It's hard to believe that almost a century ago, citizens everywhere were dressing in tight-knit clothing that was careful not to reveal much in public. Just as fashion has changed so drastically, so too has the perception on how men and women should act in public. But as we'll see, more than just rebellion has helped shaped the fashion industry.
Many years ago, when the 1920's were starting to take shape, women started to become part of the flapper mold. Flappers, as they have come to be called, were eccentric and flexible types of clothing that allowed for a new generation of women to compare themselves to men as equals. Braziers even restricted the chest so as to give a more manly look to females- as to show their worth to men.
After World War II, the United States was just getting out of a horrible depression. Even after the effects of the depression and war, women and men had to dress conservatively to ensure there were enough materials for war efforts. Women often wore basic and durable clothing, as they were the ones running the factories while the men went to war.
The popular rebellion of what is expected and fight for freedom in fashion came in the 1960's, where hippies would dress for comfort rather than fashion or because of social norms. Hippies would wear loose-fitting clothes that were usually decorated with flowers or patches of some sort. This movement is commonly associated with the 1970's, although it got started in the 1960's.
More recently were the 1990's, where we all like to poke fun at the obscene colors and pastels that most wore throughout the decade. As grunge became increasingly popular in music, darker clothing and lifestyles also become more apparent. Different groups of cliques formed around different styles of clothing, in which gave this decade a simple stereotype of a melting pot of styles rather than one defining style.
As it stands today, fashion has become a melting pot of hundreds of different styles combine into one. There are the sophisticated business dresses that come from the 1980's, the pastels that we remember the 1990's by, and even the "flapper" styles that were popular almost a century ago. As it would look to be, it seems fashion is only going to continue to mix and match its way into a rather diverse and exciting field.
Closing Comments
The fun part is just about to begin: we get to see new fashions emerge as new and old fashions continue to merge and morph into still yet more fashion styles. As another century passes, we can only guess that what we consider normal now is completely odd to those looking back in time at our current fashions.
