Fashion Throughout the Decades

What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.’ Said, Miuccia Prada. Most people adapt to fashion as a form of self-expression, others as a form of rebellion. Not only is the timeline a history lesson, but also a source of inspiration for your fashion ideas. Even in these last 50 years, we have seen huge differences between decades which signified a renaissance in fashion and memory in history.

Taking it back to 1980 which was all about making style statements. Bold colors, huge earrings, tights, leotards, and shoulder pads that almost touched your ears were an obligation. So I thought ‘Why would anyone wear these clothes?’ To me, these trends are simply terrible. I didn’t understand why anyone would wear leg warmers or even those exaggerated hairstyles. But then I started to realize that these were trendy back then and if you didn’t wear these clothes you wouldn’t be considered ‘cool’.

Let’s take Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, and Madonna as examples. They became huge inspirations and fashion icons in the 1980s. Not just celebrities but even popular tv-shows like Dallas or Dynasty showcased the luxurious lifestyle of the rich, welcoming the concept of wealth and success. Because of the austerity caused by an economic downturn in the 1970s, haute couture lost some of its influence. Due to this European and American designers created styles for the ready-to-wear market through franchised boutiques and thus creating new forms of income.

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Politically and socially, the 1980s was full of miners’ strikes, terrorist bombings, high unemployment, and the rise of HIV and AIDS which lead to an uncomfortable climate. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher, gave a boost to entrepreneurs including those in the creative industries, like fashion and music. She declared: “Fashion is important because it raises the quality of life when people take the trouble to dress well and it also provides employment for many, many people.”

In contrast to 1980, the nineties’ were all about ‘less is more. I am not a ’90s kid but from all the pictures, tv-shows and reading about it I can say that fashion during that time was divided into two categories; minimalist fashion and street style fashion. The first one was all about elegance and simplicity, silky fabrics, details, and colorless palettes. The opposite goes for street-style fashion. It was oversized, sporty, more colorful, and an attitude above all. Bomber jackets were big and the same goes for Dr. Martin’s boots. Including that the 90s were the first proper decade where sneakers started to become more popular. I have to include the ‘sexy schoolgirl’ style and if Cher from Clueless popped into your mind then yes that’s exactly what I’m talking about. The style’s somewhere between elegant and street style. It includes plaid, high-waisted mini skirts, crop tops, blazers, and knee socks. American TV sitcoms like Friends turned out to be very popular. The program inspired fashion trends and hairstyles, most remarkably ‘The Rachel’ hairstyle. The iconic show Sex in The city began in 1998 bringing with it a whole world of Jimmy Choo’s, Manolo Blahnik, and Louboutin’s.

Moreover, the 2000s can simply be described as 90s fashion but worse. The crop tops and miniskirts are even shorter and the waist even lower. A shiny new millennium spread out before us, glittering with the promises of modern technology or also called Y2K. In the early decade, we can see a very monochromatic futuristic approach to fashion as well as the continual growth popularity of The Sex and the City tv-show. On the fourth day of New York Fashion Week for the spring 2002 season, the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened and the remaining 73 shows were canceled. A sense of patriotism among the Fashion Industry developed as a result of 9/11 and the industry proved that they were Americans first and designers second. The retailers like Zara, Forever 21, and H&M saw a huge increase in the market since they offered affordable clothing based on high-street fashion designs. The downside of fast fashion was and still is that these retail copy high street brands, however when something is not trendy anymore they go to the next trend resulting in a lot of clothes going to waste and workers continuing to live on unlivable wages. Many styles from the early and mid-2000s carried over to the latter part of the decade, with a few changes. For women, crop tops were replaced with camisoles and miniskirts gave way to bubble skirts, oversized sweater dresses, denim, gladiator sandals, and many more.

Last decade the decade of making new ideal models that wind through the internet at the speed of light—or close to the speed of Kylie Cosmetics sales. It’s not hyperbolic to say the social network changed the world or should I say #THEWORLD—and of course, fashion too. With Instagram and other social media platforms, a lot of brands are stepping up their game through likes and shares. Despite the obsession with the thin blonde ladies, the 2010s brought people of color to the industry not just designers but runway models as well. Brands like Marc Jacobs, Levi’s, and Fenty Savage are including plus-size supermodels in their campaigns. Labels are starting to become aware and creating adaptive collections for different body types. Well, what’s gender anyway? The world is becoming diverse and I am loving it. Gay, lesbian, or transgender we are all people and we have the right to choose which pronoun we give to ourselves. Logos, logos, logos whether it’s a Gucci belt or a Supreme sweater people love it. Hair accessories, tiny sunglasses and tiny bags, chunky trainers, pastel colors, and the squeaky, sweaty vinyl were all major trends during the 2010s and are still today. With the high demand for trendy clothing global warming has become more visible. Brands have become more conscious of this problem and as a solution, the environmentally friendly sector of fashion began to gain serious attention over the last decade and hopefully many more decades to come.

Finally the present. I guess 2020 is the year of wearing sweatpants, pajamas, masks, and gloves all day every day. Unfortunately because of the fast growth of the Corona Virus, fashion companies that we’re expecting a strong start to 2020, are now struggling to cope with supply chain issues and weak demand, not only in China but all around the world. ‘The coronavirus outbreak is likely to be a nightmare for Italy’s $100 billion-plus fashion industry’, says Carlo Capasa, the head of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. Fashion Weeks, Met Gala, and many other fashion events are all either canceled or postponed. COVID-19 may be good for the environment but for fashion and other industries, It’s a disaster. For those who weren’t fans of the micro-mini bags of 2019, Off-White and Bottega Veneta are bringing XXL- edition bags that are large enough to fit all your life problems. Corsets, floral prints, color full leather, polka dots, oversized necklaces, and rope belts are all you are going to see this year… well hopefully.

The fashion industry is always changing and the way people dress can be influenced by different social or cultural attitudes. The techniques of how the clothes are made, the colors, the materials, and the designers may be different now compared to the last decades but fashion will always be about art, aesthetics, and imagination. Do not underestimate what goes out of style because what goes out will always come back and last but not least ‘Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.’ — Gianni Versace.