As towns became cities, then city states, and finally empires of power, fashion followed. First Italy, then Spain and France became the center for fashionable dress in concert with the power, wealth, and influence of those empires. Italy reached its great flowering during the age of Michaelangelo, followed by Spain early in the 17th century. France reached its fashionable peak for tailoring during the long reign of Louis XIV (1643 - 1715), when foppish young men from all over Europe flocked to Paris for their wardrobes. Almost every comic play written in the second half of the 17th century includes the character of a Paris-dressed fop, perfumed and beribboned, with powdered wig and silver-buckled shoe in the latest French mode. But by the time of the French king’s death in 1715, there had already begun a shift in power, and influence — and fashion.

Even during Louis’ long lifetime a great shift in masculine costume was occurring. In the middle of the 17th century men began to give up the doublet, hose, and cloak that had been the staple items of their wardrobe since the 1500s, and began to wear coat, vest, and breeches, the three components we can begin to identify as modern dress.

Across the Channel, the English had not only turned away from the doublet and hose, but quickly moved through the phase of embroidered ostentation decreed by the French court. They had just survived a bitter but democratizing civil war (l642 - 1649) which, among other things, called into question the brocades and velvets, the silk and pastel satins and powdered wigs and other ostentations of aristocratic French court dress. Over two centuries later, Oscar Wilde would quip that the Puritans and Cavaliers who fought that war were more interesting for their costumes than their moral convictions.

The English moved away from the highly decorative and delicate court style, and took up a more practical form. The costume of both the landed gentry and the newer mercantile class became progressively less gorgeous and exquisite during the 18th century, and far more somber and sober. By the early decades of the 19th century, sobriety (in dress at any rate) had begun to penetrate even the court circle itself, and kings, consorts, and princes were seen to dress in a manner almost identical with their subjects. By mid-century the age of stovepipe hats, umbrellas, and frock coats — each in glossy black — was firmly in place.

English tailors, particularly those in London, now came to dominate the fashion scene. First, the English had evolved a style for masculine clothing that was a subtle blending of landed gentry, sporting attire, and bourgeois business wear produced in the tremendous wake of the Industrial Revolution. Secondly, aristocratic court clothing had not been constructed so much with a concern for fit as it had with concerns for decoration, fabric, and color. But when the shift away from ornamentation and ostentation began to occur, fit became the criterion of dress for men. We take it for granted today, but the idea of “fit” as a criterion for men’s clothes is a fairly recent one. It is an idea calling for great skill in execution.

The English tailor was trained to use woolen cloth, and over years of experimentation and practice he developed techniques for “molding” the cloth close to the body without exactly duplicating the true form of the wearer. In short, the tailor could now actually develop a new aesthetic of dress: he could mimic the real body, while at the same time “improving” and idealizing it! It was no longer a question of voluminous yards of flowing silken brocade. Men became “gentlemen” (itself a 19th century term) and frowned upon gaudy display in favor of discretion, simplicity, and the perfection of cut. It was, in terms of fashion, the culmination of that radical turn taken in mid-17th century: the Modern had finally arrived! And the Modern was the tailor’s art.

There have been tremendous innovations in these past hundred years in fashion and the art of tailoring: sewing machines now do the work on straight seams better than could be done by hand; new fabric technology has history produced more comfortable cloths; fashions have adapted to more leisurely, climate-controlled lifestyles. But tailoring is still, and likely to remain so, an art. It has not been brought down to the level of a science. The tailor still believes in making personalized clothing, statements of fashion for the individual, as he always has done.

Even since the invention of ready-made, cheaply-produced clothes in the middle of the last century, the demise of the tailor has been predicted. Like the panda and the whooping crane, it has been said, the march of modern life is against him. Mega-international corporations seem to own everything, calculatedly obsolete gimmickry)? abounds, and Coca-Cola now sells clothing as well as soft drinks by the millions of units. But craftsmen have indeed managed to survive in this age of the mass-produced and quickly thrown away, even to prosper. There is still a clear need for the uniquely personal and individual in our lives. In this age of the shoddy and the quick, the vulgar and the mass-consumed, tailors can still be counted on to champion uniqueness and quality. It is the hallmark of their tradition.

Today, skilled tailors can be found in Rome as well as Richmond, VA, Paris and Pittsburgh, Hong Kong, Kansas City, Rio and Dallas — as well of course as Milan, London, and New York They are the fitters and pattern drafters, the stitchers of the handmade buttonholes, the cutters of the fine worsted and cashmere and heathery tweed. And they are all standing in the long shadow of tradition and craftsmanship that is the art of tailoring.

G. Bruce Boyer

A difficult type of pattern would include patterns that have difficult collars, zippers, many buttons and button holes, fancy trim, and things of that nature.

I would have to say that coats and costumes would be the most expensive type of clothing to make because they require more fabric and sometimes layers of fabric. Most coats require thicker fabric for keep warm with, which is usually more $. Cloaks are awesome and fun to make and maybe not as quite as expensive. They are also easier to make.

Second slather yourself in sunscreen before leaving the house, then toss the sunscreen in your bag so you can reapply after a swim or every few hours. A sunburn is not only unhealthy and painful, its unattractive, so dont let yourself turn into the lobster of the day. Your sunscreen should be a SPF of 15. It doesnt hurt to use a strong SPF on your face or your entire body if you burn easily.

Your beach bag should be large enough to hold your supplies for the day. Why not get something fun and fashionable to keep you looking fashion fresh. Make sure youve got all the daily essentials in your bag sunglasses, sunscreen, a good book, a floppy hat, some lip gloss, and any other makeup touch ups youll want. If you plan to wear eye makeup make sure its waterproof. Stay away from heavy foundations. If you must apply something use a bronzer moisturizer. Its also a good idea to bring lip balm with an SPF15 to protect your lips. It never hurts to put some moisturizer in the bag. Include a snack and plenty of fluids. Its important not to get dehydrated.

Okay great weve got the basics covered now what about the wardrobe basics? If youre planning to wear a swimsuit its usually easiest to put it on at home, that way youre not chasing down change rooms. So great first on goes the swimsuit. Now what to wear for a cover? Well youve got plenty of choices. A tank top and shorts, tank and skort, or a nice light cotton dress all work well over top. Choose something thats easy to put on and take off, and choose fabrics that breathe to keep you cool. I also suggest including a long sleeved cotton blouse just incase you start to burn you can protect your shoulders and arms.

If youre planning on heading out later in the day without returning home you might want to toss a pair of jeans or long skirt into your bag. If your outing is going to extend into the evening youll want to include a sweater for the cooler evening air. If youre worried about your evening wear getting sandy or wet at the beach, then place them in a separate bag and leave them in the trunk of your car. That way you are guaranteed theyll remain fresh.

My favorite beach look is this. And whats perfect is it keeps me looking fashion fresh throughout the day and takes me right into the evening. First I like a swimsuit thats got lots of support and is bright and cheerful. I throw a fitted tank on top and throw on a loose flouncy long skirt. The long skirt serves me through the evening and also works great to cover up if Im starting to burn. I choose a lightweight material in a darker color with a pattern that accents the colors in my swimsuit. Flip flops are my footwear. Depending on where Im heading after the beach I choose either a basic pair or one of my funky pair with rhinestones or crystals. Easy to walk in, feet breath, and terrific for an evening out. I keep a fitted light weight sweater in my car, and take a long sleeved cotton blouse down to the beach. I usually choose a long sleeved and long length blouse because its versatile. I can knot it to create a short blouse, wear it long as a beach cover, and put it on if I start to burn on my upper body. I usually choose white or a soft pastel depending on my other colors. I like white because its cool to wear and refreshing to look at. Every year I buy a fun new beach tote thats big enough for the beach but not too big as to take it with me for an evening out. I like a fun bag thats full of character.

Since I always feel naked without my jewelry I wear fashion jewelry to the beach. That way should I loose something I wont be out a lot of money and I wont feel so bad. I like to keep the earrings simple and elegant. I may or may not wear a necklace. Often Ill toss a funky wood necklace in the bag to add to the evening outfit. I like to wear a couple of fashion rings just to add the finishing touches. Now if youre fussy about tan lines youll probably want to forgo the rings. I toss my watch in the bottom of my bag so I can put it on later.

Thats it simple is the key. Keep your beach wardrobe choices simple but fashionable. Think ahead so you can go from beach to an evening out without hassle. Remember to always make your fashion statement!

About the author:

Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals. Please visit us at Estate Jewelry International

I’ve carried on the research and the picture now is even blacker. You can’t separate agriculture from the clothing and textile industry, just like you can’t separate gold mining from the jewellery industry. The clothing and textiles industry is probably the third or fourth largest industry in the world; add that to the agricultural industry (cotton and sheep farming for example), then there is a huge impact on the environment.

How do you tie these issues into your designs?

First of all, you have to research all of your raw materials and be responsible. You have to look at what impact the material has on the environment. There are also wider implications such as the slave labor involved in the clothing industry. You have to support fair labor.

Organic natural fibres are the obvious choice for designers, where do man- made fibres fit into ethical design?

There are certain things that I think you have to avoid. I avoid viscose because, although you obtain eco certification on it, the actual process is carried out in the Third World using vast amounts of sulphuric acid, which is then dumped into the environment causing massive pollution in countries such as India and Mexico. You really have to do your homework.

What we need is a website with a global directory of sustainable materials, traditional skills and sustainable processing, even for buttons. A site that does it all and is readily available. It would be a very useful tool for the industry.

It seems that you get very involved as an individual outside of your designs.

Yes, at the moment, I am involved in a project with the Intermediate Technology Development Group and the Royal College of Art, setting up a PhD research project to do with something called a widget. It boils sea water with solar energy to produce fresh water and electricity. This has got fantastic potential for drinking water and irrigation. You have to think that at the bottom of the supply chain, there are people dying of pesticide poisoning, so by providing clean drinking water, you give something back. And if you take a long-term view of the clothing and textiles industry, you have to protect the supplies of raw materials. I think you have to treat the whole process holistically.

How do feel about the way UK design colleges deal with ethics?

I don’t think they do it hard enough. I think you have to teach people to design responsibly. As a designer, everything that you produce is man-made and it is your responsibility as a human being to make sure that what you are doing isn’t going to mess things up further. Right now the planet is dying and it is dying fast.

How do you balance a profitable business with ethical issues?

You have to try very hard and you must be competitive. There is no pity in the market. It’s much easier to be a slob, we could all be slobs and use anything. Fur, PVC you name it. But who said designing was meant to be easy?

How can the average consumer support the move towards cleaner clothes?

I think they should be asking questions, asking: what is it made out of? Is it certified organic? Also, consumers should ask where it’s made. You need to avoid places that don’t have good labor laws.

Most ethical fashion companies seem to be setting up on the web. Why isn’t there more availability on the high street?

Mail order is good and it’s cheaper. The web is good, you have your independence and I think that is very important. You find companies involved with huge conglomerates can have their hands tied on environmental issues. It’s very hard to separate the environment from politics and you will find that the slightest whisper of any political implication and any company which has a backer won’t be allowed to do anything. Their backers will silence them, because the conventional business wisdom is that you shut up about such things and get on with it.

How can ethical fashion become more competitively priced?

I think what is needed is to go along the same lines as organic food to achieve that level of cool chic. We need to give organic clothing a gourmet market; it needs to be seen as an affordable luxury.

Organic fabric is available. It is cheap. Sixty per cent of a farmer’s expense is agrochemicals, so farming organically is actually cheaper. However, there are all these agents jumping on the eco-bandwagon and adding extra amounts, like a dollar per pound, onto the organic cotton prices. There are farmers in Zimbabwe who are growing cotton organically although they haven’t got a market for it and they are selling it to the conventional cotton mills. They are growing it organically because it’s cheaper. We can get there!

About the author:
I work for the ethical clothes directory which also sells fair trade clothes, plus we have Ethical Company articles for you to read or publish.