History of Fashion: Part 2

Fashion is an ever-evolving phenomenon that has been recorded to change considerably through ages, making all the differences noteworthy. These differences recorded through ages have produced a lot of patterns especially when it comes to how fashions repeat themselves from time to time. Here’s continuing from 1940’s:

This was the era when popularity in ready-to-wear clothes emerged as there was now mass production of clothes. There were many Parisian boutiques that were forever closed down as now the poor aristocracy could not afford to buy those designer works. This was also the time when Nylon and Polyester were invented and it was a ground-breaking finding as clothes could be made cheaper. 

This was the time when the youth had a high disposable income and hence, they could dispose of it on different styles of clothing. This was the time when ‘blue jeans’ were popularized by an American actor and they started to be sold off in the markets. Film stars now emerged as fashion influencers and their styles were followed far and wide by all strata of society. Some of the greatest examples are Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando. 

This was the time when ready-to-wear became the winners of the fashion industry. Unisex clothing was raging, A-line dresses became extensively popular as they were liberating in the way that their draping wasn’t necessarily body hugging. This was also the time when mini-skirts came into being and also got high appreciation. 

Punk was the fashion of the 1970s, wherein the famous Vivienne Westwood made clothes for people who had strong preferences for large and uncanny hairdos, ripped dressing, and lots of accessories like chains and blades. Punks also did heavy smoky eyes, both men and women. Around this time even hippy got really famous, with flowy silhouettes, flared trousers, maxi dresses and boot cut pants getting a lot of attention. 

1. Fashion in the 1980s 

This was the time when jeans became really popular and were almost in every wardrobe. It became a staple lower for everyone to wear. Anything on the top but jeans on the lower, indefinitely. Also, fitness was a major thing around this time, and fitness brands like Nike, Reebok, and Adidas gained a lot of popularity. Things like tracksuits, training shoes, leggings became really famous and people started wearing them even outside of their work. 

1. Fashion in the 1990s 

This was the time when people started dressing in a very glamorous way. The dresses were gaudy and had excellent cuts. Around this time fashion shows and fashion models gained popularity. There was a new concept introduced into the fashion world which was ‘supermodel’. These supermodels had angelic figures and tall statures, so this followed into the movie industry as well - tall figured actresses were in demand. Subcultures got a lot of importance during this time. Synthetic materials like lycra gained a lot of popularity. Guess what, all of this is still in fashion, you can buy Men tights online, ladies tracksuit online, Brogue shoes online, and Men’s formal shoes.

Around this time, what drove fashion was how good the economy was. This was the first time PESTLE played a major role in determining how anything would be, let alone fashion. This was a time when ‘streetwear’ became really famous and people started thrift shopping. Flea markets became really popular too. Big brands gained huge popularity around this time and wearing one would determine one’s class.