Fashion Through The Ages

Clothing is such a large part of retail these days. You can’t even go into the mall anymore without passing five clothing stores in a row. Aside from the technological gadget stores, the mall has transformed into a large building filled with clothes and shoes. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. People love clothes and love being able to shop for new, alternative ways to dress and present themselves. Over the years, there have been many different style changes that have taken place with clothing. In the 1950s, poodle skirts, petticoats and abstract shapes were popular among people. Also, trousers for women were becoming more and more accepted in society.

In the 1960s, women started wearing miniskirts, leather boots and fake eyelashes to brighten up their appearance. Men started wearing velvet trousers and high collared jackets. They also began to wear their hair long. By the mid-1960s bright, acid colors started to come into play and by the end of the 60s, the hippie era started. Long hair, floor length dresses and an overall, all-natural look was very common among people during this time. The 1970s brought along disco fashion which included hot pants, spandex, gaudy jewelry and animal prints. Bell bottoms, flared jeans, loon pants and denim jeans with frayed edges took over the fashion industry. Platform shoes were also a big hit, as were clogs.

Then came the 80s where people struggled to find an identity. Men had longer hair then women did and wore tight leather pants with short, sleeveless shirts. Women wore off-shoulder shirts with legwarmers or tight stonewashed jeans. High tops, parachute pants, neon colors and thick belts were also very common in the 80s. The 90s were full of baggy clothing for men and women. Colorful, baggy denim pants were all the rage and overalls took over the closets of many teenagers. Also, ‘chunky’ was a great way to describe the shoes in the 90s. Platform sneakers, combat boots and shoes with rubber soles resided on the feet of society in the 90s.

Today, all these styles are coming back in one form or another. It’s not even abnormal to see some people combine styles, from different eras, into one personal style. Fashion is what people make it and it will forever be changing for as long as the world is here.