Fashion is an art form that helps you express your radiant self and channel your inner vibe. In today’s world, even wearing a sweatshirt is considered a classy fashion statement. However, it is safe to say that it was not always like this.
Fashion has a rich history of evolving from corsets to pencil skirts and mini dresses to the all-encompassing entity that it is today. It has been influenced by politics, culture, and the star icons of the time. This is a brief look into the evolution of fashion and how it has shaped today’s trends.
Fashion Through the Decades
Before the 20th century, fashion was only reserved for wealthy people since they were the only ones who could afford the trends. A pivotal change was observed in the fashion trends as Coco Chanel revolutionized the 1920s. The glistening Gatsby era saw casual dressing normalization as Coco exchanged corset dresses for little black dresses, espadrilles, and costume jewelry. The revolution also brought with it trousers for women, which was a huge step up from long Victorian dresses that continued for the next few decades.
The 1940s saw Katherine Hepburn in her iconic masculine dressing with a shirt and ill-fitting trousers. This style gave birth to many unisex trends in women of that time. With the advent of the 1950s, the people had been introduced to Christian Dior’s most iconic and wide-known trend of the time – a pencil skirt. It became a staple in many households when Jackie Kennedy, First Lady of the time, wore it to many events.
The 1960s brought the “rebellious era” as fashion grew wild. The political and social instability gave people the liberty to try anything from shorter hemlines to Mary Quant’s miniskirts. Emilio Pucci brought his signature Mod fashion into play, characterized by bold prints, bright colors, and abstract geometries. Longer hemlines, tighter pants, and Bohemian dresses came into play as the experimentation continued into the 1970s. The decade brought flowing skirts, wrap dresses, and peasant-like embroidered clothes. The D.I.Y. punk rock era of the 1980s initiated leather and denim jackets adorned with studs and spikes. A more colorful side saw platform boots and bell-bottom jeans, all of it fueled by influential rock bands of the time.
Looking back over two decades ago, the era of music saw the trends of baggy jeans, short sweaters, and short bobs. The popular sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S. heavily influences the fashion trends of the ’90s, with Jennifer Anniston in the spotlight.
Unique Fashion Styles in 2020
Whatever the time or style or era, fashion has a way of coming back to us. In recent years we have seen many trends of the 70s and 90s in popular hip stores.
- The GUESS 2020 Collection of women’s t-shirts, skirts, and tunics takes us back to the 1990s aesthetic and nostalgic era of our times. As G.E.S.S. brings back the monochromatic tee-shirts, nylon shorts, and jackets with a splash of colors, stripes, and logos, retro looks are no longer a thing of the past.
- Z.A.R.A. is trending with an oversized and muted color clothes collection. Its leather overshirt, wide-leg pants, oversized vest, and coats are cooler than ever. Z.A.R.A. also recently introduced Faux Leather Dresses in softened colors, which made the spotlight of many fashion magazines.
- Victoria Secret’s 2020 fashion features luxurious silk, animal prints, sheer floral laces, and many other elegant and unique details.
- Louis Vuitton’s Ready-To-Wear attires are frock style coats, shirts with puff sleeves, and added layers to suits for women’s collections.
- Christian Dior 2020 collection is a pandemic uniform for everyone. Tie-Dye has become a great obsession during the pandemic. Dior’s collection of bags, scarves, phone covers, hoodies, tops, and dresses have hopped to quarantine craze.
- Gucci brought back the bucket style bags introduced by Louis Vitton in 1932, becoming a viral trend.
Make Your Clothes Speak for You
While the world fits into ever-evolving fashion trends of the years, you shouldn’t forget that the 40s dress tucked at the back of the closet or the biker jacket in the thrift store was also a fashion trend at some point. Fashion always comes in cycles and though we don’t have to worry about culottes or bustles coming back in style, we have to realize that the zeitgeist often rules what people deem as acceptable and fashionable. And these days convenience and comfort rule the day. Though the fashion of the past may come back, there is always a modern twist that marks it as of this century. So as you don your clothes and style your hair, remember that you are letting your style speak louder than ever for you!
