| Many of us can remember our parents dressing | | | | Protestant churches saw no good purpose in |
| us up in new clothes every Easter so we could | | | | religious celebrations. After the devastation of the |
| parade around the neighborhood in our finest. It | | | | war, however, the churches saw Easter as a |
| was a fun tradition to look forward to (or avoid, | | | | source of hope for Americans. Easter was called |
| as some fashion-phobic children were known to | | | | "The Sunday of Joy," and women traded the |
| do), whether we went to church or not. But | | | | dark colors of mourning for the happier colors of |
| where did this tradition come from? A look | | | | spring. |
| through history shows that its origins are not | | | | The Easter Parade. In the 1870s, the tradition of |
| what we might expect. And examining the | | | | the New York Easter Parade began, in which |
| custom from a fashion school point of view, we | | | | women decked out in their newest and most |
| see how changing retailing patterns have altered | | | | fashionable clothing walked between the beautiful |
| its significance. | | | | gothic churches on Fifth Avenue. The parade |
| Origins in other cultures. Although we associate | | | | became one of the premier events of fashion |
| wearing new clothes in spring with the Easter | | | | design, a precursor to New York Fashion Week, if |
| holiday, the tradition dates back to ancient times. | | | | you will. It was famous around the country, and |
| Pagan worshipers celebrated the vernal equinox | | | | people who were poor or from the middle class |
| with a festival in honor of Ostera, the Germanic | | | | would watch the parade to witness the latest |
| Goddess of Spring, and believed that wearing new | | | | trends in fashion design. Soon, clothing retailers |
| clothes brought good luck. The Iranian new year, | | | | leveraged the parade's popularity and used Easter |
| celebrated on the first day of Spring, has | | | | as a promotional tool in selling their garments. By |
| traditions rooted in the ancient pre-Islamic past. | | | | the turn of the century, the holiday was as |
| These traditions include spring cleaning and | | | | important to retailers as Christmas is today. |
| wearing new clothes to signify renewal and | | | | The American Dream. By the middle of the 20th |
| optimism. Similarly, the Chinese have celebrated its | | | | Century, dressing up for Easter had lost much of |
| spring festival, also known as Lunar New Year, by | | | | any religious significance it might have had, and |
| wearing new clothes. It symbolized not only new | | | | instead symbolized American prosperity. A look at |
| beginnings, but the idea that people have more | | | | vintage clothing ads in a fashion school library |
| than they possibly need. | | | | shows that wearing new clothes on Easter was |
| Christian beginnings. In the early days of | | | | something every wholesome, All-American family |
| Christianity, newly baptized Christians wore white | | | | was expected to do. |
| linen robes at Easter to symbolize rebirth and new | | | | Attitudes today. Although many of us may still |
| life. But it was not until 300 A.D. that wearing new | | | | don new clothes on Easter, the tradition doesn't |
| clothes became an official decree, as the Roman | | | | feel as special, not because of any religious |
| emperor Constantine declared that his court must | | | | ambivalence, but because we buy and wear new |
| wear the finest new clothing on Easter. Eventually, | | | | clothes all the time. At one time in this country, |
| the tradition came to mark the end of Lent, | | | | middle class families shopped only one or two |
| when after wearing weeks of the same clothes, | | | | times a year at the local store or from a catalog. |
| worshipers discarded the old frocks for new ones. | | | | But in the last few decades, retailing options have |
| Superstitions. A 15th-century proverb from Poor | | | | boomed. There's a Gap on every corner, and |
| Robin's Almanack stated that if one's clothes on | | | | countless internet merchants allow us to shop 24 |
| Easter were not new, one would have bad luck: | | | | 7. No wonder young people today hear the Irving |
| "At Easter let your clothes be new; Or else for | | | | Berlin song "Easter Parade" and have no idea what |
| sure you will it rue." In the 16th Century during | | | | it means. |
| the Tudor reign, it was believed that unless a | | | | It's interesting to see where the tradition of |
| person wore new garments at Easter, moths | | | | wearing new clothes on Easter began, and how |
| would eat the old ones, and evil crows would nest | | | | it's evolved through the years. Even with changing |
| around their homes. | | | | times, however, the custom will surely continue in |
| Post Civil War. Easter traditions as we know it | | | | some form. After all, fashionistas love a reason to |
| were not celebrated in America until after the Civil | | | | shop. |
| War. Before that time, Puritans and the | | | | |