The Evolution of Hemlines Through History

Worn by both men and women in early civilizations such as Egypt and Rome, skirts and dresses gradually transformed into quintessential symbols of femininity in the Western world. For centuries, these garments reached the floor as a mark of modesty, but practicality and changing tastes occasionally nudged hemlines higher, such as with the “walking dress” and its ankle-skimming hem, which emerged by the mid-1800s. By the late 19th century, it wasn’t unheard of to see a skirt hit midcalf, a look that forecasted the more dramatic shifts that started in the early 1900s.  While we ...Read More