Cultural Pattern and Process: A Study of Stylistic Change in Women's Dress

Lowe, John; Lowe, Elizabeth

doi:10.1525/aa.1982.84.3.02a00010

Cited by 28 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…One final issue that needs to be addressed is whether the clothing trends depicted in Vogue magazine reflect the actual female clothing choices and preferences at any given time. There is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that clothing styles are not simply undergoing arbitrary autonomous cyclical changes but are at least partially moderated by some external sociocultural factor (Lowe and Lowe 1982). Furthermore, the preeminent standing of Vogue magazine relies on its ability to pick up on tacit sociocultural changes as they become apparent in women's fashion.…”

Section: Skin Exposure and Clothing Tightnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female sexual advertisement reflects resource availability in twentieth-century UK society

Hill

Donovan

Koyama

2005

Hum Nat

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Evolutionary theory suggests that men and women differ in the characteristics valued in potential mates. In humans, males show a preference for physical attractiveness, whereas females seek cues that relate to resources and future earning potential. If women pursue marriage as an economic strategy, female sexual advertisement should increase during periods of poor economic conditions when the number of high-quality male partners becomes a limited resource. To test this prediction, measures of skin display and clothing tightness were taken for clothes portrayed in UK Vogue magazine from 1916 to 1999. These estimates of sexual advertisement were analyzed in relation to an index of economic prosperity (GDP), while controlling for general increases in economic conditions and sexual display over the course of the past century. The results indicate that female sexual display increases as economic conditions decline, with the level of breast display and the tightness of clothing at the waist and hips the key factors underlying this increase. Breast size and symmetry and female body form are secondary sexual characteristics that play an important role in sexual attractiveness. Since advertisement of these features increases as levels of competition for high-quality partners increases, females appear to use marriage as an economic strategy. Patterns of female fashion appear to be underpinned by evolutionary considerations relating resource availability to female reproductive success.

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Section: Skin Exposure and Clothing Tightnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female sexual advertisement reflects resource availability in twentieth-century UK society

Hill

Donovan

Koyama

2005

Hum Nat

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“…Richardson and Kroeber (1940) noted two types of design change in dressesshort term details that differentiated year-to-year variations, and foundational characteristics that exhibited minimal annual change. Forty years later, Lowe and Lowe (1982) built a mathematical model of stylistic change based on Richardson and Kroeber's (1940) data. Despite finding some analytical flaws, they supported Richardson and Kroeber's (1940) major points concerning fashion change in women's dress.…”

Section: Fashion Cycle Theory and Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between color cycles in home furnishings and apparel, 1969–2009

Johnson¹,

Ulrich²

2018

Fash Text

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Color is an influential factor in consumers' product selection decisions and has been studied from this perspective for decades (Garber and Hyatt 2003; Middlestadt 1990). It attracts attention and communicates to consumers through brand logos, store lighting, advertising, and packaging (Labrecque et al. 2013). Colors linked to brand identification may have longevity, but product colors are prone to change or potentially cycle over time (Hope and Walch 1990). Typically, forecasts are made based on previous trends and interpretation of the economic, cultural, and social settings of the time (Stansfield and Whitfield 2005). Apparel product developers see color as a crucial aspect of fashion line planning; they report relying on customer and sales information, their own experience, and professional services to inform decisions (Noh and Ulrich 2013). Along with apparel and accessories, color forecasts are regularly used for interior spaces, cars, and even personal technologies. While these forecasts are an integral part in making color decisions, often retailers and designers choose to play it safe to ensure sales of basic or classic products (e.g. the little black dress) (King 2012). Historic evidence of shifting patterns in dominant color trends demonstrates that the many possible variations in hue, value, and saturation make color a very mutable component of fashion change. Although the concept of fashion change was long considered

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“…(Belleau, 1987;Curran, 1999;Kroeber, 1919;Richardson & Kroeber, 1940;Weeden, 1977)에서는 변화주기의 존 재를 보고하였고, Lowe and Lowe(1982;1984) . 더욱이 다수의 선행연구들이 패션 스타일 변 화 분석을 위해 보그지를 사용하였다 (Belleau, 1987;Docherty & Hann, 1993;Dorcherty, Hann, & Schgor, 2000;Krober, 1919;Richardson & Kroeber, 1952;Weeden, 1977).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Style changes on women's hemline length - Focus on daywear in Vogue's 1950~2013 magazine -

Ahn¹

2014

The Research Journal of the Costume Culture

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The purpose of this study was to find whether hemline cycles exist and whether hemlines show greater within-year variability over time. Utilizing US Vogue data from 1950 to 2013 on hemline length of women's daywear, total 2102 day-dresses or skirts on full fashion pictures were analyzed. The skirt length was divided by the total length of figure in the picture which was measured from shoulder to ankle. Aggregated yearly means smoothed by means of three-point moving averages were used to provide a better indication of the long-term direction of movement of the hemline. Within-year hemline variability was smoothed by the way of three-point moving average as well. The data showed five cycles on hemline change processes. The first cycle took 21 years from 1950 to 1971, which was the longest period and had the biggest hemline changes. The second cycle was the shortest from 1971 to 1977, in which hemline moved between below-knee length and midcalf. The hemline in the third cycle moved between midcalf and miniskirt. The third cycle took 16 years from 1977 to 1993. The forth was a short cycle from 1998 to 2001, and hemlines moved moderately between below-knee length and above-knee length. The fifth cycle has been on going since 2001, and the hemline has been getting longer after 2007. The within-year variability of hemlines was bigger in 1980s than previous years and was steadily increased.

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Cultural Pattern and Process: A Study of Stylistic Change in Women's Dress

Cited by 28 publications

References 26 publications

Female sexual advertisement reflects resource availability in twentieth-century UK society

Female sexual advertisement reflects resource availability in twentieth-century UK society

The relationship between color cycles in home furnishings and apparel, 1969–2009

Style changes on women's hemline length - Focus on daywear in Vogue's 1950~2013 magazine -

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