If you are a F.R.I.E.N.D.S. geek, you might remember that Phoebe’s newspaper tops and shirts were hallmarks of her quirky personality. So, it must be a 90s style, right? Absolutely not! In fact, Newspaper print tops for women date far back to the 1800s. Yes, you’ve read that correctly.
The good news is that newspaper prints have been making a major comeback lately. From bikinis to suits, newspaper prints are giving us more varieties of them from left, right, and center.
Having said that, if you want to drape yourself in news this year, let’s backtrack and see how it all started!
The history of newspaper print
As Diet Prada says, although that newspaper print was actually worn way earlier in 1886 by the wife of an Australian politician—Matilda Butters, newspaper print first entered the fashion realm in 1935.
It was couturier Elsa Schiaparelli who brought the style into the spotlight by turning some press clippings written about her into fashionable blouses and accessories. According to her, when she was in Denmark for holiday, some fishwives in Copenhagen caught her attention. They were wearing hats made of newspaper.
Then, in 1946 Newspaper print tops for women took the world by storm with the world’s first newspaper-printed bikini invented by Louis Réard. This two-piece wonder made fashion history with a smidgen of controversy and a touch of innovation.
Almost 60 years later, the newspaper print made a comeback in John Galliano’s 2000 spring/summer couture collection for Dior. Inspired by Paris’ homeless people on the streets who sleep on newspapers, Galliano’s collection also symbolized the 1920s Tramp Balls—where the rich would dress up as poor ones.
Needless to say, the collection faced its fair share of criticism. Although people weren’t really on cloud nine with Galliano’s headline-printed pieces, they became one of the most well-known collections to date.
Speaking of which, Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker wore one of the most iconic newspaper-printed dresses for the show, designed by non-other than Galliano himself. This sparked a massive trend that led to producing more versatile and one-of-a-kind outfits with newspaper prints.
More than 20 years after Galliano’s nonpareil collection, newspaper print again appeared in pieces by Versace, Calvin Klein, Balenciaga, Helmut Lang, and Diane von Furstenberg.
In 2018, Demna Gvasalia made a bold fashion statement by bringing Newspaper print tops for women to the Balenciaga show. For her spring/summer collection, she included oversized shirts and cardigans made with newspaper print.
Diane von Furstenberg also paid homage to Schiaparelli by mimicking her work. Diane took the newspaper articles written about her and transformed them into a printed piece. Undoubtedly, the wrap dress they came up with stole the limelight.
Today, we see more fashion designers, heavy hitters, and influencers jumping on the bandwagon of newspaper print clothing. Some of the noteworthy mentions are Kim K’s vintage Dior skirt and her sister Kendall Jenner’s newspaper-print top.
On the other hand, J Lo has been spotted flaunting an unmatched newspaper-print figure-hugging camisole.
Well, that’s one of the real examples of the rise of Newspaper print tops for women.
Takeaway
Newspaper print is a timeless style that will never be yesterday’s news. Plus, every year, designers are infusing their own twist into these newspaper prints to elevate their value.
So, next time when you shop, don’t forget to add a Newspaper print top for women to your cart. Because, with these showstoppers, you’ll feel like you’re on a runway—every day!
References
- https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/a28707950/newspaper-print-trend-history/
- https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/history-of-newsprint/
- https://www.hola.com/us/fashion/2019032722427/jennifer-lopez-fashion-trends-newspaper-print-top/
- https://www.you.co.uk/zara-newspaper-dress-carrie-bradshaw/
- https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2018-ready-to-wear/balenciaga#review