Fashion History - Fem!America

22 July 2014
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_{"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."
-Coco Chanel}

THAT'S IT. I'VE DONE IT.
I have finally drawn that thing I kept saying I'd do since high school!!! Well, one set anyways.
I always wanted to draw some sort of fashion series, but I didn't know who to choose as models. And then I realized I could just use Hetalia characters. Although Himaruya is a little better than the anime crew, there have still been some really gratuitous instances of historical mishap in clothing. And when I say gratuitous I mean observe the modern tux in colonial America, complete with black tie and also England's snazzy modern three-piece suit. So why not try and give these nation-tans a little fashion justice?

I've done a shit-ton of research doing this, and below I'll be noting each individual outfit with personal notes and information on each design. If you want to understand the styles a little bit more, then go ahead and read on. Granted, this isn't meant to be a proper reference, but I wouldn't mind it being a starting point. There are so many references and resources I used, including various library trips or making the guards at the history and art museums anxious, so linking them to you might be too much of a hassle. But I will link you to some wiki articles to get started, but by no means make that your default research source!! (As a history major, I will eat you if you do)


And as usual, commentary is appreciated!
Tell me your favorite, ask questions, point out mistakes, give critique - really, anything!
Legit commentary means more to me than just a fave alone.

Download for larger view in all it's glory.

*You don't have to read past this point.*

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NOTES:
Himaruya Default: 

• Clearly this is a feminized version of Alfred's regular outfit. But with a baseball bat and more star motifs. Obviously, era really isn't a concern here, but we all know it's no uniform or even what most people wear out in the street (then again... Americans did invent the winking ass pants). Anime logic! I like to draw her a little curvier than many of the other female characters, because there's more than just tits to your body type. I didn't think about this until later but those two letters near the end of the bat should say US. I have no clue why I put HS, but I had already started colouring by the time I thought about it.  
  
• Song: Ready to Go (Get Me Out Of My Mind) (Panic! At The Disco)
  
• Flag: 1960-Present (50 Stars)
  
• Some Stamp and Postage Brushes: [link][link][link][link][link]
  
• References: [link][link]

American Revolution:

• Here I went with what is called a Robe à l’anglaise retrouseée, a style that came about in the mid-1770's. The basic idea is to gather up the skirts of a regular Robe à l’anglaise gown near the back, revealing a contrasting petticoat and keeping the dress of the ground. (The draping of the skirts didn't turn out quite the way I wanted, but it's a bit late to change it.) Silhouettes of the age were very conical, the torso having a straight line into the waist, then came the skirt. It's like drawing two triangles with appendages, though this is a little less so for a polonaise skirt, thanks to how it is pulled near the back. The pattern is a bit more of a basic floral-ish thing, and the colour isn't too fancy-pansy, because I should save the expensive dyes for France, non? Since the skirt would end about the ankle, this also caused people to give a shit about clean stockings and nice shoes, which were heeled at the time. I also added buckles, because that's so stereotypically colonial I couldn't resist. The bodice is closed, with sleeves at the common 3/4 length (and you can see a little bit of the chemise). Fichus (the neckerchief) were extremely popular in America, England, and France at the time as well. Hair was pulled up and out of the face. Here I kept it simple, in natural colour, maybe a little messy, but this isn't the most formal outfit anywhos. It's pulled back into a low bun so it could be topped off with a cap. I know that some re-enactors would note that's the infamous "dread mob" cap. There are very few surviving caps from this era, and from what we've seen from paintings, this style was the most likely to be wrong. Then again, it's not the worst stretch either for it to be acceptable, so forgive me for a little guessing. Makeup, if worn, was generally quite naturalistic at this time, a trend originally set by the English, but spread to France as well. Also, see that rabbit? Remember the rabbit little baby America was playing with? Because why the hell not? (Think about it - usagi. USA)
  
• Song: John Come Kiss Me Now (William Byrd)
  
• Flag: 1777-1795 (Betsy Ross Style)
  
• Wikipedia: 1750-1775 in Western Fashion Polonaise Petticoat Fichu Chemise Bodice Mob Cap Shoe Buckle High-Heeled Footwear History of Corsets
  

American Civil War:

• Many are familiar with the classic silhouette that was around for more than half of the Victorian Era. This is much more curvy than the previous century's triangles. Corsets created an hourglass base, and extra emphasis was added to the shoulders and the skirt even moreso. In the 1860's the bell shape of the skirt was at it's greatest circumference, crinolines starting to be worn back in the 1850's, which is less cumbersome and not an extreme fire-hazard compared to the huge masses of petticoats used in the 1830's and 1840's. Granted, the 1860's was also the era the elliptical hoop appeared, which instead of an equal circle shifted some weight to the back, but trends in Europe took a long time to make it Stateside. Hoops also lead to the use of bloomers, for modesty like how many lolitas these days. Like the width added to skirts, day dresses also have visual weight added to shoulders and sleeves. Daytime fashion saw high necklines, with various collars often rounded of made of lace. Here she's wearing a broach as well. New colours for fabrics became more common, such as the violet above, which was all the rage. It was common to have solid-colour outfits, but on many American dresses it's not unusual to see simple, single patterns going over the whole dress, like the plaid above. Due to the large dress circumferences coats and long jackets were impractical, so square shawls folded into triangles were a common outerwear. Bonnets were a normal thing too, and here she's got that classic spoon bonnet, tied with a ribbon. Blatant makeup wasn't considered acceptable for a "virtuous woman". Hair was pulled back simply during the day, normally in a middle part without a single stray strand, but I think you'll forgive me for taking a small liberty with the part.
• Song: Ashokan Farewell (Jay Ungar)
• Flag: 1861 (Fort Sumter Flag)
• Wikepedia: 1860's in Western Fashion Crinoline Hoop Skirt Mauvine Day Dress Corset History of Corsets Bonnet Shawl Bloomers Brooch

Jazz Age:

• Now I'm sure you all know the stereotypical flapper look, what with those bedazzled dresses and long strings of pearls. I decided to go with day war instead. I think one of my favorite things about the 1920's is the boyish silhouette. Clothes here compared to the previous era didn't emphasize the breasts or a small waist, and instead went for "flat as a washboard". Not everyone's a tiny waif like in the fashion plates, but the way the clothes hang off the body still help achieve a flatter look (which is why you shouldn't wear a modern bra with these clothes, or you'll mess up the shape). There were a variety of necklines, and skirts were shorter. It's important to note they were shortest only around the mid-to-late 1920's, and that was never really above the knee. Waistlines were much lower, which helped the illusion of a shorter skirt. Nylon stockings became commonly available, among all other sorts of fabrics and colours for a growing consumer market. Heels were the norm in women's fashion, but much more comfortable than before, so flappers could dance all night. Cloche hats, again a part of the classic Roaring Twenties look, were common and along with the rise of Hollywood, helped encourage the bobbed hairstyles. It also affected how women held their heads if it worn at an angle, thanks to how close it was to the head. Textured hair in waves and Clara Bow-level curls were common, alongside the straight Louise Brooks style. Long and dangling earrings created an interesting look with these short hairstyles, and many necklaces were strings of beads or pearls. Makeup becomes more distinct and commonly worn, probably due to how red lips and eye makeup defined the face better on the silver screen. Also, smoking was cool and totally not deadly back then and in the Jazz Age is became common for women to smoke in public.
• Song: I Wanna be Loved by You (Helen Kane)
• Flag: 1912-1959 (48 Stars)
• Wikipedia: 1920s in Western Fashion 

The Great Depression:

• The average person doesn't automatically associate the Great Depression with fashion, but if you've ever seen Hollywood films from this time, they actively make you forget that the depression ever happened. It really is when that Classic Hollywood Glamour comes it. Admittedly, she even turned out looking a bit like Ginger Rogers in some of her films with Fred Astaire. Thanks to the economic downturn, fashion became more conservative, the waistline retuning to it's natural position and a womanly silhouette being popular once again. Skirts lengthened with belts resting at the waist. Though the hourglass figure was returning, unlike previous eras that focused more on adding to the skirt, here focus was added to the shoulders. In this design weight was added with ruffles and a bow. The skirt would hang naturally, so unless you're born just that curvy, you might look a little like a triangle in some dresses. I do see a lot of skirts with pockets, however (which we really need to bring back). Modern bras also become commonplace, which changed the shape of the breasts and helped add to the womanly look. Patterns were common, mainly florals, often simple and continuos. It was classy, but not opulent. Everyone wore gloves just about all the time when going out and simple heels were standard. Hats were normal to wear when going out, and the 1930's hosts a fun collection of styles, wide-brimmed sun-hats being favorites. Hair was often had a wavy texture and it wasn't too unusual to have it shorter, but not to the extreme of the 20's. Makeup wasn't too much different from the previous decade, though I see less people drawing their eyebrows into that pout look. Jewelry wasn't too over the top if worn. Clutch purses were also a thing.
• Song: Night and Day (Fred Astaire)
• Flag: 1912-1959 (48 Stars)
• Wikipedia: 1930-45 in Fashion 

World War II:

• How can I not draw a World War II uniform when there are so many to choose from? Here I went with a Navy WAVES uniform. It's probably my favorite because if it wasn't for little military details, it legit looks like it could be a dress suit. The 40's continued the curvy look of the 30's, but less shoulder frills and skirts were back around knee-length. This era is very angular, even popular actresses like Lauren Bacall had this angular look to their faces. During the war years, fashion was a bit more utilitarian, and some military influence was present in civilian clothes too. Synthetic fabrics became more commonplace, especially with various materials needing to go towards the war effort. The WAVES uniform in particular is interesting also thanks to little details like the circular fabric on the lapels with anchors stitched in, the unusual hat, and so on. For some reason I like to associate 1940's hair with these dramatic sweeping bangs that are still pretty much out of the face and have a volume I'll never have without copious amounts of hairspray. And her hair is pulled back into this nice hairstyle that's out of the way. Overall she looks very professional with her red lipstick, wristwatch, and clipboard.
• Song: Moonlight Serenade (Glenn Miller)
• Flag: 1912-1959 (48 Stars)
• Wikipedia: 1930-45 in Fashion WAVES Pencil Skirt Blazer

The Disco Era:

• Everyone wants hippies. But the Summer of Love was in the late 60s. That and my first experience with anything 70's was That 70's Show, so there. The thing about the 1970's is that, generally speaking, the fashion of the first half was a continuation of the 60's, and the second half basically the early 80's. Still, there are some really fun elements that are just so seventies. Maxi dresses are a good starting point. They were all the rage, and it's not hard to dress one up a bit. Prints were also all over the place, but by this point I didn't have the patients for the kind of thing that would look 70's, so no. Bold colours on dresses like this weren't strange either, what with all those modern fabrics and dyes and all. And how could I ever leave out platform shoes? Essentially everyone seemed to sport a pair at some point. Jewelry tended to be a bit simpler if worn, but still pretty noticeable with things like hoop earrings, bangles, of items made of plastics. Hair could have this fun sweeping effect with bangs, and I think it looks good on fem!America.
• Song: Hot Stuff (Donna Summer)
• Flag: 1960-Present (50 stars)
• Wikipedia: 1970s in Fashion Maxi Dress Earring Bangle Platform Shoes

Contemporary:

• So here's today, 2014. I had fun with all of these outfits, of course, though even here I still did a little bit of research, just to help add a little more distinction between each country's current trends. Besides, those cowboy(-ish) boots are pretty American (Hell yeah people wear cowboy boots here. No, not everyone pulls it off - because I see people wear that shit with hoodies and it's normally awful). And if you think about it, you don't really see skirts around here. Ever. Maybe if someone's trying to dress up. But even then we have dress pants. high-waisted shorts are in (of course in denim!), so are shirts that are at least a little baggy. Also, floppy hats are just cool. I don't care what you think. They're fun to draw. She's wearing one of those red hair-clips from her initial chibi design, with a matching bag, and simple pendant. Complete it with a soda (or pop/coke, depending on if you're north or south), and texting.
• Song: West Coast (Lana Del Rey)
• Flag: 1960-Present (50 Stars)
• Wikipedia: 2010s in Fashion 

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Materials:
_{-Mechanical Pencil: Red (0.5) Graphite (0.5)
-Paint Tool SAI
-Photoshop}

Estimated Time:
_{-Worked on this about a week}

If you read through all that, good for you. Too bad I can't give you a cookie, but I guess education is good too, right?