Fashion Firsts
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff
- 1470
- To hide her pregnancy, Queen Juana of Portugal wore the first hoop skirt.
- 1477
- Anne of Burgundy became the first woman to receive a diamond engagement ring. It was given to her by Maximilian I of Germany.
- 1874
- Levi Strauss begins selling blue jeans for $13.50 per dozen
- 1896
- Brooks Brothers introduces buttoned-down collars
- 1913
- Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel opens a boutique in Deauville, France. Her chic and comfortable knit suits usher in the modern era of women's fashion.
- 1916
- Sneakers are first made in America by the U.S. Rubber Company. They were called Keds.
- 1923
- The U.S. attorney general declares it is legal for women to wear pants.
- 1926
- Knee-length hemlines mark a new high in women's dresses.
- 1922
- The first “flesh-colored” stockings are sold for women whose skin color is pinkish-beige. It was another twenty-five years before stockings for brown- and black-skinned women were available.
- 1930
- Tennis star Rene Lacoste manufactures a tennis shirt that features an embroidered crocodile. It's believed to be the first time a designer logo appears on clothing.
- 1935
- Bras are made with both cup and band sizes.
- 1938
- Nylon stockings are invented. They go on sale in 1940.
- 1940
- Shoulder bags for women first appeared as part of service uniforms worn during World War II.
- 1946
- The bikini bathing suit debuts at a fashion show in Paris.
- 1947
- Christian Dior's glamorous “New Look” features tight waists, stiff petticoats and billowing skirts, ending an era of simple, war-era attire.
- 1950
- Kiss-proof lipstick hits the shelves.
- 1955
- Jeans become a big hit with teens after the release of the film Rebel Without a Cause.
- 1955
- London designer Mary Quant opens Bazaar, a boutique on Carnaby Street. Her miniskirts, tights and crocheted tops define the new “youth culture” look.
- 1960s
- Fun furs of acrylic and polyester are made to look like real fur.
- 1960s
- Paper clothes are made for the public. They are disposable and used for underwear and children's clothing.
- 1967
- San Francisco's “hippie look” catches on throughout the country.
- 1969
- The Gap opens in San Francisco
- 1972
- Nike begins to manufacture sneakers.
- 1977
- The release of the film Saturday Night Fever sparks the disco inferno. Polyester leisure suits, pant suits, and shirts fly off stores shelves.
- 1978
- Gloria Vanderbilt introduces the first designer jeans.
- 1980s
- The wrinkled look is introduced. Wrinkles are permanently pressed into fabrics and shirts, vests, blouses, jackets, and pants.
- 1990s
- Counterfeit clothing is made by computer, producing brand-name fakes. Polo, Guess?, Gap, Banana Republic, DKNY, and Disney are all copied.
- 1995
- “Casual Fridays” become popular at U.S. companies. Companies allow employees to replace suits with more casual attire, such as khakis, sweaters and polo shirts.
- 2000s
- Celebrites such as P. Diddy and Jennifer Lopez develop and sell their own line of clothing.
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