CNST 213 Fashion Trends and Cultural Influences 1960-present

Fashion Trends and Cultural Influences
1960-present

Influences on Fashion
Since the 1960s, sources of fashion influence have multiplied. Centers of fashion influence include Paris, Milan, Tokyo, London, New York and Los Angeles. Fashion no longer "trickles down" from couture to the mainstream; fashion directions come from everywhere - various ethnic groups, youth looks from the street, etc. (Gold, 1991).

Silhouettes
1965    The chemise is the important silhouette of the decade. The chemise's shoulders are natural
            with an unmarked waist. Hemlines end above the knee. Shoes with low or flat heels are
            worn with textured and colored pantyhose or tights which coordinate with the outfit.

1969    Variations of the chemise still dominate contemporary silhouettes. Lengths are very short -
            barely covering the thighs. An A-line silhouette is popular. Corsets and girdles become
            obsolete. Tights or pantyhose are essential.

1970 Women begin to wear pantsuits on the street; they become a staple in women's wardrobes
by the mid-70s. The midi, a mid-calf length skirt, is introduced and rejected.

1975 A soft, natural silhouette with a bloused jacket or sweater and a flared skirt are typical. Skirt
lengths have moved gradually downward to just below the knee.

1977    "Dress for Success" - a book by John Molloy advises working women to wear feminine
            versions of the male business suit. The suit was complete with a skirt and bow tie on the
            blouse. Wearing pants in business situations was advised against, as a result pantsuits
            loose favor among many.

1981    Moving to a wider shouldered silhouette; shoulder pads are added to everything. Skirt
            lengths move gradually shorter. The preppy look and the punk look predominate the
            youth market.

1987 The mini is introduced and bombs. Women's suits become more diverse in styling; less
uniform-like.

1988 Karl Lagerfeld offers an updated version of the Chanel suit. Glamour is big.

1990 Long over short silhouettes predominate; long shirts or sweaters over leggings, long jackets
over short skirts.

1990s Anything goes: long or short skirts, pants, sweats. Typically found is a more natural
silhouette/shoulder after the wide, boxy looks of the early 80s. Strong influence from the
youth market in casual wear. Casual Fridays at the office.

Ethnic Influences
By the late 1960s, interest in the world's cultures was evident in fashion. Designers stopped "looking to the future for inspiration and began to plunder the world's ethnic minorities. Every culture had something to offer" (Clancy, 1996, p. 89). Fashion designers have since incorporated more and more design elements from other cultures into their lines Contributing to this trend is the fact that ethnic diversity has become more evident in the US.A few examples of ethnic influences found during this time period include:

1963 Hawaiian Influence - "Blue Hawaii" - Elvis film - set in Hawaii

1965     Russian Influences - "Dr. Zhivago" - film - set during Russian revolution -
                   overcoats worn by Russian military and by Julie Christie, the female lead, in
                   the film inspired coat designs
1966-68   Indian Influences - Nehru Suit, Beatles The Beatles with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

1972 Chinese Influences - President Nixon visits China; US designers inspired.

1980s    Japanese Influences - Issey Miyake , Hanae Mori ,
                    Rei Kawakubo, Kenzo, andYohji Yamamoto - all were integral in the
                    emergence of Japanese designer as a major force in fashion during the 1980s (Tortora
                           & Eubank, 1994).

1976     Russian Influences - Yves St. Laurent was inspired by Russian influences for his Winter 1976-77 line..
                    In this collection, St. Laurent was inspired elements of European peasant dress
                    (embroidered folk blouses, milkmaid's tunics, and Cossack [Russian] costume) and
                    transformed them into fabulous couture garments (Craik, 1994).

1977 Egyptian Influences - King Tut's treasures visit US; US designers inspired; jewelry, makeup and a few clothing items inspired by Egypt (Tortora & Eubank, 1994). Steve Martin performs"King Tut" on Saturday Night Live. To hear the song

1984    Western Influence on Chinese Dress - An exhibition of Yves St. Laurent's work is
                    staged in Beijing. A year later the streets of Beijing are full of YSL knock-offs. The
                    Chinese who saw the exhibit were inspired by his work, in spite of the fact that they
                    had never been exposed to European fashion (Craik, 1994).

1996     Chinese Influences- Hong Kong returns to Chinese rule; Chinese motifs and
                    silhouettes are strong influence on designers. Many designers incorporate Chinese
                    elements in their lines 1996-97.

Important Designers

Armani - brought soft Italian tailoring to women's wear in the 80s. "It is impossible to overestimate the influence of Georgio Armani on late twentieth century fashion. His unstructured, beautifully made suits are high on the wish-lists of all sorts of women" (Clancy, 1996, p. 190).
Courreges - Associated with "space age" designs.
Rudi Gernreich - Known for sport clothes and for such radical looks as a topless swimsuit, see-through blouses and 'no-bra' bras in the 1960s.
Halston - the quintessential 70s look. soft layered effects, pantsuits or jumpsuits.
Donna Karan - dresses women like herself. Casual, soft looks; lots of knits.
Calvin Klein - Klein's signature is immediately recognizable. He has a spare, lean and simple look that makes everything sexy and sophisticated in the subtlest of ways. Or in Klein's own words: "My personal philosophy of style is simplicity. Minimalism to me is the sexiest quality a man or woman can posses." He works in every fashion category for men and women, including tailored clothing, home furnishings and accessories. He has made his name not only through designs that lead, rather than follow the pack, but through a knack for promotion and especially his provocative advertising campaigns, that tick some people off and titillate others, but in every case, make you remember his name (Calvin Klein Profile, 2000).

Karl Lagerfeld - took over Chanel line in 1982.
Ralph Lauren - known for western looks, outdoor wear and use of natural fiber fabrics
Mary Quant - Influential in the Mod styles of the 1960s. Important for the mini-skirt of the late 1960s. Helped make London a fashion center in the 1960s
Yves St. Laurent - originated many innovative styles, soft fluid looks, impeccable couture styling, often uses ethnic inspirations. Was at Dior before opening his own house in 1962. YSL "is the designer who most exactly defines the main thrust of fashion" (Clancy, 1996, p. 160) in the early 80s.

References
Calvin Klein Profile. (January 10, 2000). http://www.bluefly.com/designer.asp?brand=calvin&sid=XH3SP2XFQXSH2LB900AKH2J919GVB6X0
Clancy, D. (1996). Costume since 1945: Couture, street style and anti-fashion. New York: Drama Publishers.
Craik, J. (1994). The face of Fashion: Cultural Studies in Fashion. London: Routeledge.
Gold, A. (1991). 90 Years of Fashion. New York: Fairchild.
Tortora, P. and Eubank, K. (1994). Survey of Historic Costume, 2nd Ed. New York: Fairchild.

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