En 1665 Isaac Newton Descubrió Que La Luz Del Sol, Al Pasar A Través De Un Prisma, Se Dividía En Un Espectro De 6 Colores: El Azul Violáceo, El Azul Celeste, El Verde, El Amarillo, El Rojo Anaranjado y El Rojo Púrpura. De Allí La Teoría De Que La Luz Es Color. Este Mismo Fenómeno Podemos Observarlo, Cuanto La Luz Se Refracta En Un Cristal Por Ejemplo.
La Importancia Del Color En General Es Tal A Nivel Emocional Que Incluso Otras Personas Pueden Intuir Nuestro Estado Anímico Tan Sólo Al Ver Cómo Vestimos En Cuanto A Colores, Formas Y Tejidos.
¿ Tan Importante Es El Color Entonces ? Te Estarás Preguntando…Dímelo Tú Mismo.
En Las Obras De Arte Los Artistas Lo Utilizan Como Herramienta Para Transmitir Sensaciones. Las Mismas Que Siente Él Mismo Al Contemplar La Escena Que Finalmente Decide Pintar.
Es El Caso De Pintores Como William Turner (1775-1851) Considerado Como Un Maestro De La Pintura Paisajística Británica, Y Comúnmente Conocido Como El Pintor De La Luz, Turner Retrata De Manera Asombrosa El Poder De La Naturaleza Generando Luminosidad Y Efectos Atmosféricos Increíbles Gracias A Su Combinación De Colores YTécnicas Innovadoras De Acuarela.
Asimismo, En Arquitectura Y Decoración El Color Se Utiliza Bien Para Destacar, Ocultar O Disimular Un Detalle. Pensemos En Todo Momento Que El Color Suele Dejarnos Entrever La Personalidad Del Artista; Su Carácter, Mentalidad , Capacidad Creadora Y Estado De Ánimo. Y Como Artistas Hemos De Actuar A La Hora De Vestirnos.
De Nosotros Depende No Tan Sólo La Imagen Que Queremos Proyectar De Nosotros Mismos Sino También El Ánimo Con El Que Nos Enfrentaremos Al Día Que Está A Punto De Empezar.
Excepto En Casos Muy Puntuales, Nuestros Hábitos Inciden Directa E Irremediablemente En Nuestro Estilo De Vida, Entendiendo En Este Caso Por Estilo De Vida Nuestro Estado Físico Y Emocional. Si En El Post Anterior Hablamos De La Importancia Del Deporte A Nivel Físico Sobre Todo, En Este Lo Haremos Sobre La Importancia Del Color A Nivel Emocional.
A La Hora De Escoger Nuestro Look Del Día, No Debemos Valorar Únicamente El “Significado” De Cada Color, Sino La Idoneidad De Contrastar O Armonizar Los Colores En Sí, Cuando No Utilicemos El Look Monocromático.
Ésta Es Posiblemente La Parte Más Difícil Desde Mi Punto De Vista. Lo Habitual Es Ver Perfectas Combinaciones En Las Que Predomina Un Color Fuerte En La Mayoría De Las Prendas Y Se Suaviza El Look Con Una Prenda De Un Color Más Neutro. Por Contra, Arriesgarse Con Dos O Más Colores Intensos Trae A Veces Auténticos Quebraderos De Cabeza.
Lo Ideal E Infalible A Mi Modo De Ver Las Cosas Es Decantarnos Por :
Utilizar Una Triada Es Decir, Colores Equidistantes En El Círculo; Amarillo, Azul Y Rojo, Por Ejemplo.
Jugar Con Los Complementarios Enfrentados En el Círculo; Verde Y Rojo O Violeta Y Amarillo.
¿ Ves Que Fácil Resulta Al Final Darle Un Vuelco Total A La Imagen Que Proyectas ?
Si Tu Día A Día Está Rodeado De Colores, Haz Que Tu Armario Lo Esté También Y Reserva El Negro Para Ocasiones Puntuales!
Y Es Que Nada Es Verdad O Es Mentira, Todo Es Del Color Del Cristal Con El Que Se Mira.
“El deporte no construye el carácter. Lo revela” (Heywood Hale)
Concederle Importancia Al Deporte Y A Un Estilo De Vida Saludable, No Debería Convertirse Como Es Habitual En Un Mero Propósito De Año Nuevo Ni En La Manera De Compensar Los Excesos De Estas Pasadas Fiestas. Más Bien Beneficios Tales Como La Reducción Del Riesgo De Sufrir Enfermedades Cardíacas, Accidentes Cerebro-Vasculares, Diabetes , etc., A Nivel Físico Y La Confianza, Mejora De Nuestro Rendimiento Sexual Y Reducción De Limitaciones Auto Impuestas A Nivel Psíquico Deberían, Ser Nuestro LeitMotiv Principal.
La Práctica De Actividades Deportivas Es La Mejor Manera De Mantener Cuerpo Y Mente En Óptimas Condiciones Así como de Mejorar Nuestro Rendimiento. Sin Embargo, Tan Importante Es Practicar Deporte Como Saber Qué Deporte Escoger Y El Impacto Que Tendrá Éste A Todos Los Niveles Sobre Nuestro Cuerpo.
Aquí Te Dejo Una Lista Sobre Los Mejores Deportes Al Aire Libre Y Las Clases Dirigidas Más Populares, Con Sus Ventajas Y Desventajas Respectivamente:
SQUASH
Habitualmente Considerado El Deporte Más Completo E Intenso. Media Hora De Squash Al día Es Suficiente Para Ejercitar Prácticamente Todo El Cuerpo Y Quemar 517 Calorías. El Squash Implioca Un Gran Entrenamiento Cardio-Respiratorio Y Muscular E Incrementa La Resistencia Del Cuerpo Pero OJO Porque También Son Habituales En Él Las Lesiones Musculares Y Los Golpes Accidentales.
REMO
El Remo Es Un Deporte Idóneo Para Desarrollar El Fortalecimiento, La Flexibilidad y La Resistencia Muscular. Media Hora De Este Deporte Supone Un Gasto De 302 Calorías. Su Práctica También Engloba Riesgos A Nivel Muscular, Dolores De Espalda Y Tendinitis.
NATACIÓN
Fortalecimiento De Huesos, Beneficios A Nivel Cardio-Respiratorio Y Muscular Así Como Aumento De La Fuerza , La Resistencia Y La Flexibilidad En Toda La Masa Muscular. Media hora De Natación Nos Ayuda A Quemar 345 Calorías.
CICLISMO
El Ciclismo Ayuda A Fortalecer Nuestra Composición Muscular Y A Aumentar Su Resistencia. Media Hora De Ciclismo Suponen Una Quema de 431 Calorías. Sin Embargo Es considerado Uno De Los Más Arriesgados Y Por Eso Se Recomienda El Uso De Un Equipo De Protección Adecuado.
TENIS
Al Igual Que Con El Squash, Practicando Tenis Mejoramos Nuestro Rendimiento Muscular De Manera General Ya Que Se Mantiene El Cuerpo En Constante Movimiento … Eso implica También Pero, Que Aumenten Las Posibilidades De Sufrir Lesiones Musculares Y Tendinitis.
RUNNING
El Running Es Uno De Los Deportes Con Más Adeptos En Todas Partes. Por La Calle, La Playa, Senderos De Montaña … El Hecho De Poder Practicarlo En Casi Cualquier Ubicación Y Zona Lo Convierte En El Deporte Por Excelencia. Además, Su Práctica Nos Aporta Beneficios A Nivel Cardio- Respiratorio, Tonificación Y Resitencia Musculares En Piernas Y Glúteos Principalmente. Media Hora De Running Nos Ayuda A Desprendernos De 430 Calorías Y La Posibilidad De sufrir Lesiones No Es Tan Elevada Como Se Cree Popularmente.
Pasemos Ahora A Las Clases Dirigidas En El Gimnasio; Aptas Para Aquellos Que Necesitan De Cierta Ayuda A La Hora De Saber Qué Deporte O Actividades Practicar O No Tienen Aún Las Nociones O La Voluntad Necesarios Para Cuidarse De Manera Más Autónoma.
Para Conocer El Impacto Que Tiene Una Actividad Sobre Nuestro Cuerpo, Debemos Determinar La fuerza Con La Que Nuestros Pies Chocan Contra La Superfície Ypor Tanto, El Golpe Que Reciben Los Músculos Y Huesos Durante Su Práctica.
Entre Las Actividades De Bajo Impacto Encontramos, Por Ejemplo:
Bicicleta
Elíptica
Natación
Yoga
Pilates
Remo
Stretching
Levantamiento De Pesas
Etc.
Entre Las Actividades De Alto Impacto Encontramos:
Running
Step
AeroLatin
AeroBox
Etc.
No Confundas Por Todo Ello, Una Actividad De Alto Impacto Con Una Actividad Difícil Y Una De Bajo Impacto Con Una Fácil. Toda Práctica Deportiva Supone un Esfuerzo … Su Aprendizaje, Correcta Realización Y Aumento De Dificultad Progresiva (Desde Nivel Principiante A Experto).
La Cuestión Es Que Escojas Aquella Que Mejor Se Adapta A Tus Gustos, Preferencias Y Necesidades (Por Entorno, Tiempo, Economía, etc. ) Y Entiendas Que Una Alimentación Variada Y Equilibrada Y Un Poco De Actividad Física Diaria Son Realmente Importantes Para Tu Salud Física Y Emocional … Todas Las Demás Ventajas; Pérdida De Peso, Conocer Nueva Gente, etc. Son Ventajas Intrínsecas.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6…. La Celebración De Año nuevo Es Uno De Los Rituales Más Antiguos Conocidos Desde Hace Miles De Años, Ya Incluso Desde Las Civilizaciones Mayas, Maoríes, Egipcias, Etc.
Prácticamente Podríamos Celebrar Una Fiesta De Año Nuevo Cada Mes Ya Que El Establecimiento De Tan Señalada Fecha No Es Igual En Todas Las Culturas Y Países, Sino Que Cada Una Se Basa En Sucesos Sociales O Astrológicos Muy Determinados. Sin Embargo, Este Es Nuestro Mes Y Por Ello Te Queremos Ofrecer Varias Ideas Para Que Sorprendas A Tus Amigos Y Familiares Con Una Amplia Variedad De Cócteles …. Haz De Este 2013 Una Ocasión Especial!!
Cóctel De Champagne Con Frutos Rojos
Ingredientes (Para 6 Personas) :
Azúcar
Angostura (Opcional)
La Cáscara De Un Limón Verde
200 gr De Frutas Rojas (Moras, Frambuesas, Fresas, Etc)
750 cc De Champagne Frío
Preparación:
Coloca Un Terrón De Azúcar En Cada Copa Flauta De Champagne Y Un Chorrito De Angostura (Optativo). Retira La Piel Blanca Del Limón Y Córtala En Finas Láminas.
Reparte Las Frutas Rojas En Las Copas Y Llénalas De Champagne. Sirve Inmediatamente.
Cóctel De Champagne Con Puré De Grosella
Ingredientes (Para 6 Personas) :
6 Cucharadas De Puré De Grosella
200 gr De Frutas Rojas (Moras, Frambuesas, Fresas, Etc)
750 cc De Champagne Frío
Preparación:
Coloca EL Puré En El Fondo De La Copa Bien Fría Y Vierte Lentamente El Champagne. Decora Con Un Poco De Fruta Y Listo Para Tomar !
Cóctel De Mandarina Al Cava
Ingredientes
4 Mandarinas
1 Botella De Cava Brut
Preparación:
Corta Las Mandarinas Por La Mitad Y Exprímelas, Pon El Zumo En Un Bol Y La Piel Cortada A Trozos, Deja Macerar Al Fresco Como Mínimo Unos 30 Minutos. Cuando Haya Pasado Este Tiempo, Cuélalo Apretando Bien La Piel , Para Que Suelte El Jugo Que Pueda Tener Y Viértelo En Copas De Cava. Termina De Llenar Con Éste.
Cóctel De Arándanos (Sin Alcohol)
Ingredientes
Puré De Arándanos
Zumo De Arándanos
Agua Con Gas
Hojas De Menta Para Decorar
Preparación:
Vierte El Puré Y El Zumo De Arándanos En La Copa Flauta Y A Continuación El Agua Con Gas. Decora Con Una Hoja De Menta Y Arándanos Naturales.
Brandy Alexander
Ingredientes
Brandy
Crema De Cacao
Crema De Leche
Nuez Moscada
Preparación:
Mezcla Todos Los Ingredientes En Una Coctelera Con Hielo, Excepto La Nuez Moscada. Bate Y Sirve En Copa De Cóctel Y Pon Sobre La Bebida Una Pizca De Nuez Moscada.
Coquito
Ingredientes
1 Taza De Leche De Coco O 1/2 Taza De Crema De Coco
4 Yemas De Huevo
1 Cucharadita De Vainilla
1 Lata De Leche Evaporada
1 Lata De Leche Condensada
1 1/2 Taza De Ron Blanco
Preparación:
Bate Las Yemas, Añade La Leche De Coco Y Demás Ingredientes. Luego Calienta A Fuego Medio. Añade El Ron. Deja Enfriar Y Sírvelo En Vasos.
¿ Y Qué Más Se Puede Pedir Con Tan Variada Carta De Cócteles? Pues Un Aperitivo Apropiado! Teniendo En Cuenta Las Bebidas Descritas, Te Recomiendo La Siguiente Combinación De Salados Para Contrarrestar El Dulce Sabor De Las Bebidas:
Mini Tostas Con Queso (Ya Sea De Untar, En Rodajas O Fundido)
Mix De Patés.
Salchichas Tipo Cóctel. Puedes Acompañarlas De Tomare Cherry Ligeramente Asado Y Láminas De Calabacín Braseado.
Y Mi Favorito… Pincho De Ciruela Y Panceta… Nunca Antes Pecar Fue Tan Delicioso!
Actualmente El Pelirrojo Es Probablemente El Color De Cabello Más Exótico Y Menos Abundante Entre Las Mujeres De Todas Las Edades Pero Hoy, Gracias A Nuestro Post, Conocerás A La Pelirroja Que Hay En Ti .. Aprenderás A Sacarle Más Partido Tanto Si es Tu Color De Pelo Natural Como Si Eres Teñida.
Generalmente Las Pelirrojas Naturales Se Caracterizan Por Tener Un Tono De Piel Claro Y Ojos De Color Azul, Verde O Marrón…Y Dicen Las Malas Lenguas Que El Color Pelirrojo No Combina Bien Con La Piel Morena Pero Ambas Sabemos Que No Es Así ! 😉
El Maquillaje Para Pelirrojas que Mejor Nos Sienta Suele Ser Muy Concreto, Ya Que Un Color Tan Especial Suele Vestir Bastante Por Sí Solo, Y Sin Embargo, Os Invito A Explotarlo Al Máximo Con Los Siguientes Tips…
La Base De Maquillaje debe Ser Del Mismo Tono Que La Piel, Ni Más Clara Ni Más Oscura Y Menos Aún Con Efecto Bronceador.
Para Las Mejillas, Escoge Siempre Un Blush Rosado O Melocotón Dependiendo De Tu Color De Piel Y Tono De Cabello; Cobrizos, Caobas, Cerezas,…
Las Sombras De Ojo Leve Toque Irisado; Marrones, Azules, Ocres,….Tú Escoges Dónde Pones El Límite…Y No Temas Arrasar Con Un Perfecto Maquillaje Smokey Aunque Sea De Día.
¿ Y Los Labios? Rojos Intensos, Naranja Arrebatador, Colores Teja E Incluso Fucsia Vibrante! Atraerás Todas Las Miradas!
Simplemente Escoge Qué Tipo De Pelirroja Prefieres Ser:
Born in the East End and the son of a taxi driver, Alexander McQueen was the quintessential bad boy made good. He had brains and brawn, having survived over ten years as a solo designer and being brought into the Gucci Group stable, which bought a 51 per cent stake in his company 2002. In 2008, his company not only turned a profit but was also opening new stores from LA to Beirut. He was awarded the coveted Designer of the Year Award at the British Fashion Awards four times.
In 1991 his entire degree show was bought by influential stylist Isabella Blow, whose later suicide in 2007 led to him dedicating his entire spring/summer 2008 collection to her memory.
He earned his master’s degree in fashion design from London’s Central Saint Martins (formerly Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design) in 1992.
VOSS-McQueen’s most celebrated and dramatic catwalk show was his 2001 spring/summer collection, named VOSS. The centre piece tableaux that dominated the room was an enormous glass box. But because the room outside the box was lit and the inside of the box was unlit, the glass walls appeared as large mirrors, so that the seated audience saw only their own reflection. Finally, after an hour, and when the show began, lights came on in inside the enormous glass case and revealed the interior to be filled with moths and, at the centre, a naked model on a chaise longue with her face obscured by a gas mask. The glass walls then fell away and smashed on the ground.
The model chosen by McQueen to be the centre of the show was the British writer Michelle Olley. (The show also featured Kate Moss & Erin O’Connor). McQueen said that the tableaux was based on the Joel Peter Witkin image Sanitorium.
McQueen won the British Fashion Awards’ British Designer of the Year four times and won the Men’s Wear Designer of the Year award in 2004. In 2003, he received the CFDA Award for Best International Designer and was honored with a CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the fashion industry.
His spring/summer 2010 collection, which featured alien-inspired make-up and reptilian prints, was lauded as his best by the fashion press, with Selfridges buying director Anita Barr telling VOGUE.COM she believed it would be the department store’s «best selling collection ever».
Alexander McQueen delivered collections that were often described in superlatives: «I didn’t plan out my life like that,» he said. «When people recognise and respect what you do, that’s nice, but I don’t think you ever do this to be famous. Fame should be left to the film stars. We’re just offering a service.»
IMPRESSIVE How He Encouraged Humility, Through His Own Example….
However, and despite being such a Fashion artist McQueen’s death was announced on the afternoon of 11 February 2010. In the morning, his housekeeper found him hanging at his home on Green Street, London W1. Paramedics were called and they pronounced him dead at the scene.
McQueen died days before London Fashion Week, though he was not scheduled to show, and nine days after the death of his mother, Joyce, 75, from cancer. David LaChapelle, a friend of the designer, said that McQueen «was doing a lot of drugs and was very unhappy» at the time of his death. McQueen left a note saying, «Look after my dogs, sorry, I love you, Lee.« The Metropolitan Police stated that the death was not suspicious, but did not confirm that the death was a suicide.On 17 February 2010, Westminster Coroner’s Court was told that a post-mortem examination found that McQueen’s death was due to asphyxiation and hanging. The inquest was adjourned until 28 April 2010, where McQueen’s death was officially recorded as suicide.McQueen, who had been diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, took an overdose prior to hanging himself. He had taken drug overdoses in May and July 2009.Prior to hanging himself with his «favourite brown belt», the inquest recorded that he had slashed his wrists with a ceremonial dagger and a meat cleaver.Coroner Dr Paul Knapman reported finding «a significant level of cocaine, sleeping pills, and tranquilisers in the blood samples taken after the designer’s death.»
Right before Alexander McQueen’s death, he had an eighty percent unfinished autumn/winter collection, 16 pieces, presented during Paris Fashion Week on March 8, 2010, to a select handful of fashion editors in a mirrored, gilded salon at the 18th-century Hôtel de Clermont-Tonnerre.
Fashion editors picked his final designs. Editors said the show was hard to watch because it showed how McQueen was obsessed with the afterlife. The clothes had a medieval and religious look. Basic colours that were repetitively used were red, gold and silver with detailed embroidery. His models were accessorized to show his love for theatrical imagery. «Each piece is unique, as was he», McQueen’s fashion house said in a statement that was released with the collection.
After company owner Gucci confirmed that the brand would continue, McQueen’s long-term assistant Sarah Burton was named as the new creative director of Alexander McQueen in May 2010.In September 2010, Burton presented her first womenswear collection in Paris.
From the Old French linge, meaning “linen,” the term “lingerie” was originally introduced into the English language as a euphemism for scandalous underclothing. While the actual term “lingerie” was not in widespread use until the late 1850s, lingerie as it implies general underclothing has a rich and elaborate history that consistently switches between the feminine and boyish as well as the painful and practical. From the laced corset “wasp waists” and “false buttocks” to the uplifted busts of the early 1990 supermodels, lingerie has helped define what it means to look beautiful while at the same time revealing a great deal about a society’s cultural and political values (Steele 2001). The history of lingerie, then, is a history of gendered fashion, power, and sexuality.
Ancient Lingerie: From Egypt to Rome
It is impossible to say exactly when the history of lingerie started, but it seems that the first record comes from ancient Egypt around 3000 B.C. In general, clothing was a status symbol for the Egyptians, and higher-ranking women would wear narrow tunics as undergarments that started below the chest, extended to the ankles, and were supported by a crosswise shoulder strap. Sometimes they would draw tunics around to the front of the body to mold the waist. Slave and servants wore no undergarments; they wore only simple loin cloths or went naked. Several female terra cotta figurines found throughout the ancient Near East appear to wear several different types of undergarments. One of them is a Babylonian girl from about 3000 B.C. who is wearing what might be considered briefs that look as though it could have been derived from the loin cloth. Another female figure from 2000 B.C., found in Crete, depicts the first recorded corset-like bodice and crinoline (a caged or hoped underskirt) that shoves the bare breast upward (Ewing 1972). Both are interesting in that they show similarities to lingerie eons later in the western world.
In classical Greece, several female statues wear a crossed band over their shoulders and across the breast, as in the famous statue of the charioteer at Delphi. The Odyssey and Iliad mention women’s undergarments, as does Herodotus, Aristophanes, and the later Hellenistic writer Lacian (Ewing 1972). In these texts, women are described as wearing a band of linen known as the zoné around the waist and lower torso to shape and control them. Other Greek words also appear to describe women’s undergarments, including the apodesmos (meaning a band, breast band, or girdle), mastodeton (or breast band, which actually flattens the bust) and, occasionally, mastodesmos (with a similar meaning) (Ewing 1972). These garments appear to presage the bra as well as the corset.
Medieval Lingerie: The Chemise and the Corset Prototypes
During the Middle Ages, nobility wore linen clothes under expensive outer dresses to both protect their expensive clothes from dirty bodies and to provide a layer of warmth. Most noticeably, two enduring pieces of lingerie, the chemise (or smock) and later the corset, were introduced in the fourth and sixteenth centuries A.D., respectively. The chemise looked like a tunic that was gathered into a square or circular neck and was frequently embroidered. Typically women wore a chemise under petticoats and later corsets.
The prototype of the corset appears in a twelfth-century manuscript. This manuscript includes a depiction of the devil or “fiend of fashion,” represented as a woman (Steele 2001). The figure wears a tight-fitting bodice extending from the shoulder to below the waist and closely laced up in the front. While the figure is most likely wearing a tight-fitting bodice rather than a corset in its technical sense, the manuscript is notable in showing the increasing focus on displaying the body. In contrast to ancient dress, modern fashion as it emerged from Medieval Europe concerned itself with tailored clothing designed to follow the shape of the body, and women (as well as men) used tight-fitting undergarments to manipulate the shape of their bodies. For example, during the fourteenth century, women began wearing stiff linen under their bodice called a cotte, an early French word meaning “rib,” that flattened the breast. Woman used paste as stiffener between the two layers of linen to create a stiffer, harder bodice, creating the earliest form of the corset (Steele 2001).
Elizabethan Lingerie: Farthingales and Corsets
During the mid- and late-1500s skirts began to be made enormous by a “farthingale.” There were two types of farthingales, the Spanish and the French. The Spanish version probably started as a petticoat that was “boosted” by a series of graduated, corded hoops made out of cane, wire, or whalebone that accentuated a woman’s child-bearing attributes. During the late 1570s, the French version was introduced and it is the farthingale seen in many portraits of Queen Elizabeth. It consisted of a vast horizontal hoop worn at the waist but tilted down at the front to accommodate the elongated front of the stiffened bodice (Ewing 1972). Some Elizabethans wore a roll or sausage of stiffened material known as a “bum roll” around their waist and under their skirts to hold them out (Steele 2001). Fifteenth-century women also wore a “basquine” or “vasqine,” a laced bodice that a hooped skirt or farthingale was attached to.
The corset, arguably the most controversial garment in the entire history of fashion, was officially introduced when women began inserting rigid materials such as whalebone into the “busk” or “basque” of cloth bodices in the late sixteenth century (Steele 2001). The basque was a slot down the center front of the corset that was thicker at the top than at the bottom and could extend from above the bust to the waist. It was sometimes decorated with amorous images and phrases and was often used as a lover’s token.
The corset was often referred to as a “stay,” meaning “support,” perhaps implying the female body was naturally weak (Steele 2001). Scholars often discuss both the status symbol of the corset as well as its erotic appeal in the way it exaggerates the curves of a woman by making the breasts and hips protrude in an hourglass shape. The lacing of the corset is also often symbolic of sexual intercourse, and some theorists argue that the corset was a surrogate for the body itself (Steele 2001). The corset has had many dissenters ranging from doctors who argued the corset was responsible for causing miscarriages and deformities to feminists who argue the corset effectively repressed and victimized women (Kunzle 2004).
The French Revolution: Its Revolt against Underwear
The French Revolution in the late 1700s also revolutionized women’s lingerie. French women begin discarding petticoats, corsets, and camisoles as symbols of French aristocracy in favor of the “un-corset,” or a type of corset without stiffening. In a deliberate return to classic Greece, the birthplace of the freedom that revolutionary France was proclaiming, women sometimes would wear a band wrapped around the body similar to the Greek zoné under slim, high-waisted muslins that echoed Grecian rounded breasts and well-rounded figures (Ewing 1972).
The Victorians: Lingerie Innovators
The 1800s marked the end of the Napoleonic wars and the return of the boned corset. The high-waisted neoclassical dress with no stays was regarded as being part of the discord and promiscuity of the revolutionary era and, consequently, corseted fashion again surged in popularity. From the end of French Revolution to WWI, the aristocratic body became transformed into the feminine ideal that applied to all classes. While the Victorians are often seen as modest and prudish, they were the great innovators of underwear–and, not surprisingly, today’s most famous lingerie line, Victoria’s Secret1, adopted the era’s name (Workman 1996).
For example, in 1829, the first steel-front busk fastening was created allowing women to put on or take off the corset without assistance. In 1830, the elastic corset was introduced offering more comfort. In the 1850s, the crinoline returned–though if a woman tripped and fell, the crinoline would embarrassingly spread out like 3-D fan, exposing her to all in her company (Steele 2001). Victorian England also introduced laced trimmings and embroidery, the frilled pantaloon, as well as the first silk underwear. The invention of steam molding and dye also allowed lingerie to be colored and ideally shaped.
Victorian fashion highlighted a woman’s body with exaggerated full sleeves, minuscule corseted waists, and whalebone hoops and crinolines covered with yards of fabric and enhanced by bustles. Taking it all off was quite a task, and both textual and visual accounts associate Victorian clothing with sexual anticipation (Kunzle 2004). Not surprisingly, this era spawned the first striptease shows. In 1876, garters that hooked to a woman’s stockings were invented and French dancers created great excitement when they showed glimpses of their garters stretched across their thigh. The garters were actually functional because they anchored the corset so that it could not ride up, allowing it to be worn in a less restrictive and tight manner (Steele 2001).
The invention of the bicycle and the walking dress in the Victorian age also spawned the creation of knickers and “drawers” that were attached individually to a deep waistband which fasted at the back. For the first time, women had a dual wardrobe and dual underwear, one for fashion and one for athletic pursuits (Ewing 1972).
Early Twentieth Century: From Corset to Brassiere
As women in the early 1900s participated in more sports and vigorous dancing, they began to throw out their corsets in favor of more comfortable brassieres. In 1913, Mary Phelps Jacob, later known as Caresse Crosby, felt the corset was too restrictive for dancing in the nightclubs and claimed she invented the bra by tying two handkerchiefs together with ribbons. In contrast to the Victorian whalebone bodices and corsests, Jacob’s brassiere was soft, short, and gave a clear, natural separation between the breasts. She later sold the patent to Warner Brothers. The tango craze in 1915–as well as World War I and, to a lesser and indirect extent, the woman’s movement–encouraged the demise of the corset. The farewell to tighter garments, however, was short lived as woman turned to the girdle to achieve the long, lean, and androgynous clapper look of the 1920s.
1950’s-1970: Hollywood’s Golden Age of Lingerie and Its Backlash
The 1950s brought engaging and amusing bras due in part to the film industry. Stars such as Lana Turner became known as the “Sweater Girl” because of her famous cone-shaped brassieres. Jane Russell even had a bra designed by aeronautical engineer Howard Hughes that famously accentuated her bust. The glamor of the 1950s once again valued the hourglass figure, and lingerie manufactures began to flourish and were soon launching their own brand names to build customer loyalty (Ewing 1972).
But the feminist and hippie movements of the 1960s and 1970s denounced lingerie as conformist and artificial. Bras in particular were seen as restrictive, uncomfortable, and mendacious and, famously, bra burning became a symbol of women’s liberation. The 1960s brought back the young, free, androgynous figure of the 1920s with women often wearing skimpy briefs and little else which allowed them to wear mini skirts and jeans (Steele 2001).
1980s to Today: Technology and the Wonderbra
By the late 1970s, cleavage made a return and developments in technology and fabrics led to more intricate and mass-marketed lingerie, including the Wonderbra2 which gave a “push up and plunge” effect. During the 1980s, padded and wire bras became top-selling items. Victoria’s Secret and La Perla3 lingerie lines grew in popularity as women demanded a soft and sensual style.
Currently there is lingerie for all situations and intentions, including lingerie that is padded, gel-filled, air-filled, strapless, and backless. Also offered are the sexy thong, teddy, chemise, and peignoir as well as a plethora of everyday bras and panties. Contemporary lingerie can be whatever women want it to be. From “granny panties” to G-strings to fetish wear, women have more choices now than at any time in history (Kunzle 2004).
After the war, however, and during the Great Depression, bosoms returned. The “bra,” a shortened from of “brassiere,” changed from flattening breasts in the 1920s to accentuating them. In 1935, Warner Brothers introduced cup sizes, which acknowledged that women come in all shapes and sizes. The “alphabet bra” consisted of four cup sizes: A, B, C, and D. Double-D came along later and Double-A later still (Ewing 1976). During World War II, materials used to make undergarments, such as steel and rubber, were in short supply, so manufactures turned to synthetic materials which would eventually lead to Lycra, rayon, and Lastex.
San Sebastian and Bilbao are the two main cities of the Basque Country, or Euskadi as it is known in the Basque language.
Situated within an hour’s drive of each other on the Bay of Biscay, both cities are very different in character, and to make the perfect driving circuit, I Recommend exploring the Rioja winemaking region to the south, and staying at the extraordinary Marques de Riscal hotel, the latest visionary property from Guggenheim Bilbao designer Frank Gehry.
The Basque Country is also renowned as the gastronomic heartland of Spain, and the cities offer everything from superb restaurants to simple tapas bars. Indulge in a txikiteo (tapas crawl) and sample the delicious local cider and busy nightlife.
San Sebastian (known as Donostia in Basque) has a scenic position at the foothills of the Pyrénées, close to the French border. Set around a sheltered bay, the town became a fashionable coastal resort in the 19th century and has a relaxed, small-town feel, with wide streets and elegant buildings.
There are several good beaches, including the golden sweep of La Concha that arcs around the edge of the bay, and good surfing on Zurriola beach next door. There are also plenty of good, simple eating houses, and the narrow streets of the Parte Vieja, or old quarter, have one of the greatest concentrations of bars in Spain.
Bilbao, the larger of the two cities, has been transformed in recent years by an ambitious programme of urban renewal that has rescued it from post-industrial decline. The most striking symbol of this revival is the famous Guggenheim Museum with its shimmering titanium shell, moored like a ship on the banks of the Nervión River. Outside the museum is Jeff Koons’ equally iconic, kitsch floral sculpture of a giant puppy.
The Guggenheim is by no means the only show in town, however. There are other good museums, notably the Museo de Bellas Artes, the Mercado de la Ribera – the largest covered market in Spain – good shopping and a cityscape further transformed by new architecture from the likes of Norman Foster and Santiago Calatrava.
Greek clothing changed little over time. Long pieces of fabric were used to make the Greek clothes. The main item of clothing was a tunic, called a chiton. A chiton was made of a two sheets of light drapery and worn directly over the body. A belt, usually under the breast («high-girded») or around the waist («low-girded») helped contain it. Double-girded were also fashionable. The chiton was often worn in combination with the heavier himation, which had the role of a cloak. It was the outfit of Aphrodite because it was considered very feminine and sexy. Men also wore it. Dionysus is often drawn wearing it. Poets and male artists also wore it. The chiton was also worn by the Romans. But all along the centuries, fashion has become this ancient trends in very valous pieces of haute couture….and here you hace some of these » art pieces»
When decorating for the Christma’s season many people remember to decorate the yard, the Christmas tree and the mantle, but what about the dining room table? You want your dinner guests to be transformed into the holiday season mood immediately upon entering the dining room. Decorating the table for the Christmas dinner is a great way to make the day even more memorable so Fashion Clinic BCN Recommends:
Robert Jones is the president of simple beaute. Born and raised in Houston, TX, he is a well-known hair and makeup artist with almost twenty years of experience. His clients include Neiman Marcus, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Watters and Watters, Bergdorf Goodman, Oil of Olay, Nexxus, Levi’s, Marie Claire, Elle Magazine, Brides Magazine, Elegant Bride, Delta Burke, Diahann Carroll, Sheryl Crow, Carol Channing, The Dixie Chicks, and many many others. He travels to five cities per month giving makeup demonstrations to approximately 5,000 women. He has his own line of brushes and makeup organizational tools (www.simplebeaute.com), with plans to launch his own signature line of makeup. He divides his time between Dallas,Texas and New York City.
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