Fashion In The Nineteen Sixties example essay topic

If you look back through the past sixty years of fashion, you may notice a pattern. People may say that the true years of fashion began in the late nineteen forties and went on through the early nineteen sixties. If you look at fashion today, its almost repeated the look from sixty years ago. In each generation fashion trends become based on history and / or important events. in the nineteen forties fashion was being modeled by the military wear. World War II caused a drastic change in the way clothes were being made and worn.

In the nineteen fifties Americans admired the fashion of movie stars and music artists. Media had a strong influence on the wordly trend. The people of the sixties expressed there personalities and emotions through there clothing. They wanted to look independent.

By looking at these three generations, we can reflect on how fashion today maybe repeating itself. It is worthless to discuss fashion of the forties without first understanding the tremendous impact World War II had on everyday life during the early part of the decade. World War II changed the world of fashion forever. Severe restrictions were imposed on the appeal industry by the government (Keogh). For men the tailored silhouette, with padded shoulders and a narrow waist and hips, were essentially frozen until the late nineteen forties (Keogh). Women were forced to recycle there clothing, or hand them down to other women when the clothing was not being used for example, the wedding dress, It was a way of conserving fabrics (Thomas).

Most fabrics at the time were purchased ' ready made'. This meant that the fabrics were already sewn together to be worn. In some areas where blot fabrics could not be purchased or blockades prevented shipments. Women would use the art of sewing, or making there own clothing by putting fabrics together. This was a more detailed but less expensive way to get clothing (Thomas).

The fabrics for clothing during the time of war that were being worn were very dull. Because of the depressing times women and men simplified there clothing. Fabrics were available mostly as solid colors, stripes, and plaids (Thomas). In an effort to comply with the restrictions imposed on them, American designers created a new style of suits for women. Skirts were short and straight topped by short jackets of twenty-five inches or less in length. Cardigans matched skirts and sheath even ign dresses replaced the long flowing gowns of the thirties (Keogh).

McCall's produced patterns for transforming men's suits into ladies's suits and women's dresses into children's clothing. (Keogh). After viewing hundreds of period photographs, about eighty percent of them feature solid colors, and tight fitting suits for both men and women. Overseas, leather was restricted to military use, so shoe designers were forced to be increasingly clever. Every imaginable material was to make shoes, reptile skins and mesh were the most successful substitutes.

Women everywhere used household items, including cellophane and pipe cleaners, to create shoe decorations. Everything was recycled, giving rise to such advertising, Vogue's "Make Do & Mend" campaign. (Keogh). Shoe factories were told to limit the height of shoe heels to one inch and allowed for only six color choices.

For women, nylons stocking were banned. Magazines and beauty salons helped out by offering tips on how to paint legs with back seams and tan using makeup. (Keogh). Clothing was also made to be comfortable.

Since women were replacing jobs for men in factories there clothing had to be loose fitting and comfortable. In 1947, Dior introduced the "New Look", featuring longer lengths and fuller skirts, they were being to look more like women again. Women's fashion changed to a soft, feminine and romantic image, this set the stage for fashion of women in the next decade. Optimism came about during the post-war years of the nineteen fifties. The focus was on baby-booming family and being a good housewife, which was the ultimate measure of success (Keogh). The United States had emerged amazingly from another bitter war.

Television was now in many households, and Americans copied what they saw. Television culture like 'I Love Lucy' and 'The Honeymooners' reflected on how married couples looked and acted. Stars such as Marilyn Monroe, introduced a smoldering sex appeal into an age of conservation. The United States was still short in employment, and that's where women had made a big impact. Government created a new stereo-type of, 'Rosie the Riveter'. 'Rosie the Riveter', was a role model to other women.

She encouraged women to take part in rough jobs that were being abandoned by men at war (Petzko). National economy as starting to explode. No longer did Americans need tailors to make there clothing. Industries came up with mass-production. Not only did this invention save time, it made it about ten times easier to make large amounts of clothing.

The L 85 was designed to conserve fabric. They banned styles that wasted fabric, like hoods and patches. Large amounts of fabric were needed to make uniforms for American soldiers. There clothing consisted of plain fabrics, dark colors, and wide shoulders. Because heavy duty fabric was needed for soldiers uniforms, the of nylon and elastic were increasing (Petzko). The nineteen fifties wasnt always a depressing time period.

In the late nineteen fifties when the war ended fashion started to come back into existence. The constant rounds of barbecues, cocktail parties, and other social events required dressing up (Thomas). The 'Can-Can Style' was a casual look for women that consisted of a full skirt with a sweater or blouse. Women and young girls attending college were known as the 'Sweater Girls', they began wearing sweaters with slim skirts or sack dresses.

The most popular 'Sweater Girl' was Marilyn Monroe, she influenced most of the style. The word 'cleavage' entered the American vocabulary for women, girls started to wear fancy undergarments, 'The Pointed Bras' were another big hit (Petzko). Teenagers were basically the focal point of this era. Films such as 'Rebels Without a Cause' were influenced in how teenagers dressed. The beatnik culture, inspired by authors such as Jack Kerouac, was also in vogue.

Leather jackets, Levi's jeans, and converse sneakers helped create the look (Thomas). Styles also consisted of cashmere sweaters, poodle skirts, athletic jackets, and rolled up tee-shirts. Teenage girls wore a lot of accessories such as scarfs around the neck (Boomers Teen Idol Magazine). In the early nineteen fifties teens watched a lot of television. They looked up to some of there favorite actors. Actresses such as Kathrine Hepburn and Sandra Dee were the young actors that teen girls wants to look like.

Girls i doled the small waist and big hip look that most actresses gave off (Boomers Teen Idol Magazine). Actresses were staring in cigarette ads, so smoking became the 'hip' thing to be doing. The movie 'Grease's tarted its very on look. Leather jackets, blue denim jeans, and greased hair. Men wanted to be just like rebels.

They were known as 'Greasers', the young trouble making group of boys. In the nineteen fifties many men were working in manufacturing and agriculture. Around this time Levi Strauss made the blue jeans. They were perfect for men working in factories and on the fields (Bradley).

Every class was wearing blue jeans, because of jeans, there was no distinction of wealth or status, and they crossed over gender and age (Bradley). Jeans were extremely popular with teenagers. They were being worn by almost every young boy during this generation. The blue jean look made men look tough, and rigid.

They wanted the independent look, but it wasnt until later on the denim jeans became popular for women. Life at this point in the fifties seemed idyllic, Americans were happy with there new fashion scene. The young generation had taken over fashion in the nineteen sixties. The post World War II Baby Boom had created seventy million teenagers for the sixties, and these youth swayed the fashion, the fads and the politics of the decade (Yeager). Many people refer to this generation as the 'Unisex Decade'. This was because men and women had there own sense of style.

In the fifties when women tried to look like men, now in the sixties men had long hair and almost looked like women. The 60's were a time of change and challenge. They brought hippies, space age, folk music, and the Beatles. Women's skirts got shorter, men's hair got longer, and everyone talked about love.

The 60's was characterized by the feeling that a break with the past had been achieved. Clothes, furniture, and products all looked newer, brighter, and more fun. The swinging 60's were at their height. Fashion in the 60's tended to encourage exhibitionism.

Music and Media played a big role in fashion. Mary Quant was the fashion designer and entrepreneur responsible for the 'London Look' of the 60's. A music group named the Beatles was a reason why london fashion became the new rage. Women and men adored the look for there favorite music group. The London look consisted of She was the inventor of the min-skirt and hot pants She proclaimed 'good taste is death, vulgarity is life' and summarized the fashion of the 60's as 'arrogant, aggressive and sexy. ' Although she is still designing today, she is largely known for her 60's creations.