Fabulous Fashions of the Decades

In the 1940s, World War II affected just about every aspect of life, including the fashion. While the men were off fighting, women had to take over their factory jobs. Liberty cuts and victory rolls kept hair from being caught in machines. Most resources went to the war effort, so both women and men wore basic and practical clothing, but the end of the war in 1945 brought color and fun back into everyday life. Students read about the fashions, fads, pop culture icons, and world events of the 1940s.

In the 1970s, if you had curly hair, you could sport an Afro. If you had straight hair, you could wear Dorothy Hamill's wedge cut or Farrah Fawcett's feathery flip. Both men and women disco-danced in bell-bottoms and platform shoes. However, equality in the fashion world was not enough. The Women's Liberation Movement wanted women to have the same opportunities in business and education that men had. Readers will learn about the fashions, fads, pop culture icons, and world events of the 1970s.

In the 1950s, women showcased their hourglass figures with cinched waists and full skirts. Their hair looked elegant and stylish in poodle cuts and bouffants. Men sported gray flannel suits and pompadours or duck tails. The term teenager was coined and companies recognized the spending power of this particular group. Elvis Presley ruled the airwaves while Marilyn Monroe was queen of the silver screen. Readers will learn about the fashions, fads, pop culture icons, and world events of the 1950s.

In the 1930s, the boyish flapper fashion of the 1920s gave way to womanly curves. The clothes were soft and feminine. Women grew their hair out and styled it into finger waves and pin curls. Sweetheart necklines and suntans were in style, but life was far from glamorous for the millions of Americans who lost everything during the Great Depression. Readers will learn about the fashions, fads, pop culture icons, and world events of the 1930s.

In the 1980s, big hair was the trend for both women and men. Yuppies climbed the corporate ladder in shoulder-padded power suits while punk rockers shocked mainstream audiences by wearing ripped clothing, multiple piercings, and colorful hair. Michael Jackson was the reigning King of Pop, MTV first came on the air, and the Rubik's Cube entertained the masses. Readers will learn about the fashions, fads, pop culture icons, and world events of the 1980s.

In the 1960s, some women loved to rock a miniskirt and go-go boots. Others preferred the more conservative look of First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy who donned neutral-colored two-piece suits and pillbox hats. Women had sky-high hairstyles like the beehive or maybe down-to-earth, long, straight hair. African Americans combined traditional African cloth with modern styles and fought for civil rights. A war raged on in Vietnam while the Beatles invaded America. Readers will learn about the fashions, fads, pop culture icons, and world events of the 1960s.

The 1990s saw the resurrection of styles from the past with a modern twist. The babydoll dresses of the 1960s and the hip-hugging jeans of the 1970s were back in fashion. Women copied Jennifer Aniston's bouncy layered haircut on Friends, known as the Rachel. Men went for George Clooney's neat and clean Caesar haircut. For those who wanted to make an antifashion statement, grunge was the way to go. Communicating with people all around the world became easier than ever with the advancement of cell phones, the Internet, and cable television. Readers will learn about the fashions, fads, pop culture icons, and world events of the 1990s.

In the 1920s, women shed the long, restrictive garments of the decade before and embraced more boyish looks. They bobbed their hair and wore short, loose dresses and crazy patterned stockings. Prohibition may have outlawed alcohol, but that did not stop people from having a good time. Jazz, the Charleston, and speakeasies were all the rage. Readers will learn about the fashions, fads, pop culture icons, and world events of the 1920s.