Question

Why do you need to know the undergarments to create an authentic costume?

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

1. Undergarments are the layers underneath the clothes and throughout history, they have been used to exaggerate or reduce body parts. The correct undergarment of the costume is needed in order to get the right and correct body figure and the shape of the costume that was authentic in a certain period. These include long underwear, corsets, brassiere, temple garments, which all can affect the look of the figure with the top cover of clothes on.

2. Silhouette in costume design is a term used for the general outline of the figure, it's posture and shape with the full clothes. As the outline of the figure with the costume has changed drastically through history, and in various times various figures have been considered trendy and fashionable, knowing what the popular silhouette was for a certain time is crucial in making the authentic costume.

On top of it, seeing the correct silhouette can tell us a lot about the costume itself, what are its major parts, how are they position an what are the previously mentioned undergarments of the certain costume.

3. The emphasis on the body parts certainly changed throughout history, yet the main ones which seem to dictate the fashion constantly are hips and bosom. These have constantly been the main parts of the human body that would be enlarged or reduced through the costume through the ages.

For women, these are the main parts that can show fertility and femininity, while at the same time men with developed muscles in these parts of the body are considered manly. In different ages, it has been trendy for women to have a slimmer figure, therefore smaller hips, or curvier, but it doesn't change the fact that these two parts have been the main points of women's and men's body parts when it comes to styling the fashion and clothes.

4. Different fabrics fall differently and give a different look. Therefore, it is crucial to know which fabrics were used in which time period if we want to go for a fully authentic style when making a costume.

Fabrics tell us a lot about the economic status of the person. For example, the finer and rarer fabrics are marks of the elite, and people in wealthier economic status, which means either the costumes were worn by the elite and wealthy people, or the whole economy of the place and period was more well-off compared to others. Meanwhile, more common and poorer fabrics were worn by workers, common people and those with less money, and certain fabrics can tell us if a person wearing it lived in the countryside or the city.

Different fabrics were also used during different points in history, so we can sometimes judge of the period of the costume based on the fabric that the costume is made of. Silk was used only at places and times in which silk could be imported from Asia.

Finally, different fabrics make the costume look different and they "fall" differently. Silk, for example, is much lighter fabric than satin or leather. It will adapt to the body differently and produce a different figure.

5. Closures are different ways on which the costume is "closed". These can include buttons, zippers, buckles, lacing, etc.

The time of closure on the clothes is important because it also can tell us a lot about the period and place of origin of costume. Different cultures used different ways of closing the clothes. For example, ancient Greeks and Romans would use fibulas, which are kind of brooches like the safety-pins, to close their dresses on the right shoulders. Zippers were invented only in the 1850s. Therefore, if we wish to make an authentic costume that will look and act the way clothes did in a certain period and place, we should use closures that were available and popular at a certain time and place.