fashion through the decades

A study of retro fashion trends

GEORGIE SWALES

Fashion in the ‘Roaring 20s’ was determined by social status and the cultural group which a person was associated with. The most sophisticated fashion: flapper fashion, cocoon fur coats, fringed shawls and cloche hats, were often correlated to the wealthier class. This memorable decade saw the scandalous rise in hem length to below the knee from the previous social standard ‘midcalf’. Most trends in Australian cities were also common globally, with the only fashion seen as typically ‘Australian’ worn by country citizens. Following WW1, rebellion and social and moral customs were relaxed and clothing changed with the new roles of women in society, there was more freedom in their desire for comfortable and practical clothing.

The ‘Golden Age’ in Australia became recognised as the year Phar Lap dominated the horse racing industry. With the gelding’s victories came women’s adoption of the ‘trouser’, particularly by squatters’ daughters and female pilots. This practical and comfortable fashion was popular and continued into the 40s during the second world war.

This war-filled patriotic and demanding decade saw dramatic rationing on many materials, including clothing and material. People adapted to the limitations, dramatically decreasing the amount of material required for socially acceptable clothing. Thus, the rise of mini skirts and tight-fit clothing swarmed the country and most of the globe.

The 50s saw the globalisation of television and the rapid spread of fashion throughout the world. ‘Sophistication’ was prominent in this era as conformity and self-identity shaped the position in which people stood in public perception. The ‘circle dress’, the ‘sheath dress’, gloves, stockings and purses were the most common form of feminine attire, with Marilyn Monroe’s glamour influencing social streetwear, along with the emergence of teenage subculture.

The ‘sixties’ was one of the most notably diverse and political decades in modern history. The ‘hippie’ movement saw the appearance of natural fabrics, tiedye, flowers and the symbolic peace sign around the world. Slim fitting, geometric shapes and bright coloured mini skirts exposed centimetres of the thigh which had been hidden since the war years. This youth-driven era predominantly reflected social and ethnic groups, creating controversy within majorities. ‘Hippie fashion’ portrayed one’s perspective on life, generally opposing Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam war. In previous decades, a distinct line separated men’s and women’s clothing standards, however, the sixties introduced unisex clothing such as the denim jeans.

Seventies fashion was daring, carefree and diverse. There was no such thing as a ‘happy medium’, with skirts either extremely long or controversially short. Tight, shiny disco pants with bright and bold colours eradicated the Hippie movement of the sixties. Instead, the appearance of Charlie’s Angels inspired bell-bottom flares and rough, flicked back hair, along with the Wonder Woman knee-high boots and short hotpants emerged.

The ‘Greed Decade’ of the 80’s was an era when hippie fashion began to retract, and an excessive amount of money was used to purchase clothing in an attempt to symbolise wealth and social status, similar to the 1920s. Thus, the emergence of ‘Punk’ rose, as a non-conformist, rebellious style of loud and aggressive fashion. Black leather jackets correlated with the ‘Biker’ style and Madonna dominated as a risqué fashion icon, wearing underwear as outerwear. In an almost completely different style, ‘Flashdance’ also saw the rise of leg warmers, ripped off-the-shoulder t-shirts and the fitness craze, primarily consisting of bright, synthetic sportswear.

Major milestones occurred in the 90s, including the end of the Cold War. However, for fashion, it was an ‘anti-fashion’ decade, with a combination of eclectic styles and the need to dress for comfort rather than style. This minimalist fashion with neutral colours, messy hair, oversized, baggy, ripped and dark-featured clothing was the combination of punk and hippie, known as ‘Grunge’. Nirvana led the fashion of this era, popularising retro fashion, with the youth of Australia seeking to define themselves with fashion in op-shops from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

The ‘Naughts’ was an iconic era for fashion. This decade, with low rise jeans, belts on the outside (minimally serving their purpose of stabilising pants), dresses over jeans, cropped singlets and off-the-shoulder tops, was seen as the ‘heyday of denim’. Brittney Spears was a ‘boss’ throughout the 00s, with her low-rise jeans, denim dresses, cropped-tops and leather hats. Eminem was the ‘artist of the decade’ and largely contributed to pop-culture music and fashion. His baggy tracksuits, ‘baller’ singlets, beanies and chains marked his ‘slim shady’ fashion influence globally.