Fashion & Clothing Facts for Kids
Stylish facts about fashion through the ages
High heels were originally worn by men — Persian soldiers wore them in stirrups to keep their feet in place while shooting arrows on horseback.
The word "jeans" comes from the city of Genoa, Italy, where the denim-like fabric was first made.
Ancient Egyptians wore linen — a fabric made from flax plants — because it was lightweight and kept them cool in the desert heat.
Velcro was invented in 1941 after Swiss engineer George de Mestral noticed how burrs stuck to his dog's fur and studied them under a microscope.
The bikini is named after Bikini Atoll — the Pacific island where nuclear tests were conducted in 1946, the same year the swimsuit was launched.
The necktie was invented in Croatia — the word "cravat" comes from the French word for a Croatian soldier.
China kept the secret of silk production for thousands of years — the penalty for smuggling silkworm eggs out of the country was reportedly death.
Buttons on men's jackets are on the right, while women's are on the left — a tradition dating back to when wealthy women were dressed by servants.
In ancient Rome, the colour of your toga indicated your status — senators wore a purple stripe, while the emperor wore all purple.
The zipper was invented in 1913 but wasn't widely adopted for 20 years — people were suspicious of the new-fangled device.