artwork analysis
garment analysis
film analysis

1885 – Henry Lerolle, The Organ Rehearsal

1880-1889, 19th century, artwork analysis

Despite the limited visibility of the garments, the figures within Henry Lerolle's The Organ Rehearsal can be seen as a fashionable group of churchgoers to 1885 standards, complete with hats with plumes, round skirts, and somber suiting.

1855 – English Blue and White Print Day Dress

1850-1859, 19th century, garment analysis

This crinoline-style day dress from 1855 combines decorative elements such as fringe and bold patterns and reflects the rise of voluminous tiered garments, improved cloth printing, and luxurious colors and embellishments utilized during the 1850s.

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

1922-1985 – Rudi Gernreich

20th century, designer profile, LGBTQ+

About the Designer Rudi Gernreich was an avant-garde designer whose works questioned the status quo of the fashion industry and often reflected his own political...

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....

1983

1980-1989, 20th century, year overview

1983 featured a flashback to the 1940s with menswear influences like strong shoulder pads and oversized coats. The overall look of the year is accentuated by the power belt that minimizes the waist and emphasizes the hips. In summary, volume fashion was a hit.

1982

1980-1989, 20th century, year overview
1880

1880-1889, 19th century, year overview
1868

1860-1869, 19th 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+

1785 – Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Self-Portrait with Two Pupils

1780-1789, 18th century, artwork analysis

The self-portrait of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard alongside two of her students, Marie Gabrielle Capet and Marie Carreaux de Rosemond, shows the influence of the Rococo and Neoclassical styles in the late 18th century.

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.