Are you ready to strut your knowledge down the runway of fashion history? This comprehensive fashion trivia quiz will test everything from your basic style sense to the most exclusive designer secrets!
Whether you’re a casual fashion enthusiast who enjoys following trends or a dedicated fashionista who lives for Fashion Week, this quiz offers something for everyone.
We’ve carefully crafted 100 questions across five increasingly challenging rounds to test your fashion IQ. You’ll start with the basics before progressing through multiple-choice challenges, medium-difficulty questions, truly challenging fashion trivia, and finally a specialized round of true or false statements that might surprise even industry insiders.
Fashion isn’t just about clothes—it’s about culture, history, innovation, and artistic expression. This quiz celebrates all aspects of the fashion world, from iconic designers and revolutionary garments to unexpected industry facts and current trends. Ready to show off your style knowledge? Let’s begin!
Round 1: Easy Fashion Trivia Questions
Let’s start with some fashion fundamentals. These 20 questions cover the basics that any fashion enthusiast should know.
- Which Italian fashion house features a medusa head in its logo?
Answer: Versace - In which decade did the miniskirt become popular?
Answer: 1960s - What famous French designer created the “little black dress”?
Answer: Coco Chanel - Which fabric is made from the fibers of flax plants?
Answer: Linen - What is the traditional Japanese garment worn by women?
Answer: Kimono - Which American designer is known for his iconic wrap dress created in the 1970s?
Answer: Diane von Furstenberg - What is the name of the small decorative handkerchief placed in a suit jacket’s breast pocket?
Answer: Pocket square - Which luxury brand is known for its red-soled shoes?
Answer: Christian Louboutin - What type of neckline forms a horizontal line across the shoulders?
Answer: Off-the-shoulder or Bardot neckline - Which fiber makes up denim fabric?
Answer: Cotton - What are Doc Martens primarily known as?
Answer: Boots - Who is the longtime creative director of Chanel who died in 2019?
Answer: Karl Lagerfeld - What is the name for a sleeveless, collarless sweater typically worn over shirts?
Answer: Vest (US) or Waistcoat (UK) - Which luxury brand has the interlocking CC logo?
Answer: Chanel - What color is traditionally worn by brides in Western cultures?
Answer: White - Which pattern consists of crisscrossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors?
Answer: Plaid or Tartan - Which decade is associated with disco fashion and bell-bottom pants?
Answer: 1970s - What is the name for a hat with a narrow brim and a flat crown?
Answer: Fedora - Which country is known as the birthplace of the sari?
Answer: India - What is the term for clothes made by high-end fashion designers?
Answer: Haute Couture
Explore more fascinating conversation topics beyond fashion with our collection of interesting topics to talk about.
Round 2: Multiple Choice Fashion Questions
Time to step up the challenge! Choose the correct answer from the four options provided.
- Which designer created the iconic “New Look” in 1947?
A) Coco Chanel
B) Christian Dior
C) Yves Saint Laurent
D) Cristóbal Balenciaga
Answer: B) Christian Dior - What was the original purpose of jeans when they were first created?
A) Military uniforms
B) Workwear for miners and laborers
C) Casual wear for wealthy teenagers
D) Athletic wear for Olympic athletes
Answer: B) Workwear for miners and laborers - Which famous supermodel was known as “The Body” in the 1990s?
A) Naomi Campbell
B) Kate Moss
C) Elle Macpherson
D) Cindy Crawford
Answer: C) Elle Macpherson - The fashion term “pret-a-porter” translates to:
A) High fashion
B) Ready-to-wear
C) Custom made
D) Seasonal collection
Answer: B) Ready-to-wear - Which design house was the first to use the monogram print on luggage?
A) Gucci
B) Fendi
C) Louis Vuitton
D) Hermès
Answer: C) Louis Vuitton - What material were the first buttons made from?
A) Wood
B) Metal
C) Seashells
D) Bone
Answer: C) Seashells - Which iconic American designer created the polo shirt with a small embroidered polo player?
A) Tommy Hilfiger
B) Calvin Klein
C) Ralph Lauren
D) Michael Kors
Answer: C) Ralph Lauren - Which famous fashion magazine was founded first?
A) Elle
B) Vogue
C) Harper’s Bazaar
D) Cosmopolitan
Answer: C) Harper’s Bazaar - What is “tulle” fabric primarily used for in fashion?
A) Evening gowns and bridal veils
B) Athletic wear
C) Outdoor jackets
D) Business suits
Answer: A) Evening gowns and bridal veils - In which city was the first organized fashion week held?
A) Milan
B) Paris
C) New York
D) London
Answer: C) New York - What was designer Mary Quant known for introducing?
A) The bikini
B) The pencil skirt
C) The miniskirt
D) The pantsuit
Answer: C) The miniskirt - Which American designer was known for his minimalist aesthetic in the 1990s?
A) Marc Jacobs
B) Calvin Klein
C) Tom Ford
D) Ralph Lauren
Answer: B) Calvin Klein - What fabric was historically dyed with Tyrian purple, making it exclusively for royalty?
A) Silk
B) Wool
C) Cotton
D) Linen
Answer: A) Silk - The term “millinery” refers to designing what fashion item?
A) Shoes
B) Hats
C) Gloves
D) Handbags
Answer: B) Hats - What popular 2000s fashion trend has made a significant comeback in 2024-2025?
A) Cargo pants
B) Ponchos
C) Low-rise jeans
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above - Which designer was the first to put their name on the outside of garments, creating visible branding?
A) Pierre Cardin
B) Giorgio Armani
C) Christian Dior
D) Hubert de Givenchy
Answer: A) Pierre Cardin - The “flapper” style is associated with which decade?
A) 1900s
B) 1920s
C) 1930s
D) 1940s
Answer: B) 1920s - What is “herringbone” in fashion?
A) A type of neckline
B) A woven fabric pattern
C) A style of shoe
D) A hat design
Answer: B) A woven fabric pattern - Who is credited with introducing the “bikini” swimsuit in 1946?
A) Louis Réard
B) Emilio Pucci
C) Coco Chanel
D) Christian Dior
Answer: A) Louis Réard - Which fashion term refers to creating a continuous collection rather than seasonal ones?
A) Fast fashion
B) Slow fashion
C) Seasonless fashion
D) Capsule wardrobe
Answer: C) Seasonless fashion
If you enjoy challenging your mind, you’ll love our collection of thought-provoking questions that go beyond fashion.
Round 3: Medium Difficulty Fashion Questions
Now we’re getting more sophisticated with our fashion knowledge. These questions will test your deeper understanding of the fashion world.
- Which fashion designer was shot and killed outside his Miami Beach home in 1997?
Answer: Gianni Versace - What fabric innovation did Levi Strauss introduce to make jeans more durable?
Answer: Rivets - What is the name of Yves Saint Laurent’s revolutionary women’s tuxedo suit introduced in 1966?
Answer: Le Smoking - Which Italian fashion house was the first luxury brand to ban real fur in 2018?
Answer: Gucci - Who coined the term “The New Look” to describe Christian Dior’s post-WWII fashion revolution?
Answer: Carmel Snow (editor of Harper’s Bazaar) - What traditional Scottish garment became a high-fashion item thanks to designers like Vivienne Westwood?
Answer: Kilt - Which fashion model holds the record for the most Vogue cover appearances?
Answer: Lauren Hutton - What is the name for the Japanese practice of repairing textiles with visible mending that has influenced sustainable fashion?
Answer: Sashiko or Boro - Which fashion house was the first to livestream their runway show online?
Answer: Alexander McQueen - What controversial material did Elsa Schiaparelli famously use in her 1938 “Tears Dress”?
Answer: Trompe l’oeil tears (printed fabric designed to look like torn fabric) - What significant fashion innovation did Mary Phelps Jacob patent in 1914?
Answer: The modern bra (or brassiere) - Which iconic bag from Hermès was renamed after Grace Kelly?
Answer: The Kelly bag - What is the chemical process used to create permanent pleats in fabrics like those used by Issey Miyake?
Answer: Heat-setting - Which American designer brought hip-hop fashion to the mainstream runway in the 1990s?
Answer: Tommy Hilfiger - What is the name of the traditional embroidery technique from India featuring small mirrors sewn into fabric?
Answer: Shisha or mirror work - Which designer was the first to turn their runway show into a theatrical production in the 1980s?
Answer: Thierry Mugler - What was the first synthetic fiber ever created?
Answer: Rayon - Which famous department store held the first public mannequin parade in 1909?
Answer: Selfridges - What is the technical term for the fabric grain that runs at a 45-degree angle to the selvage?
Answer: Bias - Which decade saw the rise of “power dressing” with broad shoulders and bold silhouettes?
Answer: 1980s
Looking for more challenges? Check out our general knowledge trivia for a variety of fascinating topics.
Round 4: Hard Fashion Trivia Questions
Now we’re getting into territory that only true fashion aficionados might know. Challenge yourself with these difficult questions!
- Which designer pioneered the concept of “modular” or “transformable” clothing in the 1970s?
Answer: Issey Miyake - What revolutionary fabric treatment did Burberry invent in 1879?
Answer: Gabardine (waterproof fabric) - Which French fashion house was the first to use Art Deco-inspired designs in their pieces?
Answer: Jean Patou - Who created the iconic “safety pin dress” worn by Elizabeth Hurley in 1994?
Answer: Gianni Versace - What is the name of the special stitch used in haute couture to attach lining to fabric without visible stitches?
Answer: Prick stitch - Which Italian fashion designer introduced “greige” (grey-beige) as a signature neutral color?
Answer: Giorgio Armani - What was the name of Alexander McQueen’s controversial 1995 collection that featured “bumster” pants?
Answer: Highland Rape - Who was the first female designer to create menswear collections?
Answer: Claire McCardell - What ancient weaving technique did Mariano Fortuny use to create his famous pleated “Delphos” gown?
Answer: Plissé - Which iconic fashion show was controversially held at Beijing’s Forbidden City in 2007?
Answer: Fendi - What is the technical name for the construction method used in tailoring to create a three-dimensional shape without darts?
Answer: Slash and spread - Which designer pioneered the use of industrial materials in high fashion jewelry in the 1930s?
Answer: Elsa Schiaparelli - What controversial material did Rei Kawakubo use in her 1997 “Lumps and Bumps” collection for Comme des Garçons?
Answer: Padding/foam inserts - Which fashion term originated from the French phrase meaning “in the workshop”?
Answer: Atelier - Who was the first Black designer to head a major European luxury fashion house?
Answer: Olivier Rousteing (at Balmain) - What was the name of the first synthetic dye, discovered in 1856, that revolutionized fashion?
Answer: Mauveine (or mauve) - Which legendary editor was banned from attending YSL shows after a negative review?
Answer: Cathy Horyn - What is the name of the traditional Korean jacket-like garment that influenced modern kimono-inspired fashion?
Answer: Jeogori - Which designer’s 1965 Mondrian collection featured dresses inspired by the Dutch painter’s work?
Answer: Yves Saint Laurent - What is the technical term for the process of creating raised designs on fabric using heat and pressure?
Answer: Embossing
For those who love testing their knowledge in various fields, our hard trivia collection offers similarly challenging questions across many subjects.
Round 5: True or False Fashion Statements
For our final round, test your fashion knowledge with these true or false statements—some might surprise even the most dedicated fashion followers!
- True or False: Levi Strauss originally sold tarpaulins to miners before creating denim jeans.
Answer: True - True or False: The term “bikini” was named after the nuclear testing site Bikini Atoll.
Answer: True - True or False: Coco Chanel trained as a milliner before becoming a fashion designer.
Answer: True - True or False: The fashion house Balenciaga closed for nearly 30 years before being revived in the 1980s.
Answer: True - True or False: The color “mauve” was discovered while trying to create a cure for malaria.
Answer: True - True or False: Louboutin’s signature red soles were inspired by an employee painting her nails.
Answer: False (It was inspired by Andy Warhol’s “Flowers” and Louboutin using an assistant’s red nail polish to paint a prototype sole) - True or False: Diane von Furstenberg’s wrap dress was originally created as a maternity garment.
Answer: False (It was designed as a versatile, figure-flattering dress for working women) - True or False: Burberry’s iconic check pattern was originally used only as a lining for trench coats.
Answer: True - True or False: The fashion term “peplum” originally referred to a men’s garment in ancient Greece.
Answer: True - True or False: The zipper was first used in high fashion by Elsa Schiaparelli.
Answer: True - True or False: Crocs footwear was originally developed as a boating shoe.
Answer: True - True or False: Hermès started as a saddle maker before expanding into luxury fashion.
Answer: True - True or False: The first fashion magazine was published in France.
Answer: False (It was published in Germany in 1586) - True or False: Vivienne Westwood started her career as a primary school teacher.
Answer: True - True or False: The term “t-shirt” originated because the garment resembles the letter T.
Answer: True - True or False: Denim fabric was originally created in France.
Answer: True (In the city of Nîmes, hence “de Nîmes” becoming “denim”) - True or False: The Birkin bag was created after Jane Birkin complained about not finding a suitable leather weekend bag.
Answer: True - True or False: The first fashion week was organized in Paris.
Answer: False (It was first held in New York) - True or False: Lady Gaga’s famous meat dress from the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards was later preserved and turned into jerky.
Answer: True - True or False: The “little black dress” concept was initially criticized as too informal when introduced.
Answer: True
For those who love exploring thought-provoking ideas, our collection of philosophical questions offers meaningful conversation starters.
How Did You Score?
0-20 correct: Fashion Novice. You’re just starting your fashion journey, but don’t worry—everyone begins somewhere!
21-40 correct: Style Apprentice. You know the basics and are building your fashion knowledge.
41-60 correct: Fashion Enthusiast. You’ve got a solid understanding of fashion essentials and history.
61-80 correct: Style Expert. Your fashion knowledge is impressive and extends beyond the mainstream.
81-100 correct: Fashion Maven! You have exceptional knowledge of fashion history, designers, and industry secrets. You could probably teach a fashion course!
How did you do? Share your score with friends and challenge them to beat it! Fashion knowledge isn’t just about looking good—it’s about understanding the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of what we wear.
For more fascinating trivia across different subjects, check out our fashion trivia collection and other specialized quizzes on our website. Whether you’re interested in movies, music, science, or history, we’ve got trivia to challenge your knowledge!