artwork analysis
garment analysis
film analysis

1893-94 – Mary Cassatt, The Boating Party

1890-1899, 19th century, artwork analysis

Mary Cassatt’s Boating Party shows important changes in art and culture near the end of the 19th century. The Boating Party depicts evolving cultural norms around women and sport, and the rise of womenswear separates. Through Cassatt's strong graphic shapes, we can see how Impressionist painting evolved to become more experimental and geometric in the 1890s.

1948 – Christian Dior, Eugénie evening gown

1940-1949, 20th century, garment analysis

Christian Dior's Eugénie ball gown drew on a nineteenth-century empress for inspiration and injected lighthearted, modern flair to create a fierce, feminine gown for a collection that contributed to the survival of French haute couture.

1997 – Besson, The Fifth Element

1990-1999, 20th century, film analysis

In the 23rd century, ex-military taxi driver Korben Dallas must assist a mysterious being named Leeloo in recovering four mystical stones that are the key to the survival of the human race.

designer profile
thematic essays
year overview

1927-2001 – Maija Isola

1950-1959, 1960-1969, 20th century, designer profile

The designer of many of Marimekko’s classic stand-out prints was Maija Isola, who famously abandoned conservative designs in favor of bold, graphic styles. Her work includes unique floral and nature-inspired designs, and is exhibited in museums including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Design Museum Copenhagen, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Beetle-Wing Embroidery in Nineteenth-Century Fashion

18th century, 19th century, 20th century, Asia, thematic essays

Beetle-wing embroidery: a colonialist fantasia and exotic fad in nineteenth-century England and America. Fig. 1 - Collector unknown (British). Beetles, before 1951....

1982

1980-1989, 20th century, year overview

1982 was a year filled with dramatic and bold fashions. The biggest trends of the year were statement patterns, exaggerated sleeves, broad power shoulders, vibrant colors, and oversized costume jewelry.

1880

1880-1889, 19th century, year overview
1868

1860-1869, 19th century, year overview
1938

1930-1939, 20th century, year overview

ancient
Middle Ages
14th century
15th century
16th century
17th century

xicolli

Americas, ancient, term definition, X

A xicolli is a sleeveless, sewn vest usually embellished with fringe that comes in various lengths worn by priests and high rank warriors in ancient Mesoamerican cultures.

eye of Horus

Africa, ancient, E, H, term definition
faience

Africa, ancient, F, term definition
tupu

14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, 19th century, Americas, ancient, T, term definition
huipilli/huipil

17th century, 18th century, 19th century, Americas, ancient, H, term definition
clavus/clavi

ancient, C, term definition

Byzantine

Asia, Byzantine, culture overview

Clothing during the Byzantine era was strictly regulated based on identity, status, rank, and gender. Visual and literary sources from the period provide a glimpse to Byzantine court and upper-class dress.

burqa

14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, 21st century, Asia, B, term definition

An outer garment worn by Muslim women that covers the entire body, often with a cutout or mesh at the eyes.

kaftan

14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, 19th century, Asia, C, K, term definition
cochineal dyes

14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, Americas, C, term definition
labret

14th century, 15th century, 16th century, Africa, Americas, L, term definition
pattens

1410-1419, 1420-1429, 1430-1439, 14th century, 15th century, P, term definition
poulaine

1350-1399, 1400-1409, 14th century, 15th century, P, term definition

1490-1499

1490-1499, 15th century, decade overview

The 1490s was an influential decade that set the groundwork for the following years to come in terms of predominant trends and silhouette. At the same time, regional influence held strong both in Italy and Spain.

1583/5 – Annibale Carracci, Portrait of a Woman Holding a Clock

1580-1589, 16th century, artwork analysis, BIPOC

This 16th-century portrait attributed to Annibale Carracci is valuable for its realistic depiction of a Black sitter, possibly a seamstress, who is dressed in a fine but sensible black day dress with touches of Italian luxury.

banyan

17th century, 18th century, 19th century, B, term definition

A banyan is a loose-fitted informal robe or gown worn by men in the late 17th to the early 19th centuries.

raffia cloth

17th century, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, Africa, R, term definition
kente

17th century, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, 21st century, Africa, K, term definition
wampum

17th century, 18th century, 19th century, Americas, term definition, W
quillwork

17th century, 18th century, 19th century, Americas, Q, term definition
chantilly lace

17th century, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, 21st century, C, L, term definition

18th century
19th century
20th century
21st century
BIPOC
LGBTQ+

1770-1779

1770-1779, 18th century, decade overview

1770s fashion simplified the earlier decades styles for both womenswear and menswear, leading to new fashions that exemplified the 'casual' aesthetic that had taken hold.

agal

19th century, 20th century, 21st century, A, Asia, term definition

An agal is a rope made from animal hair which wraps around a keffiya (square cloth) on the head and is worn typically by Bedouin men.

bogolanfini

20th century, Africa, B, term definition

Bogolanfini (bogolan- meaning cloth; fini- meaning mud) is a cotton cloth made from strips of woven fabric, which are decorated with symbolic patterns using the mud-resist technique, sewn together at the selvage to create a fabric that is utilized during the main four stages of a West African Bamana woman’s life: puberty, marriage, motherhood, and death.

2003 – Alexander McQueen, Oyster Dress

2000-2009, 21st century, garment analysis

Alexander McQueen's evocative Oyster dress from his Irere collection (2003) is one of his best-known pieces and signifies his avant-garde and provocative approach to fashion.

dashiki

19th century, 20th century, Africa, Americas, BIPOC, D, term definition

A loose-fitting pullover tunic traditionally worn in West African cultures that was adopted by African diasporic communities as a symbol of African heritage in the 1960s and then more widely worn as a popular item of "ethnic" fashion.

1970 – Rudi Gernreich, Caftan

1970-1979, 20th century, garment analysis, LGBTQ+

Rudi Gernreich's 1970 caftan reflects the designer's politics and his tireless effort toward creating genderless clothing. The piece features his characteristic loose silhouette as well as his technique of using patterns to de-accentuate the assumed gender of the wearer.