1950s and 1960s: A Decade of Fashion and Fabrics

In the 1950s, the fashion industry was based mostly around teenagers and young adults. Before this time, adolescents were expected to follow in their parents’

People may say that the true years of fashion began in the late nineteen forties and went on through the early nineteen sixties. If you look at fashion today, its almost repeated the look from sixty years ago. In each generation fashion trends become based on history and/or important events. in the nineteen forties fashion was being modeled by the military wear. World War II caused a drastic change in the way clothes were being made and worn. In the nineteen fifties Americans admired the fashion of movie stars and music artists. Media had a strong influence on the wordly trend. The people of the sixties expressed there personalities and emotions through

The 1920’s fashion was a period of liberation, change, and even more importantly a movement towards the modern era. Fashion in the 1920’s varied throughout the decade but one could see the noticeable change from the previous fashion statements and eras. At the start of the decade, women began emancipating themselves from the constricting fashions by wearing more comfortable apparel. As women gained more rights and World War I forced them to become more independent, flappers came to be, mass-produced garments became available, and artistic movements increased in popularity, one can see how the fashions from the roaring twenties characterized the time and redefined womanhood. (1920s clothing 1)

The futuristic looks of 60s clothing were revived, as were the neon colors of the 80s, and the “hippie” style of the 70s (Korsnes n.p.). The fashion of the decade got many elements from previous styles, and many old trends were redesigned and made popular again. Thus, a lot of vintage clothing styles became very popular in this era. Because of globalization, designers based their items on various styles from around the world, causing the fashion of the 2000s to be more diverse, and become a mix and match of different styles. This increase in the variety of the styles made it easier to express one’s identity through fashion (Rindfuss

This essay will explore the effects social and political changes had on fashion in the 1980’s. This period was chosen because the new romantic fashions were so different to the punk fashions that had been before, this essay will therefore identify the changes that had taken place to influence this change. Primary evidence used to support findings will include interviews and photographs which will show a firsthand account of the period.

In Australia, the fashion of the 1960s emulated the political and cultural changes at the time. This fashion revolution was youth driven and showed their rejection of social standards. For women, the mini skirt came into trend, introduced by fashion icon Twiggy (Leslie Hornby). This above-the-knee skirt came into fashion in a revolt against people telling women how to express themselves and their bodies that came with the womens rights movement and the introduction of the pill. Men wore tunics, capes and more feminine clothing as pants became tighter and they dawned silk scarfs. This shift from masculine clothing to dabbling in the side of feminine, was because of the changing idea of gender and sexuality. Men also tried to recreate the look of the Beatles; in sharp and clean suits due the bands popularity at the time. Nearing the end of the 1960s, hippie fashion came into style. This era of fashion was dominated by bright, swirling colours, tie-dye, paisley prints, loose fitting clothing, flowers, peace signs, etc. This change in fashion was in response to the Vietnam war. People wore their clothes as a political statement, showing their embracement towards love and freedom.

Throughout the 1920s through the 1950s Women’s clothing in America was affected by World War II, which lead to the exploration of different styles, the encounter of new trends and the exchange of ideas and new styles.

Technology has had a major impact on the progress of fashion between the 1945’s and 1960’s and beyond. People used to have busy lifestyles before the growth of technology to help them. During WW2, there was a shortage of fabrics and people needed to preserve them. However, once the world got into a stable post-war time which were the 50s, there were more intricate outfits which used large amounts of fabric. Technology also allowed more different varieties of dyes and fibers to be made which added more of a personal touch to fashion and gave a feeling of wellbeing and comfort.

While the 1950s stressed conformity, the 1960s gave full vent to those impulses. The 1960s was a period of transformational change, when long-held values and social norms broke down and were replaced with idealism and rebellion. It is also described as ‘’a breakthrough, a fleeting moment of glory, a time when a significant chunk of humanity realised its moral potential and flirted with its neurological destiny’’ . The young people did not want to reform the society, they did however want to overhaul it, remake it and if needed, destroy it . The sweeping social changes and prevailing attitudes of the decade were epitomised through the rejection of conventions and traditions associated with many aspects of life, including fashion. As Coco Chanel stated, ‘’fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening’’ . Many of these changes were prompted by the feminist movement, the space race and the Vietnam War. Evidently, new fashion trends emerged which reflected these new ideals. Some of the most prevalent trends included revealing clothing, space age designs and alternative hippie clothing.

Marilyn Monroe once said “Women's cloths should be tight enough to show that you're a woman, but also show that you're a lady.” Seeing women in the 50’s, many of them looked up at famous or well known models or actors such as Marilyn Monroe. We see hats and sunglasses, start to be involved in their attire. Jewelry and makeup start to blend with the fashion, We also see the pencil and poofy dresses being worn. Women that work in formal places where high heels and pant suits to look professional. Today we see some girls pay hundred of dollars on dresses, and in the 50’s women would pay anywhere from 99 cents to fifty dollar dresses (1950’s Fashion). Although we have seen how fashion was for women and teenagers one of the biggest changes in fashion was for the

The author of Fashion of the Decade states, “Women’s 1960s fashion was extreme style and attitude from the start of the decade to the end”(Yvonne Connikie). The 60s audacious, funky patterns and colors as bright as a new penny were a new style influenced by modern day teenagers and pop culture. For example, The History of Popular Culture book states, “It was the whole idea of a return to youth that drove most of the fashion in the 1960s”(Michael Bergan). During the 60’s half of the population in the United States was under 25, making the modern day fashion whimsical, and full of bright colors. At the beginning of the valiant decade, the pencil dress dominated and could be found at any boutique and shop in its various different colors and patterns and for the guys, the classic old suit with a tie was an everyday necessity. However, as the decade progressed the outfits became more casual, and typically guys would wear penny loafer shoes with a tailored sports jacket and a long overcoat. In addition, woman progressed into more casual clothes as well. They would wear shift dresses, that were wide, open, and were shorter than the typical dresses in the fifties. The text states, “there is no such thing as too short”(Sheila Hardy). As the decade furthered the dresses and skirts became shorter by the minute. The jumper dresses and mini skirts were sold shorter than they ever had been before. However, it wasn't as easy as

It also describes how people wore costumes, hippie styles and Twiggy Styles. Most of the fashion was carefree and hippie. Two items that were big hits and survived in the whole 1960s were the mini-skirts and the knee-length boots. Nothing looked better than a mini-skirt with a good pair of knee-length boots. Michael Rich describes the styles people preferred and the concept of fashion people had in their minds. She also emphasizes that hippie, carefree style influenced the society. People preferred public bus than a car because it was more ‘groovy’. Michael Rich explains how people were ‘swaggy’ and ‘hippie’ through

Fashion is important because it captures your personality. Sometimes the clothes you are wearing can say more about you than any words can. Advertising fashion has been part of the lives of people from the 1950's to 2016. “Advertising industry plays an important purpose in our society by being the main source of information for consumers and products”(O'Neil). The assorted trends from the decades create a personality for the people at the time. Societal views on people and clothes tend to affect the next in-style clothing item.

The 1940’s was a turning point in fashion when the New Look by Christian Dior was created in 1947. The new silhouette included soft rounded shoulders, was nipped in the waist, and had a long full skirt. This silhouette along with Christian Dior’s tight-skirted silhouette in dresses and suits and the A-line look all continued into the 1950’s and remained the three main silhouettes for most of the decade. His three silhouettes influenced all kinds of attire including prom dresses, casual everyday wear and even children’s clothing. Figure 4 shows my great grandmother and grandfather in their home in 1955. Everyday dresses were very important during this time because many women did not work but still wanted to remain fashionable in their home.

The Years between the 1950’s and 1960’s was an explosive time in fashion. The 50’s represented an out coming of the new generation. People began to gain their own personal style and appearance, influenced by films and singers (“Vintage Fashion”). Their styles incorporated leather, jeans, corduroy, and the ballet shoes for the girls. Men’s wear began to drastically change. Men would wear a leather jacket, with jeans that narrowed at the bottom, and a simple t-shirt (Peacock 210-211). This was the first time in history that jeans were not just worn by the working class but by all men (“Brief History”). The man’s lust for flesh grew during this time, so women’s skirts began to get shorter and the bikini was invented. Clothes were made to glorify the female body and emphasize every curve. It wasn’t until the Barbie doll was created in the late 50’s that young girls began to have a separate fashion from their mothers. Young girls would wear sweaters with full skirts or pants