In the 1950's with the end of the war fabric was no longer rationed. This resulted in the use of large quantities of material to produce large full skirts, puff sleeves, and tailored men's suits.
Cinema began to reach it's peak during this time and rock n'roll made it's entry, both forms of media greatly influenced the fashion of the masses. This experimentation was made possible by the economic rise.
During the 1960s the United States experienced its longest uninterrupted period of economic expansion in history. It was also one of the biggest times of social change. Equality was extremely important not only in gender roles but also with race and class.
Reflecting the 1920s with the women's suffrage movement, people began speaking their minds and with that, wearing whatever they wanted. The conformity of the 1930's and 40's gave way to experimentation and individuality. There was also the exploration of space which influenced the materials in fashion. Plastic, vinyl, and other synthetics became popular in the clothing people were wearing. With the entrance of social change also came the entrance of psychedelics and other forms of mental experimentation. By the end of the sixties the clothing was wild, dreamy, and revealing. Even the models used in fashion became more androgynous and thin, much like the 1920s, as opposed to the voluptuous curves of the 1950's.
The Vietnam War had several effects on the U.S. economy. The requirements of the war effort strained the nation's production capacities, leading to imbalances in the industrial sector. Factories that would have been producing consumer goods were being used to make items from the military, causing controversy over the government's handling of economic policy. In addition, the government's military spending caused several problems for the American economy. The funds were going overseas, which contributed to an imbalance in the balance of payments and a weak dollar, since no corresponding funds were returning to the country. In addition, military expenditures, combined with domestic social spending, created budget deficits which fueled inflation. Anti-war sentiments and dissatisfaction with government further eroded consumer confidence. Interest rates rose, restricting the amount of capital available for businesses and consumers. Despite the success of many Kennedy and Johnson economic policies, the Vietnam War was a important factor in bringing down the American economy from the growth and affluence of the early 1960s to the economic crises of the 1970s.
The difference was that people were no longer willing to conform as they did under the strain of the 1930's and 40's. Disagreement with the war and the social changes that occurred during this time caused people to fight back.
There was also the enhancement of education in the early sixties because of the economic growth at that time. More people of both genders were attending college which lead to deeper thinking in society. Clothing reflected the state of mind of the individual.
In the 1970s much of this free thinking carried over, despite the economic crisis in the industrial world. The economic problems of the 1970s would result in a sluggish cynicism replacing the optimistic attitudes of the 1950s and 1960s. Faith in government was at an all-time low.
Clothing styles during the 1970s were influenced by outfits seen in popular music groups and in Hollywood films. In clothing, prints, especially from India and other parts of the world, were fashionable.
With the continued exploration of gender dynamics, most of the musical performers, such as David Bowie, became more flamboyant and androgynous.
Much like the 1700's, after the Vietnam war people wanted to enjoy themselves. Men, who were traditionally always more conventional in dress, became experimental and indulgent in their choices. Men wore women's clothing and vice versa.
Much like the 1940's, shoulder pads became popular throughout the 1980s and even the first three years of the 1990s. The reason behind the sudden popularity of shoulder pads for women in the 1980s may be that women in the workplace were no longer unusual, and wanted to "power dress" to show that they were the equals of men at the office.
Fashion became more and more influential as television, magazines, and other forms of social media became more affluent. Despite economic issues, the 80's were much like the 70's with people of any class prioritizing fashion over practicality. Perhaps it was the media, the continued rise of education, but people were no longer associating their state of dress to the political and economic events that surrounded them.
The early 1990s saw a continuation of 1980s fashion: women wore tight-fitting trousers with elastic boot-straps (stirrup pants/leggings), denim button down shirts, oversized sweaters, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and black leather jackets. Women also wore babydoll dresses, matching jeans and trenchcoats lined with fake fur.
The mid 1990s saw a revival of 1960s fashion, around this time in Europe and America it was also fashionable to dress entirely in black or wear designer brands displaying Italian or French labels as a way of demonstrating one's apparent (but not always true) social status and wealth.
Women's hair changed from the teased curls popular in the late 1970s to late 1980s to straight, smooth hair, which was a revival of late 1960s hairstyles gradually between 1989 and 1995. The pixie cut and other styles seen on television became very popular, this trend continued until mid 2000s.
In fact, from the 1970s-present day the media has become more and more influential on fashion. No matter the economic standing of the person, everyone wanted to wear clothes that personified whoever they emulated on television or in music. Perhaps this was like the 1920s in that dreams became more attainable in the minds of the people.
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