Fashion History
1890's
The 1890’s was the Victorian Era, because Queen Victoria was ruler.
The Ideal Woman in America and Great Britain was the Gibson Girl.
The silhouette of that decade was an hourglass. Sometimes a very exaggerated hourglass because of the tightly cinched corset and the full bustle on the backside.
During this decade men wore matching coat and vests with contrasting trousers.
1910's
Towards the beginning of the decade, the world was at war, and the fashion reflected that. A lot of men’s fashion including the trench coat resembled that of a military trench.
Also early on in the decade women were wearing the inverted triangle silhouette, which made the women look large and droopy in the chest.
When the war was over women started campaigning for rights which brought forth the first bathing suit and bloomers. The hobble skirt was also popular despite the limited mobility it provided the wearer. With the outrage of that limited mobility, slits were introduced making for a shock to society.
1920's
The 1920’s were a time of great change. Prohibition was in full swing and women were changing their style drastically. The tubular silhouette was in fashion which was evident in the dropped waistline of the flappers.
During this time the bra was invented to ensure a flat chest. Women also started to accessorize more than they ever had before with costume jewelry and cloche hats.
Men continued to wear suits but a pin stripe was added. Men could also be seen wearing fedora hats, knickers, and raccoon coats much like the mobsters were wearing. More conservative men could be seen wearing long sweaters.
1930's
The United States were in a depression and everything, including fashion was affected.
Restrictions were made on hemlines, embellishments, and fabric. Because of this we see the waistline restored, hemlines drop, and children’s clothing made out of flour sacks.
The elongated hourglass silhouette was popular. People looked up to movie stars whose fashion reflected bias cut dresses, wide legged trousers and sweater vests.
1940's
During the 1940’s things were being rationed to help the war effort. Nylons were no wear to be seen. Fabrics were very sensible and masculine. Men’s suits were no longer made with vests, patch pockets, or cuffs and were referred to as “victory suits”.
Women went to work and started to wear trousers, Eisenhower jackets, and convertible suits. In fact most women were married in a dress suit because there were no materials for a wedding dress. At this time the military continued to influence men’s fashion with the introduction of the bomber jacket.
1950's
Fashion made a great change in the fifties. The hourglass silhouette was accentuated with the designs of Christian Dior.
Teens had income which changed how clothing was marketed. This was evident with the introduction of the poodle skirt, sweater sets, and saddle shoes for girls.
Boys were wearing tight jeans, leather jackets and converse shoes. Not much changes for men except for the fabrics that were being used. We see flannel suits, cardigan sweaters, and hats remain in popularity.
1960's
A lot was happening in the world during the 1960’s. Kennedy was president and his wife was influencing the way middle class women dressed. We see this with the popularity of the pantsuit and pillbox hat.
Music, especially rock n’ roll became extremely popular with the teenagers. We saw a lot of young women wearing miniskirts and reverting back to the tubular silhouette. Some say this fashion was influenced by the thin model Twiggy.
Men’s suits became more tailored and we started to see bold colors, different necklines and a “Mod” look in men’s fashion. Big changes in the world, and big changes for fashion.
1970's
We see a change from a “hippie” era to that of disco. Some clothing began to be considered unisex (for men and women).
A triangle silhouette rose in popularity as did bold floral patterns, platform shoes, bell bottoms, wide ties and collars. If you think of the Brady Bunch, you’ve got a very clear picture of what fashion looked like in the 1970's.
1980's
The 1980’s was one of the craziest decades for fashion. Technology advances in the textile world & brought us spandex and other synthetic fibers.
Fashion was influenced by music icons of the era. Some signature pieces of the 80’s include exercise wear, sequins,, designer jeans, pastels, shoulder pads punk fashion, suspenders, windbreakers, and business suits with narrow detailing.
1990's
1990’s brought the era of fashion rejection. The grunge look was very “in” especially among the teenagers. Oversized clothes including pants and sneakers were very popular as well.
Bare midriff as well as high waisted jeans were common place. It has been said that a lot of women’s fashion was influenced by the actresses in the popular TV series FRIENDS.