History of Fashion

1940 – 1949Mood of the decade

• Women re-entered the workforce• Parisian fashion houses closed their doors due

to German invasion of Paris• American fashion designers emerged• L-85 (General Limitations Order) restricted

amount of fabric used in production of apparel.– Designers had to create fashions that would remain

stylish through multiple seasons.– A new style of suits for women had short skirts and

short jackets of twenty-five inches or less in length.– Sheath (see glossary) evening dresses replaced the

long flowing gowns of the thirties.• Other restrictions limited use of silk, wool,

rubber, metal• Shorter skirts• Sloppy Joe sweaters• Bikini introduced• Tailored masculine-looking suit

• Women wanted a return to more feminine designs.• Christian Dior introduced the “New Look” with rounded shoulders, fuller bust-lines, and fuller skirts fifteen inches off the ground.• Paris was re-established as the center of the fashion world.

World War II

Postwar Fashion Freedom

People who influenced the fashions of this decade

• Christian Dior – designer of the “New Look”; first designer to license his name

• Norman Norrell – winner of the first Coty American Fashion Critics Award (the American fashion designer’s version of the Oscar); known for sweaters with luxurious skirts and beaded sheath gowns; founder of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA see glossary)

• Cristobal Balenciaga – known for huge evening coats, long, full skirts, pillbox hats, and chemise dresses

• Jacques Fath – first French designer to export his designs to the United States

• Elsa Schiaparelli – known for surreal designs and bold use of color, especially shocking pink and ice blue

• Adrian – Hollywood costume designer whose screen fantasies influenced street fashions

1950-1959Mood of the decade

• Korean War• Color television introduced• Rock-n-Roll explosion– Teenagers emerged as a fashion voice.– Leather jackets and T-shirts with the

sleeves rolled up– White shirts and blue jeans– Letter sweaters– Beatniks– American Bandstand– Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan

Show.

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Moving to the suburbs– Sportswear emerges– Pedal pushers, slacks, halters, shirtwaist

dresses– Cashmere sweaters with a matching scarf– Poodle skirts– Single-breasted jackets, narrow lapels,

and natural shoulders– Tapered trousers and penny loafers– Shopping malls are built.

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Ivy League look– Men wore neat single-breasted

jackets with narrow lapels, pressed trousers, with white, yellow, or pale blue button-down collared shirts, and ties.

– Female students dressed in twin sweater sets, or Peter-Pan collared blouses and sweaters, with pencil-slim or pleated skirts.

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Hairstyles– Girls wore ponytails early in the

decade. Later, the beehive was popular.

– Boys “trained” their hair into greased-back ducktails and carried a comb at all times.

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Shoes and accessories– Two-toned bucks– Bobby socks

People who influenced fashions

• Designer influence was significant– Dior—the A-line

silhouette for women– Givenchy—the

chemise or “sack” dress

– Claire McCardell—sashes, harem pajamas, bias-cut, dartless clothes

People who influenced fashions (cont.)

• Movie idols and musicians– Elvis Presley—

international rock-n-roll star

– James Brown—rhythm and blues singer

– James Dean—teen idol movie star

– Marlon Brando—movie star

1960-1969Mood of the decade

• Civil Rights Movement– Black Pride– The Afro– African prints– Dashiki: A loose,

brightly-colored African tunic.

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Youthquake Revolution– Youth take ownership

of the decade– Mod look: Clothing

with psychedelic colors and geometric designs.

– Go-Go Look with mini skirts, white go-go boots

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Election of John F. Kennedy– Youngest president in history– The bare-headed President

Kennedy begins the demise of the men’s hat industry.

– First Lady Jackie Kennedy is the fashion icon of the decade wearing Chanel suits and simple dresses, pillbox hat, pearls, and low-heeled shoes.

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Man walks on the moon– Pierre Cardin and André

Courreges are called the space age designers.

– Space age and futuristic looks appear on high fashion runways.

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Onset of the women’s liberation movement– See through blouses, no bra– Unisex look– Pantyhose introduced (Glen Raven Mills, NC, 1959)

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Anti-war movement (Vietnam)– Hippie look, suede

fringe jackets, appliquéd bell-bottom trousers, tie-dyed shirts, love beads, granny glasses, and peace symbols.

– Woodstock Festival

People who influenced fashions• Decreased designer influence

– Mary Quant—London designer who introduced the miniskirt

– Twiggy—skinny British model who became the top model of the sixties

– Emilio Pucci—exotic, psychedelic, beautiful prints

– Yves St. Laurent—fresh approach to fashion with Mondrian-inspired shift dress

• Jackie Kennedy• Audrey Hepburn—classics such as

the “little black dress”

1970-1979Mood of the decade

• Watergate Scandal• Vietnam war ends• Dawn of the Disco, Studio 54,

Saturday Night Fever– John Travolta’s white suit with

an open-necked shirt.– Platform shoes– Bell-bottom hip-hugger pants– Hot pants with white go-go

boots

Mood of the decade• Punk Rock, short-lived anti-social and anti-fashion

movement– Torn, frayed clothing– Body piercing– Spiked hair colored pink or green– T-shirts being worn as

billboards– Political statement designs

Mood of the decade• Rap and hip-hop

emerge– Athletic clothes– Track suits– Excessive

amounts of gold jewelry

Mood of the decade• Ethnic influence–Macramé bags– Crochet waistcoats

and shawls– Ponchos– Gypsy tops with

gathered necklines trimmed with bells and puffed sleeves

–Nehru jackets

Mood of the decade• “Me” decade, self

indulgence– String bikini– Tight clothes–Men’s leisure suits– Designer jeans– Hand-braided

friendship bracelets

Mood of the decade• Feminism, sexual equality,

women’s lib, equal rights– Bra burning– Women no longer wear girdles– Women buy pantyhose– Women wear pants and

pantsuits– Double-knit polyester man-

made fabrics– Micro, mini, midi, and maxi

skirts

Mood of the decade• Shoes– Platforms– Clogs

• Movies and their stars– Annie Hall—women

wearing oversize men’s shirts, very long skirts, khaki pants, and men’s hats

– Grease—leather motorcycle jackets

Mood of the decade• Television– Charlie’s Angels—

Farrah Fawcett Major’s hair style and flared trousers

– Happy Days—Fonzie’s leather jacket, jeans, white shirt

– Dukes of Hazzard—Daisy Duke’s cutoff jean shorts

People who influenced fashion

• Yves Saint Laurent—womenswear based on menswear

• Halston—use of cashmere• Calvin Klein—denim jeans• Mary McFadden—fine

pleating• Bill Blass—sporty,

sophisticated classics

1980-1989Mood of the decade

• Excess– Shoulder pads, retro 1940s– Big hair– Brand names appeared on outside of garment

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• MTV–Music becomes visual–Videos become a major

influence on apparel choices• Lace tops, tight skirts• Bustier worn by Madonna

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Television influence– Dallas—jeans, boots, western shirts,

and cowboy hat– Dynasty—wide shoulder silhouettes– Miami Vice —T-shirts worn under

Armani suits, pastel colors for men– General Hospital —Luke and Laura– Lady Diana Spencer weds Prince

Charles– Diana’s wedding dress becomes one

of the most copied in the world

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Workout craze, Jane Fonda– Legwarmers, leotards, sneakers– Nike, Reebok– Women left their high-heels at home and

wore sneakers to work– Introduction of the thong bikini– Stirrup pants– Warm-up suits– Flashdance—increased the popularity of

legwarmers, sweatshirt fabric, and sweatshirts with cut out necks

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Punk–Dog collars–Mohawk

hairstyles– Leather jackets

and chains

People who influenced fashion

• Ralph Lauren—classic silhouettes• Calvin Klein—minimalist look,

designer jeans• Donna Karan—women’s career

apparel• Giorgio Armani—menswear

styles from American Gigolo• First Ladies—Nancy Reagan and

Barbara Bush

1990-1999Mood of the decade

• Sandra Day O’Connor—first woman on Supreme Court

• AIDS first identified• Collapse of the Soviet Union

and the expansion of overseas companies

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Longest bull market in Wall Street history–More luxurious fashions are

introduced as people have more money to spend.

–More luxurious fabrics enter the market.

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Casual Friday—khakis, polos, loafers, jeans with company T-shirts worn to work

• Internet– Finger-tip access to global fashion

information–Online shopping

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Street Fashions–Hip-Hop style– Jeans, logo T-shirts, windbreakers,

all oversized–Body piercing–Tattooing–Doc Martens–Backpack purses

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Megabrands–Youthquake with Tommy Hilfiger– FUBU–Banana Republic– J. Crew–Old Navy, The Gap, Abercrombie

and Fitch–Tweens (8 to 12 years old), Gap

Kids, Limited Too

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Women’s competitive and adventure sports—Example: WNBA–Athletic shoes– Sports bras

People who influenced fashion

• Princess Diana—most photographed woman ever

• Tommy Hilfiger—“brand image” designer

• Gianni Versace—designer with rock star type sex appeal

• Isaac Mizrahi—high-fashion designer whose line is sold exclusively by Target

• Ralph Lauren—“preppy” styles for men and women

People who influenced fashion

• Music, movies, and television– Garth Brooks—western shirts

– Shania Twain—bare midriffs and tight fitting clothes

– Back Street Boys—“oversized” clothes

– Madonna—the bustier– Jennifer Aniston—“Rachel” hairdo on

Friends

People who influenced fashion

– Russell Simmons—Phat Farm hip-hop clothing

– Sean John Combs (“P. Diddy”)—denim-based signature sportswear for men and boys

2000-2010Mood of the decade

• Y2K—The Millennium Bug• Unclear winner in the United

States Presidential Election• Firestone recalled tires• Microsoft ordered to split• September 11, 2001 attack on

the Twin Towers• Taliban regime

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Anthrax scare• Invasion of Iraq• Stem cell research• Number of AIDS victims rises• Arnold Schwarzenegger became

Governor of California• Recording industry cracked down on

people who illegally swapped more than 1,000 songs over the Internet

Mood of the decade (cont.)

• Saddam Hussein captured December 13, 2003

• Street wear– Low-rise jeans– Slashed T-shirts– Overtly sexual clothes– Bling bling (big

jewelry)– Ugg boots

People who are influencing fashion

• Valentino• Paris Hilton• Rappers and Hip

Hop artists in music videos— baggy pants, big jewelry (bling bling) and urban wear (Enyce, Rocawear, Baby Phat, Phat Farm)

People who are influencing fashion (cont.)

• Rappers and Hip Hop artists– Sean “P.Diddy” Combs– Lil Kim—increased the

popularity of wearing weave and wigs

– Camron—increased the popularity of males wearing the color pink

– Jay-Z—wearing earrings in both ears

People who are influencing fashion (cont.)

• Film and popstars– Britney Spears—

bare-midriff tops, skimpy skirts and shorts

– Janet Jackson—bare, sexy, metallic, urban streetwear

People who are influencing fashion (cont.)

• Celebrities who have clothing lines– Beyonce Knowles– Jennifer Lopez– Sean Combs– Russell Simmons– Jessica Simpson– Reba McEntyre