket.

James Dean

With so much that has happened with fashion items of the past, there’s no telling what is ahead of us for the future.