12 Facts that show clothes and accessories from another angle

Men who complain to their partners for overspending on clothes should know that these costs are nothing compared to what they would have had to pay in the 19th century. In the 20th century, women’s clothing styles were simplified, making it easier to change the size of patterns. However, in previous centuries it was almost impossible to buy clothes ready-to-wear (ready to wear). In 1868, industrial production of men’s and children’s clothing began, when the first department stores were opened in Belgium.

O awesome.club believes that spending less on your wardrobe, without having to buy personalized pieces, is a great reason to brighten your day. Our list of curiosities about some clothes and accessories can help you when making your next purchase.

In the 1920s, thongs were worn by American dancers. However, in the 19th century, the first women to wear this garment were the Eskimos. the Inuit called their thongs naasitwhich were sewn with sealskin and decorated with beads. It is worth noting that, often, this piece of skin was the only piece they wore to receive visitors.

The film The Outcast (1943), directed by financial magnate, aeronautical engineer, and director Howard Hughes, starred Jane Russell. Or rather, by the bust of the actress. So many scenes were recorded in which the camera stopped in front of the actress’ cleavage that Howard Hughes decided to make a type of bra to emphasize the woman’s natural beauty.

But creating a bra was not easy at all, in fact it was much more difficult than building airplanes. When Hughes gave her first half-cup bra to the actress, the garment was found to be extremely uncomfortable. However, Jane Russell went on to secretly wearing your own bra, adjusting the straps and filling the cups with scraps of fabric, instead of disagreeing with the wealthy and influential director. She revealed her secret just 42 years later.

A more comfortable bra was created in 1964 by a woman, Louise Poirier.

In the reign of Catherine de Medici, who forbade court women to show their wide waists, the corset was a beautiful but cruel invention. It triggered breathing problems and squeezed the organs, dislocating and damaging them. Women who wore corsets suffered from indigestion, frequent fainting and even internal bleeding.

In 1914, Mary Jacob patented the bra, which was a more comfortable piece of female underwear. In the same year, the First World War began, causing a shortage of metals. After 3 years, women were encouraged to give up tight corsets in favor of more comfortable bras. Thus, 28,000 tons of metal were preserved and used for the construction of 2 ships.

In the 19th century, high collars were invented. Men changed them daily instead of changing their shirt. However, an invention that seemed practical turned out to be very dangerous: its thick tissue could cause blockage of the carotid artery and lead to death.

Apparently, it was a harmless piece: gentlemen would go to bars, drink a few glasses of port (among other drinks) and start to rest their chins on their chests. But by the time the others realized something was wrong, it was too late—the accessory had already tightened around the victim’s neck, taking her life.

These necklaces, called by the Romans torques, used to be made of precious metals. They were a kind of open necklace made of twisted metal and decorated with precious stones. Many peoples—Scythians, Sarmatians, Romans, Slavs, Scandinavians, and Thracians—wore similar accessories.

Often, this type of necklace was given as a decoration and as a symbol of social status; and was worn by both men and women. Due to its rigid structure, it was not easy to remove. torques cut into pieces, found by archaeologists, prove that these necklaces were sometimes used in place of money.

The author’s talent The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, did not manifest himself only in the world of literature. Tired of wearing uncomfortable suspenders, in 1871 he patented a belt with buttons to adjust shirts to the waist. Later, this piece was also used with underwear and corsets.

The hook closure continues to be used in bras.

Anklets were worn by both Egyptians and Sumerians, but gained popularity especially among the inhabitants of India.

In ancient Southeast Asia, anklets were worn on both legs and joined with a chain. In this way, girls were taught to take short steps; a sign of femininity.

In 1939, nylon was created and the DuPont company began manufacturing tights, which revolutionized the women’s fashion industry: approximately 4 million pairs were sold daily🇧🇷 However, when World War II began, the factory changed equipment and began producing parachutes and lifelines from nylon. This led to the women-led nylon riots: as many as 40,000 women queued to buy the garment. Those who couldn’t afford a pair would apply creams and lotions to their legs to draw the sewing lines to make it look like they were wearing socks.

Buttons were originally used for decoration purposes only. During the Middle Ages, they were so expensive that there were laws prescribing how many buttons a person could wear depending on their social status. Furthermore, it was possible to pay off debts simply by ripping one of these precious accessories out of your outfit.

In the nobility, men, as a rule, put on their own clothes, while maids helped their mistresses to dress and, to make it easier, the zipper of women’s clothes was on the left side🇧🇷 This explains why women’s clothing is buttoned on the left and men’s clothing is buttoned on the right.

In the Ancient Age, a pierced ear was a symbol of slavery, and earrings were worn by both women and men.

Then earrings came to be considered a feminine accessory. But, sailors also wore them as a sort of badge, symbolizing that they managed to sail around the world or cross the equator.

As for the pirates, it is not known for sure what they looked like. supposedly, the earrings and bandanas were a figment of the imagination of Howard Pyle, a 19th century artist🇧🇷 When drawing pirates for a children’s book, he was inspired by Spanish bandits and peasants. Since then, pirates have been seen wearing earrings, bandanas and wide fabric belts.

The tuxedo, currently used as evening wear, was invented in the second half of the 19th century as an attire to be worn at home. The Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII, began wearing a smoking jacket so that the ash and the smell of smoke would not spoil his tailcoat. Afterwards, the courtiers followed his example. The lapels were made of a smooth, shiny fabric (eg satin) to remove ash more easily.

Over time, the tuxedo began to be worn in public by the New York elite, transforming itself from a men’s “robe” into a gala outfit.

“I’m a poor wretch…” repeated the Hatter from Lewis Carroll’s book, in a voice trembling with fear, standing in front of the king and taking a bite from his cup instead of his bread and butter. While many believe the inspiration for this character was an eccentric furniture dealer, symptoms such as tremor, insecurity, depression, apathy, and social anxiety are as well. were characteristics of other “hatters”🇧🇷

From the 17th century to almost the middle of the 20th century, mercury was used in the manufacture of felt hats. As a result, manufacturers developed a disease known as erethism, or “mad hatter’s disease,” and suffered from hallucinations and cramps.

Have you or your friends ever been victims of fashion? Which pieces of your wardrobe would you never give up and which ones would you let go without regret?