Fashion Designing in London – A Retrospect

London has been one of the fashion centers of the world for a long time now. Ever since its inception in 1984, the London Fashion Week has remained an awaited annual affair. This fashion week is now counted amongst the most reputed Fashion Weeks of Milan, Paris and New York. London, in any case, has always been popular for eclectic style – right from the prim and proper be garments by Saville Row to the quirky fashions of Portobello Road.

Looking at the developments

Masters of designer fashion, Rose Bertin and Charles Fredrick Worth have both spent time in London and contributed to the fashion world there. Bertin gave his contributions to fashion in London when he was exiled there during the French Revolution. Worth had worked as a draper in London before moving on to Paris. Despite its impeccable fashion designs, London still was not at a stage where it could be compared with Paris as far as fashion was concerned. London, though, did stay and continued to be a centre for fashion throughout the early 20th century.

The gradual changes

The fashion scenario changed in the 1960s. London suddenly became the trendsetter in terms of fashion, which was partly due to the miniskirt, created by the fashion designer Mary Quant. Despite fashion becoming simpler, it became more revealing too, more than what was made in the 1950s. It was now a time when models influenced fashion. London, apart from introducing the miniskirt, also gave birth to the bell bottomed trousers, which became a signature trend of the late 60s and 70s.

With the arrival of the 70s, the influence only increased with the introduction of the punk style. Vivienne Westwood became one of the most prominent designers of this era, making punk the new fashion of the street. She tried to implicate the music scene into her designs, managing to combine the feel of music with clothing styles. She was well-known for creating innovative, and shocking outfits.

London’s influence had not yet become pronounced in the 1980s, but the city became home to some of the best known fashion houses, one of which was the Burberry House. The company became famous for its waterproof cotton and the trench coat. Not only that, but its trench coat became one of the most copied and recognizable coat styles. Burberry, along with other London fashion houses, depicts elegance, style and durability.

The influence of this fashion designer city then only increased, and London now is home to various fashion houses some of which include names like Stella McCartney, Jimmi Choo and Alexandar McQueen. Down the years, London’s reputation as a fashion hub has changed and today, one cannot possibly ignore the importance of the place.

Fashion Today and Yesterday

With the death of Louis XIV and the coronation of Louis XV in 1715, a new style called rococo blossomed across Europe. Although the term was later used in a derogatory manner, suggesting excess and frivolity, it generally refers to a high achievement in fashion that represents the height of French culture. Though France was already the well-renowned leader in fashion by the reign of Louis XIV, the rococo period confirmed the countrys reputation as a worldwide leader in the world of fashion. After the initial popularity of rococo, the styles changed, and the French Revolution in 1789 seemed to create a new modernization in clothing styles reducing rococo into the much more stark fashions of neoclassicism in style. The radical change in clothing style is one of the most dramatic such shifts in the history of fashion.

During the seventeenth century new and ornate mens fashions continually appeared, but by the time of the eighteenth century the styles had become much more refined. The typical French court apparel included a coat, which gradually became more fitted and added a waistcoat and breeches, a white shirt, a cravat, and a pair of silk stockings. Brilliant colors and intricate embroidery were increasingly important adornments. Cloth for jackets was often embroidered before being tailored so that men could choose their favorite patterns and then order the suit cut and sewn to size.

Despite the fact that Rococo began in the exclusively ornamental arts, the method showed unquestionably in painting. Painters used graceful colors and blissful forms, decorated with cherubs and myths of love. Some works show a sort of wickedness or contamination in the behavior of their subjects. Landscapes were idyllic and often illustrated the laid-back jaunts of patricians.

On the eve of the French Revolution, striped patterns became very popular, and the desire for elaborate embroidery seemed to tail off and the favored fabric shifted from silk to much more simple cotton. The youth adopted new fashions that defined the age, some dressing in black coats to be seen as outlandish. The only thing, it seems that could end the reign of high-fashion rococo dress was the leveling of the French Revolution.

High Heel Shoes For Women

Sometimes when we were born with a small petite body size will put us under privileged because there are certain things like fashion, pageant and other things that may not allow us to enjoy because we do not have enough height. High heeled shoes certainly help us to overcome our insecurities in these areas.

Wearing high heels not only make us look taller but they also help us to look stylish and give us the confidence. But there is also a negative benefit in wearing those heeled shoes. For those women who are not used to it may have back pain and muscle pain if wearing for a long period of time.

We might think that tall women are lucky enough because they don’t need to wear those shoes. But there are tall women who still prefer to wear high heels because the shoes compliment the beauty of body and help to perfectly expose the curves of the body.

The shoes in the market have different designs that allow you to choose depend on your outfit. The designers always make sure that high heels are able to match with the design or style of your dresses.

Purpose of High Heels Shoes Heels are placed at the back of the shoe exactly below our heel bone. The purpose of the heel is not only adding up the height of the user but also helps to balance the shoe and it can also be used for decorative purposes.

The History of the Shoes Wearing high heels are not a new thing in fashion. Based on the records, the earliest sign of wearing heels was during the Hellenic times. Some researchers suspected that the trend of wearing the shoes happened centuries before. In other words, the shoes are not a modern invention. High heels shoes are not exclusively for women but some men are also wearing these kinds of shoes.

But some people says that the first instance was during the wedding of Catherine de’ Medici and Duke of Orleans wherein the former wore heels made by Florence. Eventually the development of it was believed that it begins late 1580s with the basis of iconographic evidence and existing pieces are still available.

In year 1960 a shoemaker called Nicholas Lestage designed high heels shoes for Louis XIV and it was then known as “Louis heels” which became popular among the women. It was in late 18th – Century when the trend was fading. It was said that the fading of the shoes had much to do with the French Revolution because wearing the shoes became associated with wealth or being luxurious. Most people avoid the indicator of being wealthy thus the high heels shoes have been eliminated from the market.

The advantages & disadvantages of wearing these shoes High heeled shoes have become the favourite fashion accessories of most women because wearing shoes is undeniably stylist. There are other advantages of wearing these kinds of shoes. First of all, it will help you look taller because it may add anywhere between 1 – 6 inches. Besides that, women will look more attractive and smarter.

Another advantage of high heels is its sexy look. The shoes may project the entire physical look of women. You will gain a lot of attention because of the elegant walking steps. Because of wearing the high heels shoes you will have a good, attractive and confident posture.

When you wear your preferred clothes, you must know how to perfectly match with the shoes. If you do a good matching, the high heels shoes will compliment with the clothes and make you look attractive.

There are some disadvantages in wearing high heels shoes. Some users who do not get used with the shoes will feel uncomfortable and may have foot pain. This is because the entire pressure of the body is concentrated on the feet. The difficulty in walking is definitely one of the issues if you are new to the high heels. If you lose your balance whiling wearing the shoes, you may even fall down and hurt yourself.

Reasons Why Women Love this Fashion Accessory Women love to wear the high heels shoes because of feminine and gorgeous look. It is considered as one of the important fashion accessories for women. You are what you wear. For them, collecting many different pairs of shoes to prepare for different event is a way of representing someone’s personality.

There are so many different types of high heel shoes and sometimes we are confused about which should we choose. The trend of the shoes also change based on seasons. Here are some of the designs that you may want to look at:-

Round toe shoes It is a lower heels shoe that is usually matched with casual dresses rather than formal dresses. Most women wear this kind of shoes because it is comfortable, you do not need to have special tricks while walking. Some tall women prefer this kind of shoe because they don’t feel taller while wearing this.

Platform shoes The design of this shoe is the opposite of the above shoe. It has a high heel and looks very formal. This can be worn in all occasions like in restaurants, clubs, weddings, anniversaries and other evening outings. Most women wear this when going to office, they always wear it with nylon but it can also be wear without it.

Peep toes high heels shoes It is a nice looking shoe. The heels are not too tall and not too flat. It has an opening at the bottom so that your toes can “breathe”. It can be worn during the day or night. But people wear it more often during the day time for formal events. You can match it with any dress and can always be worn for work. But, you have to make sure that it matches with your office uniform.

Pointed shoes It is a pair of shoes designed for women who want a little special stylist edge on their shoes. You can wear it for any occasion and it will look good for matching with any kind of dresses. It can be worn either with pants, nylon skirts or even dresses. You can wear in either during the day or the night time. It is classified as being sexy to professional casual. It is available in all length of heels, from mid to high.