Isn't it kind of weird that every thirty years, there comes a huge defining decade in terms of fashion and aesthetic? Like, it's decades that most people can identify or has permeated the culture in some way. I started thinking about it after watching season 2 of Dark (WATCH IT), where it's set every 33 years.
1890s: Just look at Disneyland main street to get the idea. Cinched waists, puffy sleeves, and floor length skirts. Swimming "costumes". Sherlock Holmes, bandstands, Gibson girl hair (once you google you'll be like OH I KNOW THAT). Candy stores! Good and Plenty and Tootsie Rolls.
1920s: Art Deco, Flappers, speakeasies, Egyptomania. Low waists, low headbands, cloche hats. Rectangle/Boyish body shape. The Charleston. Calvin Coolidge. Short bobs, red nails, and cupids bow, pouty lips. 7-Up, Pineapple upside down cake, and fruit cocktail. Necco wafers, Charleston chews, Mike and Ikes, and Bit-o-Honey.
1950s: Diners, hamburgers, milkshakes, and jukeboxes. Checkered floors, mint, red. Poodle skirts, bobby socks, and saddle shoes. Young Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Frank Sinatra. Rockabilly, Beatnik, Greasers, and Pinup. Hourglass figures. Cat eyes and red lips. Beaver Cleaver suburban life, tv dinners, and casseroles. Frida Kahlo and Mexican influence.
1980s: Big hair and big shoulders. Neon and pastel. Punks, preps, yuppies. Blue eyeshadow and harsh blush. All the legs. Tab and jazzercise. Mall culture. Wine coolers, spinach dip, and pasta salads. Sushi and Japanese influence. M&M's, skittles, and nerds. COOL RANCH DORITOS. Cartoons that were actually ads for toys. Tiled countertops, so.many.ruffles, carpet in the bathroom, ferns.
(I just made this one up, I don't know what this decade is going to be called)
2010s: High-waisted everything, cropped tops, Coachella fashion, athleisure, jumpsuits. Instagram brows and huge asses. K-Pop, twerking. Kombucha, kale, and avocado toast. Minimalism, barn doors, Edison bulbs, succulents. Open floor plans and all white kitchens.
The closer it gets to the current timeline, the less I can point out the distinct trends. Maybe a few more decades out will make it more clear. I remember being a teenager in the 90s thinking it would be hard to define 90s fashion because it just seemed normal/timeless (HA).
Do you think other decades are "bigger" than these ones listed? Have I totally mixed up stuff from other decades and you want to "wElL aCtUaLlY" me in the comments? What about this past decade? Anything that you feel would be a better fit than what I thought of???
