Fashion History

The shapes of our clothes and their details are echoes of our historical dress and have their own fascinating stories to tell. Sometimes sexist, sometimes political and sometimes violent … Take the handy pocket, where would we be without it? It is unimaginable to think that clothes were once without them, but it is true….

Where would we be without the t-shirt? This comfy and versatile garment is a now worldwide staple, and comes in a huge variety of forms from V-neck to long sleeve. Some 2 billion t-shirts are sold around the world every year and the average person owns 27 of them. The majority of t-shirts are made…

As denim is such a reliable favourite in our wardrobes and brilliantly functional for our kids ​I thought it would interesting to find out about it’s history. The name denim is derived from ‘Serge de Nîmes  which was originally made by weavers in Nîmes, France who were trying to recreate a cotton corduroy from Genoa, Italy….

As I am hoping to include the most classic of coat shapes, the dapper duffle, in my launch collection I thought you might like a potted history of Paddington’s favourite attire.  A long frock hooded coat with toggles is seen in the Polish military in the 1820’s which may have influenced the design of British…

Winston Churchill once said “those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” this truism rang in my ears recently as we visited Cromford Mills in Derbyshire. Those of you who have been reading past blog entries or know your history will know this to be the first water powered cotton spinning mill that sparked…