Ever wonder where your style staples came from? Let’s take a little trip down memory lane. If you’ve got a flair for fashion, this is one history lesson you won’t want to miss!

Denim
In 1969, a writer for American Fabrics magazine declared, “Denim is one of the world’s oldest fabrics, yet it remains eternally young.” While many of us associate the dawn of desirable denim with Calvin Klein and Levi’s 501, jeans were actually fashioned centuries earlier. Denim originated concurrently in 17th century France in a town called Nimes, and in India, where sailors of Dhunga wore denim trousers (which we know today as dungarees). Even back then, European fashion eventually made its way to the states, and in 1850, a German dry goods merchant named Levi Strauss began selling Levi’s blue jeans to California mining communities. Our contemporary culture has seen the jean trend ebb and flow. In the 1950’s, teenagers wore blue jeans as an act of rebellion, but by the sixties and seventies, jeans became more widely accepted, making their way into general fashion. The eighties saw decreased popularity, followed by a resurgence in the nineties, thanks to the rise of grunge rock. Today, even in a shaky economy, denim sales continue to thrive.

Shoulder Pads
Often associated with the forties and eighties, this style actual originated in the thirties when Elsa Schiaparelli used them in her designs. The first shoulder pads were semicircle or triangle shaped fabric stuffed with wool, cotton, or even sawdust. During WWII, women’s fashion became more militarized and shoulder pads became more prominent and bulky. In the eighties, shoulder pads were a statement of “power dressing” and gave the perceptions of status and position. Many garments even included Velcro, allowing the option of multiple pads. While some of us have hidden away our photos of the eighties, shoulder pads are making a sleek and chic comeback in some of this Fall’s hottest jackets.

Pant Suit
Back in the twenties, women stepped up to fill the roles that men left behind to fight in the war, and they quite literally began to wear the pants. Fast-forward to the sixties, and pants were totally acceptable and even prevalent in women’s fashions, and today, pants are part of women’s everyday style. Pant suits adapt to the decade with updated jacket silhouettes, fabric, and style of pant.

Flare Pants (Bell Bottoms)
Though many fashionistas attribute the rise of bellbottoms in fashion to Ms. Coco Chanel, bellbottoms actually have naval origins stemming way back to the 1800s. Bellbottoms became fashionable in the mid-sixties, went from high fashion to hippy couture in the late sixties, and then totally mainstream in the seventies. Like most fashion trends, they faded away for a time, but took the spotlight again in the nineties when the bootcut offered a toned down version. Today, some of the hottest jean designers are embracing bellbottoms. Case in point: CAbi’s Super Flare!

Cardigan
The cardigan has been a closet constant throughout the decades. It’s one of those staples that seem to have existed forever. So where did it come from? The namesake of the cardigan stems back to the 1800s and British commander James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who was the first known to wear the cardigan in popular culture. The cardigan became increasingly popular when it provided invaluable warmth to fisherman of the French and British Isles around the same time. Chanel reintroduced cardigans into contemporary culture in the twenties as part of a women’s suit. And though Mr. Rogers may be the most famous wearer of the cardigan, he is not alone in his love for the style. Whether cutesy and classic, or glitzy and glamorous, their popularity continues through time with women of all ages and styles.

Little Black Dress
Often referred to as the LBD, this wardrobe staple is near and dear to the hearts of all women. But whom do we have to thank? The LBD was first made popular in the twenties by Coco Chanel as a neutral, timeless, and effortless style, and it was soon established as a necessity in every woman’s closet. During the Great Depression and WWII, this simple style continued to fit within the limitation of textile rations. Throughout the decades, the Little Black Dress has taken on many different shapes and silhouettes, but it has remained a constant symbol of style and sophistication. Today, thanks to the LBD, women will always have a go-to for looking both effortlessly classy and appropriately sexy.