Fashion Through Time

Hello there. Step into my time machine. I want to take you on a fashion through time journey. Every decade has a memorable fashion statement, and I would like to show some to you.

Our first stop in our time machine is the 19th century. Fashion first started with Charles Frederick Worth, who beginning in 1858, was the first designer to have his label sewn into the garments he created. Many wealthy women would travel to Paris to purchase gowns for special occasions, including weddings and ornate masquerade balls. Worth's clients also included stars of the theatre and concert stage. He supplied performance costumes and personal wardrobes for leading actresses and singers such as Sarah Bernhardt, Lillie Langtry, Nellie Melba, and Jenny Lind. Fashion of the 19th century is known for its corsets, bonnets, top hats, bustles and petticoats.

Now, let's time-warp to the 20th century. During the early parts of the 1910s, fashion became more masculine and macho, characterized by rich and exotic touches of flare. Women wore shorter skirts and dresses - well, more straightforward for the time as "short" means just above the ankle. Much of the fashion of this time was influenced by World War 1 because the number of working women increased, and corsets fell out of style then.

During 1920-22, the waistline dropped to hip level. With a large brooch and long strings or pearl, prominent jewellery was in style. A Close-fitting bell or flower-shaped hat was highly popular then. Strappy shoes were worn, tied with bows and buckles. This simplicity created the popular look know as the flapper. Coco Chanel helped popularize this style and was a prominent designer during this period. If you would like to see more of this fashion, I recommend the movie "The Great Gatsby" (2013 film) starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Originally a novel by an American writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald, in 1925. With popular themed New Years' Eve parties in the year 2020. My girlfriends and I included.

Between 1930-1940 dresses were designed to highlight the female body's natural curves, with the waist being defined with a simple belt. This time also introduces the short puffed sleeves, old Hollywood evening gowns, high wasted sailor pants, and leg beach pyjamas. Women looked like movie stars during this period. Stars like Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, and Bette Davis became some of the first Hollywood-style icons. The make-up and beauty industry started to rise around this time as well.

Now, the 1950s is one of my favourite fashion decades. Here we introduce dresses with cinched waists, pencil skirts, poodle skirts, gingham and polka dot garments, cropped sweaters and cardigans. Matching hats and jackets were standard accessories to formal outfits. Perhaps one of the most thought of fashion in this decade is the "poodle skirt." We can thank Juli Lynne Charlot from California for these felt skirts cut in a circle and could have any embellishment, not just a poodle. Did you know that casual wear became the thing in the '50s, with tailored blouses, striped blazers, and tapered slacks in bright colours and plaid or paisley patterns? The young woman turned to less traditional designs, like sportswear, sundresses and swimsuits. If you would like to see more of this fashion, I recommend the movie "Grease" (1978 film) starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

1960s fashion was bi-polar in just about every way: bright, swirling colours, psychedelic, and tie-dye shirts. The woman wore unbelievably short skirts, and men wore tunics and capes. Ponchos, moccasins, love beads, peace signs, medallion necklaces, chain belts, polka dot-printed fabrics, and long, puffed "bubble" sleeves were popular fashions in the late 1960s. Both men and women wore frayed bell-bottomed jeans, work shirts, Jesus sandals, and headbands. Groovy man!

Let's dance into the 1970s. My favourite fashion will always be bell-bottom pants, frayed jeans, and maxi dresses. Some accessories that will help pull together your early '70s Hippie outfits are chokers, headbands, scarves, and jewelry made of wood, stones, feathers, and beads. Vouge declared, "There are no rules in the fashion game now." Bright colours and textures largely influenced man's fashion. Sometimes with ruffles or lace, Satin shirts were often pared with hip-hugging bell-bottoms. Bright-coloured three-piece and double-breasted suits in corduroy, paisley, wool, and crushed velvet were popular for unique and even everyday occasions. In the late '70s, Disco took over. Disco styles for women included jersey wrap dresses, tube tops, sequined shirts, spandex shorts, and high slit skirts with boots or chunky heels. Think "Austin Powers" (1997 film) starring Mike Myers. Aside from Disco styles, women's fashion in the late '70s became more relaxed. Clothes became baggier and more revealing—very Shagadelic baby, yeah!

Grab your hairspray as we step into the time machine to the 1980s. When stepping into this decade, think of Bright colours, big hair, shoulder pads, acid-washed jeans, and eye-straining fabric colours and patterns. 80s fashion gave rise to more style idols than any previous decade. The accessories were all the trend with scrunchies, leg warmers, fingerless gloves, plastic bangles, snap-on bracelets, large funky earrings in neon shades, mesh accents, fanny packs, and pearl necklaces. Having the right clothes meant spending the extra money to buy designer labels and sports goods with a brand logo, such as Nike, Rebook, and Adidas. Jean designers such as Jordache, Guess, Wrangler, Levi, Gitano, and Bonjour were also trendy. Fashion for your face consists of Ray-Bans. It would be rude of me not to talk about Madonna's fashion influence in the '80s. The queen of pop not only influenced music trends; her incredible physique and energy prompted many young people to adopt the Madonna fashion style, from lacy tutus and leather jackets to wild hair with velvet bows and scrunchies. Michael Jackson was the fashion king. His power jackets, military-style accessories, and Jheri-curls African-American hairstyle continue as a fashion influence carried down the decades. Wearing real animal skin was a big no-no, but over-the-top animal prints featured on everything. From leggings to handbags and sunglasses, bold prints of leopard, zebra, snake and even giraffe skin were the rage. Oh, we are not done with the 80's craze just yet—the velvet tracksuit. The Italian sportswear brand Fila made velour tracksuits that were so well-liked that celebrities wore them in restaurants and bars. Tracksuits were all the rage, including distressed jeans in the late '80s. Hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and the Pixies gave rise to grunge culture, and 80's fashions for men included distressed and ripped jeans. If you didn't buy designer-label distressed jeans from a big name such as Guess or Levi, you could always make a few slashes across the knees and other strategic places with a box cutter. It was also a widespread practice to 'peg' jeans' cuffs, meaning they were rolled over tight to show off your high-top sneakers. Oh, the 80's!!!

Now, in 1990's fashion, the t-shirts were big, and the shorts were extra long. Tapered pants were a big deal. If they didn't come tapered, you tapered them yourself. Boys and girls both wore baseball caps in many different ways. Mullets were stylish for a couple of years, and every sweater had a turtleneck underneath. But then grunge happened. Suddenly every thrift store in town couldn't keep a flannel shirt in stock to save their backs. Teens were digging through dad's box of old clothes to get their hands on some authentic hole-ridden jeans to wear over-top of their long john stockings. By the late 90s, rave culture swept through, and people looked for more glamorous clothes again. The grungy styles of the early '90s were old hat. Looking rich was cool again. Name brand designers were back in a big way.

My favourite brand name sportswear was Adidas tear-away pants. I still have a pair. Neon colours made a big comeback with the "The Fresh Prince of Belair" look. Clothing in electric blue, orange, fluorescent pink, purple, and turquoise. You can't forget about High-shine fabrics, such as satin, metallics, sequins, microfiber, vinyl, and silk, which became very prominent on both clubwear and workwear. The Spice Girls come to mind when imagining this fashion trend. Shoes are another fashion statement when I think of the Spice Girls. Popular shoes and accessories during the mid-1990s in Europe and North America included loafers, Mary Janes, suede sneakers, clogs, knee-high boots, and jelly shoes.

I hope you enjoyed riding in my time machine today. I love fashion since those days and everything about it! This fashion challenge has made me feel very nostalgia, and I love it! Party on Wayne, party on Garth.