According to the Oxford Dictionary style is defined as “a style that is popular during a period of time”. Fashion has become more daring and experimental, compared to centuries ago when women were constrained by their corsets and the length of their skirts. In the words of late Karl Lagerfeld, “Fashion is something people are supposed to consume immediately, not in 10 years.”
Take a look back into history and see how fashion has evolved…
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The video below shows us how fashion has changed throughout the decades:
1910s
Women enhanced unnatural curves by wearing corsets and full skirts, this gave them an exaggerated hourglass figure that didn’t look comfortable.
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1920s
Women began to rebel against society and wear clothes that were loose and shapeless. We see the flapper dress reign supreme, giving women a sense of freedom and authority.
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1930s
This was the age of the Great Depression and World War II. Movies began to inspire women in their fashion choices and outfits became a little more glamorous, with fur coats and silks taking centre stage. This was also when women starting wearing pants.
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1940s
Fabric became scarce because of World War II. This made uniform-wear really popular, which was made of cotton rather than silk and other rich fabrics.
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1950s
Hemlines dropped even lower below the knee and fashion went back to full, feminine dresses. We also see pants gaining popularity as more women began to wear them.
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1960s
This was a time where the youth began having fun and creating their own different styles of fashion! We see pops of bright colours and shorter hemlines.
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1970s
The punk rock style was evident during the 1970s. We see bell-bottom pants, frayed jeans, mini dresses, pantsuits, and even ponchos!
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1980s
We would all recognise these trends in a heartbeat because we’re seeing them on today’s runways. Puffy sleeves, big shoulders, and tight skirts are all about the 80s. Do you remember the big hair and colourful tights?
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1990s
Fashion became casual rather than overly dressed. We see wide-legged pants, oversized tops and lots of denim. People selected trends they wanted to follow. Think punk rock, hippie-style or the popular grunge look.
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2000s
The 2000s were ruled by icons like the Spice Girls and Britney Spears who influenced fashion a lot. Women starting wearing crop tops, shiny fabrics and tight fitted dresses.
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What we’ve realised from the evolution of fashion is that every style or trend has it’s moment of greatness at a specific time, but sometimes it does make a comeback. If you look at the trends we focus on today and compare them to that of the past… the resemblance is definitely there.
By Fashion Editor, Tiamara Naidoo
