Styles of Dress as Reflections of Social Conditions
Something that becomes very apparent when we study the topic of fashion is that clothes and style. are related to so much more than merely an individual’s appearance. For thousands of years, fashion and style. have been primary indicators about a person’s social status, sexuality, wealth, individuality, and overall personality attributes.
In the 20th century alone, each decade has been marked by distinctly different manners for dress for both men and women. Our Halloween tradition exemplifies this very clearly with “costumes” such as a 1920’s “flapper girl” and the 1960’s “hippie.” With deeper consideration, however, these differing fashion styles can be viewed as representative of the related social conditions occurring at the time.
As stated by Pasacoe, “The fashion of the 1920’s reflected the Jazz Age perfectly. It was made for fast automobiles and Charleston dance. For the first time in western fashion the knee was socially acceptable.” Although there are many theories regarding what causes fashion to change, the fact that social climate is reflected in styles of dress has a great deal of support. Perhaps the reason why so much change occurred in women’s dress in the early decades of the century is that so many changes occurred regarding women’s roles and fights within that same time frame.
Another decade in which fashion was strongly indicative of the underlying social conditions is the turbulent 1960’s. One of the most noted developments accredited to this decade is the introduction of the miniskirt. Many social historians relate the introduction of the miniskirt to the introduction of the birth control pill. Women became sexually liberated and the “free love” era began. These miniskirts came to symbolize the new liberation for women and the social climate of the decade. As stated in Vogue at the end of the decade, “The length of your skirt is how you feel this moment.”
Towards the end of the 1960's, younger generations were rejecting the establishment and rejecting the idea of high fashion along with it. Students wore long hair, faded denim jeans, and flamboyant patterns. Many wore combat jackets and surplus shirts to anti-war rallies. As Hoeymaker stated, “By the end of the decade, cheap, flamboyant clothes became expensive designer labels. The hippie style. became high fashion; in fact ‘anti-fashion’ became the biggest fashion of all.” In this case, clothes became a form. of protest.
Overall, there are countless examples of how fashion is influenced by the social climate of the times. Over the past thousands of years, the socially “appropriate” styles of dress for men and women have varied tremendously. Regardless of what exactly constituted “stylish” fashion during any given time period, one thing that remains constant is that fashion has always been a significant aspect of one's life and the time in which they lived.
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