Fashion in the United States

Fashion in the United States
Apart from professional business attire, fashion in the United States is eclectic and
predominantly informal. While Americans' diverse cultural roots are reflected in their
clothing, particularly those of recent immigrants, cowboy hats and boots and leather
motorcycle jackets are emblematic of specifically American styles. Blue jeans were
popularized as work clothes in the 1850s by merchant Levi Strauss, a German
immigrant in San Francisco, and adopted by many American teenagers a century
later. They are now widely worn on every continent by people of all ages and social
classes. Along with mass-marketed informal wear in general, blue jeans are arguably
U.S. culture's primary contribution to global fashion. The country is also home to the
headquarters of many leading designer labels such as Ralph Lauren, Victoria secret
and Calvin Klein. Another type of clothing worn throughout the United States by many
types of people is the T-shirt. It can be plain and white, or colored with company logos
or funny messages. T-shirts are arguably the most worn type of shirt in the United
States.
Dress norms in the United States are generally consistent with those of other postindustrial western nations and has become largely informal since the mid 20th
century. Clothing in the United States also depends on a variety of factors including
location, venue, and demographic factors such as ethnicity. Blue jeans are a
consistent fashion trend among all classes. The western states are commonly noted
for being more informal in their manner of dress than those closer to the eastern
seaboard. Furthermore, individuals belonging to certain ethnic groups such as some
Native American tribal members and individuals of Scottish descent may wear
clothing to represent their ethnic identity at certain events. Conspicuous consumption
and a desire for quality have also lead to a strong preference for designer label
clothing among many in the middle and upper classes.
Fashion norms have changed greatly from decade to decade. The United States has
generally followed and in some cases led trends in the history of Western fashion. It
has some unique regional clothing styles, such as western wear.
The toleration for body expression that deviates from the mainstream such as
complete body tattoos or nudism is strongly linked to the sub-culture and location in
which an individual may find him or herself. Generally speaking the United States
tends to be less tolerant towards nudity than Western Europe, even in more tolerant
areas such as California. As stated above the tolerance shown for personal expression
such as cross-dressing, piercing, etc... varies greatly with location and sub-culture and
may be completely appropriate in one venue while being taboo in another.

List of fashion designers from the United States


Carlota Alfaro

Mainbocher



Pegah Anvarian

Paul Marciano



Max Azria

Leanne Marshall



Michael Bastian

Vera Maxwell



Geoffrey Beene

Claire McCardell



Laura Bennett

Jack McCollough



Bijan



Bill Blass



Thom Browne



Dana Buchman



Albert Capraro

Bob Mackie



Hattie Carnegie

Bibhu Mohapatra



Bonnie Cashin

Norman Norell



Oleg Cassini

Todd Oldham



Richard Chai

Rick Owens



Liz Claiborne

Thakoon Panichgul



Kenneth Cole

Patrick Porter



Jeffrey Costello

Zac Posen



Laura Dahl

Lilly Pulitzer



Chloe Dao

Tracy Reese



Charles David

Santino Rice



Lyn Devon

Craig Robinson



Perry Ellis

Narciso Rodriguez

Leah McSweeney
Keith Michael
Nicole Miller
Isaac Mizrahi



George Esquivel

William Rondina



Erin Fetherston

Lela Rose



Patricia Field

Cynthia Rowley



Eileen Fisher

Ralph Rucci



Tom Ford

Kara Saun



James Galanos

John Saldivar



Eric Gaskins

Scaasi



Cole Haan

Austin Scarlett



Halston

Jeremy Scott



Tim Hamilton

Jeffrey Sebelia



Christina Hattler

Russell Simmons



Lazaro Hernandez

Christian Siriano



Uli Herzner

LaQuan Smith



Tommy Hilfiger

Yotam Solomon



Susan Holmes

Kate Spade



Marc Jacobs

Anna Sui



Elisa Jimenez

Robert Tagliapietra



Betsey Johnson

Tere Tereba



Lauren Jones

John Varvatos



Donna Karan

Daniel Vosovic



Anne Klein

Alexander Wang



Calvin Klein

Vera Wang



Mychael Knight

Arefeh Mansouri



Michael Kors

Stuart Weitzman



Derek Lam



Ralph Lauren

Junko Yoshioka



Nanette Lepore

New York Fashion Week
The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in
2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of
four major fashion weeks held around the world (along with those in Paris, London,
and Milan).
The first New York Fashion Week (which was then called "Press Week") was the worlds'
first ever organized fashion week. First held in 1943, the event was designed to attract
attention away from the French fashion during World War II, when fashion industry
insiders were unable to travel to Paris to see French fashion shows. Fashion publicist
Eleanor Lambert organized an event she called "Press Week" to showcase American
designers for fashion journalists, who had previously neglected their innovations.
(Buyers were not admitted to the shows, and instead had to visit designers'
showrooms.) Press Week was a success, and fashion magazines like Vogue, which
were normally filled with French designs, increasingly featured American fashion.
In 1994, the event was moved to its former site in Bryant Park by Fern Mallis, where it
was held inside a series of large white tents in the almost-block-long park. Admission
is by invitation only, to the fashion industry, fashion press, assorted celebrities, and
internet based Fashion press (e.g. District L, Fashionista, FWD, The Fashion Bomb).
Beginning in February 2009 (showing Fall 2009), many designers opted out of their
usual Bryant Park tent fashion shows because of the poor economy and held smaller
presentations.
At the Fall 2009 Fashion Week the public got a taste of technology as it is shaping the
future of fashion. It is not only making it cheaper and easier for designers to create
their collections, it is also saving them travel time as many broadcast their lines over
the Internet. Many designers opted to not only market online but also sell exclusively
online. Designer Norma Kamali and the Polo Ralph Lauren Rugby brand both have an
application for the Apple iPhone. In the Vivienne Tam show, models walked the runway
carrying Hewlett Packard mini notebook computers instead of the expected handbag.
Mercedes-Benz officially became the sponsor of the event, and New York Fashion Week
was called "Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week" from then.
Because of the recession affecting most of the world, designers were stepping outside
of the box for fall 2009. In previous years, fashion houses would be expecting costs up
to $750,000 to produce a quality runway show. The idea of using mannequins to
display clothing was used by established designers Betsey Johnson and Vera Wang as
a way to cut model and runway costs. Mara Hoffman, Sergio Davila and Nicholas K
saved 40 percent of their costs by combining their separate lines into one show.
Another trend seen during fall 2009 Fashion Week was recession friendly fashion. A
number of pieces displayed were items that could be worn in the fall and carry over to
the spring. A popular staple was bold color dressed that could be worn over a
turtleneck in colder weather and stand alone in the spring; convertible blazers were
introduced by Vera Wang and Karen Walker as a way to get double the wear out of one
piece.
Due to increasing pressure from Bryant Park management, Mercedes-Benz Fashion
Week was hosted in Damrosch Park at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for
the first time in September 2010.