Who could forget Audrey Hepburn’s elegant fashion in the 1961 smash hit ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’? Or what about Marilyn Monroe gracing us with style and sex appeal when she walked over that open grate in the sidewalk wearing the infamous white dress in ‘The Seven Year Itch’ 1951?
These are just a few of the most iconic fashion moments that we’ve had the privilege of witnessing. What about other fashion eras that have paved the way for us to become changers and innovators of style?
Below we’re going to take you back in time to various eras in fashion history, taking a more in-depth look at the trends that are gone yet never forgotten.
Victorian Era
If you enjoy sitting down for tea or attending elaborate balls, the Victorian era is the area for you. The fashion that people wore in this area was to show off their class level and their amount of wealth through their clothing.
Men and women both wore custom wigs when attending social occasions, also as a sign of status. Women in this area wore corsets with skirts that created a secure boundary around them, not complete without a heavily embellished headpiece.
If you were opting to dress artistically as it was known in this era, then you didn’t have to wear a corset. Bonnets were also an essential accessory when it came to women’s fashion. As far as men go, they, too, deserve their time in the spotlight.
This is the time that the top hat became a statement piece for men and was just the right amount of drama for any outfit. Men wore longer trousers as well as waistcoats or what we understand today to be vests.
While some aspects of this era live on the huge dresses and waistcoats, they have taken on a more straightforward design.
The 1940s: Pants For You, You, and Me
Until the 1940s, women didn’t typically wear pants; they left that all to the men. During this era, women were making a strong case for why they deserved to wear pants as much as the men deserved to.
A fashion designer that went by the name of Paul Poiret would create a look that would help change the views of women wearing pants forever. He created what we know as a harem pant. It gave women what they wanted, which was pants, while at the same time bringing the aspect of femininity to them.
Although he created these pants, they didn’t last long, but it was a leg up in the right direction.
It wasn’t until the war in the 1940s that women were able to wear pants without it being looked down upon. With the men fighting in the war, the women had to pick up the slack at home, including jobs.
And you can’t work correctly when you’ve got a skirt getting caught in dangerous factory machinery. Talk about putting your hair up and getting done what needs to get done.
This era was significant in changing how women approach fashion and their gender role that society had placed them in.
Let’s Get Groovy
As time continues on, more and more people are trying new things and embracing other ways of thinking. Think about the Woodstock era? During this time, the term ‘hippie’ was coined because of the carefree styles people began to wear when making their everyday fashion choices.
Young men stopped cutting their hair, making it trendy to have locks that rivaled some women’s. This is the same time that the miniskirt was born, and eccentric makeup was made famous by models like Twiggy.
Everyone was taking this time to embrace the natural beauty that was inside of them all. Not to mention during this time, tons of movements were taking place like the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Liberation Movement.
If this era didn’t leave you reaching for your boogie shoes, we think you should seriously consider finding your belly bottoms and reliving these out of sight moments.
The 50’s
Fashion in the ’50s and ’60s was all about men looking like men and women looking like women. Men’s fashion was all about the tailored suit and tailored pants. Even though this trend faded nowadays, you can see men of various professions and careers bringing back the effortless look.
As for women in this era, it was all about bringing a softness to the look and enhancing the womanly aspect of femininity. Women wore dresses that accentuated their elegance without being constrictive in the fabrics that they wore.
This is likely where today’s fashion designers got the idea for all the excellent two-piece sets that you can find on most websites. If you’re looking for more information on fashion in the 50s vs 60s, we’ve got everything you need to know right here.
Fashion Eras: Trends From the Past Evolving Into Fashion Today
All fashion eras brought their own style to the table, whether it was women fighting for the right to wear pants like the men or embracing who you are, there is something in fashion for everyone. As we continue to embrace the past, it’s essential that we keep an eye out for fashion trends that will make a comeback in the near future.
As they say, history does repeat itself, and that pertains to historical fashion as well. If you found this article useful, don’t hesitate to check out the other posts that we’ve created for readers like you in this section.