This essay is about how fashion and the social role of women has changed. The essay will mainly focus on the 1960’s and talk about what influenced fashion, women in this era and the era itself. It was felt that many things influenced the strength of the role change to women in the 1960’s. The essay with look at how the first and second world war also had an effect on women through the ages discussed.
Women from the start of time to the present day have always been seen by society as inferior to men. There are many examples of how this has been shown, however it was felt fashion was a strong indicator of this. In the 18th century women were just seen more as a work of art that belonged to someone else, rather than being their own independent …show more content…
Women came more out of there shell and started to become sexy as the era of the flapper girl came to play. Flapper girls were young ladies who rebelled from what was usually expected from them. They pursued social normalities that were usually associated with men such as smoking and drinking in public. It was felt that 20’s women finally had a chance to be free because they had been given power by men and they could finally take control of their own lives, this was very strongly reflected in what was worn at this time. In the 20’s curves and the hourglass figure went off trend and the ‘beanpole’ look came in. This was where the dresses hung straight down from breast to shin, taking shape out of the garments and emphasising a lower natural waistline. Bare backs and bias cut garments were also very popular making the dresses hug the wearers figure. Due to the fabric being cut on the bias this helped the fabric to move easily with the woman. The 20’s woman was very much influenced by Chanel’s smart, garçonne look. This was also the era where women started to wear loosely cut trousers usually fastened with a drawstring or elasticated waist, these were usually worn around the house as lounge wear or to the beach. This …show more content…
Designers had to rely on other sources of income such as costume for film and ready-to-wear lines for large department stores. The idea of boutiques was still a very foreign concept to Britain until 1955 when a little boutique opened in Chelsea called Bazaar. Mary Quant was an iconic figure of the 1960’s and this is the place where she made a name for herself. Quant was hired as the first buyer for Bazaar and she soon was selling her own designs in store, this is where the sensation of the mini skirt began. As well as clothing Quant and her partner Alexander Plunket Greene dreamed up a new range of cosmetics which they aimed at the teenage market. They came out with products such as ‘Jeepers Peepers’ a range of eyeshadows and a range of gel make-up’s called ‘Jelly Babies’ which were sold in little baby bottles. This was really good at reaching the younger market as they knew it was for them and for the first time they were not buying the same cosmetics and clothing as their mothers would, this gave them a sense of freedom and women in general a sense of identity, they were not just housewives anymore, they were women. Another thing Quant and her partner did very successfully is bring out a waterproof mascara that meant women could cry or run for the bus and still look as good as when they stepped out the door. Biba was a boutique that opened in
Women from the start of time to the present day have always been seen by society as inferior to men. There are many examples of how this has been shown, however it was felt fashion was a strong indicator of this. In the 18th century women were just seen more as a work of art that belonged to someone else, rather than being their own independent …show more content…
Women came more out of there shell and started to become sexy as the era of the flapper girl came to play. Flapper girls were young ladies who rebelled from what was usually expected from them. They pursued social normalities that were usually associated with men such as smoking and drinking in public. It was felt that 20’s women finally had a chance to be free because they had been given power by men and they could finally take control of their own lives, this was very strongly reflected in what was worn at this time. In the 20’s curves and the hourglass figure went off trend and the ‘beanpole’ look came in. This was where the dresses hung straight down from breast to shin, taking shape out of the garments and emphasising a lower natural waistline. Bare backs and bias cut garments were also very popular making the dresses hug the wearers figure. Due to the fabric being cut on the bias this helped the fabric to move easily with the woman. The 20’s woman was very much influenced by Chanel’s smart, garçonne look. This was also the era where women started to wear loosely cut trousers usually fastened with a drawstring or elasticated waist, these were usually worn around the house as lounge wear or to the beach. This …show more content…
Designers had to rely on other sources of income such as costume for film and ready-to-wear lines for large department stores. The idea of boutiques was still a very foreign concept to Britain until 1955 when a little boutique opened in Chelsea called Bazaar. Mary Quant was an iconic figure of the 1960’s and this is the place where she made a name for herself. Quant was hired as the first buyer for Bazaar and she soon was selling her own designs in store, this is where the sensation of the mini skirt began. As well as clothing Quant and her partner Alexander Plunket Greene dreamed up a new range of cosmetics which they aimed at the teenage market. They came out with products such as ‘Jeepers Peepers’ a range of eyeshadows and a range of gel make-up’s called ‘Jelly Babies’ which were sold in little baby bottles. This was really good at reaching the younger market as they knew it was for them and for the first time they were not buying the same cosmetics and clothing as their mothers would, this gave them a sense of freedom and women in general a sense of identity, they were not just housewives anymore, they were women. Another thing Quant and her partner did very successfully is bring out a waterproof mascara that meant women could cry or run for the bus and still look as good as when they stepped out the door. Biba was a boutique that opened in