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Fashion History

1950s to Now

Historical Influence-1950s •  Baby Boom-a lot of children were born after

the war! •  Rock and Roll became very popular music •  Cold War

The New Look-Christian Dior •  In 1947 Christian Dior (a French designer)

launched “The New Look” •  It gave women a more softer, feminine

look and curve. •  The look was stylish, elegant and reflected

the opposite of wartime restrictions.

The New Look Cont. •  Waists were cinched in again and yards and

yards of fabric were used. The bustline was accented

Fashion in the 1950s •  Hourglass Silhouette-accented the lower half of

the body (baby boom hips!!) •  Teen Fashion: Poodle skirts, bobby socks, sweater

sets, saddle shoes, clam diggers (capris) •  Hairstyles included the ponytail and the beehive

Men’s Fashion •  Cardigan Sweaters •  Hats •  Flannel Suits (Charcoal Gray, Navy, Brown) •  Greasers: Jeans, T-Shirt, Leather Jacket

and Converse •  Chino’s button down shirt and loafers

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Movies Representing this Era •  Grease •  Pleasantville •  Mona Lisa Smile

Historical Influences-1960s •  Civil Rights Movement •  Vietnam Conflict and American Involvement

(1961-1975) •  British Invasion-not military but rather an

invasion of music, fashion, hairstyles and make-up

Civil Rights Movement •  Sparked an impressive move to ethnic

fashion •  Found interest in African colors and prints •  Afro hairstyles were worn (mostly by black

people, but some white people used perms to get the Afro hairstyle)

The Peace Movement •  AKA: the anti-Vietnam War Movement •  Instead of pulling the country together to save

resources, the country was pulled apart. •  The teenagers who revolted were called

“hippies”. The main focus was self expression.

Fashion in the 1960s •  Tubular Silhouette (straight up and down) •  Everything seemed to go – Length of skirts ranged from micro-mini to

maxi. Even mixing them was fashionable. •  The “warbabies” or the Baby Boomers had

a HUGE impact!

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Fashion in the 1960s •  Clothing and advertising all catered to the

youth. Teenagers enjoyed keeping up with the latest trends. •  Two sets of fashion developed side by side:

fashion for the young and fashion for the rest •  The bikini makes it’s first appearance!

Mini Skirt •  Hit early in the 60s. It was the design of

Mary Quant from Wales. •  She was regardged as the mother of the mini

and high boots, shoulder bags, and the “poor boy” sweater.

Pillbox hat •  A woman’s hat with a flat

top, upright sides and no brim. •  Made famous by Jackie

Kennedy (first lady from 1961-1963)

Pantsuit •  Woman’s suit with matching

trousers and coat. •  Andre Courreges introduced

long trousers for women as a fashion item in the late 1960s

Men’s Fashion •  Tailored suits •  The “Mod” look (introduced by the

Beatles) •  Turtlenecks, colors

Movies Representing this era •  Breakfast at Tiffany’s •  Forrest Gump •  Hairspray

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Historical Influences-1970s •  From Hippy to Disco: genre of popular music •  Energy Crisis-period of limited economic

growth •  Watergate Scandal-major political scandal

that occurred in the U.S.

Fashion in the 1970s •  A-Line/Triangle Silhouette-fitted at the hip and

gradually widens towards the hem. •  Platform shoes were very popular! (Even for men) •  Unisex clothing was also in style (both men and

women can wear)

Hairstyles •  Long and straight. Girls would iron their

hair straight (not flat iron…IRON) •  Full bangs were worn long enough to cover

the eyebrows.

Hippy to Disco •  The hippie influence was still

there. They used bold flower prints and bright bold colors.

•  Tie Dye also became a popular item.

Hip Huggers and Bell Bottoms •  Disco Fever: Teen styles were

extreme. – Pants were skin tight – Hip hugger: “low-rise” well below

the belly button – Bell bottoms: fitted to knee and

then very wide at the bottom

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Men’s Fashion •  Bell Bottoms •  Wide Ties •  Collars •  Cardigans (more conservative man)

Movies representing this era •  Brady Bunch •  Remember the Titans •  Radio

Historical Influences-1980s •  Yuppie Era: (young urban professional) refers to

the upper middle class or upper class in their 20s and 30s.

•  Conspicuous Consumption: spending money on and acquiring of luxury goods and services

•  Madonna-very influential on female fashion

Fashion in the 1980s •  Inverted Triangle Silhouette: padded

shoulders, exaggerated lapels and flared jackets •  Overly bright and vivid in appearance •  Very heavy, brightly colored make-up, lots of

jewelry

Exercise Wear •  Comfort and Function were huge! •  Spandex or Lycra in bright colors •  Legging worn with thick socks

pushed down to the ankles •  The old “gym shoe” was replaced

with 100 or more different kinds of specialized sports shoes.

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Logo Wear and Designer Jeans •  Logos were huge! The bigger the

logo, the better it was! •  Designer jeans were fashioned

more for style than practicality. •  Skin-tight jeans made of combos

of cotton and spandex, allowing them to move with the body.

The Power Suit •  In order to be taken more

seriously at work, women wore a power suit.

•  It was a broad shoulder, lapel jacket worn with white or light colored blouse and a skirt. Pants were too casual.

Hairstyles •  The bigger the better! •  Hairspray and ratting were an

everyday thing •  Bangs were very popular and often

lifted many inches above the scalp •  Crimping hair was very popular as

well.

Men’s Fashions •  Business suits with narrow detailing •  Suspenders •  Pastels

Movies representing the 1980s •  13 Going on 30 •  Footloose (1984) •  Pretty in Pink •  Girls Just Wanna Have Fun •  The Wedding Singer

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Historical Influences-1990s •  Age of Electronics-cell phones especially! •  Internet-known as the Dot Com Era

Fashion in the 1990s •  Triangle Silhouette •  Like the 60s, any length of skirt was in. •  The 90s borrowed fashions from the 60s

and 70s – Platforms and bell-bottoms/flares are back!

Shoe Obsession •  There is a shoe for every purpose! •  Birkenstock: natural, carefree sandal •  Comfortable sport shoes •  Platforms •  Mary Janes

Bare Midriff •  Shirts cut short and hip huggers return. •  Return of the “clam diggers” aka capris

Rejection of Fashion •  The “grunge” look was also very popular. •  Oversized pants and shirts •  Holes in clothing

Men’s Fashion •  Baggy Pants •  Big Sneakers

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Movies Representing this Era •  Wish Upon A Star •  Clueless •  She’s All That •  Saved By the Bell •  Full House

Historical Influences-2000s •  Sept. 11, 2001 and War on Terror •  Technology (Internet Shopping) •  Economic recession (biggest since 1980s) •  Globalization-clothing on a more global

market

Fashion in the 2000s •  “Mash-Up”: previous styles from varying

decades join together. •  1980s revival-mini skirts, ripped

distressed jeans, denim jackets etc. come back •  Skinny jeans, then jeggings-both with boots

Hairstyles •  Early 2000s, womens hair was long and

straight. It was fashionable to have dyed highlights and lowlights.

•  Sideswept look (rather than parting down the center)

•  Textured hair with volume, natural wavy hair and the bob cut

The Internet •  Now, you can shop online for clothing •  Makes all information easily accessible and

fashion crossover more common

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Any Others? •  What have you seen that is popular for this

time?

Fashion History Assignment •  Pick an era (choose your

favorite!) •  Choose a style or a key

piece of fashion from that era and create a design that is more modern.