\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \pard\tx8790\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 \f1 The most direct and conspicuous manifestation of wealth and power, the clothing worn by the mo
re prosperous classes was characterized by a display of luxury and refinement up until the nineteenth century.\par
In the Middle Ages war and a general regression in civilization attained in classical times had curbed evolution in the art of dress.
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Fifteenth-century Italy saw a resurgence in the art of silk and wool production, with the appearance of workshops capable of making costly fabrics that were in demand all over Europe.\par
\pard\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 Up until the nineteenth century
trends in fashion were determined by the taste of sovereigns, whose dress was emulated by the nobility and by the less prestigious and powerful courts. From the nineteenth century onward dressmakers and fashion designers played an ever more significant r
ole. Around the middle of the century Paris established its position as the fashion capital of the world.
