Fashion of the Eras
The Roaring Twenties – Not
Just Flapper Dresses and Boas!
Most tend to
think that the 1920s was only flapper dresses with lavish accessories. While this is true, there is much more to the
average wardrobe than just that!
The fashion of
the 1920s was strongly influenced by the political movements going on –
primarily Women’s Rights. As a result of
this, women began to wear clothes that created a flatter chests and a less
feminine figure. Short hairstyles, such
as the Bob and the Marcel Wave became popular as well. Although a more boyish figure was formed
through these outfits (like the flapper dress), the hem lines began to shorten
and corsets were discarded.
Typical clothing
details also included:
·
Beading
& Fringing
·
Dropped
Waists
·
Headbands
·
Cloche
hats – Bell-shaped & Fitted
Coco Who?
Coco Chanel was one of the leading fashionista’s of
the twenties and still continues to be today.
She was one of the first to toss out her corset, cut her hair, and wear
trousers!
In 2008, the
flapper dress made a reappearance in current trends. Kate Moss sported a grey flapper dress on the
red carpet!
1930s
– Back to Basics
The 1930s
left the fun, boyish dresses that the Roaring Twenties had sported and went
back to the roots. Women’s clothing
returned to a more feminine style with rounded busts and significant
waistlines.
Girl Power!
There was
now a need for two different styles of clothing for women – practical daytime
styles vs. evening glamour. Women were
beginning to have prominent roles outside the household so the need for evening
attire was necessary. Empire waists,
fitted midriffs, and seams just below the bust were common and aimed towards
accentuating the woman’s shoulders. Matching
dresses and skirts with coats was a new trend.
Rayon, Cotton, and
Zippers! Oh My!
This time
period was also a period of new materials and products. More synthetic fibers, such as rayon and
viscose, became popular as well as the famous zipper.
1940s – A
Time for Creativity
Since the United
States was at war during the 1940s, production on many non-war materials was
halted. This included women’s clothing
to an extent. There were restrictions
that were placed on how much nylon, wool, and cotton a woman could
purchase. This sparked a creativity in
many that would become the trend for the 1940s.
Knee-length coats
became a popular item for many women.
Rather than wearing luxurious, long, fur-lined coats as they had prior,
this new fashion was created. This can
still be seen today and has influenced the renewed popularity in trench
coats.
Women’s dresses
now aimed towards a more natural womanly shape, instead of creating a smaller
waist through different seams and cuts.
Magazines often gave tips on how to turn a man’s suit into a women’s,
which eventually led to the Eisenhower jacket.
These jackets were bloused at the chest and had a belt to fit the waist
– very military-esque!
1950s - Back to the Home?
Post
WWII, the Babyboomer years began. Woman
assumed their previous more matronly role that involved housework, having
children, and taking care of the family.
The clothing style reflected this.
Christian Dior had a major influence on the style by creating the “New
Look”. This included a below-the-knee
full skirt, small waist, and rounded shoulders.
Some
women refused to give up the “sportswear” look that was essentially a trouser
and jacket suit. These had been common
and extremely practical during the war.
The pants eventually became very narrow and were at ankle length. While full skirts were coming into fashion,
fitted jackets and pencil skirts were also making their way among the older
generation. Skirts were popular at
either extreme – very narrow or very full.
1960s
The
1960s took a huge step away from the traditional clothing of women. Psychedelic colors, mismatched prints, and
highlighter colors were a huge hit.
The First Lady
The
early sixties fashion trends revolved strongly around the First Lady, Mrs. Jackie Kennedy. She introduces the pillbox hat, pastel
colored suits, and simple, geometric dresses (often called Shifts).
Oh La La!
The
60s also brought about the trend of the mini skirt, which continues to be
prominent in today’s wardrobe. This time
period pushed the boundaries of traditional fashion by the introducing this
short article of clothing, bikinis, and go-go boots!
Psychedelic, Baby!
The
60s were also home to the “space” look.
This was started by the designer, Andre Courreges. This outfit typically included:
·
White
boots
·
Trouser
Suits
·
Goggles
·
Box-shaped
dresses (hem lines above the knee)
And then, the Hippie movement begins…
The hippie
movement of the late 60s brought along bellbottom jeans, tie-dye, and paisley
prints. Clothing became more free
flowing and some women went as far as to go bra-less or barefoot. Women often were seen sporting fringed
buckskin vests, gypsy style skirts, and Mexican peasant blouses.
1970s - Peace, Love, and Disco?
The 1970s held multiple different styles of fashion, all
influenced by different trends during the decade. The beginning of the 1970s still held the
typical hippie fashion – bell bottoms and tie-dye shirts. Towards the end of the hippie era though, hip
huggers changed to high-wasted jeans. As
this trend was slowly progressing (and soon to end), the punk rock industry was
taking its toll on the fashion trends.
High-wasted, flared trousers or jeans (often bedazzled –
a.k.a decorated in rhinestones), tight halter tops, satin pants, and sequined
bra tops were popular items among this rock crowd. Women’s makeup often matched this style and
was colorful and glittery.
The disco era came into play during this time as well. Saturday
Night Fever, which debuted in 1977, was the catalyst to men’s three-piece
suits and women’s wrap dresses. Platform
shoes, which are now reappearing today, were very popular as well.
1980s – Is it really vintage already?
Surprisingly, yes.
This is under some speculation, but for now, we’ll consider it to be
vintage-worthy.
The 80s was a time of many mixed trends – shoulder pads,
skirts over leggings, bring colors, and crop tops are all reminiscent of this
time. Today though, many of these trends
are making their way back into current fashion!
Crop tops especially!
Material Girl
Madonna, one of the most influential and famous artists of
the past thirty years, helped to create a new style for teens and young women
in the 80s. This “street urchin” style
(as it has been dubbed) often included:
·
Short skirts worn over leggings
·
Fishnet gloves
·
Hairbows
·
Untidy hair
·
Cropped jackets
Girls Just Want to Have Fun!
Many of today’s popular trends are similar to those in the
80s (to an extent). Leggings, often
paired with leg warmers, sneakers, or boat shoes, were worn by both children
and their mothers. Baggy t-shirts or
oversized sweatshirts were common. Bike
shorts were popular to wear under baby doll dresses or shorter skirts. Leotards, or body suits, were popular as well
and were often paired with the aforementioned leggings and slouch socks.
