Fall 2011 Fashion Week is in full flower. It offers a magnificent display of shapes, textures and colors to please any clothing lover. Each season, I check out the collections for innovative applications of traditional needlework techniques for inspiration.
One of my favorite designers is Ralph Lauren. He was the first one to use patchwork in the 60s, old quilts in the 70s and today he uses tons of old crocheted lace.
My personal interest in fashion is the new trend for the most important garment in my wardrobe: pants. Today we have lots of great choices: full leg, straight leg, capris, gauchos, jeans, and sweats.
In the 1960s, André Courrèges introduced long trousers for women. I found an article from a 1960 Times Magazine talking about the women’s pants trend: Generous, tailored or tight, slacks are the fastest growing item in milady's wardrobe across the U.S., with 30 million pairs sold last year v. only 6,000,000 a decade ago.
Can you imagine when I went to college in 1968; we were required to wear skirts to class! The introduction of the pantsuit in the 60s and designer jeans in the 70s lead to the gradual erosion of prohibitions against women wearing trousers in schools, the workplace and restaurants. In January 1995, the California legislature actually voted to give women the right to wear pants at work.
I pray my personal favorite yoga pant will continue to be in style and I’m eternally grateful to Hilary Clinton for putting the political pantsuit on our fashion map!
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