TAI4371

Concept of fashion
Day School 01

By

Unit I : 05 sessions
Unit II : 01 sessions
Lecturer; Dasuni Madahapola(BIS Hons FDPF)
 Eligibility Criteria

B(CAT)0.3 + 2B(CAT)0.15 + (TMA)0.15 + (MP)0.4 >=40

Overall Marks = (0.5 CA + 0.5 FE)

❖DS 1- Unit 1 (session 1-5), 2 (session 01)

❖CAT 1- Unit 1 (session 1-5), 2 (session 01)

❖DS 2- Unit 2 and 3
❖TMA 1- Unit 1,2 and 3
❖CAT2- Unit 2-3
❖DS 3- Unit 4
❖FE- Unit 1,2,3 and 4
 • Session 01 (S01)
UNIT I Evolution of Clothing – Part I

• Session 02 (S02)
Evolution of Clothing – Part II

NATURE • Session 03 (S03)

Functions of Clothing

OF • Session 04 (S04)
Requirements of Clothing

CLOTHING • Session 05 (S05)

Communicating with clothes
 UNIT – I

Session 1
Evolution of Clothing – Part I
Evolution of clothing

• Clothing is any kind of material that covers the body

• The primary purpose of clothing is functional, as a protection and safety.
• Clothes play an important social and cultural role in developing norms
about modesty, religious practices, behavioral appropriateness, social
status, and even political affiliations.
• A form of adornment and an expression of personal taste or style.
 FACTORS FOR EVOLUTION OF CLOTHING

• Climate changes

• Availability of plants/animals

• Religious beliefs and cultural norms

• Level of technology in production & processing

• Extent of markets & their accessibility

• Life styles of the era

EARLY DAYS CLOTHING
EVOLUTION OF CLOTHING

Clothing in Early Stages

• Stone Age
• Bronze Age
• Iron Age
 Basically, divided in to 3 main stages.
Stone age i. Paleolithic
ii. Mesolithic
iii. Neolithic
Stone Age
 i. Paleolithic (Old Stone Age)
• Late Paleolithic people were hunter/scavengers and food gatherers. They were called
as hominids.
• Needle-made out of bone with punched eyeholes and
ivory needles. (Invented needle)
• Threads used - plant fibers or animal tendons
• Materials - leather, animal skins and furs
• Basic function - to protect from cold climates.
• Tools-Used Artifacts made from chipped stone and
flint, and the use of wood, clay, and animal parts.
• Colors-Red ocher residue found can be remnants of
paint smeared on the body or remains of clothing at A Paleolithic settlement. Notice what materials
burial are used for building temporary homes.
 ii. Mesolithic - (Middle Stone Age)
• The Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) lived in Europe
and parts of western Asia.
• Purpose of clothing - to adapt themselves to many
atmospheric changes, mainly cold climate.
• Clothing Technology –
❑ Made thick, furry hides from animals

❑ Cut the hides into shapes they liked

❑ Making holes for the head and arms

❑ Draped the furs on body

❑ Used strips of hide to tie the furs (belts

• Tools –Made with stone, bone, shell and metal

artifacts.
 iii. Neolithic (New Stone Age)

• In Middle East and in Mesoamerica

• Agriculture was the main work.
Pottery, copper industries begun.
• Tools - became highly polished and
varied.
• Technology - Clothing developed from
fur to a lighter cooler material, which
is easier and quicker to sew.
 Bronze age

• In the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean

• Tools, sewing needles and weapons-made of
bronze
• Clothing technology-Made from fine-woven wool
(sheep’s wool)
• Colors-natural fleece colors/range of browns,
greys, whites and off whites
• Both the male and female clothing seem to have
been made to a standard set of designs.
 Female garments
The bodice-
• elbow length sleeves (simple embroidery decorations)
• reached to the waist

The skirt-
• comes in two forms.
• a short skirt
• made from vertical strands of string (decorated with bands
of tubular bronze or gold ornaments) hanging loosely
around the hips and twisted twice around the waist
• a belt went around the waist
• a circular ornamental belt plate at the center front
 The Iron age
• Tools-made out of iron / needles from bone, bronze and iron
Clothing –
• made of wool
• woven using looms (weaving checks and stripes)
• Threads - wool or linen thread
Seams –
• used in every cloth inside and out.
• used on the outside, to maintain water-proofing on leather or skins
• Summer cloaks were not sewn (a piece of cloth draped on) and Peplum -which was
woven as a tube
 Female garments

▪ Tunic - A long shirt worn on the upper body

▪ Dress - One piece full length outer garment. Can have
sleeves.
▪ Peplum - Tubular dress without sleeves.
▪ Skirt - Worn round the waist to cover the legs.
▪ Belt - Worn around the waist.
▪ Pouch - Holds personal items. Hangs on the belt
▪ Shoes - Worn on the feet for protection.
▪ Cloak - Worn over the shoulders as a coat
 Male garments
▪ Tunic - A long shirt worn on the upper body.
▪ Braecci - Trousers or worn on the legs.
▪ Belts - One to hold the trousers up, and one around the tunic.
▪ Pouch - Holds personal items. Hangs on the belt
▪ Shoes - Worn on the feet for protection.
▪ Cloak - Worn over the shoulders as a coat

Cloaks
• A light weight piece of cloth draped over the shoulders fastened with
brooches.
• A heavy-weight cloak with two layers and a hood worn in winter.
• Outer layer -coarse wool, possibly oiled (lanolin).
• Inner layer -lighter weight cloth, bright color
Evolution of clothing in different countries

Clothing from Asia

Indian
Chinese
Influenced from Southeast
Influenced from Korea and Asian countries
Japan
(SL/ Indonesia/ Thailand)
 Evaluation of Sri Lankan Clothing

• Up to Kandyan Era only the kings and his family members

wore elegant clothing.
• The king’s ministers/officials had uniforms reflecting their
designations and the status in the society.

Nilame attire
• upper class families
• made from silk or sheik textiles with embedded jewels
and extensive embroidery work
• Color described the designation of work and the status
 After
arrival of
the
Europeans
 UNIT – I

Session 2
Evolution of Clothing – Part II
Evolution of clothing in western world

EGYPT
• Main material-Linen
• Men upper class-wrapped skirt/ resembled a kilt
over the loincloth “Shenti”
❑ 2800 BC-Shentiwas knee length

❑ 1700s BC -Shentifell to the ankle

❑ 1100 BC -close-fitting fuller long shenti

❑ 1333-1323 BC-Shentihad a triangular

projection in front. Cloaks or capes were

draped over the shoulder.
• Workers - simple lioncloth
 Female garments

• Ankle length long sheath – Kalasiris (held in place

by one or two straps over the shoulders) sleeves
sewn

• 1600 - 1000 BC -a loose, sleeveless cloak Haik,

over the Kalasiris.

• Colures - white Yellow red, blue, Green after 15th

Centaury.
Clothing from Mesopotamia –1200 to 550 BC

• Heavier woolen garments

• A woolen skirt/ T-shaped tunic
• Styles-Shawls the upper torso
• Embroidery and fringe
• Dyes
• Men wore beards, turban like hats
• Veils (only free, married women could
wear veils) -slaves and prostitutes were
PERSIA
• Introduced two garments-trousers and seamed fitted coats

CRETE
• women and men athletes wearing little more than a loincloth while
performing dangerous stunts
• goddesses and priestesses-a short-sleeved, laced bodice cut to expose
the breasts; a long, bell-shaped skirt; and a tight sash around the waist.
 Clothing from Greece -500 to 30 BC
• Lengths of linen or wool fabric

• Rectangular shape and secured with a fibula (pin) and a sash.

Women-peplos, a loose robe, the chiton, a tunic , veil

• Men-the chlamys, a cloak , the chiton, a tunic

• Men’s chitons hung to the knees

• Women’s chitons fell to their ankles

• Outer garment during winter –himation(cloak)

• Male nakedness represented goodness and beauty

 Clothing from Rome –800 BC to 476 AD

• Dress signified rank, status, office, or

authority
• Made of wool
• Linen, cotton, or silk also used

• The basic male dress was the tunic with a belt

• National garment - toga (Only for male citizens)
 Clothing from Medieval Period [500 –1500 AD]
Peasants Nobility
Early Men Men
Medieval • short woolen tunic/ belted at the waist/ short • A woolen tunic, belted at the waist, embroidered
period woolen trousers hem and sleeves, a woolen cloak fastened with a
brooch.
• Small hat over a woolen cowl and boots as footwear
Women Women
• A woolen dress, tied at the waist over a white linen
• A woolen dress over woolen underskirt
underskirt, a woolen cloak, a linen headdress with a
• Woolen cowl to protect her head and shoulders and headband.
boots as footwear
Later Men Men
Medieval • A short woolen jacket over a woolen tunic With • Fur-trimmed velvet gown over a black padded long
period stockings and shoes and a small cap on his head. shirt ,gold embroidery, black stockings, a large hat.

Women
Women • A green woolen dress trimmed with cream colored
fur that is belted very high, Underneath dress made
• A woolen dress over a woolen underskirt with a
out of blue material, an expensive linen headdress.
linen headdress.
• Used dyes
 Early Medieval Period
Early Medieval Period (Nobility)
(Peasants) Fig 2.8

Later Medieval Period

Later Medieval Period (Nobility)
(Peasants) Fig 2.9
Evolution
of
Clothing
in
Europe
 The Renaissance period 1450-1600
The specific styling features
• The rich wore fabrics such as velvet, satin and cotton
:
• poor wore flannel and other cheaply available fabrics.
• cotton regarded as a rich fabric
• common fabrics were flax and wool
• Men -boots, pants, a shirt, a vest and a hat.
• Women-shoes, Skirt, under skirt, a shirt, a bodice, and a hat or snood, braided long hair, Curls.
Elizabethan Period 1558-1603
Men Women

• Embroidered vests with buttons down • covered nearly the whole body.
the • A fitted bodice to highlighted the small waist.
• Loose fitting pants up to knee • Square necklines ,ruffled yokes
• progressed the waist line
• Cloaks, silk stockings and beaver hats • Without ruffle and became tight-fitting.
The Renaissance period
1450-1600
Elizabethan Period –1558 to 1603
• The Industrial Revolution started in
England.

• Technological improvement, trade

network, new inventions took place
during that period.

• spinning jenny, hand-operated warp

knitting machine, the power loom,
Jacquard punched card loom, first
synthetic dye, Viscose, First
automatic bobbin changing weaving
loom, Fiber reactive dye, commercial
polyester fiber etc.
 UNIT – I

Session 3
Functions of Clothing
 01. FUNCTIONS OF CLOTHING

▪Protection and Comfort

▪Modesty
▪Attraction
▪Communication

3
 3.1 Protection
(from bad climates/ accidents/ infections)
 3.1 Comfort
• The absence of unpleasantness or discomfort/ a neutral state compared to the
more active state of pleasure.
• The movement of heat and water vapor through a garment matters.
3.2 Modesty
is a social practice
3.3 Attraction

Attraction / Seduction
3.3 Attraction

❖ People use clothes to attract others

❖ Even modesty can be attractive
 3.4 Communication
"Clothes create a wordless means of
communication that we all understand“
-Katherine Hamnett-
British Fashion Designer

Clothing-a non-verbal Communication method

 UNIT – I
Session 5
Communicating with Clothes
Communicating
with clothing

5.1 Gender Differentiation

5.2 Social Status
5.3 Ethnicity
&
Religion
5.4 Political Affiliations
5.5 Occupation
 UNIT – I

Session 4
Requirements of Clothing
 04. REQUIREMENTS OF CLOTHING

i. Physiological Requirements

ii. Psychological Requirements

Study of interaction between human body and
clothing in different environments

• Protection

• Comfort
 1. Physiological Factors

1. Insulation
2. Ventilation
3. Moisture Absorption
and Moisture Transport
>> 1. Heat Insulation
Depends on:
❖ Construction of the garment
❖ Type of fabric
Types of heat loss to be prevented

• Convection heat loss

• Evaporative heat loss

• Conductive heat loss

• Radiant heat loss

 4 Types of heat loss to be prevented
Conventional heat Evaporative heat Conductive heat Radiant heat loss
loss loss Loss
▪Air carries away the ▪Moisture in skin turns ▪Minor effect in ▪Radiant heat loss from the human
heat emitted from body to vapor clothing body is only minor except when all
other channels of heat loss is covered

▪Wool and Synthetic ▪Wicking fabrics are ▪Reflective materials ▪Heat loss through this reduced by
fabrics are good barriers effective against prevent heat loss reflective materials that turn the heat
evaporative heat loss back to the body
 >> 2. Ventilation

• In order to maintain a balance between heat and moisture in the microclimate,

some type of a ventilation system is required.

Depends on:
❖ Construction of the garment
❖ Type of fabric
❖ Condition of air in environment
>> 3. Moisture Absorption & Transport
• The moisture (perspiration)generated on the skin is absorbed and
dispersed by the clothing and then transported through the fabric
to the outer surface to released into the environment.

Depends on:
• Construction of the garment
• Type of fabric
 Special requirements of protective clothing
What needs to
be protected Protection Measures
against (a)
(a) • Impregnation or laminated (plastic-
• Rain coated) fabrics
• Snow • “water repellent” or “wind proof’
• Wind • water proof / windproof seams
• permeable to moisture.
• New developments such-“micro fibre
fabrics”, “Gore-Tex” or “Smypatex”

(b) • good insulators as well as resistant to

flame and fire.
Heat and Fire • flame resistant finishes /fire resistant
fibres/ fabrics
• laminated with aluminum are used.
• Close fitting garments
(b)
 Special requirements of protective clothing
What needs to
be protected Protection Measures
against

(c) Smoke, Toxic • waterproof and gas proof

Fumes, Acids fabrics
Alkalis • special non-woven fabrics
with activated carbon

(d) Bacteria • Farmworkers in the

hospitals /labs
• fabrics with smooth
surfaces for low particle
retention and easy (c) (d)
cleaning.
2. Psychological Requirements

• Color

• Style
Colors
UNIT – II

Session 1
What is Fashion?
 Definitions of “Fashion”
• Fashion is the prevailing mode, especially in dress
- New International Webster’s Comprehensive Dictionary -

• Fashion is a style that is popular at a particular time

- Cambridge International Dictionary of English –
-

• Fashion is not permanent; it is constantly changing some

times rapidly from day to day or more slowly, say season to
season.
 What is fashion?
• People use fashion to PRESENT
THEMSELVES to the public eye.
What we wear is an image of
what we want the world to see.

• A style of clothing worn by most

of people in a community/society
within a period of time.
 Fashion and Society
• The only constant in fashion is change.
• Fashion can define the society and the structure of the
particular era.
• “Fashion Mirrors society” Fashion in a strange sense is created
by
• society for the society. both these aspects depend on each
other to survive and progress.

Ex: During the world war women’s fashion was similar to

military uniforms, less feminine however after the war ended
fashion changed. back to the feminine aspects which
highlighting the female body. (New look by Christian Dior)
1.2 Fashion is Art
1.3 Fashion is Dimension of Time
1.4 Fashion is a Big Business
 Fashion is Art
• Art is not just painting/ Fashion is more than form of dressing
it’s a social expression.
• In form of art reflects the time value documents of time in
society by painting, sculpture as the same manner fashion
does that.
• Ex: France is consider as Leader of fashion and alsoart
 Fashion is Dimension of time
❖Forecasting for future trends

• Designers will have to work with a schedule, which include particular tasks.
such as:
• Research
• Design
• International fairs
• Final designs
• Sampling of garments
• Costing
 Fashion is Big Business
• Fashion is diverse industry, it involves working with large number of skilled
workers working all over the world, making successful garment.

• Style sell well is the success of everyone

• In the level of haute couture will be

adopted and copied by others, usually
successful style is put into a mass
production with necessary changes
done to suit with end user and sold in
retail outlets.