#1 The world's longest wedding dress had a train that was 2.9 km / 1.85 miles long. To make it, about three miles of taffeta and 5.4 m / 18 ft of lace to produce were necessary to make it.
#2 In Ancient Rome, purple clothing was a status symbol and was worn only by emperors or senators. To obtain the color, a dye was made from murex seashells. It was considered treason for anyone other than the emperor to dress entirely in purple.
#3 Before Queen Victoria's white wedding, white was actually seen as a color that was traditionally associated with mourning.
#4 In the 1670s, King Louis XIV of France decreed that only members of the royal court were allowed to wear red heels. This was an easy way to distinguish someone of the upper classes from a commoner.
#5 Before the 19th century, designers used dolls to showcase their designs instead of actual models.
#6 In Ancient Greece, prostitutes had sayings etched into the bottoms of their shoes. These would say things like "follow me" and the saying would show up in the sand when they walked.
#7 The first versions of high heels were actually worn by both men and women. Men wore them because the heel allowed for extra stability when riding horses - the heel helped the foot secure in stirrups. By around 1740, the trend had already faded away.
#8 In the early 18th century, even children used to wear high heels.
#9 Until about the 19 th century, children used to be dressed in the same clothes as adults but in small versions.
#10 It was writer Mark Twain who invented and patented the bra-strap clasp.
#11 In the 15 th century, it was fashionable to be pregnant, so young women who were not "with child" used to wear fake baby bumps underneath their clothes.
#12 During the last part of the 1800s, people used to wear shoes with rubber soles called plimsolls, but they were crude. The US Rubber Company came up with more comfortable rubber shoes with canvas tops in 1892 and called the Keds. Soon enough, these shoes were named sneakers because the soles were so smooth that they allowed the wearer to sneak around silently. It was around 1917 when sneakers began to be mass-produced.
#13 Both the pencil skirt and the A-line skirt were designed by Christian Dior.
#14 During World War II, nylon was quite scarce as it was needed to produce parachutes for the military. As a result, nylon pantyhose became extremely scarce. To keep the covered legs look going, women would paint their legs with instant gravy powder and draw a line up the backs of their legs to mimic the appearance of nylon stockings.
#15 In the 1970s, South Korea used to have an actual fashion police who would go around and measure the miniskirt length of women. If skirts were too short, the wearers could be fined or arrested.
#16 In Icelandic folklore, if you don't get some new clothes to wear for Christmas, there is a giant Yule Cat that will eat you.
#17 The tuxedo gets its name from the town named Tuxedo, situated in Orange County, New York (not California). This is the place where a tuxedo was first worn.
#18 Some studies which were popular around 2013 showed that people who dress like their boss get a promotion quicker.
While there are so many interesting aspects of fashion in the past, the trends of today are very likely going to seem just as odd to future generations. In this sense, it is interesting to try to imagine how the world of style will be seen like by people in the future. Will these times be seen as a golden age or as a valley from a stylistic point of view? What do you think?
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Further reading:
Culture, history and money: 32 fashion facts The Movember movement: 10 facts 12 fun facts about neck ties Fascinating fashion and sustainability facts 45 facts about hairP.S. We want to hear from you! What do you think of these facts? Which surprised you most? Why? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!
