2. From the beginning Throughout history, self expression and individual style has varied greatly, being influenced by various factors such as politics, media and cultural ideas.
3. Standards have been unrealistic and difficult to obtain, yet people have endured misery and pain to achieve them. For example in the 1900s, tiny waists were hugely popular, and women went to great lengths making sure they fit into tiny corsets to achieve them.
4. Throughout the decades, styles changed according to what was happening at the time. The war in 1910 brought a practical attitude to fashion where women wore breeches to work in the mills. In 1920 this changed when the flapper girl cam along with her bobbed hair, exposed limbs and little black dresses.
5. The 1940s meant people had to be resourceful, while in 1950 people lived and breathed glamour as Hollywood movies burst onto the scene and promoted actresses like Marilyn Monroe. The birth of rock n roll saw bad boys like James Deane and Marlon Brando fashion denim jeans and leather jackets which are still widely worn today.
6. The 1960’s saw the arrival of iconic fashion icons like Audrey Hepburn and Twiggy who’s styles are still emulated today. During the 1970’s glam punk came alive. Vivienne Westwood was one of the most influential designers and still remains so today.
7. The 80’s had a new wave of music and romantic fashion. Debbie Harry became an icon with her big hair, shoulder pads and lashings of make up. The 1990’s was the age of the supermodels such as Cindy Crawford. When waif Kate Moss burst on the scene as the polar opposite to what a model was expected to look like, the heroin chic trend was born.
8. Each and every decade has contributed to the wide range of styles we see being modelled by young people today. Because mass media is so broad and influential, young people are inundated with ideas of what is fashionable and with trends changing every season, it can be difficult and sometimes confusing for young people to understand how they are expected to look.
9. We have many role models in the 21st century, each as unique and individual as each other. Educating young people about the origins of trends throughout the century and the effects great fashion icons have had on current trends, may indeed promote a greater understanding and appreciation of fashion as we see it today. In this way, young people may feel less overwhelmed by each seasons changing trends, and more appreciative of the little bits of history that created them.
