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Evolut ion of Clot hing<br />
By Josie Ansell<br />
For centuries popular trends in the fashion world have made statements, by both females<br />
and males, all the way to 2016. However, something consumers don?t often know is that there is<br />
some history behind some of the most popular clothes in the 21st century fashion market.<br />
Converse, jeans, flannels, and sperrys all are at least half a century old and were made not only just<br />
for fashion but for functionality.<br />
The Converse shoe company was founded in February 1908 by Marquis Mills Converse.<br />
Galoshes, similar to the rubber boot, were the first shoes the company produced. But they started<br />
making the iconic tennis shoe soon after, and in 1917 they were named All-Stars. However, the<br />
All-Stars didn?t become popular until Chuck Taylor (a famous basketball player) started wearing and<br />
selling them in the 1920?s. These trendy shoes are still in style today. The shoe?s smooth tip,<br />
durable rubber soles, and distinct star symbol makes these tennis shoes unmistakable. So, next<br />
time you get a compliment for your ?Chuck Taylor?s,? you know why!<br />
Jeans, unlike converse, were an immediate sell because of their resistance and price. The<br />
cheap material was extremely durable for poor laborers. Jacob Davis partnered with the Levi<br />
Strauss Company to invent the jeans in 1871. In present time, they are much more expensive<br />
($50-70 a pair in popular stores) than the $1.50 (about $25 today) pairs sold in 1885. Today, jeans<br />
are sold in many different styles, such as skinny, bootcut, high-waisted, and distressed.<br />
Flannels, like both jeans and converse, were used solely for its durability. These shirts were<br />
made by the Welsh (an ethnic group native to Wales, Great Britain) in the 1700?s to keep them<br />
warm during labor in cold weather. This affordable and warm apparel quickly became a hit across<br />
Europe. They are still used today in not only plaid but solid colors as well. These shirts are iconic<br />
for fall occasions and perfect for the declining temperatures.<br />
Sperry?s were created in 1935 by sailor and shoe designer Paul A. Sperry. Slipping overboard<br />
while sailing on the Long Island Sound (in the Atlantic Ocean between New York and Rhode Island)<br />
drove him to produce a non-slip boat shoe. The Sperry?s were the first shoe introduced to the<br />
boating and shoe market. In the present, these boat shoes are a comfortable and popular trend on<br />
and off the ocean.<br />
So next time you slip on your converse or button up your flannel, think about the history<br />
behind these trendy clothes, and how crazy it is that these veteran clothings are still in style!<br />
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