Thesis- Fashion

Damian
Oct 7, 2020
7 min read

Fashion is a big part of retro culture that has returned for many generations to style. We have seen the same clothing come back in "trends" every season in various magazines and articles saying what is in or not. However, there ihas been an increasing number of fashion designers refining already staple trends and styles of clothing for a whole new generation to enjoy.

What is Vintage Fashion?

Before I could look at vintage fashion, I had to look at the basic definition for fashion itself. Fashion can be defined as an " aesthetical expression" from a certain time and place. It can be broken down into clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, and hairstyle. Many words that are tied to fashion such as trends and styles, however fashion is its own expression and has different meanings. A trend usually lasts a shorter than a season, while a style is an expression that last longer than a season and is more deeply connected to other factors such as cultural movements, symbols, and social markers. Fashion is in between the two and is connected to a season. The idea of vintage fashion is various fashion expressions that were introduced between the 1960s-1990s that have made a return in the 2000s. What I found really interesting Is that many people view fashion as a cycle. As stated in an article by Rachel Gariepy, "Fashion is cyclical, and what was old will almost certainly become new again. It’s no coincidence that styles like flared denim and crop tops that were popular decades ago have now, once again, permeated the trend-driven landscape of today’s youth". Looking at fashion in this sense, we can predict styles that will make a return. All we have to do is take a look into the past and see what was popular. What I find interesting however is the rate of new trends that have surfaced recently. It feels like every week there is one clothing trend that is no long with the masses, but two more take its place. This leads me to two question, One; where are the original styles coming from and what is coming back? How are the current generations changing these piecing of clothing to make it our own? and two; who determines what styles are coming back over others? Do influences have this much control over the masses and what can be "cool" or not?

What is Coming Back?

First I had to look at fashion trends that re making a reappearance. I think it was said best what British music journalist Simon Reynolds said, "Instead of being about itself, the 2000s has been about every other previous decade happening again all at once". This is actually really interesting to look at because this states that the 2000s really does not have much new fashion expressions to define it as a generation. It is just a melting pot of older expressions all merging together at once. Though this seems rather sad, I feel that this can define us as a generation. We are bridging the gap that previous generations could not. It shows that we are a wide variety of various expressions. On the other hand, you can look at this in a more cynical way and say that we are just a dull generation and cannot come up with anything on our own. I knew at this point in my research I would have to look at the generations that are apart of "vintage fashion" and what did each decade contribute to the melting pot we know as the 2000s.

Influences

1960s- Vibrant

As stated in the article by Rebels Market, " With the Vietnamese war and liberalization of Civil and Feminist rights, American youth craved freedom, self-expression, and rebellion". The 1960s is seen to have a lot of political and other movements that helped define this generation of teens and young adults growing up. Many view this era as the rise of hippies, and concerts. When I think of the 60s I personally think of psychedelic. It seems that it took two very distinct route when it came to fashion during this time. Many trends that we have today come from this time, and featured diverse trends.

The Glam Look

This classic, and elegant look comes from the more formal time in the 50s and seeped through to the early 60s. An article by Buffalo Rising stated, " Fashions in the early

years of the decade reflected the elegance of the First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy". Women fashion in this time included geometric dresses, suits, pin up skirts, and stiletto heels. The 60s brought vibrant color to the more neutral look the 50s brought. Mens suits also started to have this pop of color during this time. The beginning of the 60s was already starting to shape it's own generation by taking the style of the one before it and updating it to make this new generation feel different from their parents with the use of vibrant color and geometric shapes and patterns. This started to take a sharp turn during the latter half of the decade. Young people wanted to be distinctively different with their trends and the rise of individualism took over.

The Hippie Look

This look is the style I would assume most people would see the 60s as the most

notable style that came from this decade. This includes psychedelic patterns, bell bottoms, tie dyed shirts, headbands, and etc. This included a lot of statement jewelry. For more toned styles people could also wear leather jackets, which were also on the rise during this time. Many styles that we know today were born out of this expressive time such as leggings, and skinny jeans, furthering the idea of fashion being recycled.

1970s- No Rules

The 70s was deemed as a time where everything in fashion was on the table. Much like how our generation today is a melting pot, the 70s was a time where anything in fashion was a trend. Some trends continued from the 60s such as bell bottoms, and the emergence of the afro, however, they were more widely popular during this time. From looking at various fashion, it can be seen that there was a more neutral, and earth tone approach during this time. The article by Central Casting states, "Women in the early ’70s who didn’t go for the Hippie look often chose more of a dressy or dressy casual wardrobe. This look included tight t-shirts or dresses with a fitted wide lapel blazer, flared pants, sweaters, cardigans, and boots. Pastels were popular colors, especially baby blue, yellow, mauve, and peach". The style was taking a turn during the early 70s for more casual wear, especially for women. However, men were still very influenced by 3 piece suits as everyday clothing. Textures became a big thing such as corduroy, and

velvet. If they did wear casual clothing it was still bell bottoms, and tie dye shirts. During the mid 70s the idea of hippie era started to disappear. Women started seeing much more variation in their styles, either a more casual outfit, or more business oriented attire. It is nice to see women finally getting to have more options as men did during this time rather than just having dresses. The 70s to me really seem like an experimental time and established a lot of trends we are currently seeing now. By the end of the 70s we finally see one of the biggest defining fashion trends, disco. As stated by Central Casting, "Disco styles for women included jersey wrap dresses, tube tops, sequined shirts, spandex shorts, and high slit skirts with boots or chunky heels.

John Travolta’s character in Saturday Night Fever is a perfect example of Disco style for men. Three piece suits with wide lapels and flared pants were popular in powder blue, beige, and white". To me this seems like a hybrid of the classical styes of the early 60s and also incorporating the craziness of the late 60s into one, while also making it generational for 70s youth by making more relaxed fit and casual wear.

1980s- Experimental

Much like the 70s, trends in the 80s were very experimental and out there. They took ahold of this decade and made it their own with the use of neon colors, permed hair,

ripped jeans, fur, and etc. As I looked at various styles, I started to understand the wheel that drove fashion around. This generation is a prime example of not only making there own original trends, but also reusing past decades trends and making their own with different colors or materials. Many trends in the 80s were carried out to the youth by famous figured who also becomes icons of the fashion during this time. Such icons include the Beastie Boys, and Prince, who sported various looks that then was mimicked by those who grew up in the 80s. What I come to noticed as well was that there was seemingly an outfit for everyone. There was neon jackets and pants to be eye catching, but then there was also tracksuits for a more relaxed style. Padded blazers became a staple for women's clothing, and high waisted jeans took over the lower hanging jeans from the 70s. This was a time where everyone was able to express themselves.

1990s- Grunge & Minimal

The 90s took a more silent tone compared to its predecessor. Though some styles were brought from the 80s over to the 90s, the 90s have been able to define themselves as

their own style as well. As stated by Central Casting, "By 1994, fashion took a turn to more polished form-fitting styles. Popular mid ’90s looks for women included tailored skirt and pantsuits, slip dresses, hot pants, and skirts in statin, metallic, sequin, and vinyl fabrics. Animal prints and bright colors were popular carryovers from the early 1990s. Men’s clothing also featured bold prints, the most common being Hawaiian and paisley patterns, sports jerseys, graphic t-shirts, leather jackets, and velvet blazers". The 90s also showed its way of spinning the fashion wheel by reviving some 70s trends. During the late 90s the revival of disco looks, leather pants, and platform boots gave this period a fresh brighter look compared to the darker grunge that was born throughout the 90s.

Grunge

The most notable style for this period was non other than grunge. We see this style today still, and has left a large mark in the history of fashion. It is a darker palette, and was featured in plaid flannel shirts, ripped jeans, combat boots, and other high top sneakers. This is a much different style then what we have seen from the decades before. This was the youth in the 90s way to break away from their parents and create their own trend. This was also created due in part to the rising rock bands such as Nirvana who took this look.