A blouse is a loose-fitting upper garment that was formerly worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women and children.[1] It is typically gathered at the waist (by a waistband or belt) so that it hangs loosely ("blouses"[2]) over the wearer's body.[3] Today, the word most commonly refers to a woman's shirt A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any upper-body garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers. In British English, a shirt is more specifically a[4] but can also refer to a man's shirt if it is a loose-fitting style (e.g. poet shirts and Cossack shirts).[5] Traditionally, the term has been used to refer to a shirt which blouses out or has an unmistakably feminine appearance.
The term is also used for some men's military uniform jackets.[6]
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Description and History
Blouses were rarely part of the fashionable woman's wardrobe until the 1890s Fashionable women's clothing styles shed some of the extravagances of previous decades , but corseting continued unmitigated, or even slightly increased in severity. Early 1890s dresses consisted of a tight bodice with the skirt gathered at the waist and falling more naturally over the hips and undergarments than in previous years. Before that time, they were occasionally popular for informal wear in styles that echoed peasant A peasant is an agricultural worker who subsists by working a small plot of ground. The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district . The term peasant today is sometimes used in a pejorative sense for impoverished farmers or traditional Traditions serve to preserve a wide range of culturally significant ideas, specific practices and the various methods used by distinct cultures. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem which is the accusative case of traditio which means "handing over, passing on" clothing, such as the Garibaldi shirt of the 1860s.
During the later Victorian period, blouses became common for informal, practical wear. A simple blouse with a plain skirt was the standard dress for the newly expanded female (non-domestic A domestic worker is someone who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping. Responsibilities may also include cooking, doing laundry and ironing,) workforce of the 1890s, especially for those employed in office An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the term office may refer to business-related tasks. In work. In the 1900s Fashion in the period 1900–1909 in European and European-influenced countries continued the long elegant lines of the 1890s. Tall, stiff collars characterize the period, as do women's broad hats and full "Gibson girl" hairstyles. A new, columnar silhouette introduced by the couturiers of Paris late in the decade signaled the and 1910s Fashion in the years 1910-1919 is characterized by a rich and exotic opulence in the first half of the decade in contrast with the somber practicality of garments worn during the Great War. Men's trousers were worn cuffed to ankle-length and creased. Skirts rose from floor length to well above the ankle, women began to bob their hair, and the, elaborate blouses, such as the "lingerie Lingerie is a term for fashionable and possibly alluring undergarments. The term in the French language applies to all undergarments for either gender. In English it is applied specifically to those undergarments designed to be visually appealing or erotic. Lingerie usually incorporating one or more flexible, stretchy materials like Lycra, nylon , blouse" (so-called because they were heavily decorated with lace Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was not made until the late 15th and early 16th and embroidery Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins in a style formerly restricted to underwear) and the "Gibson Girl The Gibson Girl was the personification of a feminine ideal as portrayed in the satirical pen and ink illustrated stories created by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson during a 20-year period spanning the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in the United States blouse" with tucks and pleating A pleat is a type of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and securing it in place. It is commonly used in clothing and upholstery to gather a wide piece of fabric to a narrower circumference, became immensely popular for daywear and even some informal evening wear. Since then, blouses have remained a wardrobe staple.
Blouses are often made of cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant. The plant is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Pakistan, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely or silk Silk is a natural protein fibre, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity . The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract cloth A textile is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw wool fibres, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning wheel to produce long strands. Textiles are formed by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, or pressing fibres together and may or may not include a collar In clothing, a collar is the part of a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens around or frames the neck. A collar may also be a separate or detachable accessory worn around the neck and sleeves Sleeve is that part of a garment which covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips. The pattern of the sleeve is one of the characteristics of fashion in dress, varying in every country and period. Various survivals of the early forms of sleeve are still found in the different types of academic or other robes. Where the long hanging. They are generally more tailored than simple knit tops, and may contain feminine Femininity refers to female qualities attributed specifically to women and girls. The complement to femininity is masculinity details such as ruffles In sewing and dressmaking, a ruffle, frill, or furbelow is a strip of fabric, lace or ribbon tightly gathered or pleated on one edge and applied to a garment, bedding, or other textile as a form of trimming. A ruffle without gathers or pleats may also be made by cutting a curved strip of fabric and applying the inner or shorter edge to the garment, a tie or a soft bow at the neck The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The Latin term signifying "of the neck" is cervical, or embroidered decorations Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins.
Tailoring provides a closer fit to the wearer's shape. This is achieved with sewing of features such as princess seams or darting in the waist and/or bust.
A Highland dancer wearing Aboyne dress The Aboyne dress is the name given to the prescribed attire for females in the Scottish national dances, such as the Flora MacDonald the Highland lilt, and others. There are actually two versions of the Aboyne dress in use. The white part on her body and arms is the blouse. A woman wearing a dirndl A dirndl is a type of traditional dress worn in southern Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria and Italian South Tirol, based on the historical costume of Alpine peasants. Dresses that are loosely based on the dirndl are known as Landhausmode. The white part on her body and arms is the blouse. A man and woman wearing poet shirts - a unisex blouse inspired by Romanticism Romanticism or Romantic Era is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution. In part, it was a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and a reaction against the.Blouses (and many women's shirts with buttons) usually have buttons In modern clothing and fashion design, a button is small fastener, most commonly made of plastic, but also frequently of seashell, which secures two pieces of fabric together. In archaeology, a button can be a significant artifact. In the applied arts and in craft, a button can be an example of folk art, studio craft, or even a miniature work of reversed from that of men's shirts (except in the case of male military fatigues). That is, the buttons are normally on the wearer's left-hand and the buttonholes are on the right. The reasons for this are unclear, and while several theories exist none have conclusive evidence. Some suggest this custom was introduced by launderers so they could distinguish between women's and men's shirts. One theory purports that the tradition arose in the Middle Ages The Middle Ages is a period of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The period followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, and preceded the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period in a three-period division of history: Classical, Medieval, and Modern. The term "Middle Ages" (medium aevum) was coined in when one manner of manifesting wealth was by the number of buttons one wore. Another that the original design was based on armour which was designed so that a right-handed opponent would not catch their weapon in the seam and tear through, and also that a person could draw a weapon with their right-hand without catching it in a loose seam of their own clothes. Female servants A domestic worker is someone who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping. Responsibilities may also include cooking, doing laundry and ironing, were in charge of buttoning their mistress's gowns (since the buttons were usually in the back). They tired of attempting to deal with buttons that were, from their point of view, backwards and as such they started reversing the placement when making or repairing them. Another possible reason is so men can easily undo blouses as, from the front, buttons are on the same side as a man's shirt. One other theory is that women were normally dressed by their maids, while men dressed themselves. As such, women's blouses were designed so it could be easily buttoned by the maid but that of men were designed so it could be easily buttoned by the person wearing it.
Although in all the cases proposed the reasons for the distinction no longer exist, it continues out of custom A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms or criteria, often taking the form of a custom or tradition Traditions serve to preserve a wide range of culturally significant ideas, specific practices and the various methods used by distinct cultures. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem which is the accusative case of traditio which means "handing over, passing on".
While most women prefer to have the top button open for better comfort, some blouses made for women have looser necklines so the top button can be fastened without compromising comfort, but giving the same stylish appearance.
Some women attach various pins and ornaments to their blouses over a fastened top button for style. Some of these attach directly to the button itself, others to the collars.
Some Muslim sects[who?] require women to wear blouses with the top buttons fastened while in public for modesty. Members of these religions who find this uncomfortable will often circumvent this requirement by wearing a crew-neck or mock turtleneck shirt under their blouse.
Some blouses do not have a top button at all, and collars are styled to be open.
They also form part of some nation's traditional folk costume.
Choli
A choli (ravika in Telugu Telugu is a Dravidian language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is the official language of Andhra Pradesh, one of the largest states of India. It is also one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of the Republic of India and was conferred the status of a Classical language by the Government of India. The mother tongue of the majority of) is a midriff-baring blouse worn in India India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with 1.18 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Mainland India is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the, Pakistan Pakistan (Urdu pronunciation: [paːkɪsˈtaːn] ( listen)), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: اسلامی جمہوریہ پاکِستان), is a country in South Asia. It has a 1,046-kilometre (650 mi) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, and India in the, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and known as Ceylon (/sɪˈlɒn/) before 1972, is an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India, Bangladesh Bangladesh (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ, pronounced /bæŋgləˈdɛʃ/; Bangladesh), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh (Bengali: গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ Gônoprojatontri Banglādeśh) is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma, and other countries where the sari A sari or saree is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Burma, and Malaysia. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder is worn. The choli is cut to fit tightly to the body and has short sleeves and a low neck. The choli is usually cropped, allowing exposure of the navel The navel is a scar on the abdomen, caused when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby. All placental mammals have a navel. It is fairly conspicuous in humans; the cropped design is particularly well-suited for wear in the sultry South Asian summers. Cut-out backs and front-opening buttons are some of the features of contemporary designs.
Saris are often woven with an extra length of material meant to be cut off and fashioned into a matching choli. The choli may be sewn so that the elaborately woven borders of the sari material form the bottom edges of the choli sleeves. However, cholis need not match the sari. There is a growing trend towards stretchy, comfortable cholis made from knit Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitting consists of consecutive loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can be passed through them. This process eventually results in a materials.
The traditional choli was worn without a brassiere A brassiere is an article of clothing that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting a woman's breasts (invented as recently as the late 19th century), as is evident from the images in the Choli Art Gallery, below. However, many modern South Asian South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east. Topographically, it is dominated by the Indian Plate, which rises above sea level as the Indian subcontinent south of the women wear a soft bra under the choli, for a firmer appearance of the bust. Expensive designer cholis are sewn with padding and reinforcements so that a bra is not needed and backless or off-the-shoulder cholis can be worn with ease.
Women of the Gujarat Gujarat (Gujarati: ગુજરાત, Hindi: गुजरात, Gujǎrāt, - [ɡudʒɾat]( listen)) is a state in India. Its capital is Gandhinagar, while its largest city is Ahmedabad. Gujarat is home to the Gujarati speaking people of India. The state encompasses major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira and Rajasthan Coordinates: 26°34′22″N 73°50′20″E / 26.57268°N 73.83902°E Rājasthān , pronounced [raːdʒəsˈtʰaːn] ( listen)) is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert (Thar Desert), which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along countryside may also wear the choli with a gypsy skirt, or lehnga. Their cholis are often loosely fitted and heavily ornamented with embroidery Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins and mirror work, or shisha embroidery.
When wearing a semi-transparent kameez Shalwar kamees is the dress worn by both women and men in northern South Asia and Central Asia. Traditionally, it has been worn in Afghanistan and areas comprising Pakistan. From the last century, the ladies of India have also adopted this dress in place of sari, the traditional dress of India. Shalwar or salwar (as pronounced in India) are loose, women usually wear a sleeveless choli as an undergarment similar to a camisole Historically, camisole referred to jackets of various kinds, including overshirts , women's négligées and sleeved jackets worn by men or a bustier A bustier is a form-fitting garment for women, which is traditionally worn as lingerie. Its primary purpose is to push up the bust by tightening against the upper midriff and forcing the breasts up, while gently shaping the waist. Nowadays, it might also be worn as a push-up bra under a low-backed dress, or as a camisole for outer wear. The.
Office dress codes usually prohibit cropped, sleeveless cholis; similarly, women in the armed forces, when wearing a sari uniform, don a half-sleeve shirt tucked in at the waist.
Some Western women have started wearing the choli as part of their belly dance Belly dance or Bellydance is a Western-coined name for a traditional Middle Eastern dance, especially raqs sharqi . It is sometimes also called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West, or by the Greco-Turkish term çiftetelli (Greek: τσιφτετέλι) costume. They typically wear backless cholis (held together with strings) so that the audience can see a dancer's bare back as she sways.
Backless cholis have become a fashion in India after the movie Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!, in which Madhuri Dixit wears one.
A lehenga is a skirt worn with a choli, also called a gypsy skirt or gopi skirt. While women of the Gujarat Gujarat (Gujarati: ગુજરાત, Hindi: गुजरात, Gujǎrāt, - [ɡudʒɾat]( listen)) is a state in India. Its capital is Gandhinagar, while its largest city is Ahmedabad. Gujarat is home to the Gujarati speaking people of India. The state encompasses major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira and Rajasthan Coordinates: 26°34′22″N 73°50′20″E / 26.57268°N 73.83902°E Rājasthān , pronounced [raːdʒəsˈtʰaːn] ( listen)) is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert (Thar Desert), which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along provinces of India usually represent the outfit for foreigners, the lehenga is native to several other parts of India too. Depending on which part of India one is referring to, the lehenga is worn in different styles, made of different fabrics and includes unique patterns. The lehenga of Rajasthan and Gujarat is known for its bandhni work which is a technique in tie-dye mastered by Hindu A Hindu ( pronunciation , Devanagari: हिन्दु) is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti ("revealed") and Smriti ("remembered"), lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs, which women of the region. In the Southern states of India, the lehenga skirt is not as voluminous and is worn without a chunni/chunri but with a kurti that covers the midriff. The lehenga worn in the Northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand has a voluminous skirt and kurti/choli that covers midriff with a long chunni.
Choli art gallery
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Women dancing in choli-lehnga outfits |
Rajput princess lounging in a choli-lehnga |
Choli-lehnga ensemble in the colours of spring |
A Maharani in an alluring choli with a dupatta |
References
- ^ The Concise Oxford English Dictionary
- ^ http://www.thefreedictionary.com/blouse
- ^ The Concise Oxford English Dictionary
- ^ http://www.apparelsearch.com/glossary_b_3_textile.htm
- ^ Gavenas, Mary Lisa. The Fairchild Encyclopedia of Menswear (2008), p.47. ISBN 978-1563674655
- ^ http://toysforkidsvt.com/index.php/marine-dictionary
http://shop-dresses.com/825856-Blouse-Tops.html
Categories: History of fashion | History of clothing (Western fashion) | Clothing by function
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Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:08:36 GMT+00:00
Malaysia Star Dressed in a black tudung and blouse , a handcuffed Nor Azlina Noor Akhmad was seen sobbing in the dock during the sentencing at the court complex here ...
Madame
Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:41:42 GM
I am as you can see! totally obsessed with my kimono collection! Never happier than when wafting in a loose sleeve. Only problem? Whenever I'm with the boys and I get a compliment on my dress, they have to interject It's a dressing ...
Q. I need to safety pin a blouse between 2 buttons. I can't seem to do it without it being obvious? Any tips?
Asked by Amanda - Fri Sep 12 14:53:31 2008 - - 3 Answers - 0 Comments
A. You do it from the inside and make sure that you only pinch a little bit of the fabric so the safety pin doesn't show.
Answered by || Br0wn Ey d G!rl || - Fri Sep 12 15:00:51 2008
