World Wide Customs

World Wide Customs: Alaska Alaska: (1) Before in-home heating systems and electric blankets became widespread, there were plenty of people living in Arctic environments that needed to stay warm. Anyone who lives in Alaska during the winters knows that even with modern amenities, it’s no easy feat, so how did Alaska Native groups stay toasty hundreds of years ago? Depending on the region they lived, they actually created just the right gear to face the elements. A strategy that holds true to this day: to stay warm, dress in layers. Many traditional clothes were made from caribou skin, with the fur still on for warmth. On the inner layers, the fur would face in and on the outer layers it would face out, providing the wearer ultimate warmth. The kuspuk (1), a hooded dress/hoodie hybrid made from lightweight cloth, was another layer to work with. It was traditionally made to be knee length with a large pocket in the front. For footwear, mukluks (2), a boot made from

World Wide Customs : The History of Fashion 1990s: Chuck Taylors While the shoe was originally made for basketball players, the '90s saw a huge revival of these Chuck Taylors on the streets. These shoes became synonymous with counterculture and were worn by lovers of grunge, punk rockers, and rockers. Today, these sneakers are one of the most popular out there. 1990s: Pla tform Shoes Spice Girls According to Refinery 29, the platform shoe hasn’t always been about fashion. They were used to help royals walk through mud in the medieval times, boosted the height of Greek thespians on stage, and were actually outlawed by parliament in the 1670s! After many ins and outs in the fashion world, they made a huge comeback in the '90s as a go-to accessory for the popular British pop group, the Spice Girls. As soon as department stores saw the demand, they mass produced the item and had them on every girl that was willing to jeopardize her walk for fashion. 

World Wide Customs . The History of Fashion  1970s: The Crop Top While crop tops and tummy tops are popular today, they have to be credited back to the '40s. Female celebrities dared to be different and sported these tiny tops but they never seemed to catch on. Finally, in the '70s, Catherine Bach played Daisy Duke in the ever-so-popular film Dukes of Hazzard and wowed the world with her sexy cut off denim shorts and a plaid cropped top. At the time, she was one of the first women to ever show her stomach on television! In the decade of social change and freedom, people saw something that they had never seen before and wanted to be part of it. Thus, the crop top was born. 1970s: Wide-Brimmed Hats It should come as no surprise that the wide-brimmed hat came out of the '70s--a decade charged by youth going against the grain. Bombshell Brigitte Bardot was photographed many times wearing these hats, on set and in leisure.  1980s: Shoulder Pads

World wide Customs : The History of Fashion  1950s: Saddle Shoes The saddle shoe was initially created for sporting purposes in the early 1900s, but with the onset of dances like the Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug in the '50s, they became the choice footwear. These shoes, much like oxfords, were acceptable for both sexes to wear and came in a variety of colours. 1950s: Chansonette Bra After being deprived from materials for so long, women looked for clothing that accentuated the female silhouette and the Chansonette bra did just that. These bras were made popular by female sex icons of the '50s, and were quickly given the nickname "bullet bra" because of their shape. The bra did not have any wires or padding, but had a pocket of air at the tip of each cup which was said to help the breasts breathe comfortably.  Once upon a time, bras were meant to be worn but not seen – how times have changed! Check out these  celebriti

World Wide Customs:  swimsuit's history SWIMSUIT'S HISTORY: 1800 :  (1) The history of women’s swimwear begins with a simple outfit known as the birthday suit (1). All jokes aside, up until the 19th century people frequently bathed nude. And while women were known to cover themselves with clothing that resembles our modern day bikini, the outfits weren’t for swimming. In fact, swimsuits were invented in the mid 1800s. Their creation came out of necessity; recent improvements in railroad systems and other transportation methods had finally made swimming and going to the beach a recreational activity. If you saw a picture of swimsuit-clad women in the second half of the 19th century, you’d have a hard time recognizing their outfits as swimwear. The times called for swimsuits that more closely resembled a belted dress over long bloomers (aka baggy pants). While they weren’t aesthetically appealing, the swimwear fulfilled its primary purpose: to conce

World wide Customs : The History of Fashion The History of Fashion  1900s: Feathered Hat Often referred to as the "Plume Boom," the popularity of wearing real feathers in hats reached its peak in the early 20th century. According to The Smithsonian, women adorned their hats with feathers, wings, and even full taxidermied birds. This caused a huge decline in the bird population, and even led to the exinction of some. The women adorned their hats with feathers, wings, and even full taxidermied birds. This caused a huge decline in the bird population, and even led to the exinction of some. William Hornaday, director of the New York Zoo¬logical Society and formerly chief taxidermist at the Smithsonian, said that in a short nine-month period, the London feather market used up to 130 thousand Egret birds! 

World Wide Customs: Brasil BRASIL: Carnival  (in Portuguese: Carnaval) is a Catholic event by origin, but is also rooted in European pagan traditions. Originally, Carnival was a  food festival , because it was the last time to eat abundantly before the 40 days of Lent, a period of frugality starting on Ash Wednesday. Legend says the word 'Carnaval' was derived from the Latin expression 'carne vale' which translates as 'farewell to the meat'. Gradually the tradition was created to go once a year onto the streets to have a  party together . Musical styles and other customs merged over time. Only in 1917 this culminated  in the invention of the  samba ,  very much a product of the                  mutual love for music of the former colonists and the former slaves.  In Rio de Janeiro, the first samba schools were established in the early 1920s; the first samba parade competitions were held in 1933. (1

World Wide Customs: Namibia NAMIBIA: (1) The actual traditional way of dressing in Namibia is the one of the girl in the middle in the photo (1): they didn't really dress much! They belonged to a group called " Himba " (2): precisely they're part of  a semi-nomadic, pastoral tribe. The tall and slender Himba women show off unique hairstyles (3) that are complicated and require hours of preparation. It involves braiding her hair and covering it in an unusual mixture of butter and ochre. (2) (3) To get protection from the sun, women use butter, ochre, and mud to prepare a paste " otjize " (4) that on being applied to the skin, gives them a reddish hue, symbolizing the significant unification of the earth’s red color and blood. (4) Women, on the other hand, wear skirt  like dresses (5) that are made from calf skin and remain bare-breasted  throughout their lives.