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1940s (Part 1)
World War 2 was a major turning point for women's fashion which changed clothing forever. Due to rationing, dresses and skirts became knee length instead of full-length. Because many women took on 'men's jobs' during the war, fashion became more 'masculine' with women wearing pants which were much more practical than skirts and dresses. After the war, many women were encouraged to go back to being more feminine. However, a lot of women preferred being able to wear more practical clothes and -
1940s (Part 2)
continued to, even though it was frowned upon by much of society. Even though rationing wasn't necessary after the war, knee-length skirts stayed in fashion. The convertible suit was a huge trend which included a knee-length skirt, a jacket and a blouse, which could be won in the evening without a jacket. Jackets with padded shoulders were very popular. The silhouette was an inverted triangle shape. Hair was short to shoulder length and curled. -
1950s (part 1)
During the 1950's there was the baby boom and the cold war. Fashion was shaped by Paris fashion houses. 1940's shoulder pads were replaced by rounded shoulders. Skirts became longer and bust and hips were emphasized with small waists. Popular colours were bright and 'girly' colours like pale pink, yellow and baby blue. Teenagers started to become interested in fashion, so separate style and fashion for teenagers started to become popular. -
1950s (part 2)
Rock n roll music had a huge influence on the style of clothes. Popular trends were poodle skirts, saddle shoes and capri pants. The silhouette was an hourglass shape with an accented lower half. -
1960s (part 1)
In the 1960s, even more teenagers became interested in fashion. Clothes became much cheaper so that everyone could afford fashion, especially teenagers who were a large target audience for the fashion industry. Fashion photography became popular rather than illustration. -
1960s (part 2)
The 60s was known as the Age of Pop and also known as the Modernist Space age. Clothes were usually in very bright colours and often had retro patterns. Some popular items of clothing were A-line dresses, mini-skirts, pantsuits and pillbox hats. The silhouette was a tubular shape. Pop music influenced fashion, creating a retro 'Pop Fashion' style. -
1960s (part 3)
The Beatles embraced this style on the cover of 'Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band' album. Alternative fashion styles were 'hippie' and 'rockers'. The 'beehive' was known as the hairstyle of the decade. Audrey Hepburn wore this hairstyle, which helped grow its popularity. The 'bob' and 'pageboy' haircuts were also very popular. -
1970s (part 1)
Some popular items of clothing in the 70s were smock tops, t-shirts, mini-skirts, mules, jersey wrap dresses, tracksuits. The 'hippie' look included clothing items such as flared jeans, long flowing skirts, flared-sleeved tops, fringed-clothing, headbands, circle shaped sunglasses and long straight hair. -
1970s (part 2)
The 'disco' look included lots of bright colours, shiny or metallic colours, platform shoes, flared pants, roller skates and tall boots. 70s fashion was all about looking 'groovy' and many bold patterns and large flower prints were used. Fashion was highly influenced by African culture as black people were becoming more racially-accepted. -
1970s (part 3)
Unisex clothing was a trend and it became much more acceptable for women to wear pants. Popular types of pants were flared pants, high waisted jeans and hotpants. Punk fashion emerged and there was more diversity in style than there had been in previous decades. -
1980s (part 1)
1980s fashion influences were pop music, aerobics and dance. Clothing was very "funky" and bright with many neon colours used. A lot of exercise wear and logo wear were popular. Other popular clothing items were leggings, legwarmers, baggy blazers, sweaters, designer jeans, khaki, high-top sneakers, jelly shoes and heeled-shoes. High pony tails, scrunchies, big, curled hair and perms were very popular. -
1980s (part 2)
The Material girl/valley girl look was popular which typically consisted of a bright top, with leggings and a mini skirt. The 'Yuppie' (Young Urban Professional) movement influenced looks like power dressing and business suits which had a 'preppy look' and exaggerated shoulder pads and details. The silhouette was a European V-shaped Inverted triangle. -
1990s (part 1)
Influences of fashion in the 90s were new technology, internet, skateboarding and hip hop. The 90s was the age of electronics. There were many diverse styles in the 90s as personal expression dominated trends in fashion. The 'Tom-boy' look became popular for teenage girls which included clothes that were seen as being stereotypically for boys or men. -
1990s (part 2)
The grunge look was very popular in the 90s. This featured dark colours, ripped clothes, flannel tops, oversized/baggy clothes and chokers. The punk look was very popular in the 90s which was similar to grunge but a bit more dark and over-the-top. Preppy fashion was popular and retro 60s fashion came back along with minimalism. Bare midriffs and two piece formal clothes were big trends as well. -
Bibliography (part 1)
Darlington, Robert, 2012, JacPlus History Alive chapter 5.3 Fads and fashions, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2012, Milton, Queensland 2009, "A Short History of Women's Fashion - 1900 to 1969", Glamour Daze, 9/11/15, http://glamourdaze.com/history-of-womens-fashion Ivanova, Irina, 2009, "20th century fashion history timelines", ARTdesignFASHION, 9/11/15
http://www.artdesignfashion.com/timelines/ -
Bibliography (part 2)
2011, Larson, Esther, "Fashion History", SlideShare, 9/11/15, http://www.slideshare.net/estherlarson/fashion-history 2007, "The History of 20th Century Women's Clothing", Random History, 9/11/15, http://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/003clothing.html All fashion history in 140 seconds, Video, 1500 Brasil, 17th June 2010, viewed 10/11/15, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrmbwThy3Iw -
Bibliography (Part 3)
100 Years of Fashion: Women, Video, Mode, 3rd June 2015, viewed 10/11/15, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4z90wlwYs8 100 YEARS / STYLE / EAST LONDON, Video, Westfield Stratford City, 26th August 2011, viewed 10/11/15, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JxfgId3XTs Fashion Through the Decades | The Fashion Statement with Amy Pham & Teni Panosian, Video, The Platform, 17th March 2015, viewed 10/11/15, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19XWKCuhJQs
