Mark Twain once wrote: “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Fashion can shape how you define yourself in society and how others perceive you.

Here are 10 interesting facts about the fashion industry that may matter to you:

1. Despite what most people would assume, there are more men at the executive level when it comes to the fashion industry. Most of the CEOs and presidents of big fashion houses are men, not woman. For example, the fashion magazines Allure, Lucky, Vanity Fair and even Vogue are owned by Charles Townsend. The world still belongs to men. But, with passion and hard work, you can make a career in just about any field you want.

2. The first pair of Doc Martens were created from old tires. Creativity can turn a bland wardrobe into an amazing one. So before you throw away your old clothes, consider reinventing them.

3. In the 1500’s modelling was not a career yet, so fashion designers would dress miniature dolls to showcase their clothing. Models first started to appear in 1853. The model figure may be best for showing off clothes, but it may not be best to reveal the person. And you want people to notice you not just your dress. Beauty isn’t only the sum of you weight and measurement, but a collection of what makes you- YOU.

4. The modern bra, the way we know it, used to be very different back in his first days. Created and patented by Mary Phelps Jacob the bra was made of… handkerchiefs. It was long long after that Victoria ?s Secret turned bras into pieces of art and jewelry.

5. The first shopping mall to sell clothes -Trojan ?s Market- was built in ancient Rome in 100-110 AD by Apollodorus of Damascus. It is still possible to visit several of the levels, filled with shops , apartments and offices. Next time someone calls your passion for shopping a shallow waste of time, let them now that you’re ?honoring history. 🙂

6. Karl Lagerfeld, despite being himself a busy designer and an author, is apparently a book-lover. It is rumored that he owns around 300,000 books. He admits to reading mostly in the mornings and maybe due to his love for reading on paper he has even created a scent for book lovers called Paper Passion. Nothing is sexier than vast vocabulary, good grammar and etiquette. It never goes out of style.

7. Zara, the world’s largest fashion retailer ( with over 2,100 stores in 88 countries) don’t actually do any advertising, don ?t give out interviews and their designers remain and their designers remain anonymous. Zara’s success has been based on choosing the best located and most expensive real state locations in the world to open its flagship stores. This way, their stores are at the same time a selling point as well as their adverts, and this model has worked well for them. As a sign of their success, Zara’s Founder Amancio Ortega, has amassed a personal wealth of $67 billion and made it to number 2 on the Forbes list of billionaires in 2016. Quality work pays off. In the long term, good marketing cannot save a bad product. And perseverance and quality work is you best marketing strategy.

8. Standard women’s clothes are designed to fit women between 5’4 and 5’8 tall. Unless you fit the criteria, you need to have your clothes tailored and make the best of them.

9. The fashion industry employs over 4 million people worldwide in design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, retailing, advertising, communications, publishing and consulting.This makes it a market in permanent need for talented and hardworking individuals. For those who dream of working in the fashion industry: Dare! There is room for everyone, so you find what fits you.

10. The bikini was named after the island Bikini Atoll, where the US military was testing its bombs in World War 2. Louis Réard, french engineer and creator of the bikini believed the revealing suit would create an explosive reaction like that of the atomic bomb.

Thank you Lily for helping us write this article.