Street Trends

Fashion does not always originate on the runways. Until the French Revolution, fashion trends began with powerful people: the aristocracy and the wealthy elite. In 1789, this all changed with revolutionary Parisian commoners who introduced the simple style of peasants.

During the 20th century, many fashion trends have arisen from the streets reflecting the attitudes and politics of a particular time. These trends still have an effect on today's styles.

Zoot Suits

The zoot suit (sometimes called the zuit suit) was popularized by African Americans and Mexican Americans during the 1920s and 1930s. The zoot suit style was high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders often with a feathered felt hat and dangling watch chain. Wearing the oversized suit was a declaration of freedom and self-determination, even rebelliousness.

Cab Calloway in Zoot Suit

Stormy Weather, 1943

Ohne Titel
Spring 2008 RTW

John Galliano
Fall 2004 RTW

Beatniks

Novelist Jack Kerouac introduced the phrase "Beat Generation" in 1948, generalizing the underground, anticonformist youth gathering in New York at that time. "Beatnik" was coined by Herb Caen combining this phrase and Sputnik, the name of the Russian satellite, the first of which to circle the world. The fashions associated with this trend included men wearing black and white striped shirts/sweaters, berets, baker boy hats, ballet flats, black stockings/leotards, sunglasses indoors, striped scarves and skinny black pants. Fashions for women included black leotards and wearing their hair long, straight and unadorned in a rebellion against the middle class culture of beauty salons. The overall fashion statement was "less is more".

Beatniks

Unknown, circa 1960

Karen Walker
Spring 2010 RTW

Kai Kuhne
Fall 2008 RTW

Teddy Boys

The Teddy Boy subculture started in London in the 1950s and rapidly spread across the United Kingdon, soon becoming strongly associated with American rock and roll music of the period. Teddy Boys made it acceptable for young people to care about what they looked like and to dress for show instead of having work or school clothes and Sunday-best. The style featured long drape jackets, usually in dark shades, sometimes with velvet trim collar and pocket flaps; high-waist "drainpipe" trousers, often showing brightly coloured socks. Teddy Girls wore items drape jackets, hobble skirts, long plaits, straw boater hats, cameo brooches, espadrilles and coolie hats.

Teddy Boys

1962

Topshop Unique
Spring 2009 RTW

Anne Valerie Hash
Fall 2004 Couture

Mods

The term Mod derives from modernist, which was a term used in the 1950s to describe modern jazz musicians and fans. The Mods roots grew from both the beatnik and teddy boy eras. The Mod fashion can be hard to pin down since it was prone to constant reinvention, but generally it consisted of a very tailored look sometimes bordering on androgynous. Male mods adopted a smooth, sophisticated look that emphasized tailor-made Italian suits with narrow lapels, mohair clothes, thin ties, button-down collar shirts, wool or cashmere sweaters, and pointed-toe leather shoes. Female mods dressed more androgynously, with short haircuts, men's trousers or shirts, miniskirts, flats, and little makeup. The use of scooters for transportation is often associated with Mods.

The Yardbirds
Early 1960s

Twiggy
Circa 1960s

Balenciaga

Spring 2010

Versace
Pre-Fall 2010

Hippies

The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world. The word hippie derives from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. Hippie fashions and values had a major effect on culture, influencing popular music, television, film, literature, and the arts. Fashion styles were essentially a revival of the Flapper silhouette with a new interest in boxy, waistless dress and tunic gowns. Hippies often chose brightly colored clothing and wore unusual styles, such as bell-bottom pants, vests, tie-dyed garments, dashikis, peasant blouses, long, full skirts, and non-Western inspired clothing with Native American, Asian, Indian, African and Latin American motifs.

Hippies - unknown source
Circa 1960s

Gucci
Resort 2009

Blumarine
Spring 2010 RTW

Disco

Disco has its roots in New York City gay culture as a rejection of both rock music and the decline of dance music during the late 1960s early 1970s. The timing of the advent of Disco was the same as the introduction of polyester, which was perfect for the dance movements required by disco dancing. Fashions were tight, shiny and sparkly.

Disco fashion

Circa 1970

Luca Luca
Spring 2010 RTW

Stella McCartney
Resort 2010

Punk

The Punk subculture is centered around listening to an aggressive genre of rock music called punk rock. The origin of punk rock is debated and arose in the US, UK and Australia around the same time in the mid-1970s. Punk fashion seeks to shock and outrage others by using adapted everyday objects for aesthetic effect: ripped clothing held together by safety pins or wrapped with tape; embellishing ordinary clothing with markers or adorning it with paint; and the usage of household items as clothing (e.g., garbage bags).

Berlin Punks
Circa 1970s

Tao
Spring 2010 RTW

Rodarte
Spring 2010 RTW

Hip Hop

In the late 1970s an underground urban movement known as "hip-hop" began to develop in the South Bronx area of New York City. The movement embraced graffiti art, break dancing, rap music, and fashion, hip-hop and became the dominant cultural movement of the African American and Hispanic communities in the 1980s. Hip hop fashion origins were in brightly colored name-brand tracksuits, sheepskin, leather bomber jackets, tennis shoes, and gold chains.

Hip hop fashion

Circa 1980s

L.A.M.B.
Spring 2007 RTW

Unique
Spring 2010 RTW

Grunge

Grunge emerged during the mid-1980s in Seattle, Washington. Grunge became commercially successful in the first half of the 1990s, due mainly to the release of Nirvana's Nevermind and Pearl Jam's Ten. The word grunge is believed to be a back-formation from the US slang adjective grungy, which originated in about 1965 as a slang term for "dirty" or "filthy." The fashion style consists primarily of consisted of thrift store items and the typical outdoor clothing (most notably flannel shirts) of the region, as well as a general unkempt appearance.

Grunge fashion

Circa 1990

Unique
Spring 2010 RTW

Christopher Kane
Fall 2009 RTW

Emo

The exact origins of the term "emo" are uncertain, but date back to at least 1985. According to Andy Greenwald, author of Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo, "The origins of the term Emo are shrouded in mystery, but it first came into common practice in 1985." Emo remained in relatively obscurity for years and finally broke into the mainstream media in the summer of 2002 with the success of Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American and Dashboard Confessional's Screaming Infidelities. Emo fashion is associated with wearing skinny jeans, sometimes in bright colors, and tight t-shirts (usually short-sleeved) which often bear the names of Emo bands. Studded belts and black wristbands are common accessories in emo fashion. Black Converse sneakers and skate shoes, such as Vans, are popularly worn among people of the emo fashion. Some males also wear thick, black horn-rimmed glasses.

Emo fashion
Circa 2009

Balmain
Fall 2008 RTW

Gap
Spring 2009 RTW

Historical & Artistic Styles

Artwork and fashion coexist in the social context in which they were created. Following are some examples of historical periods of art and the fashion of the times that is still being interpreted today.

Egyptian

Ancient Egyptian art is characterized by its complex symbolism and conventional character. Egyptian fashion was used to display social status and position. All Ancient Egyptian garments were white, and the higher the social status, the more pleating, drapery and accessorization with jewelry. The following garment reflects those same complexities with pleating, draping and jewelry.

Allessandro Dell’Acqua
Spring 2009 RTW

Greek/Roman

Classical art came from ancient Greek and Roman civilizations whose artists used mathematical laws to organize their masterpieces, reflecting the rational organization of their societies. This same order and balance was used in the fashion of the time. Garments for both cultures consisted of layers of fabrics fastened by pins or minimal sewing. The silhouette was intentionally simple. This modern day garment reflects that same simplicity.

Bottega Veneta
Spring 2010 RTW

Gothic

The Gothic era occurred during the Middle Ages spanning the 12th century to the beginning of the Renaissance. Like the rest of the Middle Ages, architecture was the most important art form. Churches with huge stained glass windows and pointed arches were built to symbolize the divine presence of God. Fashion styles were a combination of tight fitting and draped representing the contrast between hard stone and fragile glass. Velvety fabrics in dark tones were used to represent the tinted glass. The spirit of that style was used in this modern day garment.

Dolce & Gabbana
Fall 2006 RTW

Baroque

Seventeenth century art represented the religious and political struggles of the era through dramatic effects of light and shadow, exaggerated poses, and theatrical backgrounds. The fashion of the Baroque period used extravagant silhouettes, contrasting colors and patterns, and large accessories. At least one exaggerated element was used to emphasize one area of a woman’s body: high waistlines, huge falling collars, or wide skirts. Viktor & Rolf used many of these elements in their most recent collection.

Viktor & Rolf
Spring 2010 RTW

Rococo

In the 1700s, decadence reigned. Artists worked for the aristocracy and created visually pleasing imagery to go with the morally corrupt style of life of the aristocracy. In fashion, styles followed this decadence with revealing necklines, towering and elaborate hairstyles, expensive fabrics and embellishments, as well as the use of obvious makeup. This design by John Galliano seems to have been inspired by this era.

John Galliano
Spring 2010 RTW

Neoclassical

With the French Revolution in 1789, Western history took a new turn that affected all aspects of life, including art. Republic-style government became the modern embodiment of society, and once more, Greek-Roman influences appeared in art. These same classical Greek-Roman inspirations were also seen in fashion with empire waistlines and layers of draped sheer fabrics. Designers returned to sheer fabrics for Spring 2010 as seen in the following image.

Carlos Miele
Spring 2010 RTW

Genealogy of Pointed Shoes

I’ve had dozens of men ask me how I can wear pointed toe shoes; my answer is usually something like, “I’m used to them”. Ironically, men were the first to wear pointed toe shoes.

Medieval Times

Pointed toe shoes originated in France, reportedly invented by a count who wished to hide his deformed feet. The “poulaine” began appearing in the 12th century and reached their height of popularity in the 14th century. They were worn by both men and women, but the men’s grew extravagantly long. In fact, some grew so long; they had to be held up with the assistance of whalebone or string, tied just below the knee.

Poulaines, circa 1500

Poulines, 1564

Since we all know that fashion is cyclical (lately we’ve been on a 20-year cycle), pointed toed shoes have gone in and out of style. They became most notably popular during the 18th century Rococo period, Edwardian period (circa 1900), with the flappers in the 1920s, the 1950s and the 1980s. Today, many styles are fashionable, although rounded toes seem to have temporarily replaced pointed toes.

18th Century – Rococo

At the beginning of the 18th Century, the balance of world power shifted. France no longer had the international clout it once held, and England lost the American colonies. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette reigned, and everyone was having a rocking good time. Styles for both men and women became frivolous and flamboyant.

Rococo Heel, c. 1780

Louis heel, Rococo

French boot, 1780

Early 1900s – Edwardian

New ideas and inventions were in abundance: the first World Series, the Model T, vacuum cleaner, teddy bear (Teddy Roosevelt was president), subways, the Theory of Relativity, and the FBI. Women’s fashion at the turn of the century was beautiful and romantic. For shoes, silk or fine kid was used for the dressy styles with buckles or bows as decoration and that completely matched their whole outfit.

1875 Joseph BoxSilk Court Shoe

Edwardian rhinestone beaded silk dress shoes. c. 1900

1950s

The fifties were a very conservative time. World War II was over and life was good and optimistic. Television made its debut this decade, and June Cleaver became the stereotypical wife and mother; cleaning the house in pearls and pumps. Dior’s “New Look" and Coco Chanel created their glamorous designs to give women the “every inch the lady” look. In this decade, Charles Jourdan introduced the stiletto. Very stylish women had shoes to match every outfit (and pocketbook).

1954 Saks Fifth Avenue

Metallic Gold Stilettos. 1950

1950 's Pump

1980s

The eighties were a very materialistic decade. The economy was booming, and greed was considered good. The DINK (double income no kids) and yuppie lifestyles were born, and shopping malls began popping up everywhere to cater to this new category of consumer. Women were now in the corporate world and had to dress the part. Power suits and pumps became the norm.

1980's purple snakeskin and suede pumps, J Renee

1980s Pump

Today

For the past couple of years, we’ve seen a more rounded toe, but I’m still wearing my pointed toe shoes. I like the longer look of my legs with them. I only wish I owned a pair of these…

Christian Laboutin Anemone, 2007