Fashion trends may come and go, but they often circle back. Even if you didn’t live through the 20th century, you’ve probably seen echoes of its style in the classic silver screen, old TV sitcoms, and black-and-white midnight movies. You will agree that the styles of the first half of the century were rich in timeless elegance.
As they say, history repeats itself, and it is never truer than in fashion and style. Many are reincarnated today, but with modern twists.
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| (Image created by viryabo@polyvore) |
Antique and Vintage Clothing
In the fashion world, antique clothing refers to apparel and accessories that are over a century old, while vintage fashion refers to pieces that are less than 100 years old. This post is about antique and vintage women's fashion styles of the 1900s.
1900s to 1920s Antique Fashion
At the turn of the 20th century, dresses swept the floor, not unlike today’s trend. By the end of the first decade, skirts started to rise to a point where you got a peek of the ankles.
Sleeves were puffed, blouses frilly and often embellished with lace collars and wide ribbon ties. Skirts fitted over the hip and fluted out towards the hemlines.
The S-bend corset was a must-have in the early 1900s. It thrusts the hips backwards, bringing the chest forward, forming a pigeon shape.
The 1910s fashion brought on looser and less cumbersome gowns. The full-length, fanciful dresses were replaced with more practical and comfortable ones.
By the 1920s, fashionable outfits became shorter and even more comfortable. There were elaborately beaded dresses, short or no sleeves, glitzy headbands, and even blouses and trousers. Corsets and bustiers became a thing of the not-too-distant past. They had lost their place in a woman’s closet.
The most memorable vintage fashion trend of the 1920s was undoubtedly the flapper dress, a chic tunic-like attire that flattened the bust line rather than accentuated it. It remains one of the vintage favourites today.
1930s to 1950s Vintage Fashion
The flapper style with its loose drop-waist (and embellished) designs soon gave way to graceful silhouettes in the early 1930s.
Couturiers designed simple outfits with bias cuts and low-scooping backs. It created slinky fluid looks that appeared to skim over a woman’s curves. Satin was the popular fabric for this style.
Wool suits, jackets with collars and shoulder pads, and knee-length skirts with fluting were popular daywear. Cardigans and sweaters were worn with day skirts or trousers. Small pert hats with feathers or floral details were trendy.
The late thirties (1939) to the end of the war in the mid-forties (1945) were austere times, and the shortage of everything, including fabrics, affected the fashion scene. There were no more fancy outfits, no more ornate trimmings, and definitely no more embellishments. Dresses and skirts were simple and fell just below the knee, and they were worn with boxy jackets with padded shoulders.
Not long after the war ends, the fashion scene comes alive again.
Initially, women wore pretty tall hats with flowery patterns, but then, wide saucer-shaped headwear soon became the trend. Jackets with softer sloping shoulders replaced the past’s boxy ones, and cinched-waist skirts became longer and fuller.
It’s the 1950s, and apparel styles continued from the late forties. However, skirts became fuller with cinched waists, and jackets/tops had sloping shoulders. Soon, the 50s woman’s silhouette transitioned into the narrow look with the pencil skirt, followed by swing dresses and full-circle skirts made with plain or floral print fabrics. Separates worn with waist-length cardigans were also popular.
Hats also changed, and the famous pill-box headwear became the trend. The saucer-shaped, wide-brimmed hats of the late 40s, though modified, remained in fashion.
Fashion of the 1960s
In the 1960s, the miniskirt and dress blazed a trail in the fashion world. Young fashion designers of the 1960s, such as Mary Quant and Biba, designed and provided clothes primarily for the youth. Then there was the hippie movement in the United States towards the end of the decade.
Fashion consisted of vibrant colours, bold patterns, and textures borrowed from other cultures.
For the older conservative women, dressing still leaned towards the below-the-knee skirts, tailored jackets, and cardigans.
Just before the seventies, fashion changed considerably. Styles that were influenced by other cultures evolved.
Several designers embraced tie-dye in the 1960s, reflecting the era's counterculture and new fashion trends. The movement showed the era's counterculture and new fashion trends. It was also the time of Mexican tops, folk-embroidered blouses, capes, ponchos, and gauchos.
1970s Clothing Styles for Women
The 70s were the era of hot disco scenes! It brought denim and neutral tones into the spotlight, alongside pantsuits, corduroy, and leg warmers, and women were crazy about platform heels and maxi dresses. And though platforms were "chunky" and looked somewhat bulky and awkward, every woman had at least a few pairs in her wardrobe.
The 1970s heralded in its own style of clothing, as it was a period of individual expression. It was more like a free-for-all ‘anything goes’ fashion period than about fitting in with a particular trend.
Many women dressed to please themselves, though it doesn’t imply that they had no interest in high fashion. Clothes and fashion accessories modelled on the runway were more radical designs than the styles of the previous decades. Prominent styles of the seventies include:
- Midi and maxi dresses and skirts
- Hot pants
- Full-length flowing gowns
- Flared pants
- Bell-sleeve blouses
- Pantsuits
- Hippie style clothing
- Dungarees (overalls)
- Karl Lagerfeld suits (Chloe)
- Blazers
- Jacket and skirt suits
- Soft 'wet look' leather elastic-waist pants
Popular fabrics include exotic prints, polyester, satin, checks, and very bright coloured textiles. Clothing designs with embroidered details, including corduroy and velvet, were quite popular too.
1980s Women’s Fashion Trends
Women of the earlier part of the 1980s loved soft textiles and neutral colours like beige, brown, tan, and pale orange, but by the latter part of the decade, bright neon colours became highly popular.
In the 80s, jeans went from smart, sporty, or casual ranch weekend wear to a hot fashion trend that became a glamorous wardrobe must-have. There were spandex and shoulder pads, and popular fashion accessories were belts, scarves, and bracelets.
Interestingly, when you think of the 80s, you’ll remember hairspray, excessive makeup, and bright, flashy apparel.
Hot fashion trends of the 1980s include:
- Turtleneck jumpers
- Pleated skirts and sweaters
- Frilly and lacy tops
- Silk blouses
- Denim jeans (with wild bleaching, stone washing, dyeing and pre-made holes)
- Pleated pants
- High-waist pants (snug fit)
- Tunics with leggings
The 1980s were the era of the Yuppies, who had more disposable income than their counterparts of previous decades. This group of young and upwardly mobile professionals were utterly brand loyal, and wearing certain brands of clothing became their way of making a fashion statement! Popular brands of the eighties include:
- Ralph Lauren
- Calvin Klein
- The Gap
- Lacoste
- Jean Paul Gaultier
- Donna Karan
- Vanderbilt Jeans
- Moschino
- Vivienne Westwood
- Giorgio Armani
- Dolce and Gabbana
Fabulous Clothing Styles of the 1990s
Minimalism was the trend of the 90s, which simply meant 'less is more'. It was unlike the loud and not-so-classy women’s fashion of the 1980s.
Lycra played a prominent role, and so did the hip-hop trend, long hair, and Goth styles that made a great impression on women’s fashion. Some common items of clothing and fashion accessories from the 1990s are:
- Flannel shirts
- Black leggings
- Silk blouses and shirts
- Birkenstocks
- Denim wear
- Turtleneck tops, worn under sweaters
- T-Shirts
- Sweatpants
- Over-sized sweaters
- Low-heeled shoes
Around the mid-eighties, fashion became inspired by styles of the 70s, with the young crowd wearing bell-bottoms, tie-dye tops, and homemade jewellery. However, by the end of the decade, fashion became more similar to what we saw when the new millennium rolled in.
Sexier clothing reappeared, and tight-fitting clothes were worn once again as glamorous styles. Soon, those earlier fabulous clothes slowly returned to the fashion scene, making fashion designers breathe a huge sigh of relief.
What’s Your Vintage-Inspired Style?
So, what’s your preference? Antique or vintage styles? Is it the flapper style of the twenties, the soft, feminine creations of the fifties, or the carefree designs of the swinging sixties? The classics, the austere, the hippie, or the preppy look?
(All images created by Viryabo@Polyvore)
(Article originally published by the author at hubpages.com in 2 parts, on 08/13/09 and 10/31/09)
