By Arianna Fox, Associate Editor
With the decades theme for our traditional homecoming class dress, many of the students of Vacaville High are excited for each class’s assigned #throwback years. Each grade level has their own decade assigned to them: Freshmen are the 80’s, Sophomores are the 60’s, Juniors are the 40’s, and Seniors are the 50’s.
The ideas for these special outfits are limitless. Maybe some people are already planning on unique outfits representing each class. But then there are others, those who are lost in the decades and don’t understand the style and rich history behind their class dress. The history of fashion throughout the years holds deep cultural meaning inspired by the political turmoil of each decade, and why people wore what they did.
The Freshmen’s retro style all involves spandex, teased hair and bright, neon colors. Also, just like today, for both boys and girls, the waistline was a little too high. For women, teased, big hair and loud makeup is the way to go. Brightly colored accessories such as sunglasses, bangles, and hoops was a huge necessity for the decade. It was an exceptionally flexible time when a woman could wear whatever she pleased from parachute pants and skin tight pencil skirts with a small v-neck top. Women’s clothes were tight, bright, and playful. In the late 1980’s, Nike was becoming popular with the help from Michael Jordan. But in 1988, every kid had Air Jordan’s and a Chicagos Bull baseball cap. One of the best examples of late-1980s for boys is Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) from Saved by the Bell.
Now the Sophomores have an interesting style; the 60’s. Fashion in the early 60s was reminiscent of the 1950’s - many people wore a twist on the limiting attire of the previous decade. Inspired by the English, Mod fashion swept the United States until the mid to late 1960’s. Colorblock, box-shaped PVC dresses and go-go boots adorned many ladies of the time, while men styled a suit with bowlish haircuts. The early 60’s included the rise of fashion icon and model, Twiggy, as well as the beloved Beatles. However, in the mid-60’s, a subculture began to emerge, referred by historians as the counterculture movement, or the anti-fashion movement (also known as “Hippies”). Long hair, tie dye, bell bottoms, mini skirts, and bright colors became popular. For the first time in the 20th Century, London, not Paris, was the center of the fashion world. The British Invasion didn’t stop with The Beatles. It swept into all parts of life, which included fashion. Therefore, fashion in the 60s suffered from some ambiguity - at the start of the decade, the Mod style was all the rage, while “hippy” style characterized the latter half of the decade.
The 40’s. Juniors, especially the girls, will appreciate this decade’s fashion style. Fashion in the 1940’s was a good mix of comfort and glamour. There were specific outfits that were meant for specific times of the day. Some of the designs looked very similar to today’s fashion. Men were still pretty dressed up. Suits, ties and hats were commonplace in public. Women wore dresses and skirts — they still didn’t wear slacks yet. Another thing women ALWAYS wore: gloves. Preferably a pair that matched your outfit. Fur was very popular, as were animal skins. Crocodile purses, wombat collars, lambskin lining, and leather sleeves — no animal was off limits. Men, for their part, usually wore a fedora hat to go with their suit and tie. Clothes in the 1940’s were bright and colorful. Women’s shoes were often one of three popular color choices: red, white or blue. Go USA!
Last, but not least, the 50’s. Fashion in the 1950s varied greatly from the beginning to end. Not quite as extreme as the 60s, but the 1950s fashion saw the introduction of many new styles, some of which paid homage to the 1920s. The waistline was a major issue in the 1950s. Some women really liked the snug fit of the Dior dresses (think Audrey Hepburn - sophisticated and glamorous), while others liked the dresses with no waistline, often referred to as “sack dresses.” The important thing is that people were beginning to feel a little more freedom when it came to their fashion choices. People no longer felt like they had to conform to a certain look for certain situations. The first years after World War II is regarded by fashion historians as a period of transition. Not everyone dressed to the nines though, many people looked like stepped out of the movie “Grease,” which was set in the 1950s.
The ideas for these special outfits are limitless. Maybe some people are already planning on unique outfits representing each class. But then there are others, those who are lost in the decades and don’t understand the style and rich history behind their class dress. The history of fashion throughout the years holds deep cultural meaning inspired by the political turmoil of each decade, and why people wore what they did.
The Freshmen’s retro style all involves spandex, teased hair and bright, neon colors. Also, just like today, for both boys and girls, the waistline was a little too high. For women, teased, big hair and loud makeup is the way to go. Brightly colored accessories such as sunglasses, bangles, and hoops was a huge necessity for the decade. It was an exceptionally flexible time when a woman could wear whatever she pleased from parachute pants and skin tight pencil skirts with a small v-neck top. Women’s clothes were tight, bright, and playful. In the late 1980’s, Nike was becoming popular with the help from Michael Jordan. But in 1988, every kid had Air Jordan’s and a Chicagos Bull baseball cap. One of the best examples of late-1980s for boys is Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) from Saved by the Bell.
Now the Sophomores have an interesting style; the 60’s. Fashion in the early 60s was reminiscent of the 1950’s - many people wore a twist on the limiting attire of the previous decade. Inspired by the English, Mod fashion swept the United States until the mid to late 1960’s. Colorblock, box-shaped PVC dresses and go-go boots adorned many ladies of the time, while men styled a suit with bowlish haircuts. The early 60’s included the rise of fashion icon and model, Twiggy, as well as the beloved Beatles. However, in the mid-60’s, a subculture began to emerge, referred by historians as the counterculture movement, or the anti-fashion movement (also known as “Hippies”). Long hair, tie dye, bell bottoms, mini skirts, and bright colors became popular. For the first time in the 20th Century, London, not Paris, was the center of the fashion world. The British Invasion didn’t stop with The Beatles. It swept into all parts of life, which included fashion. Therefore, fashion in the 60s suffered from some ambiguity - at the start of the decade, the Mod style was all the rage, while “hippy” style characterized the latter half of the decade.
The 40’s. Juniors, especially the girls, will appreciate this decade’s fashion style. Fashion in the 1940’s was a good mix of comfort and glamour. There were specific outfits that were meant for specific times of the day. Some of the designs looked very similar to today’s fashion. Men were still pretty dressed up. Suits, ties and hats were commonplace in public. Women wore dresses and skirts — they still didn’t wear slacks yet. Another thing women ALWAYS wore: gloves. Preferably a pair that matched your outfit. Fur was very popular, as were animal skins. Crocodile purses, wombat collars, lambskin lining, and leather sleeves — no animal was off limits. Men, for their part, usually wore a fedora hat to go with their suit and tie. Clothes in the 1940’s were bright and colorful. Women’s shoes were often one of three popular color choices: red, white or blue. Go USA!
Last, but not least, the 50’s. Fashion in the 1950s varied greatly from the beginning to end. Not quite as extreme as the 60s, but the 1950s fashion saw the introduction of many new styles, some of which paid homage to the 1920s. The waistline was a major issue in the 1950s. Some women really liked the snug fit of the Dior dresses (think Audrey Hepburn - sophisticated and glamorous), while others liked the dresses with no waistline, often referred to as “sack dresses.” The important thing is that people were beginning to feel a little more freedom when it came to their fashion choices. People no longer felt like they had to conform to a certain look for certain situations. The first years after World War II is regarded by fashion historians as a period of transition. Not everyone dressed to the nines though, many people looked like stepped out of the movie “Grease,” which was set in the 1950s.