Most of the time, I have never considered the origins of popular fashion trends. As far as I’ve been concerned, it didn’t really matter where the latest style in shoes or skirts has come from, as long as it was fashionable and cute. I found out recently, though, that many of our most-loved trends have some surprising origins.

For example, I never knew much about aviator-style sunglasses, other than the fact that they suit my face shape better than any other style. I had no idea that this style was designed specifically for airplane pilots in 1936 by Ray-Ban, but were so popular that they became available to the public within a short year. Of course, Tom Cruise cemented the glasses’ trendy status when he wore them in Top Gun. Aviators are not the only fashion trend with an interesting origin! In the gallery below, check out the surprising history of some of today’s beloved fashion trends.

What do you think, Lovelies? Did any of these fashion fun facts take you by surprise?

Espadrilles (Pyrenees): This comfortable shoe often evokes mental images of beach vacations. The style became popular when travelers noted how they could purchase multiple pairs of these shoes, in a wide variety of colors, without taking up much luggage space.

Miniskirt (London, UK): Mary Quant is considered the woman responsible for the popularization of the miniskirt in the late 1950s, naming the still-famous style after her favorite car, the Mini.

Clogs (Sweden): The Swedish version of this traditional shoe is a slightly more modern version than the Dutch style, which is entirely made of wood. This 21st-century clog is fashioned with a top made of leather attached to the wooden bottom. Although this may make the show easier to wear, I can’t say for myself that it makes the clog more attractive.
Moccasins (Canada): This traditional footwear was originally created by using a piece of deerskin or leather. Dating back to Indian times, the style of moccasin could determine in which area a person lived. The forests of the east usually required Indians to wear soft-soled moccasins, while the Plains Indians wore hard soles. Today, we wear them as slippers.


Cowboy Boots (USA): Once used by cattle ranchers and line dancers, these boots are now popular around the globe. After a basic version of the boot was brought to America by the Spaniards, it evolved into a sort of Wellington boot. The noteworthy decorative stitching was introduced in the late 1850s.


Bikini (Paris, France): In 1946, Monsieur Louis Réard crafted what we know today as the bikini-style swimsuit. Due to its “explosive” impact on the world of fashion, the creator named the style after the island of Bikini Atoll, a place which was used as a location for testing nuclear weapons.


Eyeliner (Egypt):This popular cosmetic dates back to as early as 10,000 BC, when it was used to protect eyes from the blazing desert sun. Heavy eyeliner became popular around the 1920s, after the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Boat Shoes (Connecticut, USA): Paul Sperry crafted these iconic shoes in 1935, after admiring the way his dog could easily run over ice and wanting to duplicate the effect. He accomplished this by cutting a certain pattern into the soles of his own shoes.

[Images: top photo, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]