Fashion-Making Statements

The first installment of my fashion nerd-ery ;)

Fashion has always been, and always will be, synonymous with social trends. You can tell a lot about a society through fashion, as it allows you to catch a glimpse of people's values and what statement they want to make to the world.

First example-women's fashion in the 1920's.

Cue the 19th amendment, Prohibition, the Equal Rights Amendment, the first women to compete in the Olympic Games, and women showing up on the big screen...how's a girl to show that she is no longer confined to (certain) limitations of a male-driven society and is instead a happy-go-lucky, free-spirited human being? Ditch those corsets and wear something that goes completely against the male ideal of the female form!

(From this)

Goodbye corsets! Hello dropped waistlines, boxy fitting dresses, bobbed hair and flattened boobs!

(To this)

During this time, we also see the emergence of Coco Chanel and her simple and practical designs for women. We also see a growth in mass-produced clothing because production methods were improving.

So, what can an outsider looking in conclude from the fashion left behind by the women of the 1920's? This was a society on the brink of social change. No longer were women limited in their self-expression. They were able to maintain their beauty and style while also slipping into more practical and less restrictive clothing.

Fast forward to the late 60's-70's. The country started to see a generation of youth that rebelled against the traditional values of the 50's. This is the first time we start to see fashion trends created by the people instead of the runway. Up until this point, people tended to choose their clothing based on the "latest designs from Europe" or the latest things seen on the runway. In the late 60's and throughout the 70's, designers now aimed to please the masses.

(From this)

So we have a generation of women who no longer embrace the housewife mentality of their mothers and grandmothers. We start to see a generation of women who pursue college educations, support themselves and take control of their sexuality.

So again, how do we show that we no longer have the same values and beliefs as our parents? We show it through our clothes! Mini skirts, women wearing pants, the infamous "burning of the bra's," etc.

(To this)

So...that was the past...what can we say about the fashion of today? There are all kinds of fashion trends out there, but one that I personally love is the revival of 1950 and 1960's silhouettes. People most likely have different ideas on the reasoning behind this trend, but here is what I think...It's no secret that our country and countries around the world have been experiencing economic hardship. People are losing jobs, losing homes, losing hope. I think that when this happens, people tend to cling to memories of happier times. People want to be reminded of times of growth and prosperity and I think the 50's/60's represent this. Even if you were not alive during that time period, you can turn on a T.V and see I Love Lucy, Mad Men, Pan Am and other shows depicting this dream land of perfect hair, big smiles and expanding wallets. One can even look at our current First Lady and read about all the connections people have made between her fashion and that of Jackie Kennedy. The Kennedy's were seen as that All-American, successful family and by making a connection between these two First Ladies, we are again transported back to the 60's.

Is that really the reason behind the trend? Who knows. But this is the type of stuff I think about on a daily basis lol. Fashion makes a statement. When people look back at the fashion of the 2010's, what do you think they will say?