Deacade’s Of Style.
Just a little something I wrote for my final piece, for my ‘Fashion Journalism’ module. Writing as if it were for a magazine, decades of style. History lesson!
From Runway to High street. Where It all really started
Jump into the fashion time machine and be prepared to witness the va va voom of the swinging 60′s, the groovy 70′s, the weird and wonderful 80′s & 90′s and of course not forgetting, the naughty noughts! Our style inspiration today has come from the daring designers of the past, but which decade screams now? With the endless chaos of the big F industry, lets take a step back and see where the idea’s for our glam garms really came from.
The swinging 60′s.
Clothes. We all wear them, we all need them, we all love them. Whatever style, colour, shape. Whether it be a knit, a tee or a skirt. We have them! And as Katherine Hamnett once stated; “Clothes create a wordless means of communication that we all understand.”-Obv. That goes without saying! So have you ever stepped back to think about where today’s fashion inspiration has actually come from? Do you immediately think of the 40′s when you see Chezza supporting the famous red military jacket? Or do you just stare at your TV with green eyes and not touch carbs for the next three days? Either way, we know that fashion pretty much took off in the sizzling sixties, when the mini, became more than a form of transport. The sixties brought us the little shift dresses, PVC dresses and the pillbox hat. Bright bold colours,sequins and polka! Jackie Kennedy made fashion elegant in the early 60′s, with Chanel tweed suits with over sized buttons, and made the stiletto more of a religion. Not a shoe. The evening look was full skirted gowns with tightly fitting waists, something we are very familiar with now in 2012, I do believe. The Mods (modernists) were also known as “A British fashion phenomenon.” The girls often dressed similar to that of the men, wearing tailored suits with short hair styles. This mirrored the fetish for the ‘boyish figure’ in the 1920′s. The fashion circle is slowly beginning! The women found themselves inspired by top models such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton, and as we progressed into the mid 60′s, velvet and lace mini dresses were hugely popular, as they now are today. Vogue became life and false eyelashes became an every day essential (The girls of Essex have a lot to thank the 60′s for). Chiffon dresses and blouses first started, as did the bell-bottomed trouser. The chiffon craze is still on going because we just can’t get enough. Audrey Hepburn introduced us to the drainpipe trouser, what a beaut. Immensely popular in the 2000′s, worn by both men and women! The last little treat of the 60′s was ‘the hippie’. Where peace, love and freedom became more than just words. Think medallions, fringe and love beads.
The flaring 70′s.
In 1971 we first witnessed the platform. Which were worn by both men and women. As were the flares! Wide legged trousers were supported by both sexes, and the rolla disco is mixed with Anchorman’s Ron Burgundy. Skimpy hot pants were a must and satin, metallic and sequins were amongst the most daring of fabrics. The 30′s and 40′s look was then thrown back into the 70′s circle with feather and fur hitting every UK wardrobe. The fitted blazer was a huge trend, just as it is today. In 2010 the maxi was brought back to the world, hiding a multitude of sins on it’s way. Originating from the 70′s, every girl now owns one. The late 70′s introduced us to a great fashion icon- All hail Dame Vivienne Westwood. The ‘punk’ era was created by Miss Westwood and her partner Malcom Mclaren, as they were styling the Sex Pistols. As we all know, fashion relies on change. The state of the British economy in the 70′s pushed everyone into depression. Therefore the movement to punk was a “direct reaction to whats happening in the economy.”
The famous 80′s.
Now don’t get too excited, but we’ve hit the 80′s. And where to start? Say hello to Ralph Lauren, Flashdance and pointy breasts! Leg warmers, headbands, American style sweaters, mini skirts and leggings were all supporting features in this decade. A typical 80′s outfit would have been tight leggings, leg warmers, stilettos, a long jumper/sweater, big hair with a big headband. So fun and flirty, its simply genius. Joan Collins brought us the craze of shoulder pads, which in fact Lady GaGa has brought right back to the noughts! The shoulder pads were a statement. A statement of ‘Power dressing’ in the office, showing those men that we are equal! Fashion models such as Elle Macpherson and Brooke Shields, gave girls the confidence to wear the bright plastic heel, which i’m safe to say, hasn’t yet made a come back. Shiny, spandex leotards, tights, bright stripes, illuminous tops and thick bold headbands were the epitome of 80′s womens fashion. With this trend starting from the dance-themed movies. Jane Fonda’s aerobics video’s were a huge inspiration to girls wearing ripped sweatshirts that came over one shoulder. These are still being worn today, in gyms and dance classes. But wait. the Queen of all things fabulous has entered the building- It’s Madonna. Girls of the world started to imitate her unique look, wearing braziers as outerwear,fishnet gloves, hair bows, tulle skirts, beaded necklaces, leather and sexy lycra! Wearing underwear as outerwear was frowned upon until the mid 80′s. However; “This was both an assertion of sexual freedom and a conscious rejection of prevailing androgynous fashions.” We see this style a lot on our runways and high streets today. Hair bows are essential, as are leather shorts and sequin bra’s, looking just like Annie Lennox. The ‘preppy’ way of life has slowing in twinged itself back into our lives, originally formed in the 80′s, the idea of ‘ivy league’, with shirts, chino’s, loafers and Ralph Lauren polo shirts and jumpers, loosely tied round the neck. Leggings were worn with pretty much anything- from dresses, to skirts, to jumpers, to shirts. As it stands today, every girl I know owns a pair of leggings. Its a safe trend. MC Hammer brought us the “parachute pant” with an extremely low and baggy seem, to which we then saw the ‘harem pant’ make a revival in 2009!
The nifty ninetees.
You were either a casual chick or alternative rocker! T-shirts, jeans, trainers and simple sweats were more than adequate. Thankfully the 90′s hasn’t made too much of a comeback, yet. A very simple and boring era, we saw a rise in fleeces, turtle neck and floral skirts. Dressing head to toe in black was the craze of the mid 90′s. As we arrive in the late 90′s. We saw lots of crop tops with low rise jeans. The latex catsuit, famously worn by Britney Spears in “Ooops I did it again” video was amongst the 90′s favourites. Again, thankfully, the catsuit hasn’t returned! One fad that is still unfortunately trending is the ‘British Chav’. From Vicky Pollard to Vinnie Jones, it’s a football culture with hoodies and tracksuit bottoms. A lot of women in the 90′s mimicked the style of Jennifer Aniston in ‘Friends’ (isn’t she lovely!) Tattoo’s and body piercings became something of the now phase, with the alternative rock music giving an entirely different meaning to grunge.
The Naughty Noughts!
The 2000′s have been described as the “Mash-up decade”. Fashion has done a full circle and recycled styles from each era. There have been many different fashion styles of this decade, with each season relating to one in particular. For example, summer 2011 was very 70′s inspired, with wide legged trousers, chiffon shirts and platform wedges. Skinny jeans, sandals and the boho look has been completed. Ballet flats, over sized handbags, body con dresses, chiffon shirts, ugg boots, leggings and converse also trending, taking inspiration from the 60,s 70′s and 80′s. Elements of ‘Indie pop” and “Emo” street style were incorporated into outfits, along with glam rock. It’s now spring 2012 and we are faced with; decorative fabrics, tassels, sequins, beads, peplum, cats eye sunglasses, animal skin bags, chunky heels and silk scarves. Were reviving the 70′s!
Fashion is just a way of life. Your style screams; “This is what I do”. But, fashion also relies on change. A change in politics or history. Is fashion adapted or followed? That’s up too you to make your own judgement. But there’s three budding questions you should think about; Do you think, style wise, you would fit in any specific decade? What would be you’re ultimate diva of the decade outfit? And can you predict what style is next to hit the noughts? I wonder how similar everybody’s answers would be? Well why not step ahead of the game and dig deep into next seasons possible style. Whether it be more pastel, tassel, peplum or fur – make sure you are ready and raring for action. Remember, fashion is always impinging on the future.
