Styles and profiles through the years in the Garden State.
People seem to enjoy our fashion and style galleries. And, truth be told, I like learning about the history of apparel. So, here we go:
* According to ingenious.org.uk, the trade of jean fabric emerged in the cities of Genoa, Italy, and Nimes, France; the term 'jeans' comes from the cotton pants worn by Genoan sailors.
* Magforum.com notes that America's first fashion magazine was "Harper's Bazaar," first printed in 1867. It was acquired by the Hearst Corporation in 1912 and is currently published in 18 countries.
Never leave fashion decisions to men; Red Cross nurses who came ashore at Normandy following the D-Day invasion in 1944 were apparently expected to do so in skirts and saddle shoes. * Scratchhard.com says that in her lifetime, the average American woman will spend $125,000 on clothes and accessories including 271 pairs of shoes, 185 dresses and 145 bags.
* Infoplease.com notes that women's nominal clothing sizes have increased in physical size over the years in a phenomenon known as "vanity sizing." A size 8 dress with a 32-inch bust in 1967 is now considered a size 0 today.
* Men's suits as we know them today, according to rajasfashions.com, were invented by Beau Brummell, a graduate of the elitist English college Eton. He loathed the decorative court dresses and frocks that men wore and created his own style.
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
* The site also notes that we have Croatia to thank for the invention of the neck tie, then known as cravats. And the neck tie remains the most popular Father's Day gift in the world to this day. Don't give me one, kids.
Here's a gallery of what people in New Jersey wore over the years. And here are links to past galleries you might enjoy.
Vintage photos of what N.J. people wore
Vintage photos of what we used to wear in N.J.
Vintage photos of styles and fashions in N.J.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.