Zoot suits will always be remembered for their flashy designs, creative patterns, and colorful styles during the late 1930s and 1940s. The word “Zoot” originated from Mexican-American lingo of “suit” pronunciation. They were known for their high-waisted, wide-legged pants and oversized, almost knee-length coats with wide lapels and heavy shoulder pads. They were associated with newly immigrated Mexicans, Africans, Italians, Puerto Ricans and Filipinos. Wearing the zoot suit was interpreted as an expression of resistance and rebellion against the existing status quo of the time. During its early years of the zoot suit appearance, people wearing this attire were badly beaten by soldiers in East Los Angeles. Coincidentally, the riots created by the clothing increased its popularity in fashion as a symbol of pride and a fight against racial discrimination. Below is a photo of three gentlemen wearing the infamous zoot suit in Los Angeles in the 1940s.
Jean Paul Gaultier sported a modern zoot suit in his Fall 2009 Collection.
John Galliano's Spring 2002 collection consisted of a classic zoot suit look of baggy pants, jacket with wide lapels, paired with pointed shoes and a hat.
Teddy Boys
The Teddy Boy style emerged in the 1950s as Britain was coming to the end of post-war austerity and represented the first face of British youth culture. The clothing that the Teddy Boys wore was designed to shock their parents’ generation. It consisted of an Edwardian style drape jacket, suede Gibson shoes with thick crepe soles, narrow ‘drainpipe’ trousers and a loud tie. With their “bad boy” reputations and love for rock and roll, the fashion spread fast across the world. The film West Side Story captures this era perfectly.
Commes de Garcons did a great job of illustrating the teddyboy look in his Fall 2005 collection with jackets trimmed in velvet and cropped nylon trousers.
The Moschino mens spring 2010 collection had the Teddy boy mien with its slim ties, cropped or rolled up trousers and trillbies.
Beatniks
The ‘Beatnik’ was a key classical style typical of the late Fifties and early Sixties. It was a movement, rooted in a philosophy of anti-materialism, characterized by poetry and powered by the importance of bettering ones inner-self. Journalists described beatniks understated dressing style as being “completed by mixing Dali-esque paintings, a beret, a van Dyke beard, a turtle-neck sweater, a pair of sandals, and a set of bongo drums.” There was a certain uniformity to the clothing and accessories, such as berets, black and white striped tops, turtleneck sweaters, skinny jeans and of course leotards. Edie Sedgwick in particular was famous for her leotards, jumpers, and the understated style ‘less is more’. Audrey Hepburn also was famous for her beatnik look in “Funny Face” in 1955.
The beret and A-line cut shift dress makes this look from Miu Miu Fall 2005 RTW Collection very beat.
Beatnik-inspired design from Betsey Johnson Fall 2008 with its accessories and design.
Mods
The early 1960s represented the Modernist aka “Mod” fashion. Girls wore straight, knee-length skirts and male-style shirts, which were worn with a box-shaped jacket, patent-leather shoes and three-quarter length suede coats. They also had their own style of make-up using thick eyeliner, plucked eyebrows and little or no lipstick. The fashion of mod girls changed from underground into a more commercialized style when it was developed by designers. Twiggy began to exemplify the high-fashion mod look, with ever decreasing hem-line mini skirts, high boots and colored patterns.
Eley Kishimoto’s fall 2009 Mod inspiration with great prints and simple shapes with comfort and style.
Phillip Lim’s Fall 2009 Ready to Wear collection was filled with many mod pieces.
Hippies
Hippies, derived from the word hipster, were the natural outgrowth of Beat movement in the 1950s. The psychedelic fad of the mid 1960s bloomed into mainstream with the “summers of love” and the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair. This subculture exposed to the world a reactionary lifestyle based on peace, drug experimentation, free love and communal living. Hippie clothing was often loose and made of natural fibers like cotton and hemp. Rich colors and styles, peasant blouses and jeans, were of popular choice with men and women. Below is a photograph of a couple in 1967 in Hippie clothing.
Gucci Resort Wear 2009 brought in a new inspiration of the hippie style through nautical strips and bohemian chic designs.
Diane von Furstenberg 2010 Spring collection had hippie chic look which included bright prints, and long flowing maxi dresses.
Disco
The disco look began in the 1970s and is remembered for its hot pant look and Spandex tops. Stretchy fabrics like lycra or spandex were the staple fabric, with polyester also making a huge success during the decade. The shirts were of bold patterns, from geometric designs to unique patterns never before seen in tops. Dramatic colors matched the wild and carefree atmosphere at well-known clubs like Studio 54. Widely flared pants were paired with wide collars and lapels, mostly seen in men’s suits and dance attire. Disco gave way to dress codes and a “door screening policy” to get into clubs. Below is a photograph by Frank A. Cezus of a man and a woman disco dancing in front of a colored mirror in the 1970s.
L.A.M.B. designed by Gwen Stafani’s Spring 2008 Collection consisted of new electro disco mini-dresses in geometrical shapes and flashy sequins.
Sequined disco dresses were the trend in Spring 2010 fashion week. In today’s backwards looking fashion culture, it’s no surprise to see a resurgence of this glittery embellishment. Examples below (from left to right): Cynthia Steffe, Reem Acra and Derek Lam.
Punk
Original punk fashions began in the 1970s and was intended to appear as “confrontational, shocking and rebellious as possible”. The elements of this look slowly changed year after year to the basic “punk look”. Mainstream, street style punk fashion was known for their offensive T-Shirts, purposely torn clothing, Anarchy symbols, controversial images, studded embellishments and dark colors. Footwear included military boots, Dr. Martens and Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Heavy makeup, spiked jewelry and outrageous hair were the norm to add to the style. Below is a photograph of a group of young adults sporting the Punk fashion in Berlin.
Vivian Westwood is known as one of the pioneers of punk fashion on the runway, and she followed this theme in her Spring/Summer 2010 show in London.
For those longing for their younger days of punk rock style, the fall 2008 collection of Marc by Marc Jacobs highlights an edgy punk street wear, without taken it over the top.
Hip Hop
Hip Hop was born on the streets of New York’s African American communities in the 1970s, and quickly over the years has become part of American culture by attracting mainstream status. It started with Kangol hats in the early 1980s to prison blues and “wife beaters” in the Mid-90s to “ghetto fabulous” in the late 90s (with Fedoras, fur coats, gold accessories). While the thug looks is still around today, Hip Hop fashion has transcended to the emergence of “bling and baller” mentalities. Hip hop giants include Jay-Z and Sean Combs, who both have their own hip hop apparel line. The photo below is a prime example of this type of fashion in the mid-90s with obscure hats, large gold jewelry, and edgy shiny leather jackets.
Roca Wear by Jay-Z is one of the most popular designs in the Hip Hop community, with baggy jeans, logo shirts, and blazers. This photo is from the Spring/Summer 2009 collection.
Louis Vuitton has paired up with Kanye West to produce a footwear collection to broaden their target market. The high fashion brand has major interests in the Hip-Hop crowd after many artists have been making stylish appearances in the brand.
Japanese Style Trend
Japanese style has become a major inspiration to street fashion and runway fashion. This look can be seen as “Japanese techno” which includes long-sleeved Japanese printed mini-dress with power shoulders. Blue jean suits and skin-tight front lace-up jeans have also come into mainstream street fashion. Hemlines are asymmetrical, half pleated and fabrics are shiny and laminated. Accessories include platform round toe pumps, lace-ups and slouch boots. The other type of Japanese influence is a bit more sophisticated than the techno look, with the use of obi belts and kimono style designs.
Please see young Japanese woman taking a self photo of herself in lace-up open shoes, and lace up pants.
Natalie Portman is sporting a obi belt paired with a blue frock in 2009.
One great example of Japanese techno inspiration on the runway was from Versace’s Pre-Fall 2010 collection.
Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2009 Collections consisted of embellished obi belts that beautifully accentuated the waist.
Sophisticated Bohemian Chic Trend
The very laid back bohemian style of dress has been updated to a more luxurious signature look. Known for drawing inspiration from various Bohemian and hippie influences, Spring 2010 has transformed the fashion to a more feminine sophisticated look. It is all about combining vintage pieces, paired with modern day designs. It is about using different lush textures and intricate patterns which essentially creates a true bohemian feeling. Spring 2010 will be dominated by this trend with the use of loose and airy fabrics, and baring more skin than before with skirts and dresses. The Olsen twins, Sienna Miller, and Nicole Richie are street icons for Bohemian style. See three chic looks below of Nicole Richie.
Rodarte (below) and Diane von Furstenberg (below) both exemplified this street trend on the Spring/Summer 2010 catwalk.
