5 Decades of Fashion

5 Decades of Fashion From leave-it-in-the-past crazes to trends that are still leading fashion today, women's fashion house Simply Be presents a definitive look at five decades of fashion, before setting its sights on the future to see what you will be wearing. taro-pieits Masculine tailoring will be a familiar sight to any modern catwalk-watcher, but its roots Sharekoa go way back. Sharply-cut two-piece suits were the "fashion formula for 67", but their lady-like collars and three-quarter sleeves gave the look a much more feminine edge compared to the androgynous tailoring that has dominated the catwalks in recent years. Sixties pencil skirts fell to the knee. creating modest glamour that contemporary fashion keeps coming back to reclaim. 1967 1967 TRICEL etimplene dress 1963 When the sun shone in the sixties the bold colours and permanently-ironed look of the crimplene dress came out in force. This popular A-line style appeared in psychedelic pattems, graphic stripes and clashing colours - the louder the better! Think Courrèges and Mary Quant; designers who worked silhouettes with sparse graphic lines. bold colouas Button or zip detailing was also popular, making That's not to say crimplene wasn't the right choice for the sophisticated lady: more fitted dresses with neatly- structured necklines made use of the heavy fabric. You'll notice the eye-popping colours remained, however! these dresses even more head-tuming. tweed grimplene Popular every time the word "heritage" sidles into our fashion vocabulary today, tweed was big news in the seventies, too. Women wore it from head to - well, ankle. Can you imagine a whole tweed outfit with shoes too?! A-line tweed dresses were in, but tweed flares with longer length waistcoats were a stylish choice too. Worn over black long-sleeved tops, these tweed pieces were an appropriate choice for the on-trend but smartly dressed woman. wide-leg Housers 1975 A style that was sure to have had shorter women reaching for the highest platforms possible, wide-leg trousers certainly made a feature of the bottom half, especially when worn in the true style of the day: high-waisted with a top tucked in. Wide-leg trousers epitomised seventies fashion. They came in a huge range of colours - from understated camel to bright red - and were good news for leg-conscious 1978 ladies everywhere. 977 culottes 8pastel printed sundzesses 1979 E6-99 belted dresses 1982 The eighties' love affair with belted dresses meant the waist received some much-deserved attention. Long sleeves were teamed with high necks and below-knee-length skirts for a look that was undeniably demure. Interest was added by patterns and understated but feminine colours, while polyester provided each lightweight eighties dress with its characteristic sheen. FROM £9.90 bow pussyent 19831 pleated skizts 1984 1985 jampiuits 1986 Eighties ladies could finally forget wasting time matching their tops to bottoms as the jumpsuit emerged to save the day. The piece's masculine origins were toned down with a nipped-in belted waist and heels for a powerful, fashion-forward look. 2 TO 26 checkered dresses and shirts 1988 1987 Weekenders pleats and lurd 00s 1990 L'eisure suits 1992 1991 26 99 Ahh, the leisure suit: bright blocks of contrasting colour in a two-piece creation only the nineties could condone. Ribbed cuffs and Peter Pan collars were optional extras, but a determination to ignore that voice inside assuring you that you look ridiculous was a must. 192 1993 1994 embroidered knitwear There were cosy days aplenty in the nineties, thanks to the stylish embroidered knitwear that flooded the fashion scene. Neutral tones were 10 livened up by floral motifs in nature-inspir while at the other end of the scale, knitwear was given a graphic injection with abstract shapes in bright bursts of colour. 1995 14" kigh=naisted 'jeans Worn with a tucked-in shirt to really show off their figure-flattering shape. high-waisted jeans were a casual must-have in the nineties. The very best styles had a slim leg with a length that just reached the ankles, and came in the lightest denim possible. :: Gaze into the Future of Fashion: Simply Be forecasts what's set to be hot, and which decades are making a comeback White Next summer's palette is very focused and concise. We see white taking a leading role as the season's key neutral, either worked in soft silks and structured sheers like organza, or in smooth flat cottons and even leather. Wrap skirts, soft full-legged pants and sports shorts are set to grace lower halves everywhere, while half-sleeve button-up shirts, bralette ps and biker. companions. White will rule as a key colour direction for both sports-themed and sixties-inspired looks. style jackets will be their go-to Back to the 60s This ongoing trend shows no sign of abating. Influenced by the A-line silhouettes of the early part of the decade, the sixties was a big trend on a diverse number of runways where neat linear Seus encks, making it a graphic s key look for the bolder fashionista. semphasised through Blackd WHITE The sharp graphic contrast of black and white is a key trend for next summer, worked in bold stripes, chequerboard patterns and simple colour-blocking, maybe with an unexpected accent of emerald green for a sports-themed look. Once again, an obvious colour direction to develop for those sixties Mod silhouettes. Expect to see a seventies vibe filtering through for next summer, inspired by Hedi Slimane's debut at Saint Laurent. Think floor-sweeping ruffled silhouettes that are perfect for the summer's perennial festival looks. Key colours include black, browns, neutrals and white for looks that are influenced more by Stevie Nicks on Haight-Ashbury than YSL's house muse Catherine Deneuve and the usual seventies Talitha Getty-style glamour. Must-haves include long floor-sweeper skirts, maxi dresses, suede laced-front tunics, waistcoats, and full-sleeved blouses. The seventies trend will spread across a diverse range of fabrics, from leather to sheers and from suede to snakeskin. Ombré, degradé, tie-dye and patchwork will also be ruling the runways.