UNIT B
EVOLUTION AND
MOVEMENT OF
FASHION
2.03 Recognize the relationship between
historical events and fashion evolution.
Mood of the decade
• World War II
– Women re-entered the
workforce
– Parisian Fashion houses closed
their doors due to German
invasion of Paris
– American fashion designers
emerged
– Shorter skirts
– Sloppy Joe sweaters
– Bikini introduced
Mood of the decade
• World War II (cont.)
– L-85 (General Limitations Order)
restricted amount of fabric used in
production of apparel.
• Designers had to create fashions that
would remain stylish through multiple
seasons.
• A new style of suits for women had
short skirts and short jackets of
twenty-five inches or less in length.
• Sheath evening dresses replaced the
long flowing gowns of the thirties.
Mood of the decade
• World War II (cont.)
– Restrictions limited use of
silk, wool, rubber, metal
– Tailored masculine-looking
suit
– The young danced the
jitterbug.
Mood of the decade
• World War II (cont.)
– Postwar fashion freedom
• Women wanted a return to
more feminine designs.
• Christian Dior introduced the
“New Look” with rounded
shoulders, fuller bustlines,
and fuller skirts fifteen inches
off the ground.
• Paris was re-established as
the center of the fashion
world.
People who influenced fashion
• Christian Dior—designer of the
“New Look”; first to license name
• Norman Norrell—winner of the first
Coty American Fashion Critics
Award; founder of CFDA
• Cristobal Balenciaga—known for
huge evening coats, long, full skirts,
pillbox hats, and chemise dresses
People who influenced fashion
• Jacques Fath—first French designer
to export designs to the United
States
• Elsa Schiaparelli—known for surreal
designs and bold use of color
• Adrian—Hollywood costume
designer whose screen fantasies
influenced street fashions
UNIT B
EVOLUTION
AND MOVEMENT
OF FASHION
2.03 Recognize the relationship between historical
events and fashion evolution.
Mood of the decade
• Korean War
• Color television introduced
• Rock-n-Roll explosion
– Teenagers emerged as a fashion
voice.
– Leather jackets and T-shirts with the
sleeves rolled up
– White shirts and blue jeans
– Letter sweaters
– Beatniks
– American Bandstand
– Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed
Sullivan Show.
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Moving to the suburbs
– Sportswear emerges
– Pedal pushers, slacks, halters,
shirtwaist dresses
– Cashmere sweaters with a matching
scarf
– Poodle skirts
– Single-breasted jackets, narrow
lapels, and natural shoulders
– Tapered trousers and penny loafers
– Shopping malls are built.
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Ivy League look
– Men wore neat singlebreasted jackets with narrow
lapels, pressed trousers, with
white, yellow, or pale blue
button-down collared shirts,
and ties.
– Female students dressed in
twin sweater sets, or PeterPan collared blouses and
sweaters, with pencil-slim or
pleated skirts.
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Hairstyles
– Girls wore ponytails early in the
decade. Later, the beehive was
popular.
– Boys “trained” their hair into
greased-back ducktails and
carried a comb at all times.
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Shoes and accessories
– Two-toned bucks
– Bobby socks
People who influenced
fashions
• Designer influence
was significant
– Dior—the A-line
silhouette for
women
– Givenchy—the
chemise or “sack”
dress
– Claire McCardell—
sashes, harem
pajamas, bias-cut,
dartless clothes
UNIT B
EVOLUTION
AND MOVEMENT
OF FASHION
2.03 Recognize the relationship between
historical events and fashion evolution.
Mood of the decade
• Civil Rights Movement
– Black Pride
– The Afro
– African prints
– Dashiki: A loose,
brightly-colored
African tunic.
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Youthquake
Revolution
– Youth take
ownership of the
decade
– Mod look: Clothing
with psychedelic
colors and geometric
designs.
– Go-Go Look with
mini skirts, white
go-go boots
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Election of John F. Kennedy
– Youngest president in
history
– The bare-headed President
Kennedy begins the demise
of the men’s hat industry.
– First Lady Jackie Kennedy is
the fashion icon of the
decade wearing Chanel suits
and simple dresses, pillbox
hat, pearls, and low-heeled
shoes.
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Man walks on the moon
– Pierre Cardin and
André Courreges are
called the space age
designers.
– Space age and futuristic
looks appear on high
fashion runways.
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Onset of the women’s liberation movement
– See through blouses, no bra
– Unisex look
– Pantyhose introduced (Glen Raven Mills, NC,
1959)
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Anti-war movement
(Vietnam)
– Hippie look, suede
fringe jackets,
appliquéd bellbottom trousers,
tie-dyed shirts, love
beads, granny
glasses, and peace
symbols.
– Woodstock Festival
People who influenced
fashions
• Decreased designer influence
– Mary Quant—London designer who
introduced the miniskirt
– Twiggy—skinny British model who
became the top model of the sixties
– Emilio Pucci—exotic, psychedelic,
beautiful prints
– Yves St. Laurent—fresh approach to
fashion with Mondrian-inspired shift
dress
• Jackie Kennedy
• Audrey Hepburn—classics such
as the “little black dress”
UNIT B
EVOLUTION
AND MOVEMENT
OF FASHION
2.03 Recognize the relationship between historical
events and fashion evolution.
Mood of the decade
• Watergate Scandal
• Vietnam war ends
• Dawn of the Disco, Studio
54, Saturday Night Fever
– John Travolta’s white suit
with an open-necked shirt.
– Platform shoes
– Bell-bottom hip-hugger
pants
– Hot pants with white go-go
boots
Mood of the decade
• Punk Rock, short-lived anti-social and antifashion movement
– Torn, frayed clothing
– Body piercing
– Spiked hair colored pink or green
– T-shirts being worn
as billboards
– Political statement
designs
Mood of the decade
• Rap and hip-hop
emerge
– Athletic
clothes
– Track suits
– Excessive
amounts of
gold jewelry
Mood of the decade
• Ethnic influence
– Macramé bags
– Crochet waistcoats
and shawls
– Ponchos
– Gypsy tops with
gathered necklines
trimmed with bells
and puffed sleeves
– Nehru jackets
Mood of the decade
• “Me” decade, self
indulgence
– String bikini
– Tight clothes
– Men’s leisure
suits
– Designer jeans
– Hand-braided
friendship
bracelets
Mood of the decade
• Feminism, sexual
equality, women’s lib,
equal rights
– Bra burning
– Women no longer wear
girdles
– Women buy pantyhose
– Women wear pants and
pantsuits
– Double-knit polyester manmade fabrics
– Micro, mini, midi, and maxi
skirts
Mood of the decade
• Shoes
– Platforms
– Clogs
• Movies and their stars
– Annie Hall—women
wearing oversize men’s
shirts, very long skirts,
khaki pants, and men’s
hats
– Grease—leather
motorcycle jackets
Mood of the decade
• Television
– Charlie’s Angels—
Farrah Fawcett
Major’s hair style
and flared
trousers
– Happy Days—
Fonzie’s leather
jacket, jeans,
white shirt
– Dukes of
Hazzard—Daisy
Duke’s cutoff jean
shorts
People who influenced
fashion
• Yves Saint Laurent—
womenswear based on
menswear
• Halston—use of
cashmere
• Calvin Klein—denim
jeans
• Mary McFadden—fine
pleating
• Bill Blass—sporty,
sophisticated classics
UNIT B
EVOLUTION
AND MOVEMENT
OF FASHION
2.03 Recognize the relationship between
historical events and fashion evolution.
Mood of the decade
• Excess
– Shoulder pads, retro 1940s
– Big hair
– Brand names appeared on outside of
garment
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• MTV
– Music becomes visual
– Videos become a major
influence on apparel
choices
• Lace tops, tight skirts
• Bustier worn by
Madonna
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Television influence
– Dallas—jeans, boots, western
shirts, and cowboy hat
– Dynasty—wide shoulder
silhouettes
– Miami Vice —T-shirts worn
under Armani suits, pastel
colors for men
– General Hospital —Luke and
Laura
– Lady Diana Spencer weds Prince
Charles
– Diana’s wedding dress becomes
one of the most copied in the
world
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Workout craze, Jane Fonda
– Legwarmers, leotards, sneakers
– Nike, Reebok
– Women left their high-heels at home and
wore sneakers to work
– Introduction of the thong bikini
– Stirrup pants
– Warm-up suits
– Flashdance—increased the popularity of
legwarmers, sweatshirt fabric, and
sweatshirts with cut out necks
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Punk
– Dog collars
– Mohawk
hairstyles
– Leather
jackets and
chains
UNIT B
EVOLUTION
AND MOVEMENT
OF FASHION
2.03 Recognize the relationship between historical
events and fashion evolution.
Mood of the decade
• Sandra Day O’Connor—
first woman on Supreme
Court
• AIDS first identified
• Collapse of the Soviet
Union and the expansion
of overseas companies
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Longest bull market in
Wall Street history
– More luxurious fashions
are introduced as people
have more money to
spend.
– More luxurious fabrics
enter the market.
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Casual Friday—khakis, polos,
loafers, jeans with company Tshirts worn to work
• Internet
– Finger-tip access to global
fashion information
– Online shopping
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Street Fashions
– Hip-Hop style
– Jeans, logo T-shirts,
windbreakers, all oversized
– Body piercing
– Tattooing
– Doc Martens
– Backpack purses
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Megabrands
– Youthquake with Tommy
Hilfiger
– FUBU
– Banana Republic
– J. Crew
– Old Navy, The Gap,
Abercrombie and Fitch
– Tweens (8 to 12 years old),
Gap Kids, Limited Too
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Women’s competitive and
adventure sports—Example:
WNBA
– Athletic shoes
– Sports bras
People who influenced fashion
• Princess Diana—most
photographed woman ever
• Tommy Hilfiger—“brand
image” designer
• Gianni Versace—designer with
rock star type sex appeal
• Isaac Mizrahi—high-fashion
designer whose line is sold
exclusively by Target
• Ralph Lauren—“preppy” styles
for men and women
People who influenced fashion
• Music, movies, and television
– Garth Brooks—western shirts
– Shania Twain—bare midriffs and
tight fitting clothes
– Back Street Boys—“oversized”
clothes
– Madonna—the bustier
– Jennifer Aniston—“Rachel” hairdo
on Friends
People who influenced fashion
– Russell Simmons—Phat Farm hiphop clothing
– Sean John Combs (“P. Diddy”)—
denim-based signature sportswear for
men and boys
UNIT B
EVOLUTION
AND MOVEMENT
OF FASHION
2.03 Recognize the relationship between historical
events and fashion evolution.
Mood of the decade
• Y2K—The Millennium Bug
• Unclear winner in the
United States Presidential
Election
• Firestone recalled tires
• Microsoft ordered to split
• September 11, 2001 attack
on the Twin Towers
• Taliban regime
Mood of the decade (cont.)
•
•
•
•
•
Anthrax scare
Invasion of Iraq
Stem cell research
Number of AIDS victims rises
Arnold Schwarzenegger became
Governor of California
• Recording industry cracked
down on people who illegally
swapped more than 1,000 songs
over the Internet
Mood of the decade (cont.)
• Saddam Hussein
captured
December 13, 2003
• Street wear
– Low-rise jeans
– Slashed T-shirts
– Overtly sexual
clothes
– Bling bling (big
jewelry)
– Ugg boots
People who are influencing
fashion
• Valentino
• Paris Hilton
• Rappers and Hip
Hop artists in
music videos—
baggy pants, big
jewelry (bling bling)
and urban wear
(Enyce, Rocawear,
Baby Phat, Phat
Farm)
People who are influencing
fashion (cont.)
• Rappers and Hip Hop
artists
– Sean “P.Diddy” Combs
– Lil Kim—increased the
popularity of wearing
weave and wigs
– Camron—increased the
popularity of males
wearing the color pink
– Jay-Z—wearing earrings
in both ears
People who are influencing
fashion (cont.)
• Film and
popstars
– Britney
Spears—baremidriff tops,
skimpy skirts and
shorts
– Janet Jackson—
bare, sexy,
metallic, urban
streetwear
People who are influencing
fashion (cont.)
• Celebrities who have
clothing lines
–
–
–
–
–
–
Beyonce Knowles
Jennifer Lopez
Sean Combs
Russell Simmons
Jessica Simpson
Reba McEntyre