¶ … Garments and Their Historical Background ANOUSHKA G. Short Tulle Prom Dress

ANOUSHKA G's Short Tulle Prom Dress provides buyers with a timeless piece of design that looks good on most people, regardless of their appearance. The dress puts across a series of ideas, ranging from the dress children would wear while part of a wedding to ballet tutus.

Tulle is a region in France that is recognized for its production of lace and silk in the 18th century. This term is also associated with a fine netting of silk and cotton that is likely to have originated in the French commune. Even with this, most sources point toward the fact that this form of fabric was first made in Nottingham, England, in 1768. "The first French tulle made in 1778 by one Caillon, was an unsuccessful as the English attempt." (Wilcox, 152)

Tulle was of a poor quality during the eighteenth century, but the masses seemed to be especially appreciative of the fabric. Soldiers were actually accustomed to making it in their barracks and then selling it on the streets. "Yards and yards of tulle were required for the headdress and huge mobcap and during the blockade caused by the American Revolution, our ladies suffered for want of gauze and pins." (Wilcox, 152)

While it can currently be used in order to describe a wide range of materials, tulle was initially a lace with little to no ornaments. Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France from 1774 to 1792, was particularly appreciative of Tulle dresses, thus contributing to the idea that they were often considered a type of clothing characteristic to the aristocracy. The French Revolution had a negative impact on tulle production, as people no longer felt the need to concentrate on elaborate dresses and were primarily concerned about maintaining their status in a society that had the tendency to persecute individuals. "Still, so great had been the demand for tulle a few years prior to the Revolution, that, according to the Tableau de Paris of that date, at least 100,000 work-women were engaged in France in its manufacture." (Lefebure, 316)

Tulle-making had actually played an important role in shaping the image of women in the eighteenth century (in France in particular). The fact that women were accustomed to creating tulle dresses in industrial amounts made it possible for the rest of society to acknowledge the feminine nature of this particular fabric.

Cos Stores JACQUARD KNIT DRESS

Cos Stores' Jacquard-knit dress is an impressive piece of clothing that brings elegance to any person wearing it. The dress is mainly made from cotton in order for individuals wearing it to feel as comfortable as possible.

Most people in the clothes industry are likely to be familiar with the name Jacquard, considering the numerous complex fabrics that the French inventor Joseph Marie Jacquard is known for. The inventor was so famous that a series biographies and accounts regarding him have been written over the years. Jacquard was inspired by other weaving patterns that came to be popular during the early eighteenth century and got actively involved in adopting these respective patterns and even in improving them (Fava-Verde, 1).

Many silk manufacturers living contemporary to Jacquard acknowledge the significance of his patterns and were unhesitant about collaborating with him in order to create works that would impress the world. The weaving pattern was so controversial that the English apparently stole it in the early nineteenth century and introduced it in the UK. Individuals wearing Jacquard kitting dresses were seen as being part of the elite, especially considering the struggle that their creators had gone through in order to be able to produce them (Fava-Verde, 4).

Napoleon himself was impressed with Jacquard's invention and was one of the inventor's principal supporters. "During Napoleon's reign as Emperor from December 1804 to April 1814, he insisted that his ceremonial clothes be woven by the silk-weavers of Lyons. From 1805 onwards, this meant the Emperor's clothes were invariably woven on a Jacquard loom." (Essinger) With individuals such as Napoleon acknowledging the importance of this invention, more and more individuals in France and outside of the country started to show their appreciation of the weaving pattern and of a series of clothes that came to be associated with it.

L.K. Bennett Axella Jersey Top, Navy

This Jersey Top is meant for girls and it is made from a soft cotton designed to provide individuals wearing it with the feeling that they are extremely comfortable.

Jerseys are often recognized as sweaters and one of the typical aspects...

"Close fitting, knitted sweaters or shirts are known as jerseys, and the fabric often used in such garments is jersey cloth." (Strehlow & Wright, 341) The garment takes its name from the Isle of Jersey, the largest island in the British Channel, as a consequence of the fact that jersey cloth was first woven at this location.
Although the term Jersey has been associated with clothing articles ever since the Middle Ages as a consequence of knitting trade occurring in Jersey, the Channel Islands, it has gradually come to be perceived as a particular type of clothing. The name itself is believed to have originated from the Island of Jersey in the sixteenth century. By the late nineteenth century the clothing item came to have a more specific definition and it started to be associated with fine fabrics that were elastic and knitted in a simple way. "Such fabrics, jersey, Milanese, and tricot, were originally of wool or worsted but later were made from cotton, rayon, or silk." (Cumming, Cunnington & Cunnington, 252)

Jerseys came to be associated with sports in the early twentieth century as cyclists and a number of other individuals in sports started to wear this piece of clothing. Golfers also expressed interest in it, as it was adapted for golfing through the introducing of a polo collar. The Jersey came to receive more appreciation over the years and they eventually came to be perceived as a particularly important piece of clothing, with more and more people starting to own one (Cumming, Cunnington & Cunnington, 200).

Soho Neon Roll Neck Sweater

This Polo-neck top is made from an organic cotton jersey fabric and is designed to bring both comfort and exclusiveness to the individual wearing it.

Although it is reportedly a very common piece of clothing for hundreds of years, the turtleneck did not come into public attention until the late nineteenth century. The British often refer to turtlenecks by using the expression polo neck. This is likely owed to the fact that turtlenecks were commonly used by English Polo Players during the 1960s. The clothing article had a functional role as well as a role related to fashion, considering the exclusivity that it brought along.

As previously mentioned, turtlenecks have been around for centuries, but society as a whole did not start to appreciate them until they started to be widely worn by individuals in a series of domains. These clothing items provided protection from harsh weather and they thus came to be appreciated by people working in difficult weather conditions. "Our modern turtlenecks have actually been around since the 19th century and were first known to be worn by sailors, naval officers (including the Royal Navy), athletes and laborers in Europe, providing extra coverage and warmth when working outside or at sea." (Vintage: Transition With A Turtleneck) The fact that many of these polo necks were made out of wool further contributed to people considering them the best option for harsh weather conditions -- wool is specially designed to keep moisture away and it can keep individuals cool during the summer and warm during cold winter times (Vintage: Transition With A Turtleneck).

Polo necks became very common in the twentieth century, with people from a wide variety of domains starting to use them as a consequence of the fact that they were associated with intellectuals. Black polo necks were worn by a series of early twentieth-century thinkers, this playing an important role in shaping the way the masses perceived this item of clothing. "Since the middle of the 20th century black polo necks have been identified as the uniform of radical academics, philosophers, artists and intellectuals." (Ritchie) These people were also rejecting the popular cultures through refusing to wear a shirt and a tie and chose to wear something that clearly distinguished them from the masses.

Plaid Tennis Skirt

This Plaid skirt is a rather traditional design that brings out a series of feelings, ranging from the preppy style associated with many contemporary schools to the rebellious style in many hipsters today.

There is much controversy with regard to the difference between plaid and tartan and many people are thus inclined to have problems differentiating between the two. Tartan specifically refers to a particular cloth pattern mean to differentiate between one Scottish clan (or region) and another.

Plaid patterns were apparently only accessible to the elite several hundreds of years ago, with the first records relating to it going back to 1538. King James V reportedly bought…