There’s one mysterious colour in the history of fashion——Black. In the past, black is the colour normally for funerals, but in nowadays, the meanings of black changed and it is a popular colour for outfits in daily life. However, Some people still believe that black is related with negative meanings such as death. But the meanings changed through out time by a transition. The transition is that to such extend black pushes the history of art and social status of woman during the 20th century because wearing black changed the status of female by rising their power and self consciousness, and historical reasons played a very important role in certain symbolic changes, which is once related with death and negative meanings only.
The use of colour black went to a peak in the mid 20th century, but it is not something unexpected. At that point, although black symbols death and unfortunate, the meanings and usage start to be diversified and soon became popular among fashion outfits. The meaning of black also changed, while people are exploring and understanding death better than before. There are more and more people believe that death is an important role in life, and life should be a cycle, after death, people may go to heaven or hell, or even go into another new life.
Before going deep into the usage and change of the colour black, the fashion history and the historical background also played important roles. As we know, fashion reflects the civilisation and understanding of society in an particular era, and sometimes even pushes the history by improving the textile and symbols of colours. For example the texture of clothes in the early days, by improving the technique and materials, clothes makes people’s work easier and also more comfortable, on the other hand, it also created differentiation between different jobs(by different uniforms and outfits), and create community for a particular group of people.
In the early years, black is the colour that symbols the endless night, at that time, people did not know how to lit fire for lights and warmness, therefore, night is full of dangerous, and the colour that symbols night is given to present the desperation and disturbance. This understanding of the colour black continued even though people lit fire after that. Until the middle ages, people started to use colours as symbols, but this did not change the situation of black. Black symbols poor, ugly, pain and sadness, therefore, no one wear black except witches, widow and servants. Woman, especially elders and singles, are controlled by either their father, husband or son, they are unable to make decisions by theirselves, and they have to show their loyalty to these family members, woman’s low social status lay the foundation for wearing black in negative meanings. Most of the countries chose black as their funeral colour because servants that are helping out in funerals are wearing black, and soon it became a tradition. The colour black is also mostly related with religions, for example Christianity, the religion that rules the European countries in the middle ages, and they use black to describe the devils, meaning the dark and evil side; this really affects how people view black because of the huge religious power over decades.
Black also has something to do with the female statues and their social orientation. As mentioned above, female are forced to wear black after their husband died, and some even have to wear black for more than 2 years. This tradition started in the middle ages and just ended up in the 20th century. The most popular example could be King Victoria from United Kingdom, she wore black after her husband past away for more than 40 years, and she even wear black in her daughter’s wedding, this established that how people view and label the colour black for such a long period of time.
Black continued to be known as a colour for negative meanings and usages until 1939. In 1939, a big event that continued for six years happened and changed the world——World War II. During the World War II, men are mostly participating in wars, while women are been seen as weak and helpless. But as the war goes on, the population reduced in a really fast speed and soon the factories and workshops are lack of working powers, so women went into factories, they start to wear trousers (before women are only accepted to wear dress) and replace men, and this actually leads to the rise of social statues of women.
In 1962, the appearance of Chanel’s little black dress changed the usage of black in fashion, black is seen as a revolutionary colour for rising women’s social statues and their self-consciousness. Only half a century, black becomes a popular colour in fashion and can be wear in daily life, and before that, women wear black in daily life is known as taboo. For example, if a girl is wearing black, then people may think that she lost her chaste and purity.
However, in the 20th century, woman became a work force that is needed and demanded by the society, the rise of the woman improved their statues and breaks rules that are gender inequality. The colour black gives female a chance to be brave, and to fight for their own rights. In the early 20th century, the conservatives still protest female wear black in daily lives, they proclaim that black are used to show their lost in innocence. But only half a century past, the usage of black in fashion changed rapidly. In the mid 20th century, female wear black in daily lives to show their treason, and the revolt of social statues. Today, female can wear black daily, and no one will think of the bad meanings that people once thought of in the past, and female can even wear black wedding dresses if they want to. Wearing black now becomes a normal thing in fashion domain.
In art territory, black is used as a super strong colour that it can cover any of the other colours. The colour black can show clear contrasts if we put it together with another bright colour, and it is also the contrast colour of the most pure colour——white. On the other hand, the usefulness of black also pushes the fashion history of getting know black, and gives people a good reason to use black. The widely usage of black makes people interested in how it can be in fashion, some designers decided to use black as the decorations of their clothes, some use black to create patterns, and some designers even decided to create clothes only with black colour. The black colour outfits are once a restriction for female, wearing black is like wearing all those negative meanings that people and the society put on the colour, and people that are willing and like to wear black do not have their liberty to wear it as casual.
Nowadays, people get used to all sort of colours in daily life, unlike the past, the symbolic meanings and usage are not that serious and straight. The acceptability of people makes the world colourful and pushes the variety of designs, creating a wider range of fashion. At this point, black plays heavily on its role, the role to change people’s view of colours. Furthermore, people are also exploring more into the meanings of death, and lots of people have their own definition for it. Black could be the colour that symbols death, however, it is not only the colour that symbols death, no matter it is seen on man’s body or woman’s body. Female also gain a sense of gender equality by the change of colour black in fashion. Looking into the history, man are wearing swallow-tailed coat in balls and formal settings, while female have just started their journey and experiences of wearing black without negative meanings behind it. In well developed cities, such as New York, people are likely to wear black on streets and in daily lives, and lots of female are willing to wear their “little black dress” because of their fashion tastes.
The story of black in fashion talks about history, changes of people’s thoughts, social expectations and even gender issues. People cannot say that all of the problems from the past are solves with the changing of colour black, but objectively, most of the huge issues have been solved through out the changes of black, and it is believable that in the near future, more problems can be solved as the progress of mankind, and it is also based on the improvements of thoughts and opinions of people. Black in the fashion history is not the most reason that pushes history and such developments, however, it could be a good example for us to investigate the past, put gender issues in mind, understandings of death, and to reflect people’s ideological progress for the better future.
Bibliography
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