Patricia P.

Yangco March 21, 2023

BFA-ADV-3B Fashion Concepts and Production

What is Fashion?

• The French word mode, meaning "fashion," dates as far back as 1482, while the English
word denoting something "in style" dates only to the 16th century (Wikipedia contributors,
2023).
• Fashion is a way of expressing one's individuality and autonomy in a particular time and
place, as well as within a particular context of attire, accessories, lifestyle, make-up, and
body language. The phrase alludes to a style that has been designated as trendy by the
fashion industry.
• Fashion has many diverse definitions, and its use is somewhat ambiguous.
• Fashion can represent the most recent trends, but it can also frequently allude to styles from
the past, causing such styles to come back into style.
• Fashion is an additional form of art that enables individuals to express their distinct
aesthetic preferences.
• The most inclusive phrase, "fashion," refers to any style of wearing, acting, writing, or
performing that is popular at any given moment or place present fashion. Style frequently
connotes a unique look that well-to-do individuals adopt.
• Because of its intimate connection to each of us, fashion has the power to transform and
influence lives.

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Philippines Fashion History
a) Archaic epoch (10th to 16th Century)

• During the archaic epoch, before the colonizers from Europe discovered the islands,
the different tribes and kingdoms wore their respective clothing.
• The Filipino style of clothing had been dictated by the tropical climate in the
Philippines, with a dry and rainy season. Early Filipinos – as well as the still extant
tribal groups in the Philippines – wore colorful woven clothes, often with “intricate
beadworks” and other ornaments.
• The men wore pants or a loincloth and usually went topless, as well as wearing tattoos
symbolizing power and strength as a warrior; while women went either topless or wore
a robe-like dress.
• Baro, babague, saya marlota, baquero, putong, calombigas, pudong, saplung, pudong-
pudong, sarok, malong, libin-libin.

b) Spanish Era: New Spain (1521-1799)

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• When the Spaniards came and settled in the country, the fashion changed drastically as
the Spanish culture influenced the succeeding centuries of Philippines history.
• The Spanish dissolved the kingdoms and united the country, resulting in a mixture of
cultures from different ethnic groups and Spanish culture.
• Throughout the 16th century up to the 18th, women wore a Hispanicized version of the
Baro’t saya, composed of bodice called a Camisa, often made in pineapple fiber or
muslin and a floor length skirt, while the men wore the Barong Tagalog, a collared and
buttoned lace a shirt or a suit.

Spanish Era: Spanish East Indies (1800–1899)

• Depiction of 19th Century family belonging in the Principalia Class wearing typical
Maria Clara dress and Barong Tagalog.
• By the 19th century, due to the continuing influence of the Western culture, the rising
economy, globalization, and exposure from the European fashion scene, the women’s
clothing began to have a change; by 1850s, women’s clothing was now full wide skirts
that usually have long train rather than the simple floor length skirts, a bodice called
camisa which means blouse in English and a panuelo, a big square cloth folded
triangularly and worn in the Philippines like a great ruffle or collar.
• The attire is composed of four pieces, namely the camisa, the saya, the pañuelo (a scarf,
also spelled panuelo) and the tapis. The camisa is a collarless chemise whose hem is at
the waist, and is made from flimsy, translucent fabrics such as pineapple fiber and jusi.
The sleeves of the camisa are similar to the so-called “angel wings”, or shaped like
bells that have cuffs.
• The pañuelo is a stiff covering for the neck, which acts as an accent piece because of
embellishments added to it. The purpose of the pañuelo is related to modesty, used to
cover the low-necked camisa’.
• The saya is a skirt shaped like a bubble with a length that begins from the waist reaching
the floor. These are usually comprised either of single or double sheets, called “panels”
or dos panos (lit. “two panels/layers”); some examples are made out of seven gores or
siete cuchillos (lit. “seven knives”).

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 • The tapis is a knee-length over-skirt that hugs the hips. Tapis designs may be plain and
is usually made of opaque fabrics such as muslin and the madras cloth, and also is used
for the purposes of modesty as it keeps the lower torso from showing due to the thinness
of the saya. Also, when going to the church or attending mass, the women usually wore
a veil above their heads, similar to other Catholic countries at that time.
• The men continued to wear but a more intricate version of Barong Tagalog, a collarless
shirt originated from the ethnic cloth called canga. Throughout the centuries the Barong
Tagalog has evolved. Buttons and collars were added, as well as intricate designs on
its pina fabric and laces. Underneath the transparent Barong Tagalog is the Camisa de
Chino a type of shirt, usually in white that said to have been originated from the
Chinese.

c) American Era (1900s–1920s)

• The traje de mestiza ensemble rose in popularity during the 1900s.

• When the Americans came and became the second country to colonize the islands, the
fashion remained the same for the first five years of the 20th century. But it has started
to change and became more modern in contrast to the conservative style of the previous
centuries as the Americans started to influence the modern Filipino culture.
• The women then wore the Traje de Mestiza, the more modern version of the Maria
Clara. It had bigger sleeves and a narrower floor length skirt with a long train called
saya de cola and replaced the full wide skirt reflecting the Edwardian Fashion of the
West.
• By the 1920s, the style of the skirt still remained, influenced by the flapper dress;
however, the wide sleeves had been replaced by butterfly sleeves (popularized by local
couturier Pacita Longos), and the big pañuelo reduced its size. Such trends had gained
prominence especially during the annual Manila Carnivals of 1920s and through the
1930s. Some Filipino women who had lived in United States and in Europe wore the
western 1920s fashion with loose dresses and knee length skirt.
• Men wore the Americana, the suit and coat worn in the West, mostly Americans,
replacing the traditional Barong Tagalog.

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d) Commonwealth Era and 2nd World War (1930s – 1940s)

• By the 1930s, young adult women and children finally abandoned the typical “Traje de
Mestiza’ as everyday wear and started to wear floral printed dresses with mid-calf
length shirts.
• When 1940s came, the Philippines saw the breaking out of World War II resulting in
the shortage of tailoring shops, clothing boutiques and dressmaking factories as the
country was occupied by the Japanese Empire. The austerity era started when rations
were implemented and the women simpler clothing.
• The terno gradually disappeared and stopped being manufactured. Only the older wore
their old terno dresses. Clothing boutiques only sold monochromatic dresses, mostly in
dark tones. The shirtwaist dresses of the previous decade also became popular in the
1940s with a simpler look.
• The men’s fashion still remained unchanged but became a more casual as started
abandoning the coat as a casual wear and wore it only for formal wear.

e) 1950s to Present

1950s

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• The Filipiniana/Terno gown, the modernized Traje de Mestiza rose to popularity as a
formal attire during latter half of the 20th Century.
• When the decade started, the country saw the rise of economy, once again giving
opportunities for people to have more necessities and live in the normal life.
• Women remained wearing the 1940s fashion during the first five years of the decade.
By the late 1950s, women started to wear dresses and with floral prints and fuller knee-
length skirts. The style was inspired by Christian Dior’s “New Look” collection,
characterized by a below-mid-calf length, full-skirt, pointed bust, small waist, and
rounded shoulder line. Summer and Day dresses became popular, as well as the pencil
skirts and cardigans.
• Men’s Fashion changed slightly as the men started wearing youthful clothing such as
sweaters, colorful printed polos, pants and flannels. “Chinos” became popular as well
as white tee shirt, tartan plaids. The drape cut suits remained popular for formal wear.
• The Barong Tagalog became popular once again to be worn as a formal wear,
popularized by the then-President Ramon Magsaysay. The Terno was rarely worn by
young women every day; however, it was still worn at formal events such as galas,
national events, government parties and film festivals.

1960s

• When the 1960s entered, most of the styles from the late 1950s still remained; however,
due to the rise of British pop culture that spread in United States and other parts of the
world, fashion started to change. A new kind of dress invented by Mary Quant, called
the miniskirt, mini dresses started to become popular and mod style fashions also
emerged.
• Hair became very stylish as the hair were styled bigger and higher with the use of
hairspray. By the mid-1960s, the hemlines rose and the clothes loosened, influenced by
the mod culture.
• Men’s fashion shifted towards a more youthful vibe, influenced by the rising Teenage
culture seen in Hollywood and by various Teen-oriented Filipino films where they
started wearing polos and pants, replacing the suit and coats. Suits and coats, as well
as the Barong Tagalog, were now only worn during events and by the older men.

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1970s

• With the popularity of the hippie culture in the late 1960s, many Filipinos embraced
this culture which has continued until the early seventies. At the same time, the rise of
Filipino Nationalism began and both movements influenced the way people lived and
dressed.
• The early 1970s saw women start to abandon mini dresses for a more modest clothing
such as maxi skirts. Vintage clothing from the Victorian Era of the west also became
popular as long sleeves, laces, and collars became popular in dresses. Bell bottom pants
started to become popular that would continue to the rest of the decade. Men also started
to grow their hair long, the first time ever that such style became acceptable in Filipino
society.
• Men also wore Bell bottoms often in bright colors, similar to the women. The turtleneck
became popular as well as sweater vests, colorful bright patterned polos and pants. By
the mid-1970s, men started wearing t-shirts, which replaced the formal look with a
more laid-back look. Denim jeans also started to emerge, as well as sweatshirts.
• When the disco culture emerged, the bell bottoms became a staple. It came up with
different bright colors, as well as the polos and scarfs. Women started wearing sequined
dresses, mostly in miniskirts and bell bottom jeans. T-shirts also became popular for
women and the footwear called bakya became popular.

1980s

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• Due to the power dressing movement, women, usually young adults, also started to
wear clothes with shoulder pads while teenagers started wearing neon-colored clothes.
Miniskirts also came back in popularity. Hairstyles were also emphasized as most
women had their hair curled.
• Men’s fashion had a shift as they started to wear brightly colored t-shirts or polo shirts
and denim jeans for a casual look, throwing away the more formal look. Teenage boys
also wore pastel and neon-colored jackets, polos, pants, short shorts and t-shirts.
Converse All-Stars shoes were also popular among the teenagers.
• Colorful short shorts for both teen boys and girls were also one of the huge trends that
defined the decade. Sportswear also became popular for everyday clothing. Leggings
rose to popularity as well as jogging pants, headbands and legwarmers.
• By 1989, a drastic change in style emerged; a trend having oversized shirts and pants
were in style, paving way to the 1990s loose fashion.

1990s

• The 1990s fashion was a laid-back version of the 1980s fashion. This decade saw the
beginning of the influence of rock music to mainstream fashion.
• Men started to wear dark, simple and mostly oversized clothes, moving away to the
brightly colored clothes of the 1980s. Women also wore loose, simple and casual
clothing such as oversized shirts, denim shorts, denim jeans, simple blouses and
sneakers. Skirts weren’t as popular as denim throughout the decade. Men’s hairstyles
also changed as they grew their hair longer for the first time since the decade of the
1970s. Also, a hairstyle called cachupoy was considered popular among teenage boys.
It was a straight hairstyle that has a middle parting at the center, most teen celebrities
sported this kind of hairstyle.
• It was also the decade when people from all social classes wore the same style of
clothes, with people having a hard time distinguishing who was from the upper class
or from the lower class as everyone opted for a simple, laid-back style of dressing.

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2000s

• The 1990s fashion remained popular during the early years of the first decade of the
21st century. 2000s fashion was considered a mash up of different styles.
• In the first part of the decade, the concept of innerwear as an outerwear was popularized
resulting in the popularity of spaghetti strap clothes. Men still followed the 1990s
fashion with hip-hop inspired of clothing, wearing cargo pants and oversized T-shirts.
• By the mid-2000s, colorful clothes began to rise again. Men started wearing flannel
and checkered polos. At the end of the decade, people saw the mixture of clothing from
Ugg boots worn with short shorts and t-shirts to dresses worn over with leggings. It
was characterized by bright colors, textures, patterns and a bunch of accessories.

2010s

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• Due to the development of social media, many Filipino women and men were exposed
to different styles. Also due to the rising economy of the country for the first time since
the 1986 People Power Revolution, as well as the constant building of shopping malls
and shopping centers, many Filipinos began buying more clothes.
• The early 2010s began with a continuation of some of the late-2000s fashion; however,
in 2011, a change began as people started to move away from the rock influenced 2000s
fashion and create a more distinctive 2010s fashion. With the rise of social media, most
of the women began wearing Tumblr inspired clothes. Also, women became interested
in 1960s fashion and began replicating that style. Men also began wearing preppy
clothes inspired by the British boy band One Direction who rose to fame in 2010.
Skinny jeans and shorts proved to be popular among the men and these came up in
different colors.
• In 2013, skater skirts became popular among teenage girls, and they started wearing
more feminine clothing.\
• When the mid-2010s entered, women began wearing more modest clothing as the
fashion brands started to market 1950s and 1960s inspired clothing. Denim pants was
replaced by skirts and leggings. Men began to wear more formal clothes. Dresses
replaced the casual t-shirts and jeans worn by the women while Chinos replaced the
denim pants worn by men.
• By mid-2010s, many of the fashions from the mid-1960s and mid-1990s returned,
clothing such as midi-skirts, denim jackets, knitted sweaters, boat shoes, etc. came back
into fashion while fashion pieces like chokers gained prominence once again. Men’s
fashion also started to move away to the rock/hip hop-influenced styles of the past two
decades and started to define a new style for men.
• 2010s hairstyles were often defined by: loose waves for women and slick-back hair for
men. While beauty trends include having emphasize on the lips, and contoured cheeks,
nude color palettes were also prominent for make-up.

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References
Definition of fashion. (2023). In Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/fashion#:~:text=fashion%20is%20the%20m
ost%20general, adopted%20by%20people%20of%20taste.Evolution of Philippine
Fashion. (2018, January 17). Cuartgroup5.
https://cuartgroup5.wordpress.com/evolution-of-philippine-fashion/
The Evolution of Filipino Fashion. (n.d.). Scribd.
https://www.scribd.com/document/539540211/The-Evolution-of-Filipino-Fashion#
Why Fashion Matters - Google Arts & Culture. (n.d.). Google Arts & Culture.
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/why-fashion-matters/_QKS0J-OeT7HIA
Wikipedia contributors. (2023, March 15). Fashion. Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion

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