The Evolution of Women's Western Fashion throughout the XX Century (and beginning of the XXI Century)
Part III (1970-1999)
The 1970s
Woman wearing a typical 1970s white sundress, 1974
Fashion from 1970 to 1979 in the Western world was characterized by the end of the "new look" silhouette, the Victorian and Edwardian revival, and the beginning of the liberalization of women's clothing at the end of the decade. It was a time of major reforms in clothing, due to new developments in materials and haute couture, new technologies brought advances in production through mass production, greater efficiency, generating higher standards and uniformity.Part III (1970-1999)
The 1970s
Woman wearing a typical 1970s white sundress, 1974
Another major influence on women's fashion at this time was the political and cultural climate. As women were taking a more active role in their communities, in the political world and in society at large, their clothing reflected this change. As an emphasis on athletics influenced a change in clothing that allowed freedom of movement, an emphasis on less rigid gender roles influenced a change in clothing that allowed for more self-expression, fashionable women's clothing styles abandoned some of the extravagances of the decades earlier (so the skirts weren't crinolines like they were in the 50's and 60's).
The styles of these decades were mainly inspired by the Victorian era (mainly the 1880s and 1890s) and by the Edwardian Era, they were also heavily influenced by the sports fashions of the 1920s and the fashions of the 1940s, white lace, straw hats, floral prints and bright colors reign, the Victorian revival brought a delicate, feminine and romantic touch to the wardrobe, , moreover during the 70's a great fitness craze hit the world, making sportswear increasingly common, the politics of the 1970s was characterized by social movements such as the civil rights movement (1969-1976) that saw the end of Jim Crow in the United States, the beginning of decolonization in Africa in favor of the creation of autonomous territories, the beginning of the space race (1977-1993), the end of several dictatorships around the world (Brazil, Spain, Russia, China, Iran and etc), this ended up reflecting in fashion that underwent liberalization from the end of the decade.
1980s
A woman poses for a photo on a spring day, she wears a Neo-Edwardian dress (1981); Girls in Evening Dresses Chatting During a Ball (1985)
Fashion from 1980 to 1989 in the western world underwent a modernization, in the late 70's the clothing reform movement began to become popular and throughout the decade, women's clothing underwent a great liberalization in relation to looser clothing. which revealed more arms and legs. The 1980s are characterized by two distinct periods of fashion: at the beginning of the decade, change was slower and there was more reluctance to wear the new revealing popular styles. Starting in 1985, the public more passionately embraced styles now typically associated with the 80s and 90s. These styles continued to characterize fashion until the mid-2010s.A woman poses for a photo on a spring day, she wears a Neo-Edwardian dress (1981); Girls in Evening Dresses Chatting During a Ball (1985)
The 1970s suffered a short period of economic stagnation between 1974 and 1981, but the 1980s began with an economic boom in 1981, this caused a palpable optimism in the majority of the population, too, in the late 1970s. As the clothing reform movement became popular, demanding freer, sportier fashions (mostly inspired by the 1920s) and a reduction in strict social norms about women's clothing, fashion trends in the 1980s became more accessible and practices, due to new developments in materials and haute couture, new technologies have brought advances in production through mass production, greater efficiency, generating higher standards and uniformity.
During the 1980s, the Victorian and Edwardian revival, which began in the 1970s, took off strongly, with the decline of the "New Look", sleeves began to increase in size and the slender silhouettes of the Victorian and Edwardian era shaped of an hourglass have become popular again. The fashionable silhouette in the late 20th century was that of a confident woman with a full chest and curvy hips, women wore dresses all day, every day. Day dresses went from ankle to knee, never above, while evening dresses went down to the ankle, ruffles and extravagant decorations became increasingly common in dresses, huge wide-brimmed hats came back into fashion in the mid-decade, adorned With flowers, jewelry, ribbons, the fitness craze of the 1970s continued into the early 1980s, causing a new rise in sportswear.
Masses of wavy hair were in vogue, and old Victorian curls became extremely desired by most women, other accessories like evening gloves, bonnets, pearls, chokers and jewelry necklaces were becoming extremely popular once again.
1990s
Casual Dress 90's in 1997; High society ladies pose for a photo during a horse race in Ascott
Fashion from 1990 to 1999 in the western world was characterized by rich and exotic opulence, often this period is known as "The Roaring 90's" because of its extravagant fashions allied to great economic growth, the 90s are known for their excesses, Elegant dresses richly decorated with expensive jewels, flowers and ribbons, elegant brimmed hats, silk gloves and very large and fluffy hair are some of the hallmarks of this era.Casual Dress 90's in 1997; High society ladies pose for a photo during a horse race in Ascott
90s fashion continued with the Victorian and Edwardian revivals of previous decades, however, this decade's clothing was also largely inspired by the Titanic era of the 50s and 20s, and other eras such as the Regency, 18th century and renaissance, in addition to the emergence of new technologies that have made fashion globalized
In the early 1990s, several fashions from the late 1980s remained very popular among the female population, however, recycling styles from earlier decades, notably the 50s, 20s, and 10s, made the fashion of the decade increasingly unique. , the 1990s, unlike previous periods, presented a series of different trends, due to the increase in the availability of Commonet and satellite television outside the United States or Europe, in addition to the reduction of import tariffs with the creation of the Andureira Union In Europe, fashion became more globalized and homogeneous in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Some of the characteristic styles of the 1990s are:
Victorian/Edwardian Revival: The Victorian and Edwardian revival began in the 1970s, and its peak in the 1980s, although continuing through the 1990s, was a minor move compared to previous decades, as this style was characterized by a typical Victorian-era hourglasses silhouette, with dresses richly decorated with ribbons and bows, evening gloves were an almost mandatory item, bonnets came back into fashion, women wore necklaces full of precious stones and fur, and carried their little niece around, the oversized hats that did not spare decorations such as flowers, jewelry and bows, the crazy hats were without a doubt one of the most striking features of the 90s.
Titanic Era Revival:In the early 90's, dresses inspired by the Titanic Era (1910-1919) became quite popular, new expeditions to the wreck site in 1992 inspired several designers to rescue the unique style of that time, the release of the movie Titanic in 1997 would still give more space for this revival.
The style was characterized by the return of a more natural and straight silhouette, with dresses full of rich brocades, antique lace, beautiful embroidery, chiffon petticoats and ruffles, huge and extravagant hats.
Sportswear Revival/1920s revival: While the Edwardian and Victorian revivals tried to bring back an elegant and opulent style, Sportwear tried to bring back into fashion the eclectic and cheerful style, inspired by the 1920s, the revival (popular mainly in the United States, where the movement began ) was inspired by the clothing reform movement of the 70's and 80's, such movements managed in the previous decades, to liberalize women's clothing, for a looser and more comfortable style,
As more generic and versatile sportswear became more prominent in collections, the press increasingly promoted the use of these garments in an everyday context. In the mid-1990s, American advertisers also began actively promoting the idea that sportswear was as appropriate for ordinary daywear as it was for active activities, presenting it as the epitome of modernity and the American ideal. popular in the United States, however, it did not achieve such status in the rest of the world, much more attracted by the elegant and extravagant fashions that emerged with the Edwardian, Victorian and Titanic revivals.
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