Fashion Design
Modern Fashion: 1900 - Present
Arts, AV and Technology Communication
Lesson Plan
Performance Objective
• Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to identify the characteristics of modern
fashions by decade.
Specific Objective
• Identify characteristics of fashions worn during each decade from 1900 to the present.
• Identify the trends and influences during each decade
• Identify key terms used to identify and describe fashions for each decade.
• Identify notable designers of each decade.
Terms
Silhouette
Haute couture
Victorian era
Edwardian era
Flapper era
prêt-à-por·ter
branding
Time
When taught as written, this lesson should take approximately three 90-minute class periods to teach.
Preparation
TEKS Correlations:
130.93(C)
(1) The student applies academic knowledge and skills in fashion, textile, and apparel projects. The student
is expected to:
(A) apply English language arts knowledge and skills by demonstrating use of content, technical
concepts, and vocabulary; using correct grammar, punctuation, and terminology to write and edit
documents; and composing and editing copy for a variety of written documents such as patterns,
brochures, advertisements, and press releases.
(2)
The student applies professional communications strategies. The student is expected to:
(B) organize oral and written information;
(C) interpret and communicate information, data, and observations; and
(E) apply active listening skills.
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(3)
The student understands and examines problem-solving methods. The student is expected to employ
critical-thinking and interpersonal skills independently and in teams to solve problems.
(4)
The student applies information technology applications. The student is expected to use personal
information management, email, Internet, writing and publishing, presentation, and spreadsheet or
database applications for fashion, textiles, and apparel projects.
(9)
The student applies technical skills for efficiency. The student is expected to employ planning and timemanagement skills to complete work tasks.
(10) The student develops an understanding of fashion and the textile and apparel industries. The student is
expected to:
(A) analyze the nature and scope of fashion by:
(i) explaining the importance of fashion;
(ii) demonstrating knowledge of fashion history relative to current fashions; and
(vi) using appropriate terminology.
Interdisciplinary Correlations:
English-English I
• 110.31(b)(1). Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it
when reading and writing.
• 110.3(b)(11). Reading/Comprehension of informational text/procedural texts. Students understand
how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents.
• 110.53(b)(2)(B) employ precise language and technical vocabulary to communicate ideas clearly and
concisely
Occupational Correlation (O*Net – www.onetonline.org/):
Job Title: Fashion Designer
O*Net Number: 27-1022.00
Reported Job Titles: Apparel Fashion Designer, Clothing Designer, Costume Designer, Product Developer
Tasks: Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or
finished garments.
Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes,
construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at
sales meetings or fashion shows.
Soft Skills: Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension
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Accommodations for Learning Differences
It is important that lessons accommodate the needs of every learner. These lessons may be modified to
accommodate your students with learning differences by referring to the files found on the Special
Populations page of this website.
Preparation
• Review and familiarize yourself with the terminology, fashion trends, notable designers, and potential
website links related to fashions from 1900 – present day.
• Download photographs and illustrations that exemplify fashions from each decade.
• Have materials and websites ready to go prior to the start of the lesson.
• Review historical information from slide presentation.
References
Kennedy, A., Steohrer, E. B., & Calderin, J. (2013). Fashion design, referenced: A visual guide to the history,
language, and practice of fashion. Beverly, MA: Rockport Publishers.
Instructional Aids
• Lesson: Modern Fashion: 1900 – Present
• Modern Fashion Slide Presentation
• History of Modern Fashion Grading Rubric
• Instructor Computer/Projection Unit
• Textbook or online fashion history resources
• Poster paper for displays (enough for each group)
• Markers and other writing/printing materials
• Scissors, glue, and tape for display boards
Introduction
ASK: How does what you wear define the look of the current decade?
Give students a few minutes to think about the question. Then ask the following questions, pausing between
each one to give students a chance to process each question:
• Does what you wear relate to what your friends wear?
• Are you following specific trends?
• Where do those trends come from?
SAY: Throughout history fashion has been defined by cycles and time periods. We most often break those
cycles into decades and explain the changes based on cultural influences. Fashion today is unlike any other
time in history. Due to advances in technology, manufacturing, and social networking, fashion is changing at
an unprecedented speed. This fast changing environment leads to multiple trends culminating in one decade,
making it harder to define a societal style. Let’s look at how fashion has changed over the 20th and 21st
centuries and see how those cycles have influenced how we dress today.
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Outline
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Outline
Go through the slide presentation with
students. Discuss the following:
I. Identify characteristics of fashions worn
from 1900-1909.
A. The early 1900s saw the Victorian
era come to a close. With this came
changes in silhouette.
1. The skirt was slim at the hip.
2. Skirt fullness was confined
below the knee.
3. Decoration: tucks, hem ruffles,
buttons, and lace insertions.
4. Day: High necklines with
undefined bosom called the
monobosom, bodice below the
waist, cape type collars dropping
off the shoulders, fitted sleeves
from shoulder to elbow with
fullness extending to wrist.
5. Evening: dresses were more
daring, worn off the shoulder,
with or without sleeves.
B. Mid-decade saw the beginning of
the Edwardian era.
1. The Edwardian era began with a
retro vibe featuring: small
balloon sleeves and very nippedin waists. Full skirts were
rounded and fabrics draped.
2. Paul Poiret’s designs quickly
replaced the retro look.
• Slim, straight skirts
• Fewer undergarments
• Loosening of the corset
• High waisted – empire line
was popular
• Lots of details and superb
construction
Instructor Notes
Use the slide presentation to go
through the characteristics of
modern fashion for each decade
from 1900 to the present.
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Outline
Gowns featured: lace, cord,
appliqué, soutache, beading,
tucking, and insertion –
often in the same gown.
C. Haute couture is French for finest
dress making. Haute couture houses are
where the finest clothe are made. Some of
the haute couture houses of the era:
7. Poiret
8. Worth
9. Doucet
10. Lanvin
11. Paquin
12. Fortuny
II. Identify characteristics of fashions worn
from 1910-1919.
A. The Edwardians became more
playful and innovative featuring
such styles as:
1. The hobble skirt.
2. The lampshade skirt.
3. Asymmetrical draping.
4. Boning was used less and only
for supporting the shape as
opposed to changing the shape.
5. Suits were fashionable for
daywear.
6. Walking was eased as the skirt
hem rose to the ankle.
B. World War I brought about more
changes:
1. Skirts rose well above the ankle.
2. Bodices leaned toward the
higher waist.
3. Skirts were full and tiered.
4. Bat wing sleeves, over-drapes
and flying panel skirts were
popular.
C. Post war years saw the introduction
of Art Deco inspired prints.
Instructor Notes
•
Discuss possible influences on
the changes in fashion, from
decade to decade.
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Outline
D. Automobile rose to status bringing
about new garments to protect
passengers from dust:
1. The duster, a long, lightweight
coat, was worn to protect
clothing.
2. Hats with veils were worn to
keep the complexion smudge
free.
III. Identify characteristics of fashions worn
from 1920-1929.
A. The post-war years brought a sense
of euphoria to life and fashion.
1. Waistlines dropped to the high
hip levels.
2. Dresses became unfitted.
3. Bodices were simplified using
only a few tucks or shirring at
the shoulders.
4. Hemlines were perched above
the ankle but would soon rise to
shocking new heights.
5. Necklines were simplified to a
scoop or “v” unless a collar was
present.
6. Sleeves were long and straight
or featured a bell shape.
7. Dresses were straight and simple
in construction with detail in
surface ornamentation:
embroidery, soft braid, and
beading.
8. Sheer or semi-sheer dresses
were worn over matching slips.
B. The Flapper era became
established:
1. By 1926 the hemline had
scandalously reached the knee.
2. The dropwaist remained popular
but skirts and bodices became
more complex featuring
Instructor Notes
How did changes in society
affect changes in fashion?
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Outline
Instructor Notes
seaming, flounces, floating
panels, and overlays.
3. Quality was now viewed through
fabric manipulation and surface
design rather than by complex
construction and fit.
4. By 1928/1929 fashion collections
had tamed the indecent hemline
and replaced it with the
asymmetric hemline (knee length
in front, longer in back).
5. Waistlines rose to resume the
natural position at the waist.
IV. Identify characteristics of fashions worn
from 1930-1939.
A. Great innovations were seen during
the Depression, despite hardship.
1. Waistlines returned to the
natural waist.
2. Fits remained somewhat
relaxed.
3. The bias cut gown created by
Madeleine Vionnet became the
standard for evening.
4. Zippers replaced hook and eye
closures and became design
elements in the hands of Elsa
Schiaparelli who popularized
their use.
5. Chanel popularized costume
jewelry with faux pearl strands.
6. By 1938 small shoulder pads had
become fashionable.
B. Popular Haute Couture houses:
1. Lanvin
2. Molyneux
3. Mainbocher
4. Patou
5. Vionnet
6. Chanel
7. Schiaparelli
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Outline
C. Hollywood style made its way to the
mainstream with movie designers
such as Adrian Greenberg to create
their own lines.
V. Identify characteristics of fashions worn
from 1940-1949.
A. As the United States emerged from
the Depression much of Europe was
already at war. The Nazi occupation
of Paris was disaster for Haute
Couture but it brought opportunity
for American designers.
1. Norman Norell and Claire
McCardell established
themselves and built an
American clientele.
2. Mainbocher and Molyneux fled
Europe and began working in
the United States.
3. Wartime regulations restricted
how much fabric and what types
of garments could be
manufactured.
4. Utility and practicality became
fashionable while frivolity and
extravagance were put on hold
establishing the wideshouldered, slim-waisted,
narrow-hipped silhouette
5. Social changes such as women in
the workplace brought about
the popularity of slacks (this
point was greatly debated into
the 1960s)
6. Dior’s “New Look” hit the
runway in 1947 and called for
rounded shoulders, exaggerated
bust lines, wasp waists, padded
hips, and long, extravagantly full
skirts.
Instructor Notes
Discuss the Hollywood influence
on fashion.
In what ways did World War II
affect fashion in the United
States and Europe?
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Outline
Instructor Notes
7. The New Look, although loved
by fashion writers, was initially
met with resistance from the
public who viewed it as frivolous
after years of rationing. The New
Look soon became a symbol of
the return to prosperity,
femininity, and glamour.
8. The New Look helped restore
the French couture industry and
offered a glimpse into the next
decade.
VI. Identify characteristics of fashions worn
from 1950-1959.
A. The 1950s placed emphasis on the
hourglass silhouette.
1. This silhouette could be seen in
both full skirts and the slender
pencil skirt which was also
popular.
2. The hourglass silhouette created
a need for foundation garments:
• Bullet bras
• Corselets
• Waist-cinchers
• Girdles
• Crinolines
3. The birth of prêt-a-porter
(ready-to-wear) brought quality
off-the-rack garments, once
restricted to the wealthy, to the
general population.
4. Full skirts were popular on
daytime dresses which were
worn form performing
household duties and running
errands.
5. Cocktail dresses were essential
for social gatherings.
6. Gloves and hats were expected
when a woman left the house.
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Outline
7. The latter fifties were
popularized by Balenciaga’s sack
dress and Yves Saint Laurent’s
trapeze dress.
VII. Identify characteristics of fashions worn
from 1960-1969.
A. The 1960s were a decade of great
fashion transition.
1. The decade began with the fullskirt silhouette of the 1950s and
ended with a silhouette that was
quite opposite.
2. Jackie Kennedy popularized the
short-jacketed sheath suits of
Oleg Cassini.
3. Teenagers dominated the
fashion scene led by “It Girl”
Twiggy, and their parents later
followed suit.
4. Colorful shift dresses and
psychedelic prints were popular.
5. Emilio Pucci created colorful
prints making simple dresses
walking works of art.
6. Babydoll and trapeze silhouettes
were staples.
7. Mary Quant introduced the
mini-skirt.
8. By 1967 the new fashions were
baring more of the body than
ever before with even the most
conservative styles cut above
the knee.
VIII. Identify characteristics of fashions
worn from 1970-1979.
A. The 1970s picked up where the
1960s left off with the body-baring
mini-skirt still popular.
B. New trends were quickly added
including the bell-bottom pant with
its very fitted top and wide-flared
Instructor Notes
Discuss differences between
ladies’ and teens’ fashion during
this era. This was the first
decade where there was a
dramatic contrast between what
mothers and daughters wore.
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Outline
leg openings (the mid-70s saw the
hip hugger waistlines while the late70s saw high waistlines).
C. Midi and maxi skirts joined the ranks
of the mini in popularity offering
three different skirt lengths.
D. Short, tight-fitting shorts called hot
pants became the craze.
E. Women were now freely wearing
pants without social criticism.
F. Polyester was popularized in many
styles most notably the “leisure
suit”.
G. Platform shoes were popular for
men and women.
H. Diane von Fürstenburg introduced
the wrap dress for women.
IX. Identify characteristics of fashions worn
from 1980-1989.
A. The 80s offered a wide variety of
styles and inspiration encompassing
all subcultures from music to
athletics to movies.
B. Shoulder pads rose to new heights
and widths.
C. The women’s power suit, complete
with large shoulder pads, was
popularized by popular TV
shows. Musicians also popularized
trends in fashion such as wearing
only one glove, gloves with no
fingers and parachute pants made
of nylon that were copied by the
youth of America.
D. Movies popularized oversized
sweatshirts with the collars cut off
paired with leggings.
E. Designer jeans were all the rage.
F. Looks with leather, lace, and/or
bright colors were popular.
Instructor Notes
Discuss the wide variety of
clothing choices.
Pants: Bell bottoms/Hot pants
Skirt lengths: Midi/Maxi/Mini
Do some characteristics, trends,
or styles recycle?
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Outline
X. Identify characteristics of fashions worn
from 1990-1999.
A. The early 90s saw a continuation of
80s fashion.
B. Dark denim became the preferred
style of denim and was often seen in
matching jeans and jacket combos.
C. Baby doll dresses, tartan skirts,
headscarves, trench coats, penny
loafers were all commonly seen.
D. The mid 1990s saw a revival of
1960s fashion.
E. It also became fashionable to wear
designer clothing displaying Italian
or French labels.
F. The 1990s also saw a movement of
fashion rejection that continued
into the 2000s.
G. Tattoos, body piercing, and
branding became popular in the 90s.
XI. Identify characteristics of fashions worn
from 2000-present.
A. This is the predominant fashion
period of the student’s lifetime.
Have a class discussion and let
students help define the look of
their time and generation using
appropriate terminology.
B. Make a list of popular styles,
silhouettes, and influences.
C. Note important designers of the
time period.
D. Discuss how styles can and do
change much faster now than any
time in history.
E. Describe how current trends have
been influenced by past styles.
Instructor Notes
Note: Finding the descriptive
terminology necessary to
describe period clothing is
difficult for students. Be patient
and guide them through the
discussion but make sure they
come up with the answers.
ASK: Is there only one popular
look in this decade that defines
the style of this time period as in
past decades?
Notice how the styles change
more rapidly during this time
period than any other time in
history. Discuss what might
influence these changes.
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Multiple Intelligences Guide
Existenti
alist
Interpers
onal
Intrapers
onal
Kinesthe
tic/
Bodily
Logical/
Mathema
tical
Musical/Rhyt
hmic
Natura
list
Verbal/Ling
uistic
Visual/Sp
atial
Application
Guided Practice
The teacher will go over the slide presentation with the class. When you get to the slide with 2000 – present,
open a class discussion. Have students help define the styles, silhouettes, trends, and influences of the present
time period. Fill in keywords on the slide as students give examples. Make note of popular designers of the
time and how they are influencing fashion today.
Note: Many examples of current fashion trends are available online. Check out various fashion websites ahead
of time and make sure they are suitable and appropriate for students to explore.
Independent Practice
Break students up into small groups of 2-3, depending on class size. There should be 11 groups, one for each
decade/time period discussed during this lesson. Have each group create a poster that includes keywords,
silhouettes, designers, and pictures from that time period. Have the groups share their posters with the class.
The posters should be clean and creative as they will become part of a fashion history timeline that will be
displayed in the classroom or hallway.
Summary
Review
Review the time periods and major identifiers of each time period before students begin working on their
section of the fashion history timeline.
As the timeline, note how the styles of each time period change gradually culminating in extremes before
reversing and heading in the opposite direction.
Evaluation
Informal Assessment
Students will be informally assessed through the following methods :
• Instructor Observation during Guided Practice and Independent Practice
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•
Question and Answer during the Review
While students are working on posters, the instructor should move about the room to assess progress, offer
suggestions, and to be available to answer questions. A class discussion can follow regarding how fashion has
changed over time based on social and cultural influences.
Formal Assessment
• Students will present their poster projects to the class.
•
The class will assemble the fashion history timeline to display in the classroom or in the hallway.
•
An assessment of the students’ projects will be based on the attached rubric.
Enrichment
Extension
•
Students may wish to research particular fashion trends, designers who contributed to the styles of their
generation, or other topics of interest related to fashion design.
•
Students will apply their knowledge of fashion history, silhouettes, and designers on future fashion design
projects.
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History of Modern Fashion Grading Rubric
Criteria
Completeness
(10 pts)
Basic
(30 points)
Understanding
(20 pts)
Creativity
(30 points)
Professional
Appearance
(10 pts)
Comments:
Exceptional
Above Average
Below Average
Unacceptable
9-10 points
5-8 points
1-4 points
0 points
Poster is
complete and
presents a
unified whole
Poster is
complete but
lacks unity or
Gestalt.
Poster is
incomplete.
No attempt was
made to produce
the poster.
27-30 points
15-26 points
1-14 points
0 points
All required
characteristics
from the decade
are represented
in the poster
Most of the
characteristics
from the decade
are represented
in the poster
Only some of
the
characteristics
from the decade
are represented
in the poster
Characteristics
from the decade
are not
represented
17-20 points
9 -16 points
1-8 points
0 points
The student
demonstrates a
complete
understanding
of the fashion
influences of the
decade
Student
demonstrates
some
understanding of
the fashion
influences of the
decade
Student
demonstrates
very little
understanding of
concepts
No demonstration
of concepts
27-30 points
15-26 points
1-14 points
0 points
Ideas are
original in
thought and
exceptionally
creative.
Ideas are
somewhat
original and
creative.
Limited
evidence of
creativity and
originality in
thought.
No evidence of
creativity or
originality in
thought or
execution of
project.
9-10 points
5-8 points
1-4 points
0 points
Excellent
project; neat
and professional
in appearance.
Good project.
Very few
corrections are
needed
Fair project.
Several errors
are evident.
Project is
unprofessional
and errors
distract
significantly.
TOTAL
POINTS:
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15
Points