The birth of Resort Wear began in the late 19th century when the elite, socialites, movie stars and celebrities wore stylish, yet comfortable apparel while traveling on lavish vacations. This chic approach to traveling was a purposeful attempt to be seen, a photo-op. Photo opportunities wearing the season's most stylish apparel, resulted in even more desire to be seen.
In the late 1920’s, the chic yet casual apparel became key to reporters who dedicated their careers to sharing their stories, and to do so in style, while also being comfortable. Not only did the reporters need to be comfortable, so did the celebrities and socialites wearing the luxurious apparel -remember, traveling by plane was not the go-to of the time period. Trains were the number one source of travel, with buses and vehicles rounding out the top three forms of travel of that century. Sharing your seat on any of the predominant forms of travel also meant close quarters and hot situations.
Designers began creating garments that provided solutions to both the reporters and the reported. Such garments included loungewear pants, kimonos and caftans. As these items became a popular “go-to” of the period, designers began to fight for the most items being reported in magazines and papers of the time.
While designers were introducing the world to stylish and accepted items of clothing that did not include a tight corset underneath, new fabrics became equally important to the production of these items. Fabrics that were luxurious enough to attract the prices placed on the new collections being made at that time. These fabrics were often found only in Europe and in such countries as Greece and Turkey.
As fabricators of that time were generally geographically located in Europe and European countries, shipping by sea was the most often option to transport fabric to factories. Factories that were then most often located in Europe as well, creating a geographic area where the elite, socialites, movie stars and celebrities, most often traveled for luxurious vacations. This triple storm, is how the beginning of Sea Wear began.
Sea Wear can be defined as - garments worn by the sea, created with fabric near the sea and manufactured in factories by the sea,
for wearers to be “SEAN”, by the sea.
Over time, as more and more elite were seen wearing the luxurious, figure flattering and flowing garments by the sea, stories while wearing such unique sea wear items by the socialites intended to wear them, developed into a desired yearly collection by all. This desire to be wearing figure flattering and luxurious items that appeared at the same time of year, became known as Resort Wear, replacing the Sea Wear original namesake.
Resort Wear became known as the collection dropped between Fall and Spring each yearly fashion calendar. This time of year is when a very large number of families, singles and couples take a vacation. Vacations that are generally in, that's right, sea towns around the world. Families packing for trips are continuously searching for on-trend items that are equally stylish as comfortable. These same pieces, have now become a daily luxurious garment worn around town to run errands, at home to work and raise a family and of course to wear traveling.
Resort Wear pieces are now a yearly sought after Fashion Industry seasonal collection. Collections bought by the major department stores, luxury boutiques and online. Collections featured in the majority of the print magazines and fashion industry social media influencers. Today’s Resort Wear collections are a season in itself and garnishes equally as much attention as any of the other industry collections desired yearly.
The overwhelming desire to buy new Resort Wear pieces, have developed into items worn, year round. Caftans or Kaftans and Kimonos are just a couple of those items. Today, women can be seen around the world wearing these items, and not just the elite, the socialites and the celebrities. But, anyone and everyone around the world, thanks to stores including ZARA and Nordstrom RACK, can wear stunning and equally comfortable pieces of Sea Wear.
Loungewear pieces, especially flowing pants, are part of the Sea Wear phenom. Elastic waisted pants are ideal for travel, providing comfort and a typical vacation expanded tummy line, while perfect to wear back home and after the vacation 5 have found their way to the gym. In fact, brands including THEORY, have added an entire collection that is solely elastic waisted pants. Linen pants, workwear pants, cigarette pants and all are elastic waist. Further illustrating how luxury and the sea have come together in homes across the world.
Whether you are looking for the ideal travel pieces, or the most comfortable and luxurious pieces for daily wear, starting with a Resort Wear Collection is a great place to do so. While you pack for an ocean vacation, or a business convention by the sea, Resort Wear is still a timeless fashion go-to.
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