From the 1920s to 2008: Why Cocktail Dresses love your closet!
Have you ever wondered how that sexy, elegant, chic cocktail dress ended up in your closet? The word cocktail dress has been defined in Wikipedia as a woman's dress worn at cocktail parties, and semi-formal occasions, but where did this definition get its meaning? Back in the 1920s, the United States came up with a law stating that all alcohol consumption was considered illegal, and anyone who put alcohol up for sale, purchased, or brewed alcohol was considered an offender of the law.
By the end of the First World War the fashion industry went through a evolution that changed many styles for the stay-at-home woman. Before the 1920s, women were used to wearing full length embroidered dresses that covered them from neck to toe, and were forced to wear confined undergarments that moulded their bodies to the silhouette of their dresses. When the First World War was over, all of the soldiers came back to their wives and families. This was when the fashion industry started producing new and fresh styles that had never been introduced before. The colours of the clothes were brighter and more elaborate, creating more of a social environment for the newly reunited couples.
Since the government had passed a prohibited drinking law, many people held private parties where alcohol was available. Over the years, these parties where given a name: Cocktail Parties. These parties eventually became very popular in the mid 1920’s, which produced a need for special attire. This is when the fashion industry introduced the “Cocktail Dress”. This dress was designed to be dressier then the day-to-day wear, yet less formal then the evening dress. Hem lines began to rise, cleavage was reveled, and women started to show their curves.
Over the past few centuries, the cocktail dress has become a staple need for a women’s closet. Some of the hottest designers in the Fashion Industry use the cocktail dress silhouette for many of there designs. One of the more popular Cocktail dress designers in New York is Manjit Singh. He has been in the fashion industry since the early 1990s, when he moved to the United States from India. He opened his own company in 2001, and showed his first collection in 2002, under his label Assar NY. In his fall collection he uses many different silhouettes, including A-line, ball gown, empire, and sheath. Manjit is also known to use luxurious fabrics for his dresses with embroidery and great detail. He likes to work with fine silk fabrics and his colors and prints are chosen very carefully. He and many others in the fashion industry included fabulous cocktail dresses in there collection for fall 2008.
Another well known Cocktail dress designer is Marc Bouwer Glamit. He is known to use extraordinary fabrics where he creates his distinctive, form-fitting bathing suit gowns include uniquely modern combinations of sensuous jersey, silk crepe, lace, and velvet with detailed beading. This fall he was known for his sexy Magenta Chiffon Cocktail dress that was glamouring on the runway.
There has been a dramatic change in the fashion industry over the last 80 years when it comes to colours, sizes, silhouette, and styles, but there are a few styles that have made a great impression and influenced us to keep them in our closets. The cocktail dress has managed to build its way from a flashy party dress, to a staple need in every woman’s closet. I have also been able to transform into many different styles such as formal, punk, vintage, chic, and sexy. It is a design that will never become obsolete.
So what are you wearing this Friday night??
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