Unstoppable Fashion Fate? Fashion History Periods Compared

1920s vs. 1990s

1930s vs. 2000s

40s here we come?

As of late I have been wandering about what silhouettes our current decade and the previous one (the naughties, or the 2000s) will be remembered for 30 years from now. I wrote about this issue in my previous post (above). In digging deeper into the subject, and knowing that history goes in cycles, I have found that there are socio-cultural elements that mirror each other in the 1920’s and the 1990’s, also with the 1930’s and the 2000’s. This also leads me to wonder if the decade we have newly entered will be at all like the 1940’s.

The 1920’s silhouette was boxy with a dropped waist, minimizing curves. The 20’s were a time of prosperity and economic growth in the United States. It was the first time that more people lived in cities than in small towns. It was the birth of automobiles, jazz music, national advertising and chain stores, which made trend communication much faster.

check out those awesome boots! 

 The 1990’s was the minimalist fashion period. Like the 20’s, the 90’s came right after a very decadent era. This could be a reflection of both generations rebelling from the ornate, over the top style of the prior period into more clean, simple lines and shapes.

The benchmark of the 1930’s is the Great Depression. One cannot help but see the similarity of the depression of the 1930’s to the recession of the 2000’s. Despite the economic downturn, fashion still found a way to endure in the 30’s, and produced some great pieces in the era. The waistline moved up to the natural waist, and skirt lengths elongated, creating a more feminine figure. 

The war required women to go to work, 1939-1945. This forced them to wear trousers and coveralls for the first time in history! It was the introduction of a whole new silhouette for women. Over some time, it became acceptable and commonplace for women to wear pants outside of work. 

This reminds me of how the 2000s (or the naughties as some have coined them) silhouette of skinny jeans or leggings with a long top or sweater and boots came in, which is more likely to be remembered as our staple silhouette than a dress. It is also interesting that in both eras the silhouettes is one that elongates for a slim, tall, feminine figure.

Does this mean that our fresh 2010’s will be trending with 40’s inspired silhouettes? We’ve seen a few of them thus far with peplum style dresses and jackets. 

We’ll have to wait and see what the future holds for our fashion era, but wouldn’t it be interesting if people were aware of these trends and time patterns and then intentionally started wearing 40’s inspired trends? Would that still make it a natural repetition of history? Certainly at one point designers were inspired by the 20’s and 30’s when creating pieces in the 90’s and 2000’s. The intent or motivation does not change the fact that it’s a trend, but some may not consider it a naturally evolving trend since it was premeditated. That’s a whole other blog post!

Donna Karen Pre-Fall 2013- very 40's inspired.

An interesting look at a video from the 1930’s predicting what fashion of the future will look like!

Sources:

If you're interested, this site breaks down the history of the Great Depression in a very easy to understand and informative way.

Fashion silhouettes of the 1930’s

Article on culture similarities of 1930’s and 2000’s

Future Nostalgia

     

As a designer I look to the past for vintage inspiration, so the subject of nostalgia is quite intriguing to me. Every so often I try to envision what will trigger nostalgia for people in the future about this past decade. Sometimes it’s hard to see the big picture when you’re in the middle of a situation. Certainly there are silhouettes that emerged this decade that will define the looks of the era. The all around “trimming of fat” provided cleaner looks. Velour tracksuits, leggings, hipster style, plastic rimmed glasses and tailored suits are all staples from the 2000s. But what will really be remembered or stand out to others and us in the future is unpredictable. Some trends may be relatively short lived, but be a stand out in the people’s minds about the era.

     Another factor to consider is how much mass retailing and fast fashion has changed. It is easier and cheaper than past decades to keep up with current trends.  Retailers like H&M, Forever 21 and Charlotte Rousse have made it possible for consumers to get the latest trends for affordable prices. These clothes of course have a quick turnaround and are very short lived, which is fine since these consumers want the latest style anyway. The system leads to a “trickle-up” pattern, which refers to where the trend began; street to the runway vs. runway to street.

     

     In the early 2000’s a new means of marketing involved “cool-hunters”. They would go out to find teenagers who were innovators and ahead current trends. The cool hunters would take their photos, compile the information and images and sell them to companies for thousands of dollars. This type of marketing continues today along with other very consumer influenced tools like focus groups and surveys. This has changed the way trends begin. Also, the fact that the 2000s mark the first decade of the social media influence on fashion increases the rapid pace at which trends unfold, disperse and disappear.

     We may not be able to predict what our era will be remembered for, but it is fun to think we as consumers, and myself as a designer have a greater influence on fashion history than ever before.

Here is a link to an article with a little more insight on the subject.

What staples do you think will be remembered from the 2000s?