In order to guess the couturier's allusions at one glance at the silhouette and cut, it is worth understanding the history of fashion of the last century. ELLE has compiled a short “cheat sheet” on fashion eras, which will not allow you to make mistakes.
Belle Epoque (translated from French as “beautiful era”) with its characteristic hourglass silhouette is being replaced by Art Deco. The new canon of beauty is the natural, unconstrained forms of the female body. Europe dresses up in exotic outfits, inspired by the ballet “Scheherazade”, presented by Diaghilev as part of the “Russian Seasons” in Paris.
Fashion designer: Paul Poiret is a fashion reformer; it was he who freed women from corsets and bustles, offering loose tunic dresses in the ancient Greek style, as well as capes, montos and trousers inspired by the East. Poiret introduced exoticism and orientalism into fashion, cultivating luxury and abundance in clothing: expensive fabrics and a lot of decor are signs of his creations.
Styles: high-waisted dress, tapered skirt, trouser skirt, bloomers, kimono cape, sari dress, turban, pouch bag.
Fabrics and decor: brocade, silk, velvet, taffeta, oriental ornaments, embroidery with gold threads, precious stones, batik.
Style icons: Isadora Duncan made Poiret's loose tunic dress famous throughout the world by appearing on stage in a translucent outfit - unheard of audacity. Another fashion icon of the era - Ida Rubinstein, star of the ballet "Scheherazade" - did not leave the image of an oriental beauty even off stage, choosing silk kimonos for every day.
An emancipated woman drives a car, writes novels, smokes, and dashingly dances the Charleston in a comfortable straight dress with a low waist - a symbol of the era. The modest elegance of Coco Chanel juxtaposes with the excesses of the Jazz Age: feathers, boas and fringe. The garcon style (translated from French as “boy”) coexisted with Art Deco, which was still popular.
Fashion designer: Coco Chanel dressed women in men's clothes and proved that a little black dress, complemented with a string of pearls, is an evening option no worse than a beaded outfit. Jeanne Lanvin was responsible for a more feminine fashion direction.
Styles: a cylindrical dress, a fur moncot, a jacket, a cardigan, loose canvas trousers, a pajama suit for the beach, a cloche hat, headbands and hair bands with abundant decoration.
Fabrics and decor: lace, silk, velvet, wool, boucle, jersey; basic colors – black, white, gray, cream, beige; jewelry made of pearls, a minimum of decor - from Chanel, a maximum - from the rest (embroidery, feathers, bows, bugles).
Style icons: Silent film actress and dancer Louise Brooks became famous not only for her freedom of morals, but also for her love of cloche hats. Tennis player Suzanne Lenglet introduced the fashion for women's sportswear.
The new era decisively abandons the androgynous style of dress, which hides sensual curves. Fashion designers are proclaiming a different silhouette - an emphasized waist, from which comes a flowing long skirt. Following the athletes, girls are starting to wear knitwear. The luxurious decor of the previous decade is forgotten - the Great Depression and the feeling of an imminent war set a completely different mood.
Fashion designer: Elsa Schiaparelli designs a sweater dress, a printed jumper, and uses viscose and a zipper for the first time. She is the first provocateur and fashion surrealist. Just look at a dress with lobster and parsley or a hat in the shape of a shoe!
Styles: a floor-length dress with an accentuated waistline, a sweater dress, a jumper, tennis pleated skirts, polo dresses, sports trousers, elbow-length silk gloves, trains, the first swimwear.
Fabrics and decor: tulle, silk, velvet, wool, knitwear; noble rich and pastel colors - dark blue, burgundy, pearl; lace trim.
Style icons: Women of cold beauty, Hollywood stars - Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, beckoning from the screens with perfection and sophistication.
The war begins, and the girls are forced to give up their luxurious, elaborate outfits. Military-style clothing appears - women's clothes made from the same fabrics as military uniforms. While fashion in Europe is constrained by the restrictions of World War II, the United States is creating its own “haute couture.”
Fashion designer: The main “trend setter” of the decade is the shortage of fabrics, buttons, and decorative elements. It is he who determines innovations in the women's wardrobe: he shortens the length of the skirt, prohibits fluffy frills due to the large consumption of fabric, deprives stockings and stilettos, and girls have to wear hats and scarves to hide untidy hair.
Styles: a fitted jacket with padded shoulders, a double-breasted coat, a pencil skirt, a blouse with puffed sleeves, a shirt-cut dress with an emphasis on the waist, a dress in nautical style, hat with veil, belt, brooches, beads.
Fabrics: dark green, khaki, brown, gray, dark gray, black, blue, white, light yellow, red; wool, cotton, flannel; check, polka dot print.
Style icons: America's sex symbol, Hollywood actress Rita Hayworth and pin-up models Betty Grable and Bettie Page. American soldiers loved the images of beauties so much that they even repeated them on airplanes.
Paris regains its title as fashion capital. New look - a new look for a woman, proposed by Christian Dior, is gaining popularity. During the war years, everyone was too tired of hardships! Girls strive to look as feminine as possible and spend a lot of time and money on toilets.
Fashion designers: Christian Dior generously spends meters of fabric on one full skirt with high waist(outrageous and delightful luxury!) and again pulls women into corsets. Cristobal Balenciaga takes a different path and prefers a straight silhouette and architectural experiments with it to Dior’s “buds” and “hourglass”. Coco Chanel returns to the world of fashion and presents a tweed jacket with a skirt, and Hubert Givenchy creates elegant, aristocratic outfits for his muse Audrey Hepburn.
Styles: floor-length bustier dress, flared pleated skirt, short narrow-waisted jacket, A-line coat with three-quarter sleeves, gloves, small hat, clutch bag, pointed shoes, pearls, necklaces.
Fabrics and decor: velor, flannel, wool, silk, satin, suede; embroidered flowers, lace, small floral pattern, horizontal stripes.
Style icons: From the screens, fashion is dictated by Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, demonstrating the latest models of the most popular designers.
Freedom of morals is the fashionable anthem of the era! A miniskirt, jeans, pantsuit, trapeze dresses and A-line coats. Fashion designers, following modern artists, are experimenting with all their might and creating clothes from vinyl and synthetic materials.
Fashion designers: English designer Mary Quant gave the world the miniskirt. Andre Courrèges and Yves Saint Laurent almost simultaneously presented a short a-line dress, which became an absolute hit. In addition to Haute Couture, couturiers are beginning to create ready-to-wear collections.
Styles: miniskirt, high-waisted trousers, jeans, a-line dress, round-neck coat, peasant-style shirt, sundress, knee-high boots, long-strap bag, wide-brimmed hats.
Fabrics and decor: cotton, denim, knitwear, wool, viscose, stripes, checks, polka dots, small patterns; strings, bows, collars, lace trim.
Style icons: Brigitte Bardot made her sensual look ultra-fashionable: her tousled bouffant hairstyle and bright black wings were copied everywhere. Jacqueline Kennedy reconciled trends and timeless classics in her stylish looks and served as a model of elegance for thousands of women from all over the world.
The denim boom is sweeping the world: blue and dark blue, torn and distressed denim are at the peak of popularity. Following the growing hippie movement, couturiers are turning to folklore and ethnicity. The unisex style is gaining ground - men and women dress in the same, simple and comfortable things. Current music dictates its own dress code - this is how the disco style arises. Shocking punk - the style of rebellious youth - was adopted by Vivienne Westwood. New fashion centers are emerging - for example, Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace and the Missoni family presented their collections at the first Milan Fashion Week.
Fashion designer: Yves Saint Laurent gave fashion a women's tuxedo, a transparent blouse, safari style, abstract prints, African motifs and much more. "Japanese in Paris" Kenzo Takada acted as an apologist for Asian sensuality and street style. Sonia Rykiel made a sweater dress made of fine knitwear her calling card, and Oscar de la Renta opened a signature brand in New York.
Styles: turtlenecks, shirts, jeans, flared trousers, sundresses, knitted sweaters, cardigans, hats, ponchos, canvas bags, baubles, overalls.
Fabrics and decor: linen, cotton, wool, silk, denim, bright colors, colorful patterns, embroidery, oriental and floral patterns, beaded trim.
Style icons: Jane Birkin shocked the audience revealing outfits, for example, a mesh dress worn on a naked body. Model Lauren Hutton showed how to dress safari style in everyday life, and Jerry Hall was a fan of the disco style and advised adding glamor to any look.
The business woman is the new ideal of the era. Designers come up with a whole wardrobe of independent and successful woman. And then they go further, presenting provocatively sexy outfits that prove the power the so-called weaker sex has over men.
Fashion designer: Karl Lagerfeld becomes Chanel's creative director in 1983 and launches the house's first ready-to-wear line. Japanese designers Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo are declaring themselves a completely new direction in fashion - deconstructivism, which transforms and breaks the usual silhouettes of clothing.
Styles: classic trousers with arrows, jackets and tuxedos with overhead shoulders, sheath dresses, dresses and sweaters with batwing sleeves, leather jackets and raincoats, leggings, bustier tops, mini and midi leather, platform shoes, over the knee boots.
Fabrics and decor: leather, mohair, velor, corduroy, suede, silk, satin, viscose; rich and neon shades, animal prints, vertical stripes.
Alexander McQueen and Jean-Paul Gaultier and supports their couture frenzy. The mass market is spreading throughout the world, penetrating even into the USSR - already collapsed, but still closed. Sports style, grunge and punk are relevant for young people around the world.
Fashion designers: Marc Jacobs shows a grunge collection at Fashion Week on behalf of the brand Perry Ellis. John Galliano shocks critics with his theatrical shows. Calvin Klein is bringing androgyny back into fashion.
Styles: T-shirts, pullovers, denim jackets, low-waisted jeans, denim skirts, sundresses with thin straps, hoodies and sweatshirts, sneakers and sneakers, rough boots.
Fabrics and decor: cotton, denim, leather, flannel, viscose, chiffon, all colors, prints with logos and names of famous companies.
Style icons: Supermodels Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss, who became not just faces of the era, but role models for millions.
Today I was looking through various retro photographs that depicted the history of people’s lives, and then I thought that it would be nice to look at photographs that related to fashion, to see how it changed, how, interestingly, fashionable girls dressed then. And I decided, why not make a review of fashion by decade. Let me make a reservation right away that I will not give examples of women who were popular at a certain time; it is better to pay special attention to them. Let's just discuss fashion.
Let's start with the 10s of the 20th century.
Corsets have been holding women back for years, making their figures much more beautiful and graceful, and making life harder. The inability to inhale and exhale once again, constant illnesses due to too tightly tightened “shells” - all this made the corset, although a significant item of the era, very unpleasant.
Therefore, in 1906, women all over the world literally exhaled - a couturier named Paul Poiret first proposed wearing dresses of a simple cut, without corsets. Very soon, such dresses came into fashion - that is why the tenth years are remembered as the years of “liberation” of women from the oppression of one of the most inconvenient items of clothing, and Paul Poiret became a real savior for ladies of high society.
In the tens, Russian chic was in fashion - the “Russian Seasons”, which were brought to Paris by the famous Sergei Diaghilev, were a huge success. Ballet, opera, art, exhibitions - all this was accompanied by a huge number of receptions at which our ladies could adopt the art of haute couture from Parisians.
It was then that all the now familiar attributes of “chic life” in the wardrobe began to come into fashion - women bared their shoulders, began to wear very boudoir-looking toilets, decorating them with a huge number of feather fans, precious jewelry and shiny accessories.
We smoothly move on to the fashion of the 20s
During this period, sports, male athletic figures, and female forms began to gradually lose relevance and popularity. The ideal is a thin lady with narrow hips, without the slightest hint of a bust or other roundness. The famous Gabrielle Chanel can be called a fashion reformer and revolutionary of this period. Along with her in these times fashionable clothes created in such fashion houses as Nina Ricci, Chanel, Madame Paquin, Jean Patou, Madeleine Vionnet, Jacques Doucet, Jacques Heim, Lucille, the fur fashion house Jacques Heim" and others.
Egyptian motifs began to come into fashion in the 1920s. The designers' models were decorative, with an abundance of decorations and embroidery in the zig-zag style. This style was called “Art Deco”, and came from the name of the exhibition of modern decorative and industrial art in Paris in 1925.
It was a style of decorating and adorning things. Decorative elements were present on furniture, kitchen utensils, and women's dresses.
Shoes trimmed with embroidery or appliqués, decorated to the taste of popular couturiers of that time, came into fashion. "Art Deco" is an eclectic style in which African abstract exoticism is mixed with the geometric forms of cubism; non-traditional inexpensive and simple materials are mixed with expensive traditional materials of good quality.
Such a combination of incompatible things, mixed in one style.
As a result, the fashion features of the 20s:
- the main elements of clothing are, of course, dresses, straight-cut suits;
- pleating is in fashion;
- a fashionable straight-cut coat tapering towards the bottom and with a fur collar;
- pajama trousers and pajamas are in fashion, which were worn to the beach at that time;
- the first swimsuits for women appeared - a revolution in beach fashion;
- clothes were made from more affordable fabrics and knitwear became a discovery;
- sporty style is in fashion, not only trousers, but also shorts are appearing;
- the appearance of the classic Chanel little black dress.
30s fashion
During these times, the cutting of clothes became more complex. The quality of mass-produced ready-to-wear clothing has improved markedly. Hollywood is a trendsetter in the USA. But even here, companies began to appear that traded using catalogs sent by mail. These companies distributed new fashion models in millions of copies.
Long skirts became the standard of fashion during the crisis times of the thirties. In 1929, Jean Patou was the first to propose long dresses and skirts whose waistline was in place. After this innovation, all fashion houses lengthened their models in two stages. At first, the length of dresses and skirts reached mid-calf, and a little later dropped almost to the ankle. Ladies who follow fashion trends independently lengthened their clothes. They sewed on wedges and various frills.
A very popular piece of clothing in the 1930s was the women's street suit, which came in a wide variety of variations. Outerwear– coats and jackets were distinguished by their extraordinary elegance and variety of styles.
Each type of clothing, including a suit, was characterized by a wide variety of shaped lines and finishes. The cut of suits became more complex and began to rely on geometry, giving the silhouette clarity.
Decorative details and decorations were widely used in the costume. A hat, handbag, gloves and shoes - that's what should have been in the same color scheme. Accessories were selected very strictly. As a rule, they were black or brown, and in summer they were white.
Accessories selected in this way easily matched any dress or suit, which was relevant during the crisis. In the fashion of the 30s, accessories played a huge role. After all, most women of those years could not afford anything else except a hat or a handbag.
40s fashion
The dominant fashion trend of the early 40s was layering. long skirts, huge bows on clothes, sometimes with the addition of a vertical stripe, puffed sleeves. It is worth noting that at that time, striped clothing was the most popular. As war broke out and the world became militarized, fashion in the 1940s underwent significant changes. Women no longer have time to think about makeup and replenishing their wardrobe.
During this period, the appearance of outfits was significantly simplified to minimalism in everything. Natural fabrics are no longer used for civilian purposes. Clothes for women began to be produced and sewn from acetate silk and viscose.
Floral designs are coming back into fashion: ornaments and small flowers have become the main decoration of fabrics and dresses made from this material. It became impossible to sew blouses and shirts from white fabric, so cuffs and collars began to be introduced into fashion. The military style, which is still popular today, became a discovery of the war period.
At the same time they released new model shoes: shoes with stiletto heels.
Also new was the production of turtleneck blouses; these models with a high turtleneck deservedly received recognition from the fashionistas of those times.
50s fashion
In the post-war years, social differences became noticeably worse. Wives again turned into a symbol of the well-being of their spouses, as a kind of showcase for others. A mandatory ritual for every woman is to visit hair salon, applying makeup. The ideal woman, even if she did not work anywhere and was a housewife, had to be fully prepared already early in the morning: with a perfect hairstyle, in heels and makeup, stand at the stove or vacuum the carpet.
Even in the Soviet Union, where the lifestyle was significantly different from the Western one, it was customary to have your hair styled at a hairdresser or perm at least once a week, which also began to become fashionable with particular rapidity.
The '50s style contrasted the hourglass silhouette with the crisp, wide-shouldered silhouette that was popular during the war years. Thus, there were special requirements for the figure: sloping shoulders, thin waist, rounded feminine hips and lush breasts.
To meet these standards, women wore constriction corsets, placed fabric or cotton wool in their bras, and tightened their bellies. The images of beauty of those times were: Elizabeth Taylor, Lyubov Orlova, Sophia Loren, Klara Luchko, Marilyn Monroe.
Among the young population, the standards were Lyudmila Gurchenko and others. A fashionable and stylish woman of the 50s style resembled a flower in silhouette: a fluffy floor-length skirt, under which a multi-layered petticoat was worn, high stiletto heels, nylon stockings with a seam. Stockings were a must-have accessory to complete the look and were extremely expensive. But women went to great lengths to look attractive and feel like beauties who follow fashion trends. It was difficult to buy fabrics at that time; no more than a certain amount of them was sold to one person, approved by the norms of those times. To sew one skirt to match the “new silhouette”, it took from nine to forty meters of material!
60s fashion
The legendary 60s are the brightest decade in the history of world fashion, free and expressive, a period of solemn procession of the so-called youth fashion. The new style needed new hairstyles. And again London was ahead of Paris in terms of innovative ideas. In 1959, the French film “Babette Goes to War” with Brigitte Bardot in the title role was released. A casually tousled hairstyle with a backcomb, despite the fact that it takes fashionistas a lot of time to create it, is becoming super popular.
Accessories became very popular: necklaces made of large beads, voluminous jewelry, “macro” that covered half of the face.
The most scandalous clothing of the sixties was born in London - the miniskirt, a symbol of emancipation and the sexual revolution. In 1962, the legendary Mary Quant showed her first collection of mini-length items. The new style, called “London style,” very quickly conquered young people around the world.
The 60s are the era of synthetics and everything artificial. Synthetic fabrics widespread in mass fashion - they are considered the most comfortable and practical, as they do not wrinkle and are easy to wash, in addition, they are cheap.
The fashion of that time favored unnaturalness - false eyelashes, wigs, hairpieces, costume jewelry. High women's boots with low heels, with a narrow or wide rounded toe made of leather or synthetic material, called go-go, are becoming super popular. Boots became widespread with the emergence of fashion for mini lengths and the dance style of the same name.
Fashion of the late 1960s was influenced by the hippie movement. Youth opposed social and class differences, racial discrimination and war. With their appearance, hippies emphasized their rejection of the norms of official culture. Their clothes are deliberately careless and even sloppy - ripped jeans, beaded bracelets, fabric shoulder bags. The sexlessness of the appearance is emphasized, long hair symbolizes freedom.
70s fashion
In the 1970s, fashion became even more democratic. And, despite the fact that many call the 70s the era of bad taste, it can be said that it was in those years that people had more means to express themselves through fashion. There was no single style direction; everything was fashionable: ethnic, disco, hippie, minimalism, retro, sports style.
The motto of the 70s was the expression “Anything is possible!” The couturiers presented several styles for progressive and active young people to choose from, none of which could be called dominant. The most fashionable element of the wardrobe was jeans, which were initially worn only by cowboys, and then by hippies and students.
Also in the wardrobe of fashionistas of that time were A-line skirts, flared trousers, tunics, overalls, blouses with large bright prints, turtleneck sweaters, A-line dresses, and shirt dresses.
In addition, it should be noted that clothes have become more comfortable and practical. The concept of a basic wardrobe has emerged, consisting of the required number of things that can be combined with each other. As for shoes, platform shoes have gained popularity.
Among the designers in the 70s, Sonia Rykiel was singled out, who was called the new Chanel. Sonia Rykiel created convenient, comfortable clothes: sweaters, cardigans, dresses made of woolen knitwear and mohair.
80s fashion
The fashion of the 80s intertwined retro images, reinterpreted by designers, as well as those born of youth subcultures, music and dance trends, and the ongoing boom in sports.
Hip-hop, gothic, post-punk, rave, house, techno, breakdancing, snowboarding, skateboarding, rollerblading, step aerobics - all these phenomena were reflected in the style of the decade.
The list of iconic items from the decade of stylistic revelry is impressive - padded shoulders, banana trousers, military and safari style clothing, kimono, batwing and raglan sleeves, leggings with bright patterns, black fishnet tights, frayed denim, so-called Varenka, black leather jackets, Lurex, massive jewelry, jewelry buttons on jackets, voluminous hairstyles or styling with the effect of “wet hair,” cascading haircuts, spiral perm, hair in decorative colors, such as “eggplant,” feather highlights " A lot of cosmetics were used in deliberate shades with sparkles and mother-of-pearl.
The massiveness of the 1980s can be described as excess. Everything is, as it were, “too” - too narrow, too voluminous, too flashy, too bright. In the 80s, designers who thought outside the box and created unusual clothes with original decorative elements enjoyed success: Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Jean-Paul Gaultier.
90s fashion
The 90s style in clothing, which has become universal, is better called not a style, but a new approach to choosing clothes. Because in the fashion of the 90s, the very principle of creating your image changes, as well as the principle used in creating a costume. The main call of the nineties is “be who you are!” In those days, denim clothes were given special importance - only the lazy did not wear them. Avid fashionistas managed to wear jeans with denim shirts, bags and boots. So the style of the 90s can be safely called “denim”, since every person had more than one copy of a similar thing.
In the nineties, unisex fashion spread all over the world: jeans with a T-shirt or loose-fitting trousers with a sweater, complemented by comfortable shoes. 
The nineties were the time of sneakers and flats. This unisex style is very popular with large Italian and American companies, such as Banana Republic, Benetton, Marko Polo. Costumes strive for simplicity and functionality, which, however, revives the traditions of partner art, when, along with strict asceticism, the costume contains deliberate theatricality with a bright range of colors. Fashion changes depending on social orientation and territoriality, so in Europe bohemians prefer conceptual designer clothes.
The main fashion emphasis of the nineties was not on clothes, but on its owner. A fashionable image is created slim figure with tanned or milky white skin. Body culture is flourishing as in the times of Ancient Greece. Fashionistas and fashionistas not only visit sports clubs who appeared thanks to, but also actively visit beauty salons and even use the services of plastic surgery. Supermodels from fashion catwalks are becoming role models; television and fashion magazines have made a significant contribution to this.
Well then. This concludes the review. I would like to say that of all times, my preferences are closer to the 30s, 50s and 70s. In general, everything new is long forgotten old.
High fashion is complex, multifaceted, expensive. Its history is woven from the destinies of geniuses - the greatest fashion designers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their creations are works of art, and the principles of their work have become the laws by which modern Haute Couture lives.
The concept of “high fashion” arose thanks to the creativity of the talented designer and successful entrepreneur Charles Frederick Worth. It was he who invented the crinoline - a metal structure that was worn under a dress and gave it a fashionable, curvaceous shape. Before this, the pomp of the dress was ensured by petticoats: they had to be white and always in the amount of six pieces. It is clear that this six-layer splendor was an expensive pleasure. And after the presentation of the crinoline, which took place in 1856, Charles Worth received not only a huge number of orders for his invention, but also the immense gratitude of all the fashionistas of that time.
The concept of “fashion house” was also introduced by Charles Worth. He combined a creative workshop with a secular salon, where he annually held shows of his models.
By the way, Charles Worth became the first couturier to present his collection not on mannequins, but on female models.
And finally, it was Charles Worth who invented the label: like an artist signing his canvases, he began to sign his works by sewing on a ribbon with his name.
At the beginning of the 20th century, another star lit up on the fashion horizon - Paul Poiret. He freed women from the crinoline and the bustle that replaced it and introduced into fashion a light, flowing silhouette, repeating the robes of ancient statues.
In 1910, the Poiret fashion house presented a perfume. The bottle design was developed by the master himself. This was the first time that a fashion designer completed created image aroma. Later, other designers picked up this idea.
In pre-revolutionary Russia, many fashion houses were opened.
They were mainly located in St. Petersburg; there were much fewer of them in Moscow. The main feature of Russian fashion houses was their elitism. The most famous metropolitan fashion houses: the Brizak house, the Gindus house, the house of Olga Buldenkova - dressed only the ladies of the court. Unfortunately, the fire of the revolution did not spare the creations of fashion designers: only a few dresses survived, which are stored in museums.
The Moscow elite preferred to dress in the fashion house of Nadezhda Lamanova.
Also, at Stanislavsky’s request, she sewed costumes for performances at the Art Theater and dressed Empress Maria Feodorovna. After the revolution, Lamanova remained in Russia and ran a Moscow studio.
You can learn about the concept of “style” from completely different sources: books, the Internet, magazines, films. And, of course, a stylist or simply a person who is not indifferent to fashion must understand not only the distinctive features of each style, but also navigate history, understand the characteristic elements in the clothing of each era.
At the next lesson at the Fashion Monday image agency , where do I study my specialty? “image maker, stylist”, teacher in detail talked about the styles of different decades, the key designers of each era, the political situation in the world and the mood in society of the corresponding time. After class, I received homework to create a collage showing a particular style or era.
In general, I myself sometimes miss presenting information in the form of pictures, which is very visual, understandable and convenient: after all, you can simply save the images to your phone. The pictures, of course, will not tell a detailed story; rather, they will simply evoke the necessary associations in you, thanks to which the entire theory you once read will immediately come to mind.
1910
"Decadence".
At this time, fashion was a dictate; there were certain rules of appearance (cut, skirt length, hairstyle, etc.), which had to be strictly observed. And only from the 60s people began to strive to be stylish, that is, not to follow the dictates of fashion, but to be different from the rest of society, the so-called “street style” appeared.
The designer of the first decade of the 20th century can be called Paul Poiret, who dared to invite women to get rid of the corset and opt for relaxed, straight silhouettes. However, his ideas were not adopted by the ladies of that time.
Poiret worked in the Art Nouveau style, inspired by Diaghilev’s Seasons, Russian costumes, oriental motifs and the work of Leon Bakst. Created "lame skirt" which was distinguished by the fact that it was very narrow at the bottom, which caused inconvenience for women while walking.
1920
Emancipation, “Art Deco”.
The 20s are marked by the Art Deco style, the name of which comes from the 1925 Paris Exhibition of Modern, Decorative and Industrial Arts.
Designer of this time: Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel.
Characteristic features of the style of the 20s: strict regularity of form, constructivism, futurism, knitwear, straight silhouette, lack of corsets, low waist, hats, “a la garçon” style (“like a boy”), which became especially popular in the late 20s.
The style of the decade and the spirit of that time are perfectly conveyed in the acclaimed film “The Great Gatsby”.
1930
“Glamorous Years”
In the 30s, fashion was directly related to the mood of society and the political situation in the world. In 1929, there was a crisis in the banking system and unemployment flourished. And in 1933, the National Socialists came, led by Hitler, and the time of the Great Depression began. Against the background of poverty and unemployment, Hollywood divas sparkle with luxury and sophistication, whom all women dream of being like.
Designer of the Decade: Adrian, who is considered the founder .
Characteristic features of the 30's style: Hollywood divas, Greta Garbo, “Dream Factory”, long dresses made of luxurious fabrics, chic hairstyles, red lipstick, jewelry, etc.
1940
“Woman Next Door”, Pin-up
The Second World War is going on, all the men are at the front, and the women are waiting for them at home, dreaming of peace. Many fashion houses are closing, and the Germans intend to move the fashion capital from Paris to Berlin. Due to a shortage of fabrics, the Manufacturing Council issues a Decree restricting the use of fabrics in clothing. In this regard, skirts became straight, and fashion became simpler and more concise. America is becoming the center of fashion.
The Pin up style is emerging, which is more of a poster style than a clothing style: bright images of beautiful, half-naked girls that lift the spirits of American soldiers. The most famous pin-up models: Bettie Page, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable.
1950
“Bourgeois years”, “New look”
The war is over, and finally the time has come for fun, peace, hope and joy. Women again want to be chic, feminine and they happily put on a corset, which has revived Christian Dior in his 1947 “New Look” collection. Straight, low-waisted silhouettes from Chanel faded into the background, and women wore Dior's New Look: a feminine silhouette with a full midi skirt and a wasp waist, cinched in a corset.
Clothes from Dior were very expensive, since a lot of luxurious fabrics were spent to sew one dress. For this reason, the designer was even called “Dior the spendthrift.”
Of course, ordinary people could not afford such chic outfits, and in the early 50s a subculture emerged in Great Britain "Teddy Boys": people from the outskirts who never knew luxury and simply imitated the “golden youth”. Characteristic features of their style were elements of an expensive suit, a Western-style bow tie, boots with thick rubber soles, a straight jacket-frock coat, and tight, high-waisted trousers. Women either copied men's style, or replaced trousers with a straight skirt, a tie with a scarf.
1960
“Baby Boomers”
Post-war children grow up in prosperity, love and care; they are called “baby boomers”. A subculture is emerging Mods (“mods”), whose motto was: “If you don’t have something, then you don’t want it.” This subculture is similar to modern hipsters.
Creative professions are appearing, such as designer, photographer, marketer. Young people strive to achieve something on their own, they live by purpose, the key to success for them is 100% self-confidence. They have fun in clubs and use an “intellectual” drug – amphetamine.
In parallel with Mods, a similar subculture is emerging: Psychedelic Mods (late 50s - early 60s). These young people replaced amphetamine with LSD, which is why the characteristic style of this subculture was exaggerated joy, crazy prints, acid colors, illusions and strange shapes.
In the 60s, girls cut off their hair, put on minis, strive for a “rectangle” figure and the image of the idol of that time, Twiggy.
Designers: Mary Quant, Andre Courege, Yves Saint Laurent
Characteristic features of the 60s style: infantilism, college style, short haircuts, winged hair, childish face, image of a teenage girl, baby-look, school girl, smooth bob, miniskirts, A-line, geometry, print, colored tights, knee socks, collars.
1970
"Hippie"
Hippies are the same “baby boomers” who were sent to the Vietnam War, for which these young people spoiled by life were completely unprepared. They wanted to be creative, to be closer to nature, they promoted “free love”, hence the well-known “mottos” of hippies: “make love, don’t war”, “all you need is love”.
The main event was Woodstock rock festival, took place from August 15 to 18, 1969 on one of the farms in the rural area of the town of Bethel and became an act of protest against the Vietnam War.
The festival was attended by more than half a million people, however, over three days there were only three deaths (and natural ones), which is a very good indicator for an event with the participation of such a large number of people. And after 9 months there was a birth boom).
Characteristic features of the 70s style: natural fabrics, “rustic” style, jeans, negligence, tangled hair, ethnicity, floral prints, headbands, long skirts, sandals, bell-bottoms. But this decade can be characterized not only by the hippie style, as it combined many different styles: ethno, romance, folklore, sports, military, safari, disco, unisex, punk, classic.
In the 70s the concept appeared Pret-a-porter. Several times a year, demonstrations of ready-made clothing were held in Paris, and from the mid-70s, designers began to show their collections in other capitals (Tokyo, Milan, London, New York, etc.).
Designers: Sonia Rikkel, Kenzo, Vivienne Westwood.
1980
“Excessive vulgarity”, Madonna, “Intergirl”
Everything crazy and tasteless that you can imagine is the style of the 80s. A healthy lifestyle, aerobics, and a toned body are in fashion.
Characteristic features of the 80s style: T-shaped silhouette, shoulder pads, mini, sporty style, leggings in acid colors, “wet chemistry”, bright shadows applied right up to the eyebrows, banana pants, sequins, rhinestones, bodysuits, aggressive sexuality.
The “expensive” style of the 80s was shown in the cult TV series of that time “Dynasty”: chic suits with shoulder pads, voluminous, complex hairstyles.
Romantic 80s style associated with the style icon of the time, Princess Diana and her wedding dress, which was created by Elizabeth and David Emanuel from 40 meters of luxurious silk and antique English lace.
Subcultures: hip-hop, goth, preppy
Designers: brands such as Versace, Giorgio Armani, Moschino, Chanel, Nike, Adidas, Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent, Salvatore Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Jean Paul Gaultier were in demand in different sectors of society.
1990
Millennium, End of the World, Uncertain Future, MTV Generation
The end of the 20th century was a time of radical changes in the political systems of different countries (the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the USSR). And in fashion there is also a certain rethinking, reflection on what the world has achieved by the end of the millennium.
Famous models of the 90s (Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and later Kate Moss) became role models, demonstrating all the achievements of the beauty industry.
“Intellectual” clothing appears; destruction of habitual forms; avant-garde, futurism and techno styles.
Designers: Gucci, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Martin Margiela and others.
Characteristic features of the 90s style: grunge, Kurt Cobain, checkered shirts, rave, minimalism, sporty chic, Spice Girls, massive “grinders” boots in different colors, low-waisted sweatpants, short tops, bare midriff, minis, sneakers, baseball caps, jeans.
2000, 2010
It is still very early to talk about the fashion of the new millennium, but it is clear that it is largely based on what “has already happened.” Designers draw inspiration from the styles of all the decades we have reviewed, calling fashion trends what our parents, grandmothers and even great-grandmothers wore. And even the “hipster” subculture, which has become popular more recently, is a return of the Mods movement from the 60s. The 2000s are a very rapid change in fashion trends, a mixture of styles, and experiments.
Thank you for your attention!)
Rita Maslova is a blogger, designer, photographer, stylist, mother from Moscow. I write about fashion, “makeup” and show a lot of images on video in instagram, I have been running the site since 2014. Subject photographer, content creator, I shoot for brands.
The history of destructive fashion is not a subject that can be discussed in one paragraph. At all times, neither pungent odors, nor harm to health, nor other dangers stopped people in the pursuit of beauty. Until the 20th century, some fashion trends had a penchant for killing fashionistas. What people have done over the centuries to achieve their cherished goal - to become beautiful. Here are 15 examples of such sacrifices for the sake of fashion and beauty.
15. Lead white for face
Today, good physical shape and a light tan are considered a sign of prosperity. And in Elizabethan times, deathly pale skin was an undoubted sign of wealth and nobility. Only the poor hung around outside long enough to get a tan. In order to show that they could afford to stay indoors all day long and not get an iota of tan, the ladies smeared their faces with white paste. A fairly thick layer of white also hid pockmarks and scars.
Unfortunately, the makeup contained lead and after prolonged exposure it deteriorated the skin, requiring more and more layers to hide the imperfections. Lead, penetrating the skin, caused poisoning, which led to weight loss, hair loss, damage to the brain and other organs, paralysis and many other serious diseases. Mary, Duchess of Coventry, died at the age of 27 from side effects of this deadly drug with the romantic name "Venetian white".
14. Radioactive cosmetics
13. Koturny
It is believed that women's platform shoes, or buskins, first appeared among prostitutes in Venice. These strange shoes, the height of which reached forty-five centimeters, elevated the woman above the street dirt and made her gait attractive to potential clients. Later, both ordinary people and nobles began to wear buskins. They were especially popular among aristocrats in Italy and the Ottoman Empire. The contours indicated the wealth of the owner, and the fact that he did not need to work and, in general, even really walk.
It was almost impossible to walk in such shoes without support, so noble women of the city used the services of a maid. And less noble ones - with a cane or stick. The church strongly supported the wearing of such shoes, because a woman could not dance in them, and in general could do little. Later, these shoes were banned, as women often fell and broke their legs because of them.
12. Corsets
As soon as a thin figure and fragile silhouette became fashionable, women began to take extreme measures. Long diets and tight corsets worked wonders... Ladies, of course, were the main consumers of corsets, but men also resorted to them and squeezed their insides. This is not a figure of speech. Tight corsets, often made of metal plates, physically pushed organs from the waist to the lower regions, deforming them and causing terrible torture. The strong pressure on the internal organs had terrible consequences: the corset put pressure on the liver, stomach, kidneys and disrupted blood circulation. Fashion victims began to have problems with digestion and reproductive function. It was said that four out of five women died because of wearing a corset.
A man's corset imitated a shell, most often made of metal, sometimes leather, and covered the entire torso, and could easily save one from a sword strike. From the second half of the 15th century, women's corsets began to be made from leather with metal bars. Holes were made in the corset for air access; when the corset was pulled together, the edges of these holes cut painfully into the body. Later models were made from whalebone, which not only destroyed the bodies of corset lovers, but also killed many defenseless whales. The sharp whalebones often pierced the skin, causing fatal infections.
You don’t need to be a doctor to understand the harm this fashionable wardrobe item caused to women’s health and the health of unborn children (pregnant women also wore corsets until a certain period of time). In the 19th century, the century of emancipation, the famous writer George Sand spoke out against corsets, which she called an instrument of slavery. She attracted attention to the problem by the fact that she herself wore a men's suit - comfortable and practical.
Doctors from all countries pointed out the negative impact of corsets, and after the First World War, loose-fitting dresses replaced corsets that unnaturally tightened the female body. And in 1947, Christian Dior returned the corset to popularity, but this was a completely different corset - giving grace, but not killing.
11. Grinding down teeth
Ideals of beauty change depending on the era. The concept of beauty is influenced by cultural characteristics, beliefs and traditions, and the level of economic development. In some countries, people sacrifice comfort and health for the sake of beauty, endure pain and discomfort in order to get closer to the ideal accepted in society. But in some Asian and African countries there are interesting customs that make local beauties victims of beauty. In Indonesia, they grind down their teeth so that they resemble sharks; the Dayaks, on the contrary, completely grind off their fangs, trying not to resemble animals. Incredibly, these customs have not sunk into oblivion, they say, and today you can see these “beauties”. But grinded teeth, devoid of enamel, are pure suicide, an open entrance for infection and infection.
10. Black teeth
Defiantly white teeth are a purely American weakness. Ancient people were not very worried about the color of tooth enamel - anyway, few people had teeth that lasted longer than 40 years. In addition, if you don’t eat sugar (and they didn’t), then your teeth won’t deteriorate so quickly and are unlikely to darken.
Elizabeth I of England was among the first to learn about the dangers of sugar - her teeth rotted and turned black. Taking this as a fashion trend, wanting to imitate this beauty, some courtiers also began to paint their teeth black. But this fashion was short-lived, as people quickly realized that black teeth meant bad teeth.
In Japan, the tradition of blackening teeth with varnish is called "ohaguro" (お歯黒, literally "black teeth"), and was popular until the Meiji period. Black varnish on teeth began to be considered beautiful and sophisticated, but it also had a utilitarian purpose - the varnish compensated for the lack of iron and helped keep teeth healthy. Ohaguro was associated with married women, whose durability of the color on their teeth was compared with endless fidelity to their husband. In 1870, an order was issued prohibiting members of the imperial family and nobility from making ohaguro. After the law came into force, people gradually began to consider ohaguro obsolete. Today, ohaguro can only be found in traditional theater, in 1960s historical drama, or in movies.
9. Encrusted smile
It would seem that the tradition of decorating teeth with diamonds and expensive metals is a newfangled tradition. However, if you look into history, it becomes clear that this is the oldest human whim. Even 2000 years ago, Mayan dentists gave their patients dazzling smiles. Instead of banal whitening, they offered this therapy: they drilled small holes in the teeth and inserted precious stones. One day, inlays were found in the teeth belonging to a five-year-old child.
The obsidian drill, of course, completely destroyed tooth enamel. You need to be a real expert in this matter to know when to stop drilling to avoid breaking the pulp. If such a violation does occur, the risk of infection cannot be avoided.
Some of the first dental jewelry was found in Egypt, where jewelry has always been considered an indicator of high status and wealth. The nobility sought to decorate not only their clothes, but also their bodies and teeth with pearls, diamonds and gold. The technology was a little more complicated than that of the Mayans: a recess was carved into the tooth and cemented with a mineral solution, onto which a precious stone or gold jewelry was placed.
Currently, the range of services provided by dental clinics often includes such services as dental jewelry. Various twinkles (jewelry made of metal) or skyes (jewelry made of semi-precious or precious stones) - everything your soul can desire and your wallet can afford. And now we can do without the barbaric destruction of the tooth when decorating it.
8. Flannelette fashion
Sometimes tragedies happen when people cannot afford “haute couture” and take something cheaper instead. Victorians dreamed of flannel nightgowns and pajamas, but could not afford them. Flannelette nighties made from plant fibers (not wool) seemed ideal to them. Do not forget that they were worn by both men and women, and respectable spouses entered into marital relations exclusively dressed in long nightgowns.
The only problem with the bike was that it burns well and ignites quickly. And the flame of a candle was the only way to light one’s way at night... so, dressed in flannelette night pajamas, with a candle in hand, people quite often became living torches. Attempts have been made to make pajama materials less hazardous, but none have been truly effective. Many children and adults burned down along with their homes until the “bike fashion” fire was extinguished.
7. Belladonna eye drops
Belladonna (atropa belladonna or belladonna) is a very poisonous plant, its juice causes hallucinations. Such poisonous plant got an incredibly romantic name (“bella donna” in Italian means “beautiful lady.”) The fashion for eye drops among beautiful ladies began when it turned out that they greatly dilate the pupil (the effect was achieved through atropine, a natural muscle relaxant). Venetian women began adding belladonna juice to eye drops and felt very attractive. They thought that a large pupil imitated natural attraction and made them more alluring. Less attractive were the side effects: distorted vision, inability to concentrate, arrhythmias and heart problems. Some claimed that the drops could make the fashionista completely blind. Beauty requires sacrifice!
6. Pencil skirt (“lame skirt”)
When Mrs. Hart O. Berg was the first woman on board the plane, she was faced with a piquant problem. The Wright brothers' plane was completely exposed to the winds, and her voluminous skirts billowed upward in the most immodest manner. In addition, her rags could have caused a real disaster, since the screws and chains were located extremely close. To solve these issues, she tied a rope around the bottom of the skirt. This is how the “lame skirt” or pencil skirt appeared, which became an instant hit. She limited the pace when walking and forced the ladies to mince. One woman who tried to climb over a farm gate in fashionable skirt fell and broke her ankle so badly that she died of septic shock.
There is, however, another theory about the appearance of this fashionable item: it seems that Mr. Paul Poiret is the inventor of the lame hobble skirt in 1910. This is an ankle-length skirt, intercepted at the hem or below the knee by a narrow strip of fur or a kind of cuff, and in order not to tear the fabric, the calves were tied with a special wide ribbon that limited the step.
But the first story is much more romantic.
5. Green dresses with arsenic
During the reign of Queen Victoria, when clothes did not abound in many shades, the appearance of a new bright dye caused a real craze among notorious fashionistas. In 1775, Karl Schmele (Schiele) invented a green pigment that was superior to the old ones in almost every respect. True, this dye was dangerous, and not so much for fashionistas, but for those who sewed and dyed clothes, since it contained arsenic.
Dresses made of green fabric were very expensive, and they were ordered, as a rule, only for special, special occasions and were worn extremely rarely. The tailors who worked on the creation of the fabric and the dresses themselves exposed themselves to enormous risks and were all poisoned by arsenic. Needless to say, fabrics soaked in this solution slowly killed their owners.
4. Skull deformation
In ancient times, people deliberately deformed the soft skulls of babies using various devices, and many peoples of the world until recently had a cruel tradition of changing the shape of children's heads. As a rule, an elongated head shape was considered beautiful. From childhood, children had their heads tightly tied around the forehead and temples with a rope or boards were bandaged.
Similar customs existed among different nations, geographically very distant from each other. Scientists find elongated skulls in Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Malta, northern Iraq and Syria. Traditionally, such changes in skulls are associated with the customs of people who belonged to the castes of rulers or priests. How did skull deformation affect the state of the brain? Of course, she simply killed most of the children!
3. Burning wigs
The 18th century was a golden age for wigs and hair designs. In French high society, the level of art of creating hairstyles has become incredibly complex and increased. We used our own real hair, and various extensions that hairdressers came up with (horse hair, human hair, feathers smeared with lipstick, satin ribbons and much more). These delights were stacked into towers almost half a meter high. They didn’t take their hair out at night, they didn’t wash it for weeks, and, of course, there were almost rats infested there. But worse than the itching and smell was the risk of them accidentally catching fire. After all, it is extremely difficult to control the dimensions of such a hairstyle while passing by candles. One touch of the flame - and the entire structure is on fire, killing both lice and ladies.
2. Crinolines
Crinoline was the rigid frame that great-great-grandmothers wore under their dresses to give their figure an hourglass shape. It was a rather inconvenient design - a heavy and bulky contraption, two meters in diameter, which made it difficult to walk through doors and sit on a chair. The crinoline was tied to the legs at knee level, which created considerable difficulties when walking, but the skirts did not rise, but swayed rhythmically in time with the steps. Women had to mince their feet in order to somehow move. Also, crinolines were flammable and it was easy to catch them on a candelabra.
1. "Chinese Lotus"
The origins of Chinese “foot binding”, as well as the traditions of Chinese culture in general, go back to hoary antiquity, from the 10th century. The institution of "foot binding" was regarded as necessary and beautiful and was practiced for many centuries. This is by far one of the most shocking fashion casualties on our list.
IN Ancient China Women with small feet, which resembled a lotus to the Chinese, were considered beautiful. The custom of bandaging the feet of Chinese girls looked something like this: a child’s foot is bandaged and it simply does not grow, maintaining a child’s size and shape. The ideal beauty in old China had to have lotus legs, a mincing gait and a thin figure like willow. In old China, girls began to have their feet bandaged at the age of 4-5; infants could not endure the agony of tight bandages that crippled their feet. As a result, around the age of 10, girls developed an approximately 10-centimeter “lotus leg.” After this, they began to learn the correct “adult” gait. And after another 2-3 years they were already ready-made girls of marriageable age. The size of the “lotus foot” was the most important condition for marriages; the face did not play a special role. Brides with large feet were subjected to ridicule and humiliation, as they looked like common women who worked in the fields and could not afford the luxury of foot binding.
