Fashion: The Initial Stages

Fashion traces its origins to leather jacket with fur mens ancient civilizations. In antiquity, clothes had one primary function: to protect the body against extreme weather. Ancient Egyptians commonly wore linen garments mainly because of the hot weather. However, with the changes in society that had become more complex, clothing began to serve a social function: clothing started to communicate about wealth and power or status. One's social class could begin to be recognized simply from the use of dyes, embroidery, or intricate designs. 

The fashion design conceived in our days began to get truer in Europe in the 14th or 15th Century, with the rise of the Renaissance. The same was the birth of a period of exquisite taste and style, particularly within the courts of kings and aristocrats. Fashion was dominated by the whims of the upper class and the need for such upper-class people to show off. 

The Evolution of Haute Couture

By the middle of the next century, perhaps about 1850's haute couture (French high sewing) became raised in Paris. With Charles Frederick Worth opening the first haute couture house in 1858, it provided a history of Paris from then on as the true fashion city of the world. This was indeed a turning point: fashion became an industry, with designers working for wealthy clients who could afford to purchase custom-made apparel. 

The fame of haute couture was cumulated in the 20th century with the institutionalization of fashion houses like Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy. Designers began to create collections each season, with each collection featuring new trends, newer trends that would trickle down into the mass markets. The fashion world became not just an arena of business but also one of art-a place where designers became celebrities. 

Globalization and Mass Production

In the mid-20th century, globalization and mass production began to affect how fashion was produced and consumed. leather and fur jacket Towards the end of this period, with the introduction of the ready-to-wear (prêt-à-porter) line in the 1960s, fashion began to widen its reach from the shelves of haute-couture to the disregard of the elite. Designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin made high fashion for an affordable reason, with stylish collections that reached out to broader masses.

The rise of fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, and Forever 21 during the 1990s and 2000s changed the very ways in which business was conducted in the industry. They allowed their customers to dress in inexpensive clothes that resembled the looks coming off the runway. The fashion life cycle theory, therefore, witnessed rapid times, with designers creating collections in a matter of weeks.