Designers & Fashion Eras

FASHION ERAS - 1970s-1980s

OLEG CASSINI, 1988

v  The 1980s brought a shift from the somewhat restrained fashions of the late 1970s towards far more expensive, ostentatious fashions reflecting the money obsessed image conscious era.  

v  It became smart to indicate wealth by wearing expensive designer clothes and accessories, and the right logo was animportant part of this showiness.

v  Finance was big news and the lifestyles and huge salaries of young stockbrokers were revered; this competitive group of people became known as Yuppies.

v  Women were entering the workforce in greater numbers and the big-shouldered power suit became a symbol of their success, indicating efficiency and ambition.

v  Programmes like Dallas and Dynasty showed women in super-***** roles wearing extravagant wide shouldered costumes.

v  Princess Diana was also considered to be a trendsetter with New Romantic styles influenced by Vivienne Westwood and historical costume developed as an alternative to the fairly masculine power dressing styles; corsets and full skirted styles in extravagant fabrics were popular evening wear fashions.

v  Produced in 1988 the illustration shown is an example of the power dressing silhouette, oversized shoulders, the power dressing skirt suit or ‘power suit’ with a cinched in waist.

v  Although trousers for women were now accepted in the workplace, skirts remained the safer option. Masculine influences were also seen in coats.

v  Other influences were active wear and a very slim body silhouette; casual wear reflected a wide, layered look.

FASHION ERAS 1960s-1970s

BILL GIBB, 1971

§      At the start of the 1970s high standards of living and prosperous consumer societies were firmly established in the developed world, but women’s greater self-confidence and independent attitudes, together with the power of the mass market were equally important.

§      The full length maxi and calf length midi skirts, added to the basic silhouette of the late 60s, were still promoted by designers.

§      But adding length without introducing new lines and altered proportions did not have enough impact to make women want to wear the midi length clothes, and many women carried on wearing minis, leaving clothing manufacturers with huge stocks of unsold calf-length garments.

§      Women no longer accepted new designs unless they liked them and felt ready for a change, and the clothing industry was made to realise that it was the mass market appeal of new styles that determined their success; the era of the dictatorial designer was finally over.

§      With their self-confidence shaken, manufacturers faced 1971 with determination to give the public what they wanted and variety of choice seemed to be the safest bet.

§      Old favourites were revived and several new ideas tried. Front buttoning, top of calf-length skirts with the buttons left open to the thigh, and worn over matching or contrasting tightly fitting shorts called…