talkingfashion » history of fashion jewelry
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Scarves Throughout Time
Scarves Throughout Time
By Paige McKirahan
Calling all scarf lovers! Have you ever wondered how this beloved trend came into circulation? Well, wonder no more! With origins tracing their way back to ancient Eastern cultures, the high-brow accessory has come a long way since its days of being used as a sweat cloth!
The use of a scarf as an accessory is said to be pioneered by none other than Queen Nefertiti in 1350 BC Egypt; the headscarf at that time was a status symbol that alluded to royalty and nobility, both of which were qualities possessed by the Queen. She is said to have worn a tightly woven scarf (or scarf-like fabric) under her iconic cone-shaped headpiece. China used the scarf as a symbol of status as well, but in the military more than in government or with royalty. Scarves were used as early as 1000 BC in Chinese military uniform to denote rank; higher ranks typically had scarves made of finer materials and lower ranks were cut from fabrics like cotton. It also has less glamorous roots in Rome, where its general purpose was not for style, but to help people keep clean. The utilitarian version of the scarf was used primarily in 10 AD as a sweat cloth with men wearing them so often that they became an accessory. They were worn either around the neck, draped over the shoulder, or knotted around the waist (similar to how they’re worn today!)
Chinese military statues illustrating the use of scarves around the neck, showing rank
(image credits to collegefashion.net)
As time progressed, scarves began transforming into something that was less functional and more fashionable. It is said that Napoleon gifted his wife Josephine a pashmina scarf upon his return from Egypt. At first, she was weary of the gift as it was exotic and not something that was typically worn in their culture (yet). Despite this, she is noted to have become an avid collector, accumulating over 400 scarves in three years that totaled to be worth around $80,000! When the cravat stepped on the scene in Paris in the 17th century, it emulated military styling in the way that it was tied around the neck or, on occasion, brought up around the bottom half of the face. The French Revolution popularized this style and encouraged wearers to experiment with color and style to demonstrate their devotion to a particular side.
A French Cravat
(image credit google.com)
From this point on, scarves began to make their way into the mainstream, especially after Queen Victoria’s ascension to the throne. In the early 1800s, she regularly wore glamorous silk scarves and shawls featuring a variety of eccentric patterns. This 19th century boom in popularity pushed manufacturers to experiment with a multitude of fabrics including cloth, cashmere, wool mixes, muslin, modal and of course, silk. Following this, the First World War transformed knitting from a hobby to a war duty, and women all over the world knitted scarves for soldiers in the air and in the trenches. Pilots used both knitted and silk scarves, with the silk providing protection from neck chafing.
Queen Victoria in blue silk scarf
(photo credit to hi-fi-audio.com)
Quite possibly one of the most important contributions to the widespread fame of the scarf was made by Thierry Hermes’ fashion house; in 1937, the French designer created the first luxury silk scarf, which was crafted from imported raw Chinese silk. The raw material was woven into high quality fabric that was stronger and heavier than any other scarf material of the time. For the final touch, images and patterns would be hand-printed onto the piece to turn them into beautiful, vibrant accessories. Though the scarves were coveted by many, they were widely unaffordable on account of their expensive construction. When rayon was invented in the 1930s, it perfectly mimicked silk for a fraction of the price; this advancement allowed more people to become involved with the trend. The outbreak of World War II forced this material to be rationed, and scarves became more of a necessity rather than a fun addition to an outfit. Women operating machinery needed a way to secure their long hair to ensure it would not be swept away, prompting them to wear the scarves to do so.
First Hermes scarf c. 1937
(photo credit to vintagefashionguide.com)
Nevertheless, scarves returned to their glamorous origins after the war when Hermes beloved style became a favorite of the globe’s most well know starlets. Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot both wore them either around the neck or on the head; Hepburn loved the style and even went as far as saying, “When I wear a silk scarf I never feel so definitely like a woman, a beautiful woman.” The Princess Grace Kelly herself wore a silk scarf on a 1956 cover for LIFE magazine, and made headlines when she used one as an arm sling later in the year. Even Queen Elizabeth II wore a Hermes scarf when photographed for postage stamps, and loved the style so much that she continues sporting it to this day!
Queen Elizabeth and Grace Kelly in Hermes designs
(photo credits pinterest.com)
This revival pushed scarves reputation as a luxury accessory and many fashion houses took it with stride as they began transferring their signature patterns, logos, and styles onto to fabrics. This continued through the ‘80s, but in the ‘90s, the market moved away from silk scarves and the public began searching for more innovative accessories. In the 2000s, we have seen some scarf revivals, especially in the past few years as many are beginning to favor vintage styles rather than modern aesthetics. Many “it” girls will now tie scarves around their necks, or even tie them to handbags to make them stand out from the crowd! Regardless of trend, we here at TalkingFashion have been scarf lovers from the start! If you want to emulate royalty or are simply looking for a stylish way to hold back your hair, check out our scarf collection; there is sure to be something for everyone from scarf savants to doubtful debutantes!
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Paris Fashion Week SS’19 Accessories Trend Spotlight
Paris Fashion Week SS’19 Accessories Trend Spotlight
By Paige McKirahan
Hello, fashion week aficionados! As a month of fabulous spring and summer fashion is finally coming to a close, we wanted to take some time to discuss the biggest trends on the Paris runways to conclude our fashion week series. Paris Fashion Week, beginning on September 24th and ending October 2nd, stunned with styles that emulated popular trends from New York, London, and Milan. Single statement earrings reigned in Balmain and Loewe’s shows, with oversized silver and feather-adorned pieces perfectly accompanying their flowing silhouettes. Off-White showed their appreciation for the neon trend with bright green accessories complimenting the white, athletic inspired designs.
Balmain and Off-White
(photo credit to elle.com)
The tropical aesthetics that dominated in New York were a favorite in Paris as well, with Ottolinger taking island motifs and creating a surfer inspired show that boasted chain link bags and colorful scarves that seem as if they washed up from another world. Transparent lucite pieces stole the show as Anrealage and Balmain went back to the ‘80s to create clear bangles, bags, and dramatic chandelier inspired headpieces. Scarves and classic prints were a favorite of the Marine Serre show, as their eclectic line also boasted spherical novelty bags and transparent wearables. Metals were coveted in Milan and it seems that their popularity was only heightened in Paris as Saint Laurent used shiny accents in everything from belts to eye masks.
Anrealage, Balmain, and Marine Serre
(image credits to accessoriesmagazine.com)
People that claim that everything is bigger in Texas have obviously never seen a show on the Paris runways; towering headpieces from Rick Owens and elongated necklaces from Gucci illustrates our love for all things oversized. If you’re not a fan of the tiny sunglasses trend that has overtaken the fashion industry, many designers seem to share your sentiment as they are beginning to move back to the classic bug-eyed look. Paris undoubtedly showed our love for excess as bangles stacked to the elbow and rings on every finger were staples in Dries Van Noten and Chloe shows. The only thing that seemed to be downsized in Paris were the bags; tiny clutches and wearable pouches were all the rage in lines all week long. Now that we have covered the trends from all over the globe in of one fashion’s favorite months, what were your favorites? Luckily, you don’t have to travel far to find them; check out our collection for some of the hottest spring and summer trends that are just a few clicks away!
Chloe, Loewe, and Rick Owens
(image credit to elle.com)
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Fashion Flashback: Earrings by Morgan Watkins
The earring: an accessory worn widely around the world by women, men and even toddlers. They can totally complete your outfit or be used to balance out any fashion or beauty look while still remaining subtle and timeless. As one of the oldest forms of body modification, getting your ears pierced has remained common practice for countless generations. Read on to learn more about the ever-changing trends of earrings.The process of piercing ears goes way back to biblical times, but the oldest known earrings trace back a few thousand years ago. Worn by ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Mongolian, and Native American peoples, earrings often represented a myriad of different ideals. They could be used to show marital and societal status, tribal and cultural affiliations, and to heal and protect those wearing the accessories. Various materials were believed to provide certain powers, like pearls being utilized to calm stress and help with heart disease, topaz used to aid those suffering with mental illness, and red coral to take the edge off of pain and heartbreak.
Although these purposes remained vital to those who believed in the power of earrings, they were primarily worn for decorative purposes by the rest of the world. The first to wear the beloved hoop style we all know and love was actually a Sumerian king back in 2500 BC. They were proudly worn to represent the power and wealth possessed by the king, and as this trend spread to places like Crete and Cyprus, earrings were reimagined from their simple gold hoop origins to accessories of embellishment and beauty. Beads were added, pendants were stamped into gold, bronze and silver, and wire was wrapped around hoops to add flare and personality.
Meanwhile in Egypt, ancient civilizations opted for bulky earrings, or plugs; their piercings were larger and stretched the earlobe. These plugs were often round or mushroom shaped. Made from materials like glass and carved jasper, some also featured decorative pendants or engraved images of animals.
(Image from https://www.bodycandy.com/blogs/news/modification-history-pierced-like-an-egyptian)
As Greek and Roman goldsmiths became increasingly skilled at their craft, new and improved designs were introduced. Dish shaped earrings accented by dangling flower drops were all the rage. While earrings transformed from objects only owned by the rich and powerful to jewelry accessible to common folk, it wasn’t until the late 16th century that the accessory caught European interest. Once high ruff collars and elaborate, voluminous hairstyles fell out of fashion, earrings were in all over the continent. Dazzling gems and faceted diamonds were must haves in all earring styles, especially girandoles, which were chandelier-like earrings which branched out and held three dangling gem drops. Even men commonly sported simple earrings, but often just in a single ear.
By the 19th century, earrings became lighter, more delicate and less extravagant. Pendant earrings and matching sets, known as parures, were hot trending styles. Inspiration gathered from Romanticism influence led to a revival of the girandole, but they were refreshed to be more modern and simplistic. Other styles featured tassels and fringe, mosaics, or dropped all the way down from the earlobe to graze the shoulders.
Throughout centuries passed, the earring fell in and out of favor with people around the world, and the 1900s were no exception. Early on in the 20th century, piercings were seen as barbaric and unbecoming in America, as they were often associated with indigenous people who were, at the time, being pressured into cultural assimilation. Luckily, by the Roaring 20s, these hateful stigmas fell to the wayside as earrings came back bigger, bolder and better than ever. Glitz and color, diamonds and onyx — the possibilities were as fun as they were endless.
This extravagance wouldn’t last as the 70s called for more a natural, understated look, but just a decade later, the excess-loving 80s would bring big baubles back into style. By the end of the 90s and the beginning of the 21st century, sparkling studs and large hoops were the pairs to wear, juxtaposed by more grunge trends like safety pin earrings and wide gauges. Ear cuffs were also on the rise, giving any outfit an edgy yet bohemian vibe.
Recently, designers have been playing around with earrings in new and inventive ways. Whether it be mix and matching different sets at Chanel and Alexander McQueen or experimenting with asymmetrical styling at Dries Van Noten, it’s clear that the way you wear your earrings this season and beyond could take your look from zero to 100% high fashion. Need more earring inspiration? Check out talkingfashion.net and our wide array of earrings and other accessories!
(Image from https://www.elle.com/uk/fashion/trends/news/g32581/best-earrings-fashion-week-autum n-winter-2018/?slide=9)
References:
“THE HISTORY OF THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF EARRINGS.” Magal Gioielli . Magal Gioielli, 21 Jan. 2015. Web.
Ward, Susan. “Earrings.” lovetoknow. LoveToKnow Corp, Web.
