WHAT TO REMEMBER WHILE BUYING FOOTWEAR

Gauri Goel

Good footwear should have the following qualities:

• The inner side of the shoe must be straight from the heel to the end of the big toe.
• The shoe must grip the heel firmly.
• The forepart must allow freedom of movement for the toes.
• The shoe must have a fastening across the instep to prevent the foot from slipping when walking.
• The shoe must have a low, wide-based heel; flat shoes are recommended.

People buying footwear for work should take the following advice:

• Do not expect that footwear which is too tight will stretch with wear.
• Have both feet measured when buying shoes. Feet normally differ in size.
• Buy shoes to fit the bigger foot.
• Buy shoes late in the afternoon when feet are likely to be swollen to their maximum size.
• Consider using shock-absorbing insoles where the job requires walking or standing on hard floors.

When selecting footwear, one should remember that tight socks or stockings can cramp the toes as much as poorly-fitted shoes. Wrinkled socks, or socks that are too large or too small, can cause blisters. White woollen or cotton socks may be recommended since coloured socks cause skin allergies in some people.

all copyright material

TYPES OF FOOTWEAR

Dr. Gauri Goel

The men’s, women’s and children’s footwear are available in different styles and functionality. Footwear consist boots, shoes, sandles and swim fin. Demand for specialist fibres and fabrics are increasing rapidly. The footwear market may be divided into categories of:

·        Formal, casual footwear

·        Sports and recreation footwear

·        Safety footwear

When you classify footwear it's important to identify what type of footwear it is and any particular purpose it might have. Some of the more common types of footwear covered in are listed below:

Clogs - usually the uppers are made in one piece and are fixed to the soles by rivets. Sometimes clogs are made in a single piece and don't have - or need - a separate, applied outer sole, in which case they're classified according to the material they're made from and not covered in this chapter.

Espadrilles - these are also called beach shoes and have plaited fibre soles that are no thicker than 2.5cm. They don't have heels.

Flip-flops - these are also referred to as thongs. The thongs - or straps - are fixed by plugs that lock into holes in the sole.

Hiking or walking boots - note that these aren't classified as sports footwear.

Indian sandals - these have leather outer soles and leather uppers. The upper consists of straps that cross the instep and go around the big toe.

Moccasins (American Indian type) - these use a single piece of material - traditionally soft leather - to form both the sole and the upper (or part of the upper). This makes it difficult to identify where the outer sole finishes and the upper begins. 

Neoprene footwear - this is typically used in diving and water sports. If the neoprene upper is covered or laminated with textile on both sides, then it's classified as being made of textile. If the upper has no textile covering, or it's covered only on one side, then it's classified as being made of rubber.

Safety footwear - footwear in which the toe caps are made of metal.

Sandals - the front part of the upper (the vamp) consists either of straps or of material with one or more pieces cut out of it.

Shoes - this term covers footwear, including trainers, that aren't described elsewhere in this guide.

Slippers - these include mules as well as other indoor footwear such as ballet slippers and ballroom dancing shoes. If the outer sole is made of plastic or rubber (approximately 1cm thick) and then covered by a very thin, insubstantial layer of textile material, the slippers are classified as having "plastic/rubber" outer soles. In some cases, all or part of the plastic or rubber outer sole is covered with a thicker, more durable textile material which is dotted with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This is to prevent the wearer from slipping. These slippers are classified according to the material that has the most contact with the ground. If the slipper has a plastic or rubber sole that's covered with a textile covering, the slipper can only be classified under heading code 6405 if the textile is proved to be durable. The durability of the textile can be proven by submitting the shoe for a martindale abrasion test and tested at 51,000 revolutions.

 all copy right material

Fashion History

Dr. Gauri Goel

Couture Beginnings

In France, tight corsets, and pharthingales were worn by royal courts. The first fashion designer who was not merely a dressmaker was Charles Frederick (1826–1895). Before the former draper set up his maison de couture (fashion house) in Paris, clothing design and creation was handled by largely anonymous seamstresses, and high fashion descended from styles worn at royal courts.

Early twentieth century

Throughout the early 20th century, practically all high fashion originated in Paris. At this time in fashion history the division between haute couture and ready-to-wear was not sharply defined.

Around the start of the 20th century fashion style magazines began to include photographs and became even more influential.

By the end of the 19th-century, the horizons of the fashion industry had generally broadened, partly due to the more stable and independent lifestyle many well-off women were beginning to adopt and the practical clothes they demanded. Toward the end of the decade the fashionable silhouette gradually became somewhat more straight and slim, partly due to high-waisted, shorter-skirted line of clothes.

1910s

During the early years of the 1910s the fashionable silhouette became much more lithe, fluid and soft than in the 20th century. Simple felt hats, turbans, and clouds of tulle replaced the styles of headgear popular in the 20th century. Changes in dress during World War I were dictated more by necessity than fashion. As more and more women were forced to work, they demanded clothes that were better suited to their new activities. By 1915 fashionable skirts had risen above the ankle and then later to mid-calf.

Between the wars

The period between the two World Wars, often considered to be the Golden Age of French fashion, was one of great change and reformation. Carriages were replaced by cars, princes and princesses lost their crowns, and haute couture found new clients in the ranks of film actresses, American heiresses, and the wives and daughters of wealthy industrialists.

1920s

Soon after the First World War, a radical change came about in fashion. Corsets were abandoned and women borrowed their clothes from the male wardrobe and chose to dress like boys.

1930s

Overall, 1930s clothing was somber and modest, reflecting the difficult social and economic situation of the decade. The waist was restored to its proper position, hemlines dropped, there was renewed appreciation of the bust, and backless evening gowns and soft, slim-fitting day dresses became popular.

Mid-twentieth century

The couturier Christian Dior created a tidal wave with his first collection in February 1947. The collection contained dresses with tiny waists, majestic busts, and full skirts swelling out beneath small bodices.

1950s

In the early 1950s, many couture houses used the interest in "foundation wear" to launch their own lines, soon after many lingerie manufacturers began to build their own brands. In 1957, Jane Russell wore the "Cantilever" bra. The invention of Lycra (originally called "Fibre K") in 1959 revolutionized the underwear industry and was quickly incorporated into every aspect of lingerie.

1960s

Until the 1960s, Paris was considered to be the center of fashion throughout the world. In the 1960s fashion became just as much a statement of personal freedom.

At the start of the decade skirts were knee-length, but steadily became shorter and shorter until the mini-skirt emerged in 1965. The basic shape and style of the time was simple, neat, clean cut, and young. Synthetic fabrics were very widely-used during the 1960s.

1970s

In the 1970s, Jeans became popular American fashion.  

Late twentieth century

During the late 20th century, fashions began to criss-cross international boundaries with rapidity. Popular Western styles were adopted all over the world. Synthetic materials such as Lycra, Spandex, and viscose became widely-used.

 all copyright material

Khadi: the fabric of our nation

       Dr. Gauri Goel and Mansi Rastogi

Vidya Institute of Fashion Technology, Meerut

Khadi refers to Indian handspun and hand-woven fabric. Khadi is also known by another name ‘Khaddar’. It is mainly manufactured in rural areas of India. The raw materials for khadi may be cotton, silk, raw silk or wool fibres, which are spun into threads on a spinning wheel “charkha”. The fabric is produced by the masses for the masses. Today, Khadi has gained worldwide appreciation as it is handmade, durable, long lasting and organic in nature.

In previous times khadi was considered as the fabric for the poor rural workers & farmers, also the type of khadi available was the “khadi cotton” which had very coarse texture and feel. However many finer varieties of khadi like khadi silk, khadi wool and khadi cotton are available now, which makes it a fashionable fabric. Wearing khadi is no more for the poor, many high profile personalities and economically sound people prefer to wear it. It is considered as one of the most beautiful Indian fabric. The khadi wearer gets a royal and distinguishable look due to its fall and style. It symbolizes luxury and uniqueness.

The movement of khadi manufacturing and wearing was a part of the Indian Independence struggle. Khadi was launched in 1920 as a political weapon in the Swadeshi movement of father of nation Mahatma Gandhiji. To discourage the Indians from wearing of foreign clothes, Gandhiji called upon the people to make their clothes by themselves.

Mahatma Gandhi propagated kahdi as not just a fabric, but a way of life. The great concept of khadi practice by Gandhi ji was to generate employment, income and, hence, self-reliance to the unemployed rural population of India. Gandhi’s vision was clear, according to them khadi spirit means illimitable patience, illimitable faith and fellow-feeling with every human being on earth. khadi denotes simplicity in every walk of life. Spinning yarn on the charkha, Gandhi believed inculcated discipline and dedication. It was meant to be a great social equalizer. Gandhi ji wrote; Swaraj (self-rule) without swadeshi (country made goods) is a lifeless corpse and if Swadeshi is the soul of Swaraj, khadi is the essence of swedeshi. Therefore khadi became not only a symbol of revolution and resistance but part of an Indian identity.

The weaving of khadi is preceded by the spinning of the thread on the charkha after which it goes to the bobbin winder, warper, sizer and finally the weaver. Spinning is mostly done by the girls and women in the villages, while weaving is dominated by men. Because of the work involved, the price of the khadi cloth when it reaches the shops is more than that of the mill or handloom cloth.

Khadi is a versatile fabric. This fabric has coarse texture and gets easily crumpled, therefore in order to keep it firm and stiff, starch is to be added. This fabric on washing is more enhanced thus the more you wash it, better the look. It is a very durable fabric and does not worn out easily for at least 4-5 years. During spinning of khadi the threads are interwoven in such a manner that it provides passage of air circulation in the fabric and makes it very soothing for summers. It has the capacity to absorb moisture therefore it easily soaks the sweat and keeps the wearer cool and dry. Apart from this unique property, it also provides warmth in winter season which is quite surprising factor. Khadi comes in many colors and is not harmful to the skin.

Khadi is sourced from different parts of India, depending upon its raw materials - While the silk variety is sourced from West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and North Eastern states, the cotton variety comes from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are known for the woolen variety.

It is widely accepted in fashion circles. Many types of apparel are manufactured from khadi cotton like saris, salwar suits, shirts, trousers, skirts, handkerchief etc. The most common outfit of made from khadi cotton is the ’Kurta’. Very attractive and designer apparel are made by doing handwork on them garments made from it. Khadi cotton comes in plain as well as in printed fabrics. In khadi silk, is quite an expensive fabric which provides a royal and rich look. The various types of apparels made from khadi silk are designer salwar kameez, kurta pajama, saris, dupattas, shirts, vest and jackets. Previously khadi was dyed in earthy color tones and was used to make traditional garments but now designers are experimenting by dyeing khadi with striking colors like lime-green, violet, baby pink, turquoise blue, etc. Stylish garments like miniskirts, halter neck tops, racer tops, tunics, etc are also made from khadi.

Leading fashion designers now include it in their collection by designing clothes with khadi material. There is huge demand of it in international market, especially in western countries. In 1989 the first high fashion khadi show was presented in Mumbai by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) where nearly 85 dazzling garments were created by Devika Bhojwani. Leading fashion designer Sabysachi’s khadi sarees having vibrant colours, intricate zardozi would cost the monthly budget of an upper middle-class family. In 1990 designer Ritu Kumar of Delhi presented her first Khadi collection at the Crafts Museum. Her Tree of Life show, an audio visual tableau spanning the history of textiles in India, showed the design lexicon of the country. Eight collections were presented of which khadi was a very significant one. Once again in 1997 Ritu Kumar presented the Tree of Life shown this time in London where the British were amazed with her khadi collections. Once the sign of freedom, Khadi today holds its own on the fashion scene… it is a part of every wardrobe when it comes to selecting fabric with a discerning eye, informs Ritu Kumar. Another person who has been working regularly with khadi is Kamal Wadkar, the well know promoter of traditional crafts. Her exhibitions in Mumbai for KVIC (Khadi Village Industries Commission) have netted nearly Rs.12.5 million. Kamal has presented nearly 4500 garments in 150 styles in different colours weaves and embellishment with prices ranging from Rs.460-750.

Khadi and village industries commission (KVIC) is the Indian government body which promotes the usage of khadi. This government body was created through an Act of Parliament in 1957 with the aim of providing employment through the production of saleable articles and building a strong rural community in India. The commission works towards supplying raw material and implements to producers, promoting research in production techniques, quality control of khadi products and promoting the sale and marketing of these products. This gave a boost to the khadi manufacturing sector of India, as a result many new outlets of khadi gramodyog opened all over the country. These shops sell stitched as well as unstitched khadi fabrics. Every year starting from the date- 3rd October to January 29th all khadi gramodyog bhavans provide discount to the public on various khadi products. Indian government conducts various exhibitions and trade fairs in India and abroad to promote this fabric.

all copyright material