As many other details that are still on fashion, fringes on the clothing as we nowadays know, have their roots in the American far west. In those lands it was necessary a comfortable and resistant style, to provide some more appeal it was decorated with embroideries and fringes among other details. But one that settled down in that period of fashion history and the following ones were the fringes, that are not only a distinctive sign from western style, but also “hit” the main fashion catwalks like Milano Fashion Week.
The announce is now official: fringes will play the leading role during 2020-2021 autumn-winter season. Not only the most important catwalks confirm that point, but the worldwide “street style”, that since months ago already incorporates fringes on clothing and other accessories like footwear and handbags.
It’s quite curious fringe’s influence on the fashion along the history, and how have represented periods and styles so different each other. From the first fringe jackets worn in the far west to the 21st Century catwalks, going through the crazy 20’s years and the hippie fashion, fringes have made an interesting journey by different historical moments. Only a few in the far west could imagine, absorved to intensely live the present and conquer new territories, that with the fringes they were creating a style.
Fringes along the history
We said at the beginning of this article that fringes appeared in the far west, but let’s put it into context. Yes, it’s true that the fringes style that has better remained until our days is the one worn on those plains of far horizons. But fringes had “ancestors”, and the first ones are dated back to the Sumerian civilization from the ancient Mesopotamia, at Middle East, during year 3000 b.C. Before the weave and warp structures that composed the cloth in the antiquity, were the fringes, although back then were very rough. They were basically thick wool locks arranged by vertical stripes creating skirts that mens worn. With the time those locks were refined and started using at cloth’s edges with a rectangular form, leading to the fringes like we nowadays know.
If at the beginning of the times the fringes were used by mens, with the passing of the Centuries and arriving to the 19th Century, womens from the west included them as decorations for their clothing. At beginnings of the 19th Century, fringes were already present not only on femenine clothing, but military uniforms and to decorate objects like carpets, courtains, bedspreads or pillows. It’s not difficult imagine how fringes “made the leap” at their peak, coinciding with the coquest of the American West.
It was there when this ornament was bit to bit incorporated to the western style, and although over the years progatonized other styles and other periods like years 20’s charleston or the hippie movement in the 60’s, has been the cowboy look where fringes have more persisted. Or maybe we could say it the opposite way: the cowboy style, that never gets out of fashion, has been responsible the fringes to be one of top trends in the current fashion.
19th Century Far West fever
In jackets, vaistcoats, shirts, handbags, boots, dresses, pants or skirts, fringes bring to the perfection the far west inspired esthetic. Concerning the called western fashionista, names like Paco Rabanne, Celine, Khaité or Alexander Wang have strongly bet for this style on their catwalks. This West fever started during 2018 summer, when fashion influencers and publishers attended the high fashion week with different looks inspired in the Far West. Givenchy didn’t take long to embrace the trend, and did it at the end of the fashion show greeting the public wearing western style footwear.
From there to find it on the streets there was just a step, and both designers and consumers let seduce by the style that worn at “Coyote Ugly”. Shortly after, they weren’t just the cowboy boots what increased their popularity among the “fashionistas” but all the western style that included shirts, hats, boots, accessories and the inimitable fringe jackets, like the spectacular model that we suggest at Corbeto’s. Made with brown suede with fringes on the chest, sleeves and back, native american style mosaics aren’t missing as hancraft wooden buttons. A cowboy’s world genuinely representative piece of garment, like all the ones that will find at our physical store at Barcelona’s Las Ramblas and at our online shop. Also cowboy boots and ankle boots with fringes for both man and woman, unisex suede vests, or an irressistible ladie’s handbag made with dark brown suede and fringes, that perfectly combines with western and boho chic styles.
Get ready now for the next season when fringes in their most western side will be the source of much talk, at Corbeto’s you can put your hands on it right now !
Stars & Stripes brown suede western jacket with fringes
Dark brown suede handbag with fringes
Ladies fringe western fashion black suede vest
Wine suede mid calf women Sendra boots with fringes
