history of teenage fashion

The word “teen” was first coined in the 1950s, a time when teen fashion found its place and created a niche market. Teenagers were now a closed group with their own feelings, style, beliefs and ways of perceiving life; that is, his own personality.

Malcolm Barnard says in his book Fashion as Communication: “Fashion and clothing have always been explained as forms of communication.” Teenagers now have their own voice to say what they think and they manage to do it through fashion.

To be a teenager is to be rebellious. If you take a look at decades of teenage fashion, you might see that they have proven to be a way to rebel.

Back in the 1950s, when teenage fashion appeared, it would follow James Dean’s famous look in “Rebel Without a Cause.” Although their clothes did not differ too much from the general fashion trend, the girls could be seen wearing puffy dresses with petticoats and crinolines under the skirt. The boys wore skinny Levis, chinos, tight white or black shirts, as well as loafers or Converse shoes with leather jackets.

Fashion is totally influenced and “manipulated” by history. Historical events mark the decades of fashion, since garments reveal the lifestyle, conceptions and even prejudices of people.

In the 1960s, fashion and music began to go hand in hand. Pop and rock music began to influence fashion like never before. Fashion icons, like The Beatles, or rebellious rock stars, like Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger, spoke for the younger generation and represented the main force.

In the 1970s, the disco era was loud and colorful. The fabrics of the decade were polyester, acrylic and lycra. Women’s dresses reached to the knees and men wore flared pants, jackets and gold chains. Platform shoes were big on the dance floor and shirt patterns were dizzying.

The 1980s came with the aerobics craze. The ultimate combo was shiny, skinny stretch leggings paired with an oversized off-the-shoulder sweatshirt. The pop singer, Madonna, was in her heyday at the time and greatly influenced the teens’ sense of style.

The 1990s, in terms of teen fashion, represented a mix of many different styles. Pop music boy bands and girl bands were quite eclectic in terms of dress and were admired by the younger generation. It was the time of the platform shoe again, appearing in everything from sandals to sneakers. The colors are dramatic or pastel, while the classic color black was still used for dramatic effect in fashion.

Today, youth clothing is very comfortable in every way. The basic trends are vintage blue jeans with a trendy touch. Teenagers’ clothing must be accessible in terms of prices, since the spending of young people is quite limited within the amounts of money collected in their piggy banks.