Women's Clothing

Women are considered to be more fashionable than men. In most cases, this assumption is true as women are always concerned about their looks and clothes. Men, on the other hand, do not worry about their looks or wardrobe to a great degree. Given this universal trend and passion of women for their clothing and wardrobe, there always have been some designs and costumes that catch these ladies’ attention and make them compete against each other.

The history of women’s clothing dates back to Roman and Egyptian dynasties. Cleopatra is considered to be the first most beautiful women in the world with her own style of clothing. Gowns, tiaras and other clothing of that time are attributed to Cleopatra. Additionally, Cleopatra was also known for her great taste in clothing that forced her to look for innovations in her dress and accessories.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, women in the rising Persian dynasty adopted the fashion sense and started wearing Roman cloths, with some alterations. They also introduced long frocks to comply with the desert heat of that region. This trend, when combined with the traditional Arab robes, gave way to a colorful yet elegant style of dressing where women kept their faces covered, but made these veils into great display of traditional handicraft, among other things.

Islamic kingdoms introduced their own style of women’s clothing that was inspired by the lands they conquered, but also had the elements of Islamic modesty. Mughal dynasty will always stand out among Muslim kingdoms, as it combined the local women clothing of India and mixed with Persian, Turkish and Arabic style of women clothing. The result was a fabulous amalgam of women’s clothing that included intricate designs, jewels embedded into clothing, gold and silver laced clothing and other great pieces of art that were worn by the women royalty.

Western clothing for women at that time was also undergoing a dynamic change. Women were trying to abandon the old style frocks and maxis and were adopting shorter versions of these clothes. The emancipation of women under the enlightment period offered them great opportunities to change their clothing.

Many women adopted clothing that was similar to males, but with some added features. Pants, skirts and dress shirts became a norm and women started copying male’s clothing in their casual wear too. That was the time when some women started wearing men’s sleeping suits instead of their nighties.

The situation has become much clearer now as women are reverting to old style of clothing, but with some moderation. Frocks and tank tops are again becoming in vogue and many women are turning towards skirts instead of pants. However, Denim remains the most favorite item of women’s clothing, especially the younger ones.

Indian style short shirts, called Kurtis are also making a wide impact in the United Kingdom’s women clothing industry. These shirts are relatively larger than average European short shirt and are embellished with great designs and works of art.

By: Sarah J Jones

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