Six Fascinating Facts About Fashion

Fashion has been with us in one form another since the beginnings of time. It's interesting to look back through history and see how fashion trends have changed. While many people might think fashion to be frivolous, it's really a mirror of what our society wants to portray at any particular time. Here are some strange little facts about fashion that you might not know:

The function of buttons on jacket sleeves

Have you ever asked yourself why there are buttons on the ends of jacket sleeves? According to information passed down through the ages, none other than Napoleon Bonaparte dictated that buttons be attached to jacket sleeves to stop the annoying habit soldiers had of wiping their runny noses on their jacket sleeves.

What makes an item vintage?

A clothing item is considered vintage if it dates from 1920 to 1960. After that date, an item is considered to be retro, not vintage.

The invention of the bra

Would you believe the bra wasn't patented until 1914? The bra was created by a young New York socialite named Mary Phelps who grew weary of having her camisole show when she wore a lace blouse. Using handkerchiefs, she designed the first rudimentary bra, which she eventually had patented in 1914. Women everywhere loved Mary's new design and the first bra took off in a big way. It was later that a woman named Ida Rosenthal started designing bras with different cup sizes.

The history of the skirt

Did you know the skirt is the second oldest women's garment in history? It's preceded only by the loin cloth in age. In Egyptian times, the skirt was worn by both men and women, which can be verified by looking at drawings from ancient times.

The invention of the thong

The thong has an interesting history. It was supposedly invented after the New York Mayor LaGuardia became enraged that the city's nude dancers were exposing too much flesh. The thong was developed to keep the New York City dancers covered enough to placate the mayor.

Invention of the Bermuda shorts

Back in the 1930's, women in Bermuda were forbidden to show their thighs in public. Female visitors and local residents wanted to wear shorts so they simply lengthened the length of their shorts to the knee to cover their thighs.

These are just some of the many amusing facts about fashion that have helped to shape our culture and sense of style. No matter where history should lead us, fashion will always be a part of who we are.