The 90's fashion colour palette was a lot less colourful than the vibrant 1980's. What was known as the grunge fashion was a popular trend. This unisex look was all about long straight hair, old baggy plaid shirts, denim, chokers and hiking boots(Dr martins. This was due to rock bands such as Nirvana that wore the grunge look frequently to their gigs. SO therefor the grunge look was very much for young people.Most women over 30 did not approve of this fashion trend.
As a young person myself I constantly see grunge fashion among
youngsters, especially as music gigs and big hiking boots have come back to be popular trend, such as Dr Martins and Timberland. I often view grunge fashion as relaxed but has that certain coolness to it. However it also has that unfriendly feel to it, as there is little bright colours and having a rugged appearance.
Television shows like Friends and Fresh Prince of Bel Air influenced fashion in the 90's, as these shows were watched by millions of people all around the world, so trends of certain characters appearances were trending. For example in Friends "Rachel Green" became a popular icon in fashion and a trend called "the Rachel haircut" came about. Television had its impacts, however fashion had its own icons that are known as supermodels. Kate Moss is probably one of the worlds most known models and her fame came about in the 90's when she modeled for popular designers like Calvin Klein and appeared on the front cover of the biggest fashion magazines such as Vogue.
Events such like the Oscars was a way designers showed of their luxurious garments. These designers influences high street fashion as the red carpet showcased the top trends. The high end designers benefited greatly with events like these. Everybody loves watching the Oscars and big events like that. Its a chance to see your favorite celebrity in the dress or suit they decided to wear and it inspires occasion wear, such as prom parties. This is what brought glamour to the 90's, separating from the rugged grunge trend.
Pop music became very popular in the 90's and brought with it young artists and bands like Britney Spears and the Spicegirls. All in which played a big part in influences young girls to dress like them. The crop top was one of these iconic trends that young girls wore because artists like Britney wore it. Crop tops were also common due to the navel piercings that became a trend for women.
Some say the 90's was a terrible decade for fashion. I see some point of what they mean as it looks quite plain in terms of colour and shape compared with the other decades, like the 80's that was full of bold colours and fun designs. It seemed like people didn't put so much effort into their outfits, this relating to the grunge trend, giving the effect of looking jaded. I disagree on this as although it may have seemed like a dull decade for fashion, I like how the colours are less in your face, unlike the 80's. For once fashion looks comfortable and relaxed. There may not be any powerful inspiration behind the clothes of the 90's, however I just love the freedom and the practicality.
A common word to describe fashion in the 1980's was "Big". this was due to the neon colours, oversize clothes, padded shoulders and big hair. this decade certainly featured the traits of materialism.
women got inspired by the power suit as they were becoming more active in the business world, many powerful and popular women wore shoulder pads including princess Diana. Wearing the power suit was almost like a confident boost for women in the workplace, showing that they could do the same job as a man. A very clever idea I think, but in terms of fashion I don't agree with it, its too bulky and not very flattering. The music industry also influenced fashion like the past few decades. Developing technology had its influences in fashion as well. A well known TV channel called MTV, which was used for enhancing the music industry, however this also made impact on fashion as young teens could see the current trends among their favorite music artists.
Music artists such as Madonna and Micheal Jackson had their own unique style in fashion, in which people followed and trends grew. trends such as rara skirts and continuation of punk rock. Music videos enhanced the popularity of this and increased the trends world wide. Music and celebrities were not the only influences in fashion as the film industry grew bigger as well and created movies that impacted fashion. This included many dance themed movies, such as Dirty Dancing, Fame and Footloose. The 80's were known for the craze of sports and looking sporty was a well known trend. With the leg warmers, leggings and headband, a classic 80's sporty look or what it was known to be called "the fitness boom".
In conclusion the fashion in the 1980's was very much known for its colour, fitness boom and of course the power suit. i personality wouldn't say the 1980's was my favorite era in terms of fashion, however it still played a major part in history itself. very bold and neon colours gets a bit too much sometimes! But I love the energy it vibes, you could say the whole style of the 1980's is against the norm today.
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| Cyndi Lauper 1980 |
By the 1970's women were more independent, some women had jobs and they wore what they wanted to wear that day. Holidays abroad was also becoming more popular as package holidays were offered and more people had disposable income. Therefore this widened fashion in Britain.
Short skirts were replaced by long, loose A-line dresses (maxi) that came just above the floor length, although the mini was still worn. They were printed with flower power patterns in feminine fabric. This related to the hippies, that continued from the sixties into the seventies as a known trend. Hippies preached love, freedom and peace. They took the issue with racial inequality, sexual discrimination, and civil rights. Hippies did this by protesting.
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| Primary photograph |
Primary photograph
Other trends in the seventies included trousers, in particular, flares, loon pants and bell bottoms. Blue jeans were no longer the attire for the working class, and denim was worn by nearly everyone. The 1970's was the decade when fashion for unisex blossomed, men and women started to wear clothes that were gender natural and sometimes couple were seen wearing the same outfit.
One of my favorite trends from the seventies would be the jumpsuit. Full of bright colours, shimmer and sequins. It highlighted the body's assets. These days you would have to be very brave and confident to wear such a jumpsuit but that's what i loved about seventies fashion. The freedom and passion was shown on the clothes.
Look how striking this jumpsuit is by Aussie Clark, an iconic designer in the seventies. This garment just screams the seventies, the bold print and vivid colours with the long fringing. Its certainly a design that would make heads turn, but that's what i love about the seventies.
Again like the sixties, the seventies still inspires fashion today. Currently in 2015, the trends are all about the 1970's fashion, especially the flower power aspect.
