American Fashion Throughout The Decades
Fashion Throughout History
Fashion in America derives its roots from its diverse cultural heritages. In its early days, the inhabitants of the American lands consisted of immigrants from around the world, resulting in a diverse set of culture and fashion. While the melting pot of immigrants united officially to form a nation, many of the groups still retained a sense of their individual culture. Since its formation as a country, its fashion industry has undergone many eras and transformations. New York City and Los Angeles are currently considered the centers of America’s fashion industry, with New York City having a foot in the door for the world’s “big four” global fashion capitals.
In 17th century colonial America, the first settlers in New England lived in somewhat primitive conditions, and clothing tended to be more necessity-based than luxury. Closets having not yet come into existence, wardrobes were stored in chests. Clothing supplies were scarce as well; they had to be pre-ordered by the colony and transported by a long and unreliable voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Since the clothing was ordered and delivered in bulk, one did not have much of a creative license when it came to style.
18th century American fashion expanded because of its newly established economy and the takeoff of textile production. After having the supplies and mechanism of producing its own textiles, American fashion took off. Skirts and sleeves were long and went past the elbows, yet fitted loosely so as to be able to push up one’s sleeves if necessary. Regions took on different styles depending on the climate and culture. In southern American colonies such as Virginia, women wore gowns of “lustring”, which was a light weight form of silk that tended to be more suitable for hotter weather. Corsets, also known as “stays”, were worn at all occasions to give women the ideal figure. In New England, high waisted empire style dresses were popular, and derived from Josephine Bonaparte’s French influence.
19th century clothing took on a bell shape skirt along with heavy layers of petticoats. The added layers on the skirt was at first seen as controversial because it symbolized a sense of materialism that contradicted with
the simple and pious lifestyles recommended for women. Later in the 19th century, the first department stores emerged, and increased the ease and efficiency of shopping.
Several significant looks also emerged during this time period. “Bloomers” were long, loose ankle-length trousers for women, and were greatly aligned with female rights. Much controversy sprung from this garment, as women were ridiculed and feared for wearing such a masculine costume. The “hoop skirt” emerged as well as a more lightweight alternative to dresses with many layers. Other inventions such as the first synthetic dye and the early bra made their debut in the American market in the late 1850’s and early 1860’s. In the 1880’s, jeans came onto the market, yet were more so for men until the 20th century.
In early 20th century, worker protests and unions in the garment industry made a brief dent in the industry, with countless back and forth between workers and factory owners eventually resulting in fairer working conditions.
In the 1920’s, WWI brought a sense of freedom and independence to women in the US, as modernity was brought with the “flapper” era. With the women’s suffrage act in 1919, women aspired to look younger and no longer felt forced to appear older to gain respect. They began to wear looser garments, shorter hemlines, shorter hairstyles, and tight-fitting caps. After the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, fashion was at a standstill and did not undergo much progression.
Post WWII, there was an economic boom and a gravitation towards consumerism. Unlike the independent and rebellious attitude of the flappers, women in the 1950’s were expected to retreat into their role as a homemaker. The main reason for this was because so many lives were lost in the war, men came back and wanted to focus on family life (hence the “baby boom” of the 1950’s). In transition back to the homemaker role, conformity was encouraged and the hourglass figure became popular. For the suburban women, long, bright, flowy dresses were the style. For the working women, form-fitting pencil skirts going down to the knee was common.
In arguably one of the most noteworthy cultural decades of American history, 1960’s style found itself in an age of counterculture and revolutionary trends. The barriers between men and women fashion were broken, as unisex clothing was introduced. The classic unisex outfit consisted of denim jeans, leather jackets, or t-shirts. Prior to that, it was scandalous for a women to even dress with an ounce of similarity to men’s fashion. The British trend “Mod fashion” gained popularity in the United States, also known as “Greasers”. This style included leather jackets, slicked back hair, ripped jeans, and tight fitting shirts. Late 1960’s brought the hippie culture, originating in California. This movement was anti-consumerism, often using hand-made clothing and accessories. Brighter colors, paisley patterns, looser fits, the rejection of the girdle and brassieres were all results of this era. Additionally, women were less inclined to wear makeup or style their hair, and wore it long and unkempt.
The 1970’s brought a “return to normalcy”, and the concept of unisex clothing became even more established. Women wore pantsuits to the workplace, and skirts of varying lengths. Tight tops paired with loose fitting bottoms was popular for both men and women. Bellbottoms were particularly representative of this trend, as well as bold patterns, sports jackets, pleated pants, maxi skirts, and long dresses with slits.
Pushing boundaries with new and creative styles, the 1980’s in America set several trends. Madonna and Cyndi
Lauper were key proponents of bright and funky color combinations. Bright and tight leggings with chunky sweaters and off the shoulder tops became popular. Layers and heavy accessories gained popularity, with large hoop earrings and heavy bangles making an appearance. Hairstyles became more voluptuous, and makeup became bolder. In the workplace, a trend known as “power dressing” became popular for women. It involved a tailored look, inspired by costume drama fashion such as Dynasty. Common characteristics were wide shoulders, batwing sleeves, and shoulder pads. The widening of the shoulder created a somewhat masculine effect for women in the workplace, pushing for more equality.
Minimalist and comfort fashion emerged in the 1990’s. Grunge music inspired idea of “anti-fashion”, with flannel shirts and darker, more somber colors. British footwear reached America with its Doc Martens. Loose fitting denim jeans, mondetta t-shirts, crop tops, and naval piercings were popular. Hair was kept long and straight in the beginning, but then short and spiky when the punk phase made an appearance, as well as unnatural hair colors such as blue or pink. In late 1990’s, the “preppy” look was created, originally inspired by Tommy Hilfiger. Khaki pants and corduroy fabrics were in style, and the skort was invented (half skirt half shorts). Spaghetti straps were common for girls, and it was more fashionable to show more skin and cleavage. Pink became the most predominant color in late 1990’s, yet close seconds were yellow, lime green, violet, and grey.
Inspired by a mashup of past decades, the 2000’s was a mix of new and vintage fashion. Women’s fashion went back to being more feminine and form fitting, with low-rise jeans, belly shirts, halter tops, and mini skirts. Choker necklaces, gaucho pants, studded belts, bedazzled jeans, butterfly clips, and glitter were in style. While these were the new styles initiated in this decade, most of this time period was a mixture of trends from past decades. Globalization brought middle eastern and Asian dress into European and American fashion, and eco-friendly regulations were brought into the fashion industry.
