Fashion Through the Eras with Hope and Hemlines

From pencils skirts to petticoats, fur lined or duster coats, platforms or loafers..

In this world we all have one thing in common, fashion. Whether you're a fashionista, functionista or don't have much interest in the subject at all... we are all united by clothing and the all mighty new trends that shops from Primark to Prada will sell us everyday. The way we dress can be a statement, a first impression and how you're feeling that day, clothing can blend us into a crowd and also make up stand out.

One thing that's becoming more and more noticeable these days is the progression of fashion, it's going backwards, as though we have reached the peak and now heading back in time.

50 Years of Fashion

1950 

The beginning of the rock and roll era. The war was over and things were changing, good looking kids started performing music, young women and men had more independence and rationing was a thing of the past, wonderful new fabrics were becoming more affordable which also meant there was a lot more on offer, so as you can imagine dressmakers used this to their advantage, dresses were bigger and more flamboyant than ever. The 1950's will go down in history as the first decade where fashion became an important part of culture.

In todays fashion world we can see a lot of similarities with the 1950s, for example, the midi length of dresses is huge today in many styles, also the waist belt is still to this day a very flattering accessory for giving outfits a little more shape.

Taylor Swift 2014 - The Billboard woman in music luncheon.

1960 

The 1960's, the years of the teenager. Fashion became much more commercial as people did not need to make their own clothing anymore. The world began to gain more fashion clothing stores which meant stylish and designer clothes were no longer a pool that only the rich could paddle in. As styles grew clothing became a symbol of ones personality and how they wished to be portrayed, however one thing did shorten though... hemlines! The invention of the mini skirt. 

The mini skirt has stuck around now for decades being a popular choice for a night out on the town, also great to keep cool on sunny days.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, 2015

1970 

One of the most iconic years when it comes to the fashion industry. The 'hippy' look kicked of at the end of the 1960's but came in full swing in the 70's, from bell bottoms, platform shoes and tight, bright fabrics. Every kind of suit imaginable was suddenly gracing its presence in the shops, from trouser suits to leisure suits. Baggy trousers, long skirts, robes and blouses with big collars, the 70's was fantastically flamboyant.

Today, it is 2016 and you will find bell bottoms or palazzo pants in stores, robes and kimono style cover ups will be in most of our wardrobes and a lot of accessories will be made of suede and heavily decorated with fringes.

Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne

1980 

Probably the most distinctive fashion era, (I mean who hasn't been to an 80's themed party at some point?), people remember this decade for all the right reasons, Power Dressing. This included a heck of a lot of tailoring, big shoulder pads and even bigger hair. Bold and bright colours filled the streets and the more dazzling your outfit was, the more stylish you were. This era was all about women creating a powerful silhouette of themselves, it was the rise of the professional women. 

This wonderful style which has followed us into 2016 has kept women feeling powerful and stylish. Whether you're attending an interview or heading out for dinner, the tailored suit gives off a 'I am confident, don't mess with me' look, and shows the world girls weren't born to just wear dresses, we mean business! This is a style we will cherish for years to come.

Emma Watson, 2014.

1990 

We all remember the Spice Girls dancing around in union jack dresses, leopard print cat suits and crop tops singing a zig-a-zig-ah, was that really how we dressed in the 90s? Well maybe a few of us. The 90's was all about colourful, comfortable clothing, sometimes even a little mix matched, unless of course you preferred the grunge look then colourful may not have been a word in your dictionary. We loved denim in the 90's, we also loved parachute pants, the baggier the better and crop tops, a lot of us girls liked to channel our inner sporty spice.

The 90's have continued into the 2000's, making a big appearance in 2015-2016, where we saw the return of crop tops and boyfriend jeans.

Little Mix, Capital Summertime ball 2016.

2000's 

So here we are, current day. Today's fashion styles is a mix of all of these wonderful eras, and the beautiful thing is because we have been brought up in the digital age we have more ways than ever of researching old styles, finding styling types online and in magazines and creating our own personal style.

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