THE 30’S

That picture shows two men dressed in normal daily wear. Their clothes cover almost all the body. Their trousers are long and wide. One is wearing a turtleneck sweater, the other is wearing a shirt and a tie. Their jackets are rather fitted. They are carrying caps in their hands. At the beginning of the century, men and women wore hats and had sofisticated hairstyles. Here, you can see men with a side parting and slick hair.

The women in the photo look as if dressed to go and have fun during the weekend. They are wearing Charleston hats and pleated knee-high dresses. Each is also wearing a scarf around her neck and high-heeled shoes.

On these two photos, you can see people on the beach in swimwear. At that time, swimsuits were totally different from today: they used to go down to mid-thigh. The upper part of the costume looked like a tank top. Children used to wear costumes covering their body from waist to mid-thigh and held by two straps buttoned in the front and crossed and fastened in their back. Almost everyone wore a swim cap.

The 40’s

Women wore dresses and skirts — they still didn’t wear trousers yet. Another thing women ALWAYS wore: gloves. Preferably a pair that matched their outfit.

Wide padded shoulders, nipped in waist tops, and skirts that came down to the knee.

Children’s clothes…

Men’s 1940s suits were usually made from thick wool, or tweed but during the war synthetic rayon blended with wool was usually used instead. Colors were muted – black, navy, grey, dark brown, tan and medium blue.

The 50’s

The photo shows a family having a stroll. The men and even the older boy are wearing suits, shirts and ties. The youngest boy is wearing short trousers and knee socks. The women are wearing suits and have sofisticated hairstyles (diadems). Their skirts are knee-high.

Women still wear suits: a skirt and a short jacket. The skirt is often short, just above the knee, pleated and wide. Hats and gloves are common accessories. The hair is medium length and well-groomed, leaving jewelry apparent. High-heeled shoes are trendy. Feminity is quite codified.

The 70’s

In the seventies, fashion was of psychedelic style. Printed fabrics were very flowery, and clothes were brightly coloured. Women used to wear long dresses, skirts, cardigans and a lot of jewelry. Jeans, generally flares, were also worn. They were sometimes embroidered. Women and men usually had long loose hair and wore round sunglasses. Men had beard. That was called the ‘hippie’ style.

The 80s

This woman is wearing very casual and noticeable clothes. Her hairstyle is impressive. That style reminds us of the disco influence and also of the punk movement existing at the time (related to the music)

The 90’s

The Grunge trend in the 90’s..

Fitted was out and sloppy is in. In 1990’s women’s fashion the Grunge trend saw the exit of short sofisticated hair styles and tight perms and the entrance of very long, straight or wavy hair. Tight jeans were out and loose ripped and dirty jeans were in.

The 2000s

The years 2000 and today, show a more unisex fashion that gives priority to comfort. Fashion and style do not differ much according to age groups : young people are sometimes dressed like adults.

Throughout the decades, it is to be noticed that since the 70’s, freedom of movement has become more and more important, and women have had fewer restrictions.