Fashion is a broad term that covers a range of styles, materials, designs, and modes of dress. Fashion can refer to clothing styles, to the way people wear clothing, to the type of footwear used, to the makeup used, and even to a certain hairstyle or type of body posture. The word, fashion, itself, indicates a definite look defined by the fashion business as what is current. However, the range of definitions for fashion is so broad and complicated that it is sometimes difficult to determine when something is actually considered a style or trend.

In the late eighteen hundreds to early nineteenth century French revolutionist and artist, Madame Blanchot, gave fashion a more sociological meaning. She used the term, haute couture, to describe a particular decorative style that served to express the opulence of the French people at the time. Haute couture was originally created to display the elite classes fashionable tastes. Although Haute Couture eventually took on a more political and social meaning, fashion trends of the late eighteen hundreds still focused on how a dress fit a person, rather than how it looked.

High Fashion is the nineteenth century equivalent of today’s ‘trendy.’ The high fashion industry of the late eighteen hundreds to mid nineteenth century revolved around expensive clothing lines that were produced for the upper class, middle class, and wealthy. These clothes were manufactured to be highly durable, functional, comfortable, and beautiful. While high fashion clothes are still popular with the general public, their popularity declined during the early years of the twentieth century, when manufacturing costs increased.

Glamorous fabrics, dramatic shapes, intricate Designs were all things that made the dress of the late nineteenth century fashion world different from its earlier counterparts. Ladies fashions at that time comprised of dresses that were long, lightweight, and had intricate detailed designs. They could be quite expensive, but they were also usually considered extremely fashionable. The dresses were designed to be worn in an extremely short amount of time and were very practical as well. As more department stores began to carry clothing for the wealthier consumer, the designs and styles of women’s fashions gradually decreased in favor of more conservative designs.

During the late twentieth century and the beginning of the next century, designers once again turned their attention towards women’s fashions. Dressers once again began to produce line after line of stylish clothing that were targeted towards the female masses. This time, clothing styles were aimed more toward the young people of the population, and not at the older people who had previously dominated the fashion world. The clothes were designed to be wearable and affordable, as well as to be fashionable. The designs became more streamlined, allowing for more complex designs.

High fashion fashions are still highly popular among many women today. They are still considered to be sexy, fashionable, and above all, affordable. If you are looking for a dress that will keep you cool during the warm months of the year, or that will make you look your best during the cooler months, shopping for a new dress is a great way to find what you are looking for!