Introduction to this page: Trending fashions have been noted for hundreds of years but with little analysis as to WHY people dress a certain way. What were people trying to convey with their clothes? Does a person’s clothes define who they are and who they are striving to be? Through research into the ghost of fashion’s past, it is evident that through fashion in every age group and each gender that hidden messages were being sent through society. Stances on gender roles, places in society, social issues, and more can be seen through styles dating back to the early 1900s. It is in this time period, where hidden communication began to run its course in America’s world of style.
Copying fashions from the later 1800s, women’s fashion depicted thin waists, long puffy gowns, full busts, and sported tight corsets. The “Gibson Girl” style is what most women were going for. This type of style simply means the ideal image for women that was used during the 1800s and beginning 1900s. Women wore their hair on top of their heads in waves, topped with hats. The hats either had feathers or birds (IF women could afford either one), and in this way fashion depicted their place in society. If they had the most expensive dresses on, or the most elegant hats it was reflected as their status in society and in a way communicated to the people around them what they had and what they had to offer to potential husbands. Their corset addition to their dresses formed an “s shape” curve and supposably made women look more desirable. The early 1900s form of dress was supposed to signify the era of confident women. They were beginning to form ideas of self dependence, and learning to break out of being self-conscious.
Apart from the gowns, women had dresses for every day events. They had specific dresses for the morning and at night. However they had specific long skirted outfits when they were partaking in sports or events alike. Yet the message was always clear that the main point of each outfit was to show off the woman’s small waist with a very tightly woven corset underneath.
Other messages conveyed to society at the time is that if a woman was seen smoking it was considered rude and people concluded that she was an actress, if a woman was wearing red lipstick it was to be assumed that she was a prostitute if not just resembling one, and it was horrendous for a woman to either show her ankle or wear trousers. A woman’s place in society was to be elegant and graceful, flowing in her laced gowns and numbering under garments.
The early 1900s began to change when the raving 1920s came about.
The closing of World War 1 brought not only a short era of prosperity but this is when the roles of women began to change and clothing styles took a 90 degree turn yet again. However clothing styles for men changed to fit the modern times.. but their clothing during the early 1900s did not display a message to society as much as women did. Their clothing style began to take notice in society in the later 1900s and the 2000s and currently.
Now taking a look during the 1920s, the eruption of Jazz called for a whole new attitude in America. It was sinful in nature, it was extraordinarily out of bounds of what used to be considered the norm. The same attitude the music suggested was reflected in women. They turned away from the slim waisted bustiers, the corsets, and the long laced gowns. They began to smoke, and drink and become most un-lady like. Red lipstick and too much makeup used to signify a hooker, now every woman who was in tune with the times was beginning to wear this type of look. Ankles were now seen as nothing more then seeing a woman's hand, and dresses start to shift higher and higher. The new "flapper" girls styled these short, loose dresses and cut their hair short (called a "bob") to signify they could look and dress how they like.
Women were finally breaking one of many barriers women would face regarding the cult of domesticity. They were causing a mini revolution in the women world, and their messages were being flashed at society through every twist of their flapper dresses when dancing in the jazz clubs. This was a major first challenge to society, that a woman could act like a man... smoke and drink and act how she pleases. In this way, the 1920s fashion and style was a way for women to communicate to society that she will no longer be waiting for her husband to come home for dinner, that she will be out having a life where men do not control what she makes of it.
Here is a link to a video of a documentary called "What is fashion?"... it is a small documentary that contains interviews of people giving their opinion on fashion through the past decade. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6Ms3H5-ABM
The next big era.. The 1950s (with a hint of 1940 nostalgia)
The 1950s bloomed because of yet another post war prosperity wave hit America and some of Europe. America was threatened by war, destruction, nuclear bombs, and safety during the 30s and 40s. Then the 1950s came and a rush of technology and new social order spun America into a commodity of new hidden messages.
A major difference this time, is that not just the women were changing society... but now teenagers, women, and men had different roles in society. Because of the communist threats and other threats of being un-American threatened to destroy America where she stood, people moved to be more conforming. Women turned back to the cult of domesticity. After world war 2, society pushed women to turn back to being the homemaker and the house wife she used to be depicted as. Clothing turned back into formal, fragile attire. Women wore more tight fitted clothes, pencil skirts, and small hats decorated with feathers.
The hour glass figure was now a trend again, and body styles began to reflect early 1900s when the corset and puffy dresses was most popular. The influence on women began because of a severe push through media and television programs. TV shows such as "I Love Lucy" displayed women as soft figures who were very very feminine and did what society expected of them. Other shows depicted real and fake families where the women would wait every day for her children and husband to come home so she could care for them. Women wore pearls and long dresses, and anything that would make her look like a typical mother. And to go along with the conformist ideas, women all desired to look the same.
Men also matched the conformist idea. Men all wore similar suits and went to the workplace like the perfect husband and father society expected from him. Every couple began to look the same and dress similar..... This way of communicating is saving them from being different and becoming a victim of prejudice in a very sensitive country that is still healing its wounds from the war.
On the other hand, the rebellious teenagers from the "baby boom" of WW2 were growing up and becoming teenagers. Instead of conforming to society, they decided to do what they wanted. Their elders were listening to music that reflected post-war prosperity and happiness, but they broke out of this chain and headed straight to rock and roll. They began wearing clothes that were seen as unfit and nonconforming such as leather jackets and breaking away from what used to be proper. In this way, their punk rock attitudes showed society that they were going to break away from being obedient youngsters and this made way to the 60s... where fashion dominated every silent communication between the people and the country around them.
The "hippie" decade, the mismatched 1960s era.
The 1960s was the hippie era, an era where mismatched clothes, mini skirts, and pill box hats (thanks to Jackie Kennedy) began to fill the fashion world. Clothing had no definition, there were long dresses, short dresses, shirts, skirts, pants, and accessories. Hair began to match with this style, hair styles ranged from short to long and everything in between. This being said, the fashion world was an image of what social movements were taking place during this time. For example, this was during the sexual revolution... Woodstock happened and the music festival was a teenaged riot filled with fashionable teens with desires for sex and music.
Just like the social movements of the time, fashion had no boundaries. Clothing and hair also mimicked what the famous singers were doing with their fashion and their hair. For example, the beetles and their bowl cuts became the style for young men across the nation. The same goes for women with other artists.
The mismatched era of the 60s is also portrayed in the Identity social movement where people were beginning to find themselves and define themselves based on their clothing. In this way, it can be said assumed that this era began the stereo type that your clothes define who you are and that is what people will judge when you first come in to meet them. The tye-dyed shirts and the bell bottom jeans were symbols of the rebellious baby boomer babies who were beginning to take over the nation with their social reforms and their bold fashion statements such as "Make Love Not War" referring to the growing war in Vietnam.
The teens used this war in their fashion, their political views in their fashion... this statement was seen on t-shirts and their entire hippie attire was based on this. They were using their fashion to communicate to the president that the war in Vietnam was unjust and needed to be changed.
The next big fashion decade... The 1980s
The 80s was a decade of creativity depicted in movies and the release of MTV. It was an era where men and women began to find themselves by finding the most creative ways to display who they were.
Parachute pants, oversized sweaters and vibrant colors was the fashion for the 80s. Clothing was worn by the advancement of television through music television. People were defined by how creative they could make their outfits and soon the over all message to society was their desire to become original people. The conformity "rules" of society completely dropped and women began cutting their hair and growing it out and resembling anything they wanted to be. Men began copying styles such as growing mustaches and wearing parachute pants because this is what they were depicting in the movies and music videos at the time.
The "big shoulder" outfits also became increasingly popular among women. It was depicted in television and became a fashionable icon. People had so many accessories, different styles, and wore so much mousse in their hair that it needed to be washed constantly. And the real message that was being given to society was how different the people wanted to be from everyone else. If someone had your style, you would change it into something more unnerving that no one has seen yet. Television shows such as Dynasty and Dallas had styles such as severe uses of costume jewelry that was copied by the people, and the shoulder pads as previously mentioned.
Now considered one of the ugliest eras, the 1980s fashion is actually coming back. However, the 90s and early 2000s will lead to the fashion of today, where there are indeed no boundaries for fashion anymore.
The 1990s and the 2000s
The 90s and through today, the idea of body piercings and tattoos are sources of fashion that have become a rather prominent part of society. These styles show society a person's inner personality and who they are. For example, if a person has a tattoo of a date and RIP above it, in today's world people know that the tattoo signifies the death of someone important to the person who is now sporting the tattoo. Instead telling others about themselves, people who get these tattoos choose to artistically show society who they are through the creation of permanent marks on their skin. This is also an example of how the nonconformist ideas of the 80s are still in tact (and are still to this day).
Apart from the tattoos and piercings part of style, the 90s through today have become a lot more casual and extreme. This is also known as the casual chic look that women are taking on. Simple jeans, t-shirts and converse are also simply integrated. The interesting factor about this is that the decades where fashion is not so chaotic are the decades that are not so chaotic themselves. In the 90s America was not battling the Soviet Union, and Japan was not threatening to help Germany take over the world, and its a coincidence that the fashion extremes also died down to match the tone of the times. From this we can conclude that between the world of fashion and the political side of a country, the two communicate and have communicated since the early 1900s.
The lack of significant events has resulted in a lack of a fashion thirst in the country, and the simplicity of 90s clothes into today shows a great deal of proof for this factor.
Yet now the clothing styles are coming back into effect that were fashionable in other decades. For example, converse are coming back, long sweaters and other women's clothing from the 80s is coming back. It is interesting to note that different eras can bleed into each other like that, and maybe all at once because 60s fashions are also in effect in today's society.
"Hipsters" are people who are dressing like they are back in the era of the 60s, it is prevalent nationally. In the video produced below, people discuss what fashion means to them and some of them analyze the fact that fashion does repeat itself.
Despite the information above, fashion today has taken a whole new level to connect with society. Websites such as tumblr and facebook and other social networks display pictures of fashion, clothes and creative ideas that are spread through a wide audience and communicate ideas of different creative notions through technology that is so readily available in today's world. Another way fashion is communicating with society is the graphic t-shirt that was most prevalent during the 90s but is still very much in effect today. The graphic t-shirts have messages on them that convey messages. Some of them blatantly saying view points such as political stands, some have jokes, some act as advertisements and are logos with designs on them. Instead of speaking their minds, people who wear these t-shirts are using silent communication... and in a way that was never used before.
An interesting advantage to fashion today is the benefits it can cause. For example, Toms brand shoes has policy where if you buy a pair of shoes a pair is donated to someone in another country who needs a pair of shoes. The same goes with buying any type of glasses on the website. Each pair you buy you are giving money to fund glasses for people who can not afford the luxuries that people in this country enjoy so much. This message conveys to society that people are caring for others in other countries, and the small donation you make goes a long way. If someone is seen wearing shoes like this, or a different designer who does the same thing, that is telling society what you believe in and what you have done to help someone else in need.
It is because of modern technology that messages can be sent, received and delivered in so many different ways such as the graph t-shirts, texting, even buying clothes can send a message to society and people communicate what they believe should be done to help people.
Fashion is always changing, and if people would look close enough they would be able to tell that each style represents a stance in society, and a silent voice that is still loud enough to be heard.