Oscar Wilde once said, “Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.” It is a way of life that is ever evolving with new styles, trends and colours continually coming to the fore.
However, there are some particular trends that don't seem to want to disappear. There are some which are more favoured than others, for example the extreme shoulder pad, fanny pack and dungarees and its fair to say that some will continue to stand the test of time.
The 1920s was an exciting decade for fashion, as women shortened their skirts, showed their ankles for the first time, and bobbed their hair, and yet many of those trends can be seen on the high street once more today. With thanks to Baz Lurhmann’s remake of the film the Great Gatsby, drop waist tea dresses, Peter Pan collars, and marabou trims have all made reappearances in fashion. Model and fashion extraordinaire Kate Moss wowed audiences when she wore a 1920’s wedding dress back in 2011, proving that you can always channel your inner Gatsby.
Despite being a period of economic struggle, the ‘30s was an era of revolutionary style with thanks to advancements in clothing production. Although it is a myth that she invented the LBD, Coco Chanel is undeniably influential in popularizing it and still to this day it’s an essential in any girls wardrobe! With thanks to her influence in woman’s fashion through the introduction of the jersey knit suit, functionality became just as important as appearance and this led onto sweaters and cardigans becoming famous in the 30’s. On today’s high street, the different possibilities of a cardigan are endless. Chunky knit, fine knit, short, long, boyfriend, oversized, vintage, coatigan…
1940’s fashion was somewhat overshadowed by WWII, however there are still some items of clothing which made an impact. When Christian Dior introduced his ‘New Look’ in 1947, the collection’s superfluous fabric and emphasis on a woman’s hourglass figure was such a stark contrast to the straight and narrow silhouette of less and lean ‘40s clothing. Pencil and peplum skirts, the ‘look at me suit’ and shoulder pads came to the fore, all very popular with WAG Victoria Beckham.
It can be said that the 1950’s was one of the most influential eras when it comes to fashion, with many of its trends still being reinvented today. Rock and roll was born and with it came leather jackets and skinny jeans, two items of clothing favoured by all and seen in many high street stores. Stiletto-heeled shoes emerged in the early 1950s and shoes moved away from the basic black and tan were available to be bought in a variety of colours to match any outfit. However, this season it’s all about the monochrome so find your ideal heel in black or white to go with any outfit.
Fashion is a big influence in how society or a culture develops; the mini skirt became popular in the 1960’s reflecting the fact that attitudes towards sex and the female body were becoming more liberal. Now it’s something you wouldn't think about wearing twice on a night out. World events can also inspire the clothes we wear, the 1970’s being a great example: The hippy movement certainly sparked a fashion style, with the revival of the vintage paisley print in 2008 and tie-dye slowly appearing in stores this season.
A lot of 1970’s fashion trends remained throughout the 80s, however the decade still taught us terms like MC Hammer pants, neon, and legwarmers; three things which should probably be kept for those days as a fresher. On the other hand, they have all been revived at some point since on the high street, and neon is in fact one of this seasons trends, but if you find its too much for you then stick to accessories or a basic tee to still stay fashion conscious.
Looking back, the 1990s is hardly one of the most tasteful fashion decades. It just screams Madonna and her infamous conical bra! Also from the 1990’s came dungarees, jelly shoes and hair scrunchies; all of which have been revived for this summer. Stars such as Jennifer Aniston and Kylie Minogue favour dungarees as part of a casual, off-duty style. In the same way the sweatshirt is increasingly being adapted for office and evening wear, dungarees in 2013 are classier than their 1990s predecessors.
On the high street you will find tailored, leather and the classic denim versions. Wear yours over a crop top, another 90’s revival. Its fair to say that Rihanna is responsible for the resurrection of the crop top, and they feature heavily in her debut collection for River Island, with relaxed, simple shapes influenced by Luxe Sportswear.
2000 to present sees the fusion of previous trends and styles and the introduction of vintage clothing from the previous eras. Boot cut jeans and flares made a revival from 70’s with Boho-chic the trend to be seen in, skinny jeans were reintroduced in the earlier part of the decade. The go-with-everything jean was best paired with a stiletto heel, shearling boot or a dolly shoe pump, the three-shoe trends of the time.
During this period the fashions from numerous music-based sub-cultures came to the fore, for example indie pop, heavy metal and hip-hop. One iconic accessory, which is now making a comeback, is the ever-famous John Lennon-esque sunglasses.
