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Exploring the History of Fashion

My Arctic Journal, A Year Among Ice-Fiel... (by Peary, Josephine Diebitsch, Mrs.)
A Negro Explorer at the North Pole (by Henson, Matthew Alexander, 1866-1955)
Conflict the History of the Korean War 1... (by Robert Leckie)
The Assault on Mount Everest, 1922 (by Bruce, Charles Granville, Hon.)
From the Cape to Cairo; The First Traver... (by Grogan, Ewart Scott)

Design drives many areas of our lives—the homes we live in, the furnishings we select, the cars we drive, and the clothes we wear. The choices we make reveal quite a bit about who we are. They provide outlets for self-expression and define our personal style.

While architecture, film editing, and graphic design enjoy a more prominent ranking in the hierarchy of design, fashion design is often perceived as more frivolous.

Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology recently displayed an exhibit titled “Expedition: Fashion from the Extreme.” It provided a history of fashion and displayed contemporary clothes that were inspired by the special gear worn during explorations of Mount Everest, the Arctic, space, and the ocean.

Some of the styles worn today emerged from extreme weather gear worn during early expeditions to the North Pole.

On April 6, 1909, Robert Peary gained notoriety when he claimed to be the first person in recorded history to reach the North Pole. After his highly publicized feat, Peary toured America wearing fur garments much like the ones worn by the Inuit people. Soon after, fashion designers introduced Arctic-inspired styles such as parka jackets, and fur added a bit of flair to many collections.

Details on Peary’s explorations, including a mention of the gear he wore, can be found in My Arctic Journal.

For the journey, Peary’s “first man,” African American explorer Matthew Henson, donned a fur suit, complete with a bearskin shirt. In the 1960s, several designers launched collections, which included fur pants much like the ones Henson wore. A Negro Explorer at the North Pole captures the expedition and features images of Henson in his furs.

Mountaineers Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became household names when they became the first men to ascend the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. They also donned parka-style outerwear inspired by the cold weather attire worn by the Inuit people. Attributes of the parka were later incorporated into the cold weather gear worn by the United States military during the Korean Conflict.

Long before Hillary and Norgay were recognized for their expedition, The Assault on Mt. Everest recounted the experiences of earlier attempts made by George Leigh-Mallory and Captain George Finch.

A rise in tourism to Africa during the 1930s introduced the need for safari gear. The release of Out of Africa, a memoir by Danish author Isak Dinesen, inspired Ernest Hemingway and other adventurous types to travel there. These thrill seekers needed a specific type of clothing that could endure Africa’s climate.

The classic safari wardrobe with which we’re familiar today drew inspiration from British colonial military uniforms, which were worn in warm climates and made from khaki-colored cotton twill.

In 1936, Hemingway resolved the issue by designing a “bush jacket,” made by Willis & Geiger Outfitters. That dashing design took the world by storm and is still worn today. In 1939— long before it became a popular brand for millennials—Abercrombie & Fitch began marketing safari jackets, and other sports and leisure wear.

As the saying goes, “Great style never goes out of fashion.” When the film version of “Out of Africa” debuted in 1985, Ralph Lauren and Banana Republic introduced exotic safari-themed collections.

For more on African exploration, read From the Cape to Cairo: The First Traverse of Africa From South to North.

By Regina Molaro