The Evolution of Fashion: The Last 100 Years
The Evolution of Fashion: The Last 100 Years
Fashion changes as time moves on. What might be trending now might seem old and distasteful in the future. Let's see the fashion styles of each decade and how they changed over the years.
The Roaring Twenties:
The icons of the 20s. Clara Bow. Coco Chanel. Zelda Fritzgerald. This decade is known for cultural and social changes. Let's see how this is portrayed through fashion.
Bobs were THE hairstyle. A dancer who cut her hair for surgery, kept her hair ear length. That soon caught on and everyone was wearing it.
The Flapper Style. “Flapper” was used to describe women who craved independence and defied the traditional norms. These women contributed to the cultural changes by showing independence and resistance to the norms at the time. In this era, the hemline of dresses was shorter, usually right below the knee. Now you might think, how is this defiant? However, at this time, this was considered scandalous. Weird, I know right?
The Little Black Dress. Chanel’s LBD was revolutionary. It’s a timeless piece created in 1926. It embraced modernness, versatility, and the color black. Black was viewed as a color to mourn in. The Little Black Dress was iconic and still is.
Hollywood in the 30s:
At this time Hollywood began producing major films. This influenced not only the cinema, but fashion too. In the 20s, hemlines rose to below the knee. Well in the 30s, they moved back down to the ankles.
The stars of this decade were Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, and Marlene Dietrich. Many women looked up to them and tried to replicate their style. Cinema allowed fashion to be accessible.
WW2, 40s Fashion:
As we know, during this decade was WW2. How did the war affect fashion? Utility clothing was worn by women because of fabric rationing. Instead of wool, nylon, and silk, they wore rayon and synthetic fabrics. Regardless, they still managed to add elegance into their clothing. Women wore jackets with padded shoulders, A-line dresses, and red lipstick. Red lipstick represents femininity, making women feel empowered.
50s:
The war has ended, and it is time for celebration. Women wore voluminous skirts, handbags, gloves, and hats. Dresses usually had cinched waists that showed their ladylike silhouette. The goal was to achieve the hourglass figure. In the 40s, they wore more masculine clothing. Well, in the 50s, they highlighted feminine looks and attire.
Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Grace Kelly. These actresses helped the fashion trends of the decade. They wore tight dresses with deep necklines. There were also men fashion icons too. James Dean, and Elvis Presley. They set trends that would soon be known as the fashion men wore in the 1950s.
The Swinging Sixties:
What is the swinging sixties? It was a period of time in the U.K. where there was social, cultural, and economic change. It was mainly because of the youth and money.
In contrast to the 40s and 50s, the 60s were full of color. Patterns, like stripes, polka dots, and checkerboard, were popular. Go-go boots were also popular.
Mary Quant, a fashion designer, introduced miniskirts. Before, hemlines rose in the 20s and moved back down in the 30s.
70s Denim & Polyester:
Everyone knows what jeans are. They are a staple in your outfits. Denim became something high-fashion brands wanted to have. Levi’s, Calvin Klein, Peter Golding, Gloria Vanderbilt.
Polyester became the fabric of the decade. Diane von Fürstenberg introduced her wrap dress and synthetic fabrics became popular. Polyester made it so that clothing could be sold for a fraction of the original price. However, near the end of the 70s, synthetic fabrics were no longer valued.
The 80s:
The iconic 80s. Where bright colors like pink, yellow, blue, green, purple were worn by many. Clothing like leotards, leggings, sweatshirts worn over one shoulder, were in style.
The hair was big. Women teased their hair to make it seem voluminous. Perms were a big thing too.
Madonna, Princess Diana (with her fabulous style), Michael Jackson, were the fashion icons. They played an important role in the trends of the 80s.
Grunge in the 90s:
People wore torn denim, flannel shirts, oversized clothes, and combat boots. Grunge focused on DIY and thrifting. The hair was messy and rumpled.
Grunge helped shape fashion today. Jeans, combat boots, and flannel shirts are often worn as streetwear. Designers take inspiration from grunge and incorporate it in theri designs.
Casual Streetwear 2000s:
People started focusing on more comfortable and casual clothing. Graphic tees, sweatpants, and sports jackets. Baggy jeans, wide leg, and bootcut were trending.
Pharell Williams, the Olsen Twins, Jay-Z,and Beyoncé, were the fashion icons of this decade.
Influencers Influencing Fashion 2010s:
With social media, influencers rose on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. Their opinion affects the fashion trends and the brands that are being bought. Often, influencers work with brands to advertise their products.
The 2010s stars include Kim Kardashian, Rhianna, and Alexa Chung. This is still relevant today, brands using social media to advertise their clothing. Influencers are the trendsetters. Let me ask you a question. How many of you bought something because of social media?
This brings me to the end of this blog. You can see all the ways fashion has changed over the past 100 years. Let’s see what becomes trendy in the future.
Sources:
Ramiz, Lilah. (2024, May 15). A 1970s Fashion History Lesson: Disco, Designer Denim, and the Liberated Woman. Vogue.
https://www.vogue.com/article/1970s-fashion-history-lesson
London Walks. (2024, June 26). The Swinging Sixties: When London was the Capital of Cool.
https://www.walks.com/blog/swinging-60s/
Rees, Julia. (2024, March 25). Fashion through the decades: Iconic Styles from the last 100 years. The Velvet Runway.
Ramiz, Lilah. (2024, April 1). A 1920s Fashion History Lesson: Flappers, the Bob, and More Trends That Made the Roaring Twenties Roar. Vogue.
https://www.vogue.com/article/1920s-fashion-history-lesson
Reddy, Karina. (2020, August 8). 1930 - 1939. Fashion History Timeline.
https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1930-1939/
Ramiz, Lilah. (2024, April 27). A 1950s Fashion History Lesson: Dior’s New Look, Hollywood Bombshells, and The Golden Era of Couture. Vogue.
https://www.vogue.com/article/1950s-fashion-history-lesson
Comments
Post a Comment