The Changing Trends Of Women’s Clothing In The Last Four Decades

If we try and research the history of fashion in America for women from its origin, we will be busy reading volumes and volumes of archives. Fashion is not just limited to the ramp or to the world of high society. Even a simple jacket or a muffler worn by a woman whilst buying vegetables in a market is a product of fashion that must have percolated from the ramp to the retail stores. Let us traverse through time to trace the changing face of fashion in America.

The 1970s

The seventies was an age of Disco! A mix of skirt lengths – from micro, mini to maxi along with some lighter weight clothes such as kaftans, flared trousers, platform shoes were in vogue. Tank tops that have made a comeback today first saw their origin in the seventies. Coordinated knitwear was in fashion along with tank tops. This was the ‘flower-power’ age which gave rise to a lot of loose hippie like clothing such as floral skirts and shirts.

The 1980s

Whilst the seventies saw the silhouette of fashion to be largely characterized by tight fitting shirts/tops and looser clothes on the bottom, this trend completely inverted in the early eighties as women began to wear looser shirts and tight, close-fitting pants. In this decade, the financial situation of people began to rise; as a result, ‘fashion’ became more accessible for the common people. Brand names like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein became household names. During this time, Madonna’s single, “Like a Virgin” had released and she was given the title of the “Material Girl”. She inspired millions of women with her wacky style of dressing. The trend of over-sized shoulder pads was made popular by American shows like ‘Dallas’, ‘Dynasty’ and a movie called ‘Flashdance’. In the eighties, subcultures of Rap music and Hip-Hop had also become very popular, influencing wider fashion trends.

The 1990s

Influenced by the onset of Grunge music in this decade, the grunge look was predominant. Women sported long, ruffled hair and wore sneakers in a splash of wild colors. Apart from the grunge look, the 90’s fashion clothing was also about short jackets and body hugging shrugs. Trousers and cargos also formed a mark on the mindset of women. They were no longer restricted only for men. Today, what is popularly known as ‘three-fourth’ pants or ‘Capris’, originally made their debut in the eighties.
1990s fashion trends also saw the coming of Gothic clothing in which daring black makeup and black outfits were popular. Fitness, as a routine, got great awareness in the nineties, due to which Lycra heavily entered the sports-fashion market. Pure Leather went out of vogue, and imitation leather took its place. A lot of it was due to the awareness of the cruelty meted out to animals to procure leather. Dresses with cowl necks caught rage. Hip hugging denims with tank tops and large chunky, bling jewelery was seen everywhere.

2000 Onwards

More dressy and feminine styles came into popularity over the millennium as women’s fashion in USA moved away from the more unisex styles of the nineties. Women shifted to denim miniskirts, the classic Burberry swatch trench coats, single colored gym sweatpants. As far as footwear is concerned, women took to colorful flip-flops matched with just about everything- ponchos, flared trousers and tank tops exposing the midriff. In the late 2000s, Crocs became extremely popular for both sexes.

Looking at what fashion has given us in the last four decades, the next few also seem to be surely exciting. In America, fashion has always been and always will be reflective of the American experience- the people, the states, the economy, the religion and the culture. Mark Twain has correctly said, “Clothes make the man.”