The Relateable 1990’s …

Fashion between 1993-1994 experienced a trend that was known as ‘grunge fashion’.  This fashion trend was sported by people who preferred a dark, monotonous look. It is the clothing and accessories associated with the grunge music genre which resulted from the 1980’s. This grunge trend consisted of flannel shirts, Dr. Martens and band t shirts – I know, some might say the grunge trend is making a comeback!!

After 1994, the grunge trend experienced a rapid decline. The demand for tailored clothing increased. For women, tailored suits and skirts with animal prints and bright colours were sought after. Satin, silk and sequence were the most common fabrics and embellishments seen in women’s’ ‘glamours attire’.  Casual wear for women of the 1990’s was expressed through spaghetti strap crop tops, runners, tracksuits and jeans. Casual wear was accessorised with hoop earrings, jelly shoes, beaded wrist jewellery, embellished belts, scarves and bandanas.

Bomber jackets, V neck jumpers, denim jackets, tracksuit tops were prominent in mens causal wear in the 1990’s. Brands that grew in the 90’s included Converse, Abercrombie and Fitch, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren.

Continuing from the 1980’s women’s hairstyles stayed big and curly. The most prominent hair accessory of the 1990’s was called a scrunchie. It’s function was to tie back some women’s elaborate hair cuts. Although big hair was trendy, influenced by Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Anisten, hair cuts known as ‘the bob’ and the ‘pixie cut’ were most common. Similar to the women, men’s hairstyles were also influenced by actors. George Clooney familiarised the men of the 90’s with the ‘Caesar cut’ . This was a short haircut with horizontally cut bangs.

It is evident to see some trends over the decades are still influencing the people of today. Fashion today has become more liberal and self expressive. Therefore people are more creative and interested in their individual styles making it more difficult to identify trends in the fashion of today that does not relate back to previous decades.

 

 

Image Sources:

https://www.independent.ie/style/fashion/fashion-fix/enough-why-some-1990s-fashion-trends-were-enough-the-first-time-around-30436923.html

http://www.90s411.com/grunge-fashion.html

http://www.90s411.com/90s-hair-accessories.html

 

The Contrasting 1960’s …

I’ve decided to continue my blog series by writing about the fashion of the 1960’s because I find it interesting to compare these trends to that of the previous decade. There are multiple contrasting differences that occurred in the space of just a few years. Fashion in the late sixties moved from being timid and restrained in the fifties to a more rebellious, innovative and more imaginative age.

Womens clothes became more masculine – shirts were being worn untucked with no defined waistline ,also, with higher necklines. Three styles of pants became popular for women. Jax pants had a mid rise, tight fitting waist with a cropped leg. Stirrup pants consisted of a stretchy knitted material with a band that covered the foot to keep the pants straight. Denim jeans were worn with a high waist and a slim leg. Cropped pants were a popular trend in the sixties, they were usually worn with a printed cropped top or blouse.

With the increase in popularity for pants in female clothing, the demand for trouser suits appeared! This was a shocking revolution for some!!!! Female trouser suits were forbidden in some work places. This change was as shocking as the mini skirt that appeared in this decade! Mini skirts were now thigh length and were usually pleated, knitted or had a plaid pattern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anti-war and anti-violence views were being favoured. In response to the opposition to the  Vietnam War, the hippy movement evolved. Many peoples fashion was influenced by the likes of The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. For men in the sixties, the more formal styles of the fifties dramatically changed to being more relaxed and casual. Long hair, flared pants and shirts with psychedelic patterns were the ‘norm’. The Beatnik style was a contrasting style to the hippy movement but it was also quite prominent in the 60’s. This style attracted people who were drawn to dressing in a simple way, turtle necks and dark colours were elements associated with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image Sources:

[1] http://www.stanboroughmusic.com/year-9-1960s/

[2] https://www.pinterest.ie/source/fashion.bikiworld.net/

[3] http://sammydvintage.com/vintage-style/60s/fashion-in-the-1960s/

[4] https://theidleman.com/manual/advice/60s-style/

[5] https://www.tes.com/lessons/-YBWQBraJyLdZQ/1960s-music-and-dance

 

Post war Fashion… 1950’s

Fashion in the 1940’s was simple as fabrics were scarce due to the rationing that occurred as a result of World War two. As the rationing came to an end, the 1950’s saw a revolution in the fashion industry. In comparison to the 1940’s, clothes became fuller, with multiple layers and various fabrics were being used. The 1950’s also saw an economic boom in America which lead to a rise in discretionary spending. Advertising for clothing was targeting both men and women by implying that the items advertised would attract the opposite gender.

In the 1950’s fashion and self image were strongly correlated. Women were being conformed to a body shape of a smaller waist and defined hips. The dresses women wore accentuated these desired features. Dresses were rarely plain, most had printed patterns with different styles of sleeves and collars. Since the men had returned from war, women became less independent in their work careers and more dependent on their husbands. A woman’s appearance was linked to how successful their husband was. For example, a lady was not seen as being properly dressed without what was seen to be an essential accessory of the decade – a pair of gloves.

 

The attire of a man in the 1950’s consisted of subtle colours such as beige, navy and black.

Since returning from the War, a ‘military’ style for men was popular in men’s fashion in the fifties. Despite formal-wear being dismal, male casual wear was slightly more interesting in terms of both colour and style. Popular choices for casual wear were cardigans, shirts and vest sweaters. Cardigans and vests were popular because of their versatility. Similar to the women of this decade, men were not seen as being dressed for work without a hat. Straw hats and plaid shirts – ‘the cowboy look’  was favoured for weekend wear only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image Sources:

[1] http://theniftyfifties.tumblr.com/post/5619490150/1950s-vintage-car-architecture-retro-style-home-suburbs

[2] https://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-fashion-women-get-look/

[3] http://fiftiesweb.com/fashion/1950s-mens-fashion/

1920’s Female Fashion

The 1920’s was the decade when fashion began to dramatically evolve. It was an important decade for women especially. The amendment to the U.S constitution in 1920 gave women the right to vote. This gave women a new found sense of freedom, allowing them to express themselves in various ways including fashion. Fashion became creative, personal and innovative! Hemlines on ladies dresses rose to below the knee, allowing women to dance to the renowned music of the time – jazz.

The post world war culture that existed and the rise of film and Hollywood greatly influenced the fashion in the 1920’s. Now known as Art Deco style, the modernist movement saw the ascent of the flapper dress. The flapper dress was named after dance movements associated with ‘Charleston’ dance. It is a loose fitting dress, with bead embroidery. The flapper dress has an image coupled with it. Women who wore the flapper dress usually had bobbed hair and accessorised the dress with a feather headband and long, beaded jewellery, and feathered boas.

 

Despite the notable changes to the clothing in the 1920’s, the silhouettes which wore these clothes also changed. Prior to the 1920’s the average woman wore Edwardian S-shaped corsets to give the illusion of a small waist and a curvier more ‘feminine’ image. The ideal feminine shape was now less curvier and more straight and rectangular.  Women now wore clothing items that exposed both their shoulders and legs. The bobbed hairstyles was also unusual for women before this decade – the short hair gave women an edgier, daring look. This was a result of the revolutionary times that women were experiencing. Although these changes do not seem significant in comparison to the fashion of today, if women did not embrace these changes, the development of fashion would not have been so impactual in the decades to follow.

 

 

 

Image Sources:

[1] http://sites.psu.edu/dvargasrcl/2015/09/24/pas4-roaring-with-style/

[2] https://www.thoughtco.com/the-charleston-dance-1779257

 

Fashion – An evolutionary movement.

Fashion –  ‘a popular or the latest style of clothing, hair, decoration, or behaviour’.

Welcome!

You are probably thinking that the featured title and content may only be attractive and aimed at a certain group of people – FASHIONISTAS! Fortunately or unfortunately (each to their own) isolating so called ‘fashionistas’ as my audience are not my intentions. Although not everyone has devoted followings of fashion, each day, we make decisions on what we are going to wear – a fair assumption … right? Also, unconsciously, we make judgments on what people surrounding us are wearing (deny this statement if you’re feeling angelic).

Throughout my blog posts my intentions are to look at how fashion has evolved over time for both male and females. Topics I will be writing about will include the correlation between different events in history and the influence these events had on fashion trends – no it is not going to be a boring, monotonous history lesson!!! I am also looking forward to writing about the influence external factors had on peoples fashion tastes and perceptions.

Before the mid nineteenth century, due to a lack of technologies, most fashion pieces were custom made by tailors and dressmakers – meaning fashion was a domestic business in each country. Materials, labour and consumers were sourced within each individual country. The twentieth century saw the improvement in technologies, including the introduction of the sewing machine. The rise in such technologies initiated free market economies and the development of factories of production. Mass production of clothing items was introduced. Clothes were being made in standard sizes at fixed prices and were being sold in retail outlets such as department stores. Fast forward to today where raw materials for clothes are being sourced in one country, being manufactured in another country and being distributed and sold in multiple countries. Fashion is now a globalized industry.

Image Sources:

[1] https://giphy.com/gifs/judging-you-anna-wintour-andre-leon-talleyxTiTnkTIE0ioXhWcko

[2] https://fineartamerica.com/featured/tailor-19th-century-granger.html

[3] http://wynmee.com/about.aspx