News And Society
Clothing in Medieval Times
Clothing styles underwent lot of changes between the 5th and 15th centuries, referred to as the medieval age in history. At that time, clothes reflected a person’s standing in the social hierarchy. For example, kings wore different kinds of clothes when compared to noblemen. Peasants were more humble in their dressing sense.
Wars and battles were quite common during these times and hence, it was a period of known for turmoil and disturbances in some parts of the world, while some others suffered severe downtrends. Royal people wore velvet and common people stuck to wool without much choice.
Elite women wore linen during medieval times while the poor women wore wool as they could not afford linen. Also, the stockings were woven, cut and sewn to fit the legs. The knee garters fashioned from woolen strips held the stockings in place.
The quality of clothing and the embellishment varied based on the social class of the person and the wealth owned by the individual. Typically, women wore long woolen gowns and preferred bright colors like yellow, blue, violet and green and liberally used different kinds of dyes. The clothing of the peasant women was much more humble.
It was common for women to wear gowns during the 5th and 6th centuries. These gowns consisted of simple fabric sheets fastened together with beautiful brooches at the shoulders. During the 7th century, new ankle-length gown styles emerged with contrasting band colors and consisted of wide sleeves extending up to the elbow. A richly decorated girdle or jeweled belt was an added accessory to these gowns.
By the 11th century, various other structured gowns with different tailoring styles were designed with cuffs and collars. Girdles became less popular. The 12th century saw the use of tight laces in women’s clothing that highlighted the fit making the waists look smaller. Cloaks were richly embellished or embroidered with gold, copper or silver trimmings. Common people wore rough woolen tunics. Women also used veils and wimples to cover their faces and throat.
Aristocratic men wore plain linen shirts. Trousers were like leggings and were held at the waists using leather or woven belts. The 5th and 6th centuries saw the emergence of sleeveless short tunics clenched at the waist. Around the 7th century, houppelande, a heavy decorated gown, was introduced for men and consisted of voluminous sleeves that were tight around the wrists. Leather belts with purses also became popular during this time. During the 11th century, elite men wore long tunics whereas peasants short woolen tunics that were not very well decorated.
By: Kum Martin
Fashion Clothes – The Paradox of Economic Cycles
The industry that revolves around Fashion Clothes can leave you puzzled with its cycles of supply and demand. It is no mystery that every year the big fashion houses presented their new clothing collections, several weeks before the season starts seasonal. At that time there will be a group of eager buyers of the last scream of fashion, who will not resist joining the exclusive consumer vortex at high prices. This custom feature them among their peers, less informed on the latest trends in Fashion Clothes, and also highlight among those unable or unwilling to buy at such high prices. However, stand out and differentiate from the rest of your peers is a motivation that has existed for millennia in the history of man, so what we see today is just the result of a sophisticated network of fashion industry to impose their own terms and maintain a steady demand for its services. In short, the fashion industry does not sell clothes, but sold status, one of the most precious commodities of our modern society.
Thus, establishing a cyclical industry, where some trends that went out of fashion some decades ago, re-imposed almost unchanged. For example, there will be a time when ladies shoes have sharp points. In another period, ladies shoes have rounded edges, and in another year these shoes have a straight tip. The psychological effect that occurs in women changing trends of Fashion Clothes is simply devastating: they could not bear to walk carrying something in abeyance, and very comfortable as what you are currently using. Is that the best motivator psychological pressure for consumption of new trends in Fashion Clothes? No matter the price you might have to pay, nor considering that at the end of the season, prices become very low to the ground. The emotions only exist and have full force at the present time.
So, how is the paradox of those who pay high prices for the Fashion Clothes are a few, and is a low demand for the product that represents status? Later, those who wish to join the new trend will produce a disincentive to those who used the first items of the new trend. This is where a break occurs when fashion become more popular, the result is that the price falls, and the new trend becomes an old trend. Then, higher demand, lower the price. The effect is amazing and because we go through different seasons Clothes Fashion industry can be confident that economic downturns do not depend on or will be influenced by inflation and high rates of dismissals, because consumers will always search for status.
Of course in this equation there is a very important missing element, and should be appointed to clarify the matter. Those are the media and their faces. Without them the Clothes Fashion industry could not thrive. The media are obviously heavy users of new content and brilliant. The best of such content is obtained by what they do and say the most prominent faces of each society. When we speak of “faces” we are just talking about artists, and important individuals. It is they who reflect the new trends to the masses of people, eager to learn about the lives of their idols. It is the fastest way to impose a new dress. The new fashions are first used by the faces of our society.
The Clothes Fashion industry is a fascinating business form worthy of study in depth. It represents one of the great paradoxes of the conventional economy and should serve to change our economic paradigms. At the end of the day, people buy what they want, and do not buy what they need.
By: Lindsay Leverine
Cool Islamic Clothing Styles For Muslim Women This Summer
It is important to keep the body as cool as possible during the summer months, which can be sometimes an “uphill task” for Muslim women that wear hijabs. The obvious tip is to suggest thinner and cooler fabrics in hotter weather – but it is also important to stick to absorbent materials as well. Fabrics such as georgette, chiffon and lace are therefore obviously great choices for the summer months.
Clothing with “air holes” – which allows more air to flow – are great in summer, with lace undercaps and loose crocheted caps both being very effective. Scarf headbands have become with the modern young Muslim and are a useful alternative to undercaps as they provide almost the same coverage but with a lot less material – as they just cover the forehead.
Reducing the amount of material wrapped around the neck and top of the head is a wonderful relief on hot days – as this is where a lot of body heat leaves the body. Experiment with styles and how you pin your khimars. For the cooler summer days, a hat (should never substitute a khimar) could be a stylish addition to your wardrobe and they can be great play on style during the summer months.
Al-Amira hijabs are always worth a recommendation. The translation of the name means ‘princess scarf’ and it’s a slip over hijab style comes in two pieces; one piece of which serves as a hair cover while the other piece as a slip over from the same or near matching colour. Al-Amira hijabs are ideally suited for hotter climates as most of them are made out of light and absorbent materials.
Sarongs are a huge length of fabric that is very versatile and there is nothing stopping you from using one as a summary khimar. They are traditionally wrapped around the waist as a skirt by women and are usually made of very absorbent materials. They also come in a variety of stylish colours, patterns, and various sizes that would add some flair to anyone’s summer wardrobe.
Although not specifically designed for Muslim women – maxi dresses can be practically perfect for Islamic women after a slight moderation -just add a long sleeve shirt or jacket to make them more Muslim friendly. These light, modest and informal dresses usually reach the floor and provide excellent light and cool coverage.
Wearing clothes like this should make summer 2010 a much cooler experience for Muslim women everywhere!
By: Andrew Parker
Recycle Old Clothing
I love new clothes, I love going shopping and I love generally taking pride in what I wear but sometimes you do need to have a sort out of your wardrobe for many reasons. The main reason is that eventually your wardrobe will overflow with the amount of clothing garments you purchase but on top of this there are often clothing items which are either out of fashion, a little old or no good due to the fit or shape. Don’t forget that when you decide to have a sort out of your clothing you can recycle or donate your old clothing to help the environment. The great thing about reusing clothing is that you help others afford clothing.
You can recycle your clothing in many ways. In certain areas you can put a bag of clothing out with your curb recycling and the bin men will come to collect it for you. Certain charity shops will come to your house to collect clothing, there are also many clothing recycle bins at supermarkets or council areas. The other alternative is to visit your local charity shop.
You clothing may be used in charity shops for less fortunate people to purchase or it may be sent to third world countries to help cloth children and adults.
The great thing about recycling clothing is that you can also help the environment as well as others. If clothing is being reused factories will not have to work as much and therefore less gases and smoke is emitted into the air along with fewer natural resources used.
So next time you purchase new clothing consider what you may recycle in your wardrobe to make room for your new garment. Don’t forget that if you still have questions about recycling clothing your local charity shop and council will be able to inform you further.
By: John H Cooper