Two New Street Trends

The Yuppie Look of the Late 80's /Early 90's

Yuppie (Young Urban Professional)

This Handbook was authored by Marissa Piesman and Marilee Hartley in the early 1980s and spoke about the the lifestyle of Young Urban Professionals. A review written in Time Magazine at the time stated that "Yuppies are dedicated to the twin goals of making piles of money and achieving perfection through physical fitness and therapy. The Yuppie wakes to a digital alarm, sets down the dog food for the akita and jogs for the beta-endorphins before putting in a typically grueling day at the office".
photo credit : kappaprep.com

Designer: Costume National Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: Suits in gray, blue, black were considered professional for Yuppies. This look is relevant because it reflects the color and suit style for young professionals in the early 90's.

Designer: Bill Blass Fall 2009 RTW Collection

www.style.com
Relevance: This look is relevant because it includes a modern twist to a traditional Yuppie skirt suit. The cropped style, the lapel flap, and the pocket help spruce up the tan suit that would otherwise be "plain".

The Grunge Look of the 90s

Grunge was a part of what was considered to be the anti-fashion movement of the 90's. Grunge Fashion consisted mostly of plaid, flannel shirts, stonewashed blue jeans, and dark colours. 

photo credit: people.virginia.edu

Designer: Charles Anastase Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: This photo is relevant because it embodies the plaids, patterns, and layering that is also found in the Grunge look.


Designer: Alexandre Herchcovitch Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: This look is relevant because it not only mixes patterns, but the ring around the waste is a modern update to the "jacket around the waste" style in Grunge looks.





All RTW Collection Photos from Style.com Fall 2009 Fashion Shows

Other sources: wikipedia.com

8 Street Trends That Inspire Today's High Fashion

Zoot Suit Street Trend (1920's and 30's)

Zoot Suit, WWII Era

A Zoot Suit was a high wasted, wide-legged pant with tight cuffs and a long jacket with wide lapels and shoulder pads.
photocredit: corriecanuck.wordpress.com

Designer: Christian Dior Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: This photo is relevant because of the wide-legged pant with the tight cuff and the jacket with the fur trim that mimics wide shoulder padding. 

Designer: Donna Karan Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: I chose this photo because of the wide shoulder padding used. Although the lapels are a normal size, the padding in the shoulders lead me to believe that the designer was inspired by Zoot Suit factors.

Beatniks Street Trend (1940's)

Beatniks, c. 1960

Beatniks were anti-materialistic, anti-conformists, and "underground". In most Beatnik styles you may find a striped shirt, brimmed hat, and sunglasses. 
photo credit: myspace.com

Designer: DSquared Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: This photo is relevant to Beatnik styling because of the brim on the hat and the sunglasses used in styling this look. The dark colors are also symbolic of Beatnik culture.

Designer: Giorgio Armani Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: The hat and form fitting suit in this creation by Giorgio Armani is relevant Beatnik street trends due to its fit and color scheme.

Teddy Boys Street Trend (1950's)

Teddy Boys, c. 1966

Teddy boys were men who dressed-up in Edwardian -styled suits. The enjoyed the elegant side of the mens suit.
photocredit: nvo.com

Designer: Tom Ford Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.tomford.com
Relevance: This suit by Tom Ford is very relevant because it is a casual take on Teddy Boy-styled suits. The slim fitting pant and bold colors help put this suit into a somewhat elegant category.

Designer: Chanel Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: This suit is relevant because it is a formal on the Teddy Boy suit. The lapels are thin and curved and the jacket is mid-thigh length which mirrors the traditional Teddy Boy style.

Mod Street Trend (1960's)

Supermodel - Twiggy, Great Britain, c. 1966

Mod was a style that favored bold colors and patterns with long hair and heavy eye make-up.

photocredit: glamboulevard.com

Designer : Behnaz Sarafpour Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: This look reminds me of the Mod Street Trend because the dress is short, and a-line cut with big hair.

Designer: Brian Reyes Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: The big hair, bright color, and short length of this dress is reminiscent of  the Mod street trend.

Hippie Street Trend (1960's)

A Group of hippies, USA, 1969

Hippies started with a youth movement. Their clothing was normally ethnic in design, with flowy fabris and denim.
photocredit: www.mtholyoke.edu

Designer: Cynthia Rowley Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: The head band and flowy fabric of this dress remind me of hippie style street trends,

Designer: Chloe Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: The color and fabric of the shirt in this look represent Hippie styles. The long hair on the model also complements the "free" style of the original Hippies.

Disco Street Trend (1970's)

Rod Stewart, United States of America, mid 197o's

Disco fashions included brightly colored clothing, synthetic textures, platform shoes, and mini-dresses.
photocredit: www.ladylanguage.com

Designer: Bottega Veneta Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: This look is relevant to Disco Fashion because of the slight shimmer in the fabric and the platform shoes were obviously inspired by the Disco era.

Designer: Altuzarra Fall 2009 RTW Collection

www.style.com
Relevance: This dress is relevant to the Disco era because the textiles used to create the color and light reflective capabilities works together to create a look similar to what was worn in the traditional Disco era.

Punk Street Trend (Late 1970's)

Punk Rockers, America, c.1979

Punk was a street trend that started from Rock music. Punk Rock or Garage Rock was loud and rough. Their style of dress normally consisted of combat boots, tight pants, leather, chain and belts, and spiked hair.

photocredit: blog.peakness.com

Designer: Yves Saint Laurent Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com 

Relevance: This look reminds me of Punk Rock because of the dark colors and the platform shoes. There are hints of punk rock in this style by YSL. Punk Rock can also be affiliated with androgynous styles of apparel like the one photographed above.

Designer: Vivienne Westwood Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: This look also has a hint of androgynous features, but the combat boots and the black lipstick are definitely what makes the "punk rock" stand out.

Hip-Hop Street Trend (1980's)

RunDMC, American Hip-Hop Group, photographed in the mid-1980s

Trends started by African Americans and Latinos in America. The fashions consisted of lots of track suits, jewelry, bomber jackets, sneakers, and other sportwear.
photocredit: www.blackplanet.com

Designer: Diesel Black Gold Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: Hip-Hop is prevalent in this look because of the cane, brim hat, and fur coat. Hip-Hop is all about mixing elements that may not normally have been mixed. Formal pieces and street wear are often a common occurence.

Designer: Diesel Black Gold Fall 2009 RTW Collection
www.style.com
Relevance: The Hip-Hop factor in the look is the fit of the clothing. Usually a man's look would be more fit and cut to his size. Hip-Hop trends usually encompass clothing that may be "too" big for the wearer. Baggy jeans and outerwear are very common in Hip-Hop street trends.

Historical and Artistic Styles

Historic Inspiration: ART NOUVEAU (Early 20th Century)

Designer: Armani Prive, Spring 2009 Couture Collection

www.style.com

Relevance: During the Art Nouveau period, eastern motifs were used to embellish garments. The skirt above reminds me of Japanese printed Kimonos. The ruffles placed at the hem of the skirt and sleeve help soften up the look.

Historic Inspiration: ROCOCO (1700-1788 Europe)

Designer:  Marc Jacobs, Fall 2009 RTW Collection

www.style.com

Relevance: This look is relevant to the Rococo period because of the revealingly low neckline paired with the towering hairstyle. During this period both were used along with obvious use of make-up to reflect the overly ornate zeitgeist.

Historic Inspiration: BAROQUE (17th Century)

Designer: Wunderkind, Fall 2009 RTW Collection

www.style.com

Relevance:  The baroque era brought about the use of contrasting colors and patterns. The photo above speaks to this because of the use of vertical and horizontal lines and the patterned bow around the neck. The tights are also a different pattern.

Historic Inspiration: GOTHIC (12th Century)

Designer: Zac Posen, Fall 2009 RTW Collection

www.style.com

Relevance: During the middle ages, architecture became prominent in fashion inspiration.  Tight fitting apparel with contrasting drapery and/or towering accessories reflected this. The left-shoulder embellishment on this garment, paired with the mermaid silhouette speaks to this perfectly.

Historic Inspiration: GREEK/ROMAN (c. 300 BCE)

Designer: Albino, Fall 2009 RTW Collection

www.style.com

Relevance: This dress has a distinct vertical line in the design to accentuate the dress. This same draping technique was prominent during the Greek-Roman period. Draping, folding, pleating and minimal sewing were also prominent during this time.

Historic Inspiration: ABSTRACT/OP-ART (mid 20th Century)

Designer: Coach Brand Op-Art Motif Sweater, Spring 2009

www.coach.com

Relevance: Abstract motifs and geometric shapes appeared in the 60s and 70s. This Coach sweater is relevant here because of the repeated use of the "c"s. The shape of the letters were altered to look more like open circles, equal in diameter.

The Genealogy of Neckwear

Today, neckties and scarves can be seen in a variety of textures and styles. As shown above, men's neckwear has shifted to more military styling. The scarf above is a contemporary design from Diesel. I believe that this is due to our relations with the middle-east. Urban styles of neckwear mimic the Arab Shermagh Scarf as a way to summon in peace. 

The bow-tie was a result of the need for a simpler "four-in-hand" knot tie. The bow tie became popular at formal events and "black tie" affairs. Even today, it is known as a formal version of men's neckwear. This photo of a bow tie was taken by PJ McNally.

The "four in hand" knot was introduced during the Industrial Revolution. When men needed neckwear that would last throughout the work day. The necktie above was photographed by Keith Brown.  

The "Incroyables" were a group of fashion forward men living in France after the French Revolution. They were infatuated with luxury. This included cravats and neckcloths. The art piece above is "Les Modernes Incroyables", a satire on male fashions from Caricatures Parisiennes, 1810.

In 1660, the Croatian soldiers of the Ottoman Empire visited Paris, France. King Louis XIV soon adopted this style and made them adornment for royalty. (Royal Cravat, derived from "Croat"). The photograph above is Louis XIV, Paris : Éditions France-Empire, 1958, by Jean de La Varende.

Sources include drjays.com, tranism.com, surplusandadventure.com, and wikipedia.

Draping vs Tailoring

Tailoring
Tailored garments are fit to a persons figure and most of the time, they involve sewing together several pieces to complete one garment.

Chanel Suit, 1931 Paris, France

The Chanel Suit is relevant in any discussion on tailoring because Chanel was the first to design "sportswear" for women.

19th Century Mens Suiting

The suiting shown above reflects the traditional tailoring techniques of the early 19th Century.

Womens Suiting 1940s

The above photo was taken from a pattern from the 1940s. Knee-length skirting and tailored jacket is shown.

Draping
Draping was the first form of garment construction ever used. Many people believe that draping creates a more elegant silhouette than tailored garments.

Traditional Peruvian Ponchos, 2008

Above the ponchos worn are traditional attire. This is an example of a simplistically draped garment.

Ancient Egyptian Pharoah

Ancient Egyptian Pharoahs often draped themselves with white linens as a sign of high social status.

21st Century Bangali Style Sari

Indian Saris are exquisitely draped to accentuate curves. They are usually embellished with heavy beading and multi-colored textiles.

Six Functions of Dress

Sexual Enhancement

These jeans, by House of Dereon (2008), enhance a woman's rear. Buttocks have become the ultimate staple of sexual enhancement.

Ceremonialism

This is a photo of a Chinese Wedding Dress, designed by Dragon and Phoenix (2008). The color red is a symbol of good luck.


Group Membership

The photo above is a group of or urban youth. Their style of dress includes loosely-fit denim and reflects comfort.

Gender Differentiation

This is a Pink Silk Taffeta Dress from 1857. The dress has been embellished with ruffles and the bouffant silhouette is still considered feminine today.


Decoration

This photo of body paint, from the 2008 Sports Illustrated Body Paint edition, is an extreme form of decorative dress. Decorative styles of dress do not have to be directly applied to the skin in the form of paint or tattoo. It can be seen in many avant-garde designs on the runway.



Environmental Protection

This parka coat(2008), sold at asos.com, is an example of clothing that could protect someone from mild to extreme cold environments.