Fashion Timeline

The fashion canvas of the 18th century changed radically as the 19th century began; simpler, lighter brushstrokes were applied. With its fluid lines, fashion began to mimic classic Grecian drapery. Bodices were minimal, cut to end under the bust and achieving a high waist that defined the silhouette. Necklines were predominantly low. Sleeves could be …

From 1810 to 1820, while the simpler lines of the previous decade continued, dresses became slightly more structured, featuring padded hems and firmer fabrics such as twills and some taffeta. Soft colors returned after a 10-year absence. Sleeves grew fuller at the shoulder, and high waists endured but lowered slightly as the years went by. …

As the Romantic era arrived, clothing became more complex and increasingly structured. Decorative excess replaced the previous design simplicity. Horizontal hem treatments added focus to skirts, wide lapels created shoulder emphasis, and sleeves and shoulders were further emphasized with extended wings. Surface ornamentation, color, and print abounded. Three-dimensional effects in trimmings were achieved through padding. …

In the 1830s, the first cross-cut Gigot, or Leg O’ Mutton, sleeves appeared. The previous shoulder fullness dropped toward the elbow, and sleeves became enormous. The waist resumed its natural position, while necklines became very wide. Bodice lines took on a distinctive V-shape. Ankle-length skirts became quite full and needed several petticoats underneath for support. …

The Gothic era arrived, and fashion lines wilted into drooping ringlets and dragging skirts. Sleeves lost their fullness and became fitted, and shoulders were extended below their natural lines. Skirt hems lowered to the floor. Necklines were generally cut high for day wear and wide for the evening. The skirt became very domed in silhouette, …

By 1855, the cage crinoline, or hoop, had swayed on to the scene. Skirts expanded to their maximum size. Women were delighted to wear the cage; it gave relief from the weight of numerous petticoats and from the plethora of undergarments that needed to be washed. The hoop was popular almost universally and was worn …

The era of the skirt dawned, yet it was to be 30 years before skirts were worn unhindered by support structures. The round hoop of 1860 evolved, by 1864, into an oval hoop. As the skirt developed, its back was emphasized by the the bustle, which appeared by 1868. The big, high, and draped bustle …

In the early 1870s, shoulders returned to the position nature intended. The long-line cuirass bodice appeared in 1876–78. This reached to the hips in all its molded, whale-boned glory. Day bodices had high necklines and fitted sleeves with pleated or ruffled cuffs. The new look for evening was three-quarter-length sleeves with a square neckline. In …

Popular demand brought back the bustle in 1883, but it was now worn at a lower placement with a narrower width. Dresses worn over this new frame were sturdier, constructed in heavier fabrics such as velvet, satin, and wool. Colors were darker; e.g., bottle green, deep wine, navy blue, and black. Mercifully, cotton and linen …

The bustle began to fade in 1889, possibly joined by its aging wearers! By 1891, just a tiny pad remained. The gathers at the back of the skirt stayed until 1900. With the decline of the bustle, sleeves began to grow, and the 1830s’ hourglass revival was well underway. Sleeves ballooned to proportions never seen …

As the Victorian era drew to its close, skirts for both day and evening were elongated at the back to form a train. The silhouette was slim at the hip, accomplished by pleating and smocking the excess fabric. Any fullness in the skirt began below the knee. Decoration was achieved through large and small tucks, …

Shape and silhouette constantly evolved. More radical styles like the hobble skirt and the lampshade skirt each enjoyed their moment in the sun. The Edwardians became more playful and innovative, taking an interest in asymmetrical draping techniques. Considerably less boning was used in bodices and boning was now solely for supporting the shape as opposed …

World War I ended and euphoria was the order of the day. Fashion responded by dropping waists to high hip levels as dresses became unfitted. While some gowns retained the design complexity of the Teens, the trend was toward Simplicity. Simple bodices, shaped using only a few tucks or shirring at the shoulders, or a …

Great innovations in fashion were seen during the Depression despite (or perhaps because of) the economic hardships of the time. The abbreviated, linear forms of the 1920s quickly gave way to sinuous shapes and longer hemlines. Waistlines returned to the natural position, while remaining relaxed in fit. Designers experimented with new cuts and new materials. …

By the time the United States emerged from the Depression, Europe and much of Asia were already at war. Paris under Nazi occupation was a disaster for Haute Couture and one that gave great opportunity to the growing fashion industry in the United States. Women who were deprived of the latest fashions from Paris began …

Dior’s 1947 New Look had symbolized a new hope and by the 1950s both the hope and the style were fully embraced. Hems fell and hems rose but the hourglass silhouette remained. In addition to the full skirt, slender pencil skirts were worn too. The emphasis on silhouette and form created a dependency on foundation …

The 1960s were greatly transitional. The decade opened with a continuation of the 1950s silhouette but ten years later the look was the virtual opposite. In the U.S. in 1961 John F. Kennedy took office as President, bringing with him a beautiful, young and fashion-inspiring wife as First Lady. Jackie Kennedy’s innate sense of style …

The 1970s can be called Decade of Decadence, the ‘Me’ decade and the decade of excess and androgyny. Women emerged in the work place tenfold. Pantsuits, day wear, and separates with a sense of masculine style as echoed in the film ‘Annie Hall’ created a sensation with Diane Keaton wearing a fitted vest with a …

One word comes to mind when you think of the 1980s: BIG. Overconsumption, oversized and just plain over-the-top were cornerstone features in this decade of excess and materialism. It was a time of abundance, optimism and unabashed greed. Shoulder pads returned to fashion in a super-sized version, and the “power suit” reflected women’s emerging status …

The early 1990s saw a continuation of late 1980s fashion, primarily model as muse. Supermodels dominated the beginning of the decade, when popular beauties such as Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista ‘wouldn’t get out of bed for less then $10,000’ starred in every major fashion campaign. Kate Moss, who often modeled for Calvin …