Fashion

People have different attitudes to fashion. Some of them are interested in it, follow the latest fashion, read fashion magazines and visit fashion shows and other don?t care what?s in. Some people prefer smart fashion, others want to attract attention and that is why they look extravagant or even bizarre and others keep in mind the practical aspects. We can buy ready-made clothes, or have them made to measure or buy them at second-hand shops or make it own if we can do needlework. Some people have excellent taste in dress, others are slovenly in dress. By hook or by crook clothes can say much about us and fashion is important for many people.
Nowadays, the fashion changes so fast, but it was different in the past. We can say, that styles changed from place to place not from time to time. Nowadays, designers from Paris, Rome, London and New York choose to replace something with something new and their conception will come into fashion over the world, but it changes every season. In the past nothing changed in one place, one village or country many years, but if they went to the next village or country, everything was different. Modern women?s fashion began to develop around 1350. By then women had to conceal their body, hair and much their face and this tradition is still very strong in Arabian world. Then suddenly all this changed and every effort(snaha, úsilí) was made to make a woman as attractive as possible: by emphasizing (zdůrazňováním) her shape, revealing part of her bust and legs, and drawing attention to her face and hair style. Also the cheap manufacture of cloth and the invention of sewing machine brought about a revolution.
Now I?d like to talk about the fashion styles during the 20th century.
Before the First World war fashions did not change very quickly. Men wore dark suits. They had short hair and moustaches were popular. Women wore long dress and they had long hair. Under their dresses they wore stiff uncomfortable corsets, which gave them a very narrow waist.
In the Roaring twenties dresses and hair became much shorter. Corsets disappeared and a straight figure with no waist or bust was fashionable. Men wore trousers with very wide legs which were called Oxford bags.
In the 1930s and 40s hair, dresses and coats became longer again.
1950s was age of the teddy boy for men. Teddy boys were long jackets in very bright colours and very tight trousers called drainpipes. Women wore jumpers and blouses with wide skirts and short socks. Both men and women wore winklepicker? shoes with long pointed toes. The women?s shoes had high stiletto heels.
In 1960s everything changed. This was the time of the mini-skirts and long boots and of long men?s long hair.
Next years was age of flower power fashion style. Women preferred loose maxi-skirts, men wore jeans and brightly coloured shirts or T-shirts. Very long hair was in and also beard became more common.
The 80s brought teenagers with punk hairstyles.
A hundred years ago the distinction between men and women was very high, but today is in unisex fashion and casual wear. The hair is often the same length in both sexes, many women now wear jeans and jumper or sweater, men don?t dress like a gentleman. My opinion is that it?s very comfortable but women should look like women especially in some occasions and I don?t like men with long hair.
Everybody knows the proverb: ? The clothes make man.? I think it?s true. People often base their opinion of you on what you are wearing. Our clothes can make us look like tramp or like a successful person. People usually want to make a good impression. Their fashion style could express their life style. Square-toes (puntičkáři) prefer clean, neat and plain clothes, sportsman wears tracksuit, sweatshirt, jeans, shorts etc., lady from higher society should wear elegant clothes, some hat, suit, high-heeled shoes etc., clerk has to wear suit with tie and lowshoes. Usually, if we are tidy and meticulous at home and at work, our clothes look tidy and neat too. But some people don?t care about themselves because they want to express their opinion on something or they protest against something, such as war or consumption society.
But I don?t understand them. I?m very conservative. I don?t often change my clothes with changes in fashion. I think that it?s more important to look good than to follow the latest fashion. I prefer smart wear rather than casual and sportswear. I like close-fitting skirts or trousers and some coat, blouse, jersey or shirt. The colours that suit me best are black and beige, but I like also white, grey, red and violet and dislike brown, green, blue, yellow. I love evening gowns and that is why I often go for balls and theatres. I hate fur coats and as a small child I didn?t like plastic cape and hood. I don?t wear trainers, plimshoes or sneakers because I?m not so tall, so I wear almost ever high-heeled shoes. My favorite materials are all man-made fabrics and also wool, corduroy, denim, suede, leather and satin, less popular are cotton, velvet and I hate fur because it?s very unpleasant for me to feel it on my skin. I wear plain clothes without pattern, I don?t like flowered, checked, spotted or dotted things, but I like stripes and lace but not together. My night gown usually consists of men?s undershorts and T-shirt, it isn?t pleasurable for me to wear a nightie. I feel duel without handbag, watch and without my chain with pendant. I also wear silver ear-rings and four rings made of silver too. I make myself up only decent. I use only eye shadow and eye pencil and for special occasions I paint my nails with nailpolish and put on mascara and lipstick. I?m not willing to spend all my money on clothes because I?m very saving. It isn?t so important for me to buy brand clothes. In my wardrobe are some brand clothes, mainly evening dress and trousers, some clothes which I make myself and something is made to measure, but also many ready made clothes.I like sew and crochet, but I?m not so good at it.
Now, I?d like to talk about what we wear in winter and summer, to the beach, on special occasions, to bed, for sport and leisure time etc.
In winter we need something warm – caps, bands and hats, gloves and mittens, scarfs or neckerchiefs, coats, or overcoats, mackintoshes, windcheaters, parkas or anoraks with hood, jackets or even fur coat and sweaters, polo-neck or turtle-neck sweaters, cardigans, woolies, jumpers, sweatshirts, jerseys, pullovers, trousers, suits, jeans, warm socks or stockings and warm underwear and also boots. Articles of underwear are underpants, undershorts or boxers, briefs and panties, long johns, undershirt, singlet and vest for men and for women bra, panties, tights and slip.
In summer we wear light summer dresses, loose blouses with a low neckline and with short sleeves, skirts, cropped trousers, shorts or Bermuda shorts and various T-shirts, and on our feet we pull on sandals, mules, slippers or plimsolls. And when we go swimming we put on a swim suit, e.g. bikini, one-piece or two-piece, or trunks and sometimes a beach gown and straw hat.
On special occasions such as visit to theatre, cinema or ball, people usually want to be dressed in one?s Sunday best and that is why they wear e.g. evening dress which consists of dark suit, a light shirt and tie or a bowtie, or dinner jacket, an evening gown, court shoes and pumps. For sports we put on sports wear, such as jeans, shorts, T-shirts, blazers, parkas, tracksuits and to the mountains a waterproof jacket or anorak and sport shoes e.g. trainers, plimsolls, heavy boots or skishoes. At home we prefer comfort, so we put on some leisure wear, e.g. slacks, jeans and T-shirt and on our feet slippers or mules. To school we wear something practical and plain and for workshop or cleaning jobs we have to put on an apron, overall or boiler suit.
Special kinds of clothes are uniforms and costumes. Uniform are usually worn by professionals such as the police, the armed forces, doctors, veterinary doctors, nurses etc. but wearing uniforms is still tradition in some mainly British private schools. There are some arguments for it but the most strong one is that students in uniforms can?t make a distinction in family income. My opinion is that student usually know about financial situation of others and everybody should have right to express own personality. And also their uniforms don?t look too well. Typical uniform is made of clothes in subdued color such as grey, navy blue or brown. For boys consists of white shirt and dark trousers and dark sweater or blazer and for girls of a plain coat, a blouse and a skirt, both have a school badge on the breast pocket.
Costumes usually reflect the style of a past time. Very known are e.g. Scottish national traditional costumes, but also in our republic we have specific traditional folk costumes mainly in south Moravia. These are commonly very rich decorated and they differ in each village. Also each Scottish clan has own costume. It consists of kilt. It?s short skirt with many pressed pleats, which is made of woollen tartan cloth, and with square design and usually are dominated green and red colour. They wear also knee-length woolen socks, a cap and sporran, which is bag of fur and look like purse. Traditional music instrument is bagpipes and everybody wants to know what they have under their kilts.
The most popular articles of clothing are jeans. Nearly everybody has some in his or her wardrobe even my grandfather. They became fashionable every year with imperceptible modifications, they differ in colours and cut, but they are still in. They are comfortable, sometimes sexy, they are symbol of freedom, maybe rebellion and equality.
Their father was German Levi Strauss. In 1850 he wanted to sell heavy canvas as tents and wagon covers to gold diggers in California in Gold Rush time. But an old prospector advised him to buy pants, because they worn out very quickly in diggins. Strauss made pants of canvas and later he switched over to denim and made them better.
Although women commonly say that they have nothing to wear, sometimes we have to get rid of some worn-out clothes or clothes which are gone out of fashion. We can discard it to containers, sell it to bargain to second hand shops, pass it down to younger brother or sister, give it to any charitable organization or foundation such as the Red cross, but we can also store it at home and abroad are common garbage days and garage sales.
It?s very difficult for me to discard something from my wardrobe. I have there many worn-out or unworn clothes for many months and years. When I decide to get rid of something, I put them in some plastic bag to container, but my mother gives clothes to charitable organization. I?m only child, but as a small child I passed clothes down from my cousins, but I hated it, because I?m very queasy and that is why I dislike second hand shops too.