34 Historical Fashion Facts - mental_floss List Show Ep. 513

TL;DR

Historical fashion facts from buttons on shirts to the invention of the miniskirt, highlighting interesting trends and traditions.

Transcript

hi I'm John Green Welcome to My Salon this is Mental Floss video and did you know that the buttons are on a different side for men's and women's shirts this is because historically Western men dressed themselves but upper class Western women had servants who dressed them so men's shirts were designed to be easier to button by a right-handed wearer ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Shoes have a more recent history compared to clothing, with the oldest shoes found dating back to around 8500 BCE.
• 😒 Fashion trends often have practical origins, such as the height of platform sandals for actors in ancient Greece and the use of stilts in swampy areas in France.
• 🔑 Fashion terms and concepts have evolved over time, with words like "candidate" originating from a Latin word meaning white toga in ancient Rome.
• 💃 Fashion trends have also been influenced by specific individuals, like Rose Bertin, who styled Marie Antoinette in iconic dresses.
• 🖐️ Military uniforms and social status have played a role in fashion throughout history, from the badges on ancient Chinese robes to the excessive height of shopin shoes in Venice.
• 😮 Fashion has also been connected to significant events and cultural shifts, such as the rise of the mini skirt during the optimistic and exuberant 1960s.
• 📏 Fashion rules and customs, such as the no white after Labor Day rule, have had varying origins and meanings over time.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why are buttons on men's and women's shirts placed on different sides?

Men's shirts were designed for right-handed wearers who dressed themselves, while upper-class women had servants who dressed them and thus needed buttons on the opposite side.

Q: What were the oldest shoes discovered so far?

The oldest shoes found were made of tree bark and dated back to around 8500 BCE in Oregon.

Q: Why did ancient Greek actors wear platform sandals?

The height of platform sandals helped the audience identify the importance of actors in plays.

Q: What were the scented cones worn on the heads of noble ancient Egyptian women made of?

Some believe that the cones were made of meltable materials like wax to release a pleasant scent as they melted.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Historical fashion facts ranging from the placement of buttons on men's and women's shirts to the invention of shoes made from tree bark.

• The height of platform sandals in ancient Greece indicated the importance of actors in plays.

• Ancient Egyptian women may have worn scented cones on their heads for a pleasant fragrance in hot weather.