Have you ever wondered if our way of dressing today had already been invented in the past? Maybe modern trends are just comebacks of old trends launched for the first time many and many years ago. To find an answer to this question, let’s break down together all the iconic styles of the last century!
- Belle Époque
We name Belle Époque the era running from 1895 and 1914. Belle Époque is characterized by a great technical progress – cinema, cars, airplanes, the first lit cities and many other inventions made their first appearence in this period – and subsequently also great wealth for the middle and high society. The most important discovery of this period was the free time. It may sound ordinary to you, but before Belle Époque, people didn’t really know what free time was: doing sports, having hobbies, going on trips and all the usual free time activities as we know them today didn’t exist.
So, if on one hand Belle Époque wealthy people loved to show off their prosperity with very elegant and luxurious tailor-made suits, on the other hand they needed more practical clothes for their busy lives. Especially women fashion went through great changes: the bustle disappeard and gored skirt, with triangular shape which made it thight at the top and flared at the bottom, took hold. This kind of skirts, matched to the tiny sahsed waist and the extra large mutton sleeves of the jacket, were designed to highlight the sporty silhouette of Belle Époque women and their curvy breasts. This suit was ideal for travelling and for busy and eventful routines. Men, instead, used to wear three piece suits (trousers, waistcoat and jacket) enriched with smart accessories, such as top hats, extravagant ties and canes. - Roaring twenties
The ’20s were a time of great revolutions, since they were the years of the First Postwar. The war had brought important social changes: women had entered the working world and the Suffragette movements were finally succeeding in some western countries, like the UK. Twenties fashion mirrored this revolution with more practical and mannish outfits for women. However, the iconic style from this era that went down in history, the outfit that comes up in our minds when we think of the ’20s, well, that was the flapper style. The character of the flapper emerged only in the late ’20s and embodied an independent and rebellious woman who enjoyed dancing the Charleston at Jazz parties and lived a glamorous life. Flapper used to wear short sleek hair, heavy dark makeup, a shorter than average shift dress, which exposed her limbs but didn’t highlight her curves. Moreover, corset had been replaced by the recently invented bras. The result was a slender figure, sporty, sleek and free. The long cigarette holder was just the cherry on top of this revolutionary look.
If the flappers looked rebellious, on the other hand the twenties male trend was the clean-cut look. Formal wear became more comfortable and functional, but still very elegant with new brighter colours and cheerful patterns. Furthermore, sportswear started spreading as daily outfit for casual occasion: colourful knitted pullovers, cardigans and button-down shirts matched to tapered trousers and the classic boater hat. - The ’50s and early ’60s: in the spirit of changing
After the tragic events of the Second World War, the world was rising again, opening the doors to a new modern era. Practicality was the keyword of clothing and tailors were slowly replaced by mass production. But the real breakthrough of this fashion era was the emergence of very different and varied stylish options for women’s wear. However, the groundbreaking outfit was the New Look designed by Dior in 1947. The New Look consisted in a nipped-in waist and swirling full-skirt dress and it was an immediate success. The New Look outfit encouraged the creation of thousands of different colourful and imaginative patterns. Later, the straight-cut suit, which emphasized women’s naturl shapes with a short jacket, was introduced by Chanel, Dior and Balenciaga, in contrast to the New Look. Additionally, Hollywood stars were a great influence for fashion all around the world, raising the bar of elegance with amazing dreamy dresses. - Towards the ’70s: time for revolution
The late sixties and early seventies are marked by the youth movements: rock and roll and protests were a daily occurance in that time. Young rebels used to wear baggy and country clothes: american blue jeans were the mainstream, as well as montgomery coat, eskimo jacket and suede fringed jacket. Long and wide skirts came back with flowery patterns. The real fashion evolution of this years was that, for the first time in history, men’s and women’s wearing were not so different anymore.
Nevertheless, later in the ’70s, as the disco and funk music were taking hold and the youth political committment gradually disappeard in favour of a more careless and party-loving spirit, the flared and high-waisted trousers matched with colourful hypnotic button down shirts with loose sleeves and pointed collar were the classic style for a perfect Saturday night.
I am sure that some of these outfits don’t sound new to you. Am I right? - Carefree ’80s
The eighties ushered in the great consumerism of modern times. Shopping malls sprang up all over the West world. Branding gained traction in mass production, so that designer sportswear became expression of status symbol through colourful sweaters, dazzling tracksuits, shiny bodysuits matched with vivid leg-warmers.
However, the formal clothing had its iconic outfit, too, with a special women’s suite: this trend was called power dressing. The typical power dressing suite consisted in a sober full-jacketed suite. Anyway, the ’80s suites had also their special hallmark, that is to say, the unforgettable massive shoulder pads. This detail contributed to give a even more mannish and authoritative look to ’80s power dressing. Social researches were led and demonstrated that power dressing really helped women to be taken seriously and be more successful in their careers.
Have you enjoyed our runway through the 20th century most iconic styles? Take note for your next outfits!
SOURCES: https://yleniab88.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/la-rivoluzione-del-900/
https://fashion-era.com/fashion-history/edwardian/la-belle-epoque-fashion
https://mullenandmullen.co.uk/blogs/news/what-we-can-learn-from-the-tailoring-of-the-belle-epoque
https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1950-1959/