This document analyzes the evolution of western women's fashion from the late 1700s to modern day. It discusses how fashion reflected social class in the late 1700s, with wealthy women wearing elaborate wigs and dresses. In the 1800s, the industrial revolution made clothing more widely available and styles became slimmer. Women began wearing pants for work in the late 1800s and 1970s. Globalization has made western clothing cheaper by producing garments in other countries. Overall, women's fashion has become more comfortable and practical as their social roles have expanded.

1. Evolution of western
fashion
Late 1700’s-
modern day

2. My objectives
 My objective to to analyze the shift of clothing for
western women.
 I will address and compare the types of clothing over
time.
 I will explain some political, economical, social, and
medical reasons for fashion change.
 I have used many academic journals and scholarly
sources to establish these findings.

3. According t
Anthropologist
Since the 1980’s Anthropologist have placed
emphasis on clothing. They have placed body
surface at center stage. As the desired body
dimensions change clothing evolves. Other factors
are social structure, social agency, economy, or
accessibility of affordable clothing.
Social structure- influences like social class, religion,
gender, ethnicity, and customs.
Social agency- the capacity of individuals to act
freely and make their own choices.

4. Women of privilege in the late
1700’s
 Today our clothing varies but in the late 1700’s clothing
painted a portrait of your class.
Wigs, fancy hats, and well
fitted extravagant dresses
were a great indicator of
wealth.

5. Working class attire of the late
1700’s
Many servants in this period wore bonnets or
hats rather than wigs. Some servants were
offered second hand clothes from their masters
but they would sell them to survive rather than
wear them.
Working class
women almost
always wore hats.

6. About the working class?
It is harder to study the working class in earlier eras.
One of the main reasons is the fact that few artists would
spend the time painting someone without wealth.
Wealthy people were regularly painted but working class
couldn’t pay to plaster their walls with self portraits.

7. Von Sömmerring
 Von Sömmerring, a physician and well-known anatomist,
argued that the back-laced corset, as worn by fashionable
ladies of the time, constituted a heath hazard by
compressing the ribs and other internal organs and he
claimed that this lead to tuberculosis, cancer, and scoliosis,
or curvature of the spine.
 He spread his cause throughout newspapers and eventually
wrote a best selling book in 1803 that was translated in many
different languages.
 Feminist pressed for less constricting attire.

9. 1800’s
 In the early 1800’s start to see a more cone
shaped dress pattern emerge. Apart from that
petticoats surfaced.

10. Mid 1800’s
 Between 1820 and 1840 the west experienced major
shifts in clothing due to the industrial revolution.
 Textiles were the dominant industry of the Industrial
Revolution in terms of employment, value of output and
capital invested.
 This made clothing more accessible and cheap.
Clothing started becoming a phenomenon rather than a
necessity.

11. Introduction of pants for western
women
 During the late 1800s, women started to wear pants for
industrial work. During World War II, women wore their
husband's pants while they took on jobs, and in the
1970s, pants became especially fashionable for
women.

12. Negative reactions over fashion?
 In the 1920’s places such as France fashion was still a
highly charged issue.
 In 1925 a woman cut her hair resulting in actual tears
and grinding of teeth.
 Men would actually lock their daughters in the house
until their hair grew back.
 This was labeled an epidemic and men would sue
barbers that cut their women's hair.
 The bob was considered “promiscuous” and caused
deaths for over a decade.
 This style women adapted was the “ flapper” style.

13. 1900s
 The early 1900’s we start to see the hoop
disappearing and gowns slimming down.
Late 1930/
1940’s
1900 / 1910 1970 / 1980

14. Modern dress
 From the 1970’s to modern day pants have been
especially fashionable for women.
 The 1940’s set the acceptance for shorter hair. Now
most women have short to shoulder length hair.
 Most women own over 10 outfits yet they can never
find “anything” to wear.
 Because many of our clothes are made in third world
countries they are very cheap and affordable.

15. Globalization
 Globalization is a process of interaction and integration
among the people, companies, and governments of
different nations, a process driven by international trade.
 The west does not get many of it’s materials or even
clothing from the actual west. Globalization has changed
clothing astronomically. Many of our outfits come from
china and if this were not the case not as many westerners
would have the clothing they obtain.

16. Evolution of style over time

17. Four common modern fashion
types
Casual Business casual Preppy Vintage

18. Evolution of fashion in a
nutshell
 As the rights of women changed and movements
occurred clothing became more comfortable.
 As women took on men's roles and jobs the stereotype
of what women should wear changed.
 As nations became industrialized clothing became
easier and cheaper to make.
 Industrial revolution also expanded middle class so
more people could afford clothing.
 As globalization kicked in westerners have been able
to get cheaper clothing elsewhere.

19. Created by Jessica Fowler
 Second year student Delta College of Michigan.
 Marketing management major.
 History 112- Later Western Civilizations,Professor
Laura Dull, Fall 2014.

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Anthropology
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21. Sources continued
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45>
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22. Sources continued
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