The Changing Trends Of Women’s Clothing In The Last Four Decades
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 Today, what is popularly known as ‘three-fourth’ pants or ‘Capris’, originally made their debut in the eighties.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.”
