Art

    The history of fashion design is generally considered to have started in the 19th century when the industrial revolution was at its peak and the invention of the mechanical sewing machine. Many women adapted to the revolutionary politics, social culture and philosophy for fashion as French Revolution progressed in the late 1700s. Plain dresses in plain color took over fashion in clothing especially in women. Thus, fashion design according to scholars was started by an English fashion designer Charles Worth who is considered to be the father of Haute Couture and the first one to have garments sewn into the label. Before businessmen could set up their own fashion house in Paris, closing design was handled by large seamstresses. High fashion slide down was considered a matter of royal affairs. Although clothing was considered as a costume design, by 1858 it was considered as fashion design. It was during this period that many individuals hired designers to sketch or design their garments. Thus, the practice of designers of sketching out fashion design instead of presenting the finished garments to customers began as a business.

    During the first two decades of nineteenth century, women clothes were generally tight against the torso from the neutral waist upwards like hoops-skits, crinolines, panniers, bustles and others. The high waistline took attention away from natural waist so that there was no point to the wasp-waist corseting. This period was inspired by neoclassical tastes which were easily washed and draped loosely garments like flowing skirts and muslin. Middle and upper classes women somewhat distinct their dress between morning and evening dress. There are also further gradations such as afternoon dress, travelling dress, riding dress and others for women. As the century progressed the importance of proper dressing was emphasized. At the end of the 1870, there was a general shift of consumer preference - from corset, padding and petticoats to fabrics that exposed the shaped of women body  in American and European societies. Also, the aesthetic importances appeared on various literary articles like Mary Hawei (Art of Decoration), With Grace (1878) and others who created a new genre of fashion in Western Europe. Consequently, Aestheticism stimulated performers and authors in the arts field, leading to the increased acknowledgment of aesthetic styles of trend in the Western world. Moreover, during the late years of 19th century new style of clothing denoted class status of an individual. The dark suit for example expressed authority, respectability and responsibility. Neo-classicism influenced middle-class womens styles of dress during this period (middle class woman did not expose her breasts).

    Fashion and technology evolved as the century progressed and the continued advancement in technology led to increase in production of textiles particularly in Europe and America. American shoppers for example traveled to Paris and return to their home with many fashionable clothes like Casaquin robe a Anglaise, Clog sacque and others. Also, the rising ability for transatlantic roaming in the nineteenth century permitted for the fashion trends of France and England to be seen in America. Thus, as the American economy improved with the development of markets like the fur and cotton industries.