How Do Fashion Trends Start?

Just in time for New York Fashion Week, a new exhibit examines the sources of fashion trends for the past two centuries, from the bustle to camouflage.

New York Fashion Week kicks off later this week, and as the world gawks over the couture coming down the catwalks, it's worth considering how we got here. From whalebone corsets to Spanx, tartan silk dresses to grunge-era flannels, and gold pocket watches to Baby-G watches, fashion trends throughout history have reflected social attitudes towards sex and identity, beauty and class status. Trend-ology, a new exhibit at the Museum of FIT, examines the sources of fashion trends over the last 250 years. A decade-by-decade chronology features 100 glorious ensembles from the likes of Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Rodarte, and Christian Lacroix. Here, a few highlights of the biggest fashion trends throughout the years:

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