TWENTY INTERESTING FASH FACTS

Facts can be such wonderful things, giving us information about things that we necessarily might not have known before, or might have slightly mistaken, or can make us think 'oooh that's interesting!' From the weird to the wonderful, useful to the interesting, here are twenty random fashion facts that you might not, or certainly might have previously known about fashion.

20. It is estimated that orders of over one hundred million pound are placed during London Fashion Week: every season. That's a shit load of clothes.

19. Since the recession began in 2009, over 25,000 stores have closed down on the British high street including HMV and Woolworths (I really miss their pick n' mix).

18. In 1971, Vivienne Westwood began designing clothes with the opening of her first shop, 'Let It Rock' at 430 King's Road. In 1974 it was renamed 'Sex'.

17. The high street was founded in around 1870, but it wasn't until Edwardian times that shopping became popular, and thanks to shops like Selfridges opening in 1909, shopping really was fun.

16. Shoes were invented some 7,500 years ago (imagine how many pairs have been made since then).

Topshop

15. We can attribute the little black dress to Coco Chanel. This garment is an ingenious creation of simplicity and elegance.

14. A piece of clothing would only be called vintage if it dates back from the years 1920 - 1960. Any piece after those years is not considered vintage but retro!

'Junk' on Dale Street in Manchester

13. Before the 19th Century, there were no models. Designers reverted to using miniature dolls to demonstrate their creations to customers.

12. Handmade items are considered very fashionable and valuable now because these are exclusive. But up to the mid 19th Century, 70% of people used to make clothing for themselves (what better way to look fabulous?).

From the blog Handmade By Carolyn

11. The jewellery and accessories industry is a HUGE business. Today women can't live without their accessories. But it was men who started wearing jewellery first to demonstrate their social status.

River Island

10. Today natural, thick and bushy eyebrows are so popular (thanks to models like Cara Delevingne) and always feature in major fashion magazine like Vogue. However, during the Renaissance period, fashionistas used to shave them off. Take a look at the Mona Lisa, she is a great example of this.

9. False beauty marks, like the one Marilyn Monroe used to have have been used since Ancient Roman times!

8. Today we're used to seeing buttons on the sleeves on men's suits. But did you know the trend started because Napoleon ordered his troops to have buttons on their sleeves so that they wouldn't wipe their runny noses on their uniforms?

7. The invention of the automobile had a significant influence on women’s fashion in the 1900s, skirts became shorter to enable women to step into automobiles more easily!

6. The Beret, a hat typically associated with France, actually dates back as far as the Roman Empire, and far from being a fashion accessory, often made up part of a military uniform.

5. Colour blocking is a recurring fashion trend with its roots dating back to the swinging '60s. We have fashion designer Mary Quant to thank for that! Her innovative boxy - shaped dresses and her mixing of bold colours meant that her designs (even today) are recognised as iconic '60s style.

4. On average, a New York Fashion Week show begins about 30 minutes late and lasts for about 11 minutes . . . that is quite short, no?

3. New York’s Fashion Week is known for casual and sportswear, London’s for avant-garde design, Milan’s for its over-the-top, but stylish looks and Paris for its beautiful haute couture.

2. The rise of the fashion photography happened from the 1920's up until the 1930's. It started when Vogue and Harper's Bazaar conducted a competition for the best and perfectly captured photographs within the fashion industry.

1. The skirt is the second oldest women's garment in history.

Topshop

So there you have it, twenty interesting, fun and sometimes shocking facts that you might not have known (but now do) about fashion! What do you think about these facts? And do you know something about fashion that might not be common knowledge? Let me know in the comments below and as always, let's be social: