Eyeliner History

Eyeliner can give both men and women a smoky mystique in the eyes that seems alluring yet dangerous. Eyeliner has come to be associated with exoticism and a sultry look that blends well with ancient Egyptian figures like Cleopatra, but not so well with recent historical figures such as Queen Victoria. Eyeliner has become popular amongst goth, alternative and emo cultures to achieve that dark look around the eyes. The history of eyeliner can be...

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Lipstick History

Lipstick history can be dated all the way to prehistory with numerous cultures using it. The ancient Egyptians and Babylonians are some of the many ancient civilizations that have used lipstick to color their lips, often red or purple. Queen Elizabeth I made famous the pale facial complex with contrasting red lips back in her time. Flushed, colored lips signify attraction and a 1770 law had been passed in England that forbade women from wearing...

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Bowlers

Bowlers or derby hats were hats that could be worn by all classes. Bowlers were developed out of London in the 1840s and became popular among workers and the wealthy both. The type of hate you wore in the Victorian era symbolized who you were in society. It was top hats for the wealthy and floppy hats for the poor. Bowlers are the only hats that transcended class boundaries in the rigid social structure of the Victorian era. Bowlers were also...

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Gypsy Fashion

In mainstream, western society, gypsies have been considered a landless people who are always on the move. Many gypsies do not like to divulge their origins, but most likely, their origins can be traced to Northern India despite some claims they came from Egypt. Gypsies have undergone harsh persecution in European society, being labeled as sneak-thieves, lazy and disloyal. Much of the persecution of gypsies stems from their allegiance to no state...

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History of Glases

The history of glasses does not stretch that far back in history since many were illiterate in the ancient world and the only ones who could truly read were either religious figures or the privileged. The only people who could read throughout history were monks, clergyman and the nobility. The history of glasses begins with monks splitting a glass ball in two for reading in the dark. Glasses as we know it today begins in the 13th century when spectacles were joined by a pivot made of wood or metals. 17th century lenses saw the use of ribbons and...

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Kitsch Vintage Pulp Pinup 'Questionable Ladies' iphone 3 Cover: $47.95

Speck® Fitted™ Fabric-Inlaid Hard Shell Case for iPhone 3G/3GS. Kitsch Vintage Pulp Pinup 'Questionable Ladies'...

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Kitsch Vintage Pulp Pinup 'Questionable Ladies' iphone 4 Covers: $39.95

Speck® Fitted™ Fabric-Inlaid Hard Shell Case for iPhone 4/4S. Kitsch Vintage Pulp Pinup 'Questionable Ladies'...

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Kidskin Gloves

Monarchs traditionally have set the standard of fashion in their countries. Elizabeth the first wore kidskin gloves which became widely popular in England throughout Europe. Kidskin gloves since became popular and mostly reserved for formal occasions such as weddings, operas and fancy dinners. Kidskin gloves of all kinds can been seen at balls, dances and other high-class occasions. Portraits have traditionally acted as standards and glimpses...

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Breeches

Breeches became popular around the late 16th century when monarchs from both France and England included breeches as fashionable dress for men at court. Like many garments and shoes throughout history, monarchs are the ones who were the trendsetters of their particular countries or empires. Breeches were usually made of silk, leather, wool cotton etc. When monarchs started wearing breeches so did the nobles and hence the rest of the populace....

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History of Stockings

Although the ancient Greek and Romans had their own variation of what we know as stockings, the official history of stockings started with William Lee, who first invented the modern stocking in 1589. In the history of stockings, such leg garments were mostly made for men with women wearing stockings later in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Throughout the history of stockings, men have worn them to go well with breeches and boots. Original...

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Edwardian Wedding Dresses

The only place where you'll find antique clothing today are modern variations on Edwardian Wedding Dresses. By the 1920s, Edwardian and Victorian clothing became a relic of the past and labled as antique clothing. In a 1920s world of female demand for voting rights and the trauma of World War One, fashions became more loose and any manner of clothing before the 1920s became labled as antique clothing. However, antique clothing has survived in the...

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1920s Hats For Women

1920s hats for women complemented the short hairstyles that were in vogue at the time. Women also wore turbans, often adorned with feathers, and headbands and hairwraps. The roaring twenties was a far departure from the previous decades. In a post World War One world and with the women's suffrage movement, the fashions of women became more relaxed and this especially applied to women's hair and hats. Bandeau: a decorative headwrap for women that...

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Fifties Hair

Fifties hair for women was a symbol of the more established gender roles that came to define the decade. Pompadours were still popular in the fifties which carried over from the forties. Curls were popular, especially short hair. Movie stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe helped ushered in this soft, feminine look for women. Those who had long straight hair would curl their long locks. Naturally straight hair would not become popular...

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70s Punk Fashion

70s punk fashion was a mixture of glam and grunge fashion. It all started in Britain in the early seventies when young working class kids with little job opportunistic found a way of expressing their discontent through 70s punk fashion. Glam was a big influence on early 70s punk fashion with women, and sometimes men, wearing makeup. 70s punk fashion was also about making a statement against mainstream fashions such as disco and professional attire....

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Dark Shadows DVD Complete Collection

In honor of the new Dark Shadows movie and to the memory of the recently departed Jonathan Frid, the original actor who played Barnabas Collins, this would be a great time to recommend the original Dark Shadows from the 1960s and the Dark Shadows dvd complete collection. For those who do not know, Dark Shadows was a gothic soap opera that lasted from 1966 to 1971. Though short-lived, it provided some of the most memorable storylines and characters...

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Victorian Fabrics

Victorian Fabrics such as lace and velvet were in style during this time period which allowed dresses and gowns dyed in various colors. For day dresses it was silk or regular cloth; for fancier evening wear it was satin or brocade topped with lace. Evening dresses usually had an extended train. Aesthetic preferences of evening dresses usually entailed with: “diamond stars, crescents and aigrettes” (80). Victorian fabrics also included lace flounces...

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Heavy Metal Fashion

Though heavy metal fashion is considered anti-fashion, many who developed what is known as heavy metal fashion today were trendsetters without realizing it. Rob Halford from the heavy metal band Judas Priest started sporting leather and biker gear in promotion of their album Hell Bent for Leather. Members of the band Motorhead started to wear bullet belts onstage and Saxon sported spandex which would come popular in early heavy metal fashion. Other accessories such as combat boots and studded bracelets became the standard uniform of meatheads around...

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Elizabethan Clothes

Elizabethan clothes were patterned on the fashions and tastes of Queen Elizabeth herself. Elizabeth I became the first Queen to define an age alone instead of a family dynasty. Instead of the Stuart or Tudor dynasty age, Queen Elizabeth came to define her own age and other monarchs would follow such as the Georgian period of the 1700s, the Victorian period of the Victorian period and the Edwardian era of the early twentieth century. Some Elizabethan...

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16th Century Fashion For Men

16th century fashion for men was just as elaborate as any other century. Hats were mandatory and a man could face a fine if seen without one. Materials included cotton, velvet and satin. It was mostly flannel for lower class men. White shirts were billowy with long puffy sleeves. Worn over the shirts was the doublet, a fancy type of vest that was usually tied on both the front and sometimes the back man. The doublet came in all kinds of rich...

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16th Century Fashion For Women

16th century fashion for women signified the innovation of the Renaissance period. 16th century fashion was all about layering. Women’s clothing was made of linen and wool, sometimes velvet or silk. Black was the preferred fashion since it made a good backdrop for elaborate jewels and pearls. The base of a women’s dress in 16th century fashion was the kirtle, a snug skirt that fit the bodice with long sleeves. In the early century, kirtles were...

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Viking Clothes

Viking clothes were generally thick and draped in nature for both men and women. Clothing of Scandinavia was meant to protect inhabitants from the harsh winter weather. Shoes and articles of clothing were made of leather and sheepskin. The men went off to wage war and seize booty while the women stayed behind and tended to house chores while raising the children. Both men and women wore their hair long and often braided and pleated the hair....

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Sword History

Sword history stretches far back in Europe. In ancient Rome, nobles and warriors had swords and were trained extensively how to use them. During the Dark Ages, local kings would grant nobles and lesser nobles called vassals certain property in exchange for military service when necessary. The sons of these nobles were be trained as knights. Often the sons of noblemen would become knights who trained in the art of sword fighting from an early age....

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Musketeer Outfit

The musketeer outfit was not only meant for protection, but style and flair. They were representatives of the king’s court and were his elite guards. The French Musketeer was started under King Louis XIII’s reign and the elite soldiers of France. They were trained in both the musket and sword for any combat situation. The tabard is the draping over the entire musketeer ensemble, often made of velvet and silk. It was not only fashionable, but provided...

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Swiss Guard Uniform

The Swiss Guard uniform draws inspiration from the renaissance period. Though it appears that the Swiss Guard uniform has been unchanged for centuries, the concept of the modern Swiss Guard uniform was invented in 1914 by Commandant Jules Repond. The commandant drew inspiration from Michelangelo and Raphael’s depiction of Swiss guardsmen in the same type of uniform. There are variations on the modern Swiss Guard uniform, but all of the different...

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Italian Fashion History

Italian fashion history dates all the way back to ancient Rome. The Roman Empire spread their culture around the world, including fashion. Some of the centers of Italian fashion were Rome, Milan and Venice. When the Roman Empire fell, the clothing of people in Europe became more localized and patterned after local kings and queens. The renaissance period saw the rebirth of Italian fashion having a major impact on the European fashion scene. Italy...

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Prussian Helmet

The Prussian helmet was called the pickelhaube in German. Allied soldiers dubbed it the lobster tail helmet because of the curvature in the back of the head. The Prussian helmet was made of a boiled leather structure and plated with a metal finish, gold and silver being for officers. These kinds of helmets were worn by Kaiser Wilhelm II and Otto Von Bismark. They were traditionally reserved for upper military branches, but also for firemen and police....

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Devillock Hair

The devillock was created by bassist Jerry Only from the horror-punk band Misfits in the late 1970s. Only stated that he drew the hairstyle from Eddie Munster of the tv show The Munsters. Only can be seen sporting the do in promotional photos and at concerts and has never be seen without the famous do since the seventies. The devillock is achieved by keep the side of the hair short while growing out the frontal portion of the hair. The next step...

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Memento Mori Jewelry

Memento Mori jewelry was popular during the 16th and 17th centuries. Memento Mori is translated in Latin as “remember you must die” In an age high infant mortality, rampant disease and political conflict, death was common and all around so people needed reminders to live in the moment and cherish every moment of life. Memento jewelry did not necessarily encourage fast living but reminded the departed to live a life of virtue. Memento Mori jewelry...

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1940s Pants For Women

1940s pants for women may not seem controversial today, but in the 1940s, women wearing anything other than skirts or dresses caused quite a stir, especially among men. The Victorian ideal of rigid gender roles was starting to wane as the twentieth century moved by. Pants were traditionally reserved for men while women wore dresses, skirts and gowns. As more men went off to fight in the war, occupations traditionally reserved for men became available...

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1920s Suits For Men

1920s suits for men largely resemble suits of today. Though 1920s suits had not changed much over the decades, the roaring twenties was the decade of modern fashion as we know it. By the 1920s, cravats, frock coats and capes had gone out of style and largely became reserved for older men. The standard three piece suit became the standard for 1920s suits for men: simple trousers, vests and a jacket. The tie became fashionable and cravats and...

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Vampire Fashion

Vampire fashion mostly draws back on Victorian and Georgian clothing. The vampire mythos mostly originates from the 1700s and 1800s so it should come as no surprise that many who pull off vampire fashion draw inspiration from those periods. Vampire fashion is an aspect of the Goth scene, combining Goth fashion from the early eighties with the antique clothing of earlier centuries. Places you are likely to find vampire fashion communities are Goth, and gothic Victorian to scenes or people simply interested in history and the vampire legend. Pale...

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Grunge Clothes

The greating about grunge clothes is you don’t have to go to expensive shops to achieve the early nineties mystique. Flanels, dock martins, torn jeans and band t-shirts is all you need to achieve the grunge look. You can go to clothing donation centers, flea markets or dig out your own clothes you wore back in the day. Key chain wallets were popular back in the day and for a genuine early nineties look be sure to tie your jacket around your west. Grunge clothes became popular with the popularity of alternative music of the early nineties. Bands...

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Eighties Hair

Eighties hair for women saw a return to volume. Daytime soap operas, music and preoccupation with wealth and status was what drove eighties hair to become voluptuous and loud in nature. Fashion icons such as Madonna and Debbie Gibson set the standard for eighties hair. Seventies hair was more plain and simpler to manage. Seventies hair was about simplicity as well. Eighties hair returned to a fancier style reminiscent of the sixties and previous...

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French Revolution Fashion

French Revolution fashion saw the changing of fashions for both men and women. Gone were the old fashions of big hair, stockings and fancy, buckled shoes. Trousers were worn by men instead of buckled shoes and stockings since they were considered a part of the old aristocracy. The frilly dresses and corsets for women were discarded and free flowing gowns were worn by women. This was the time of the enlightenment and such gowns were worn by women...

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Fashions of the Last Russian Czar and Czarina

Empress Alexandria: wife of czar Nicholas II who reigned from the late 1800s to 1917. Empress Alexandria wearing what was known as kokoshnik, a headdress for women that has been worn for centuries in Russia by women of all classes. Empress Alexandria's kokoshnik was studded with diamonds and made of velvet trimmed with pearls. Veils hung to the floor for married women. By the twentieth century, this style was abondoned in favor of a simple tiara....

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Nazi Chic

Nazi chic is a fascination with Nazi uniforms. It is a widely popular subculture that is popular not only in Europe and the Americas, but Asia as well. In many Asian countries, the German role in World War Two is much more nuanced and not as taboo as in the Americas and Europe. Therefore, many in Asia view Adolf Hitler and the Nazis as charismatic figures who wore cool clothing. Punks wore swastikas in the early 1970s for shock value. Performers...

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