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1990′S

Another decade of war around the world.

In November 1990, John Major was chosen as leader of the Conservative Party and became Prime Minister, after Margaret Thatcher announced her resignation. In February 1990 Nelson Mandella released from prison in South Africa after 27 years and becomes leader of the African National Congress (ANC). In 1994 he became the first black president of South Africa after being elected in the first multiracial elections and in July a stampede of religious pilgrims in a pedestrian tunnel in Mecca left 1,400 people dead. The USA went into recession.

In 1991, Saddam Hussein ordered the Iraq invasion of Neighbouring Kuwait. The Gulf War started in the Middle East, by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from thirty-four nations, led by the U.S. and United Kingdom, against Iraq.

Euro Disney opens in Paris in 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina declare independence and The European Union is created when the Maastricht Treaty is signed.

In February 1993, Islamic Fundamentalists drove a truck containing a bomb into the World Trade Centre, below the North Tower in New York City. The aim was to bring down the North Tower into the South Tower destroying both towers and killing tens of thousands of people. This failed but damaged a large area in the underground garage, generating a large hole through four sublevels of concrete, the attack killed six people and injured over a thousand.

The Channel Tunnel was completed and opened in 1993, connecting France and England.

Charles and Diana divorced in 1996 and Diana died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997. Scotland created its’ own Parliament and the first Harry Potter book was published by J. K. Rowling.

In 1998 the search engine Google was launched and Apple Computers revealed the IMac computer and Ireland and the United Kingdom signed the Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement.

The Euro became the legal currency in 11 European countries in 1999.

Between 1990 and 1995 the boom in house prices affected many families, house prices fell, leaving many in negative equity, unable to sell their property. This was due to high interest rates, inflation at over 10% and the previous house price boom lulling people into a false sense that prices would keep rising and be a good investment. As mortgage interest rates rose, people found it difficult to pay, some losing their homes

The 1990s also saw an increase in the production of drugs across the world and in the drug smuggling trade which created more drug addicts.

Aids was another major concern with the increase in Africa and across the developed world.

Personal computers and the World Wide Web became available to the general public, with users multiplying at a rate of 3500 times a year. It was estimated that by 2000 there would be 295 million users on the internet.  This caused an ongoing revolution in the communications business.

Medical science was also making advances with the cloning of Dolly the sheep, which was cloned from the cell of an adult Ewe and was fused with an unfertilized egg cell from which the nucleic DNA had been removed, to Stem Cell Research. Stem cells taken from the human embryo were first isolated, and research to help in many of the diseases and illnesses we suffer from is currently underway. But any research has a reliance on the use of a human embryo which is morally repugnant to many in our society.   Possibly the field of Medical Science and the advances made in the late 90's will have the biggest impact on our society with 2 advances that leave us with moral and political questions for the future.  

Technology also had a major impact on Popular 1990s Toys with computer gaming systems and the games available increasing in price with vastly improved graphics and gaming capabilities. Plus talking dolls, bears and other similar toys caused queues over the peak Christmas Period with parents searching for available stock

The 1990’s saw the return of ‘minimalist’ fashion. In the west people adopted the tattoo, ear and body piercing, and some event went as far as body modification.

Music still influenced fashion, from the grunge and alternative simple, unkempt look to casual chic, hoodies, tshirts and trainers, as well as styles borrowed from previous decades.

With the introduction of the internet and the reduction of import tariffs, people could buy from all over the world. People watched what the famous fashion models wore and adapted their wardrobe to mirror this with the clothes they preferred and could afford. Fashion changed so quickly, many people lost interest in fashion as there was so much available globally. Retails sales were slow with many people striving for individuality, rather than following one style.

Young people followed the group and singers of the day, the Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson, as well as rap, reggae, punk and urban music.  All had their own style.  Many girls wore the short cropped tops worn by the Spice Girls, with short skirts and platform shoes.

The following gives you an idea of some of the trends, so various, it shows how fashion had changed from people following, to people creating their own style; mood rings, G Shock watches, hoop earings, rollerblades, snapback hats, scrunchies, chain wallets, overalls with one strap down, long hair, bleached hair, parted in the middle, spiked short hair, flat tops, terry cloth wrist and headbands, bandanas, neon windbreakers, Roos, Reeboks, Sketchers, Hush Puppies, Doc Martins, Polo, Timberland’s, Clark’s Wallabies, ,Air Jordans, Fila, Mossimo, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Umbro, Gap, Levi’s, striped jackets, ripped jeans, unbuttoned shirts over tshirts,, tshirts under suit jackets, Benetton, Guess, Oakley glasses, striped shirts, turtleneck jumpers, pagers clipped on your pants, baggy jeans, flared jeansCK1, sweaters worn around the waist, cargo pants, flannel shirts, caps worn backwards, black leggings, oversize jumpers, culottes, sexy school girl look and baby doll dresses.

By the end of the decade, the grunge look disappeared and the sext look reappeared. Glamour and tight clothes slowly came back into fashion, good for the fashion designers, tired of the flannel look.

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1980′S

The 1980’s was a mix of death, war, innovation, epidemics and realisation that people were ruining the world

There were several assasinations around the world, Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian President and India's Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, is assassinated. John Lennon was shot dead as he left his apartment in Manhatton, New York City.

Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands leading to a war with Britain, lasting 74 days and ended with Argentina surrendering on 14 June 1982, returning the island to British control. 3 islanders, 255 British military personnel and 649 Argentine military personnel dies in this war.

The I.R.A. bombed the London department store Harrods, killing three police offers and three civilians and injuring 90 people.

China continued to grow during the 1980’s but their human rights were being questioned. Students protested in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. On 4 June 1989, after several weeks of protesting the Chinese army moved in to quell the unrest. The death toll was reported in the hundreds to thousands.

The Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded in the USSR, initially, two people were killed and 134 people injured, 28 firemen and employees later died. The nuclear explosion caused more deaths through cancer as radiation from the accident spread.  It is still an area people do not go to.

The Exxon Valdez oil tanker spilt 240,000 barrels of oil in the Prince William Sound in Alaska, creating one of the world’s most devastation environment disasters caused by humans.

After years of ignoring the impact on our environment. The world began to notice the impact we were having on the planet leading to the beginning of research into the effects on global warming.

Britain saw the first epidemic of Mad Cow Disease (BSE) which caused panic as this can be transferred from cattle to humans.

The AIDS virus is identified in the United States by scientists leading to concern all around the world

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster took place when the space shuttle disintegrated after being launched, killing all on board.

On a brighter note, the first triple organ (heart, lung and liver) transplant was performed in Britain on Davina Thompson a 35 year old mother.

The construction began on the Channel Tunnel between France and Britain. The Berlin Wall was torn down by people on both sides of East and West Germany, ending the Cold War.

The wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer took place on Wednesday 29 July 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral, London

To raise awareness and funds for the famine in Ethiopia, Bob Geldof, singer in the Boomtown Rats brought together musicians and recording artists from Britain and Ireland. They released a Christmas single in November 1984, ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?” selling over two million copies, which raised more than 24 million dollars.

Women around the world were beginning to gain power, Margaret Thatcher was elected as Prime Minister for the third time, Sandra Day O'Connor is nominated as the first female Supreme Court Justice in America, and Sally Ride became the first American woman in space.

There were great advances in technology, with things getting smaller, more powerful and more portable, as well as extreme size, form the portable camcorders, video recorder, the Nintendo, Apple Macintosh, Sony Walkman, personal computers, portable mobile phones (even though they were large), cd’s video game consoles, cable tv, fax machines, portable tv with a 2” liquid crystal display, the list seems endless.

The 1980’s brought the beginning of the World Wide Web, the internet, created by the English physicist Tim Berners and Microsoft Windows was introduced.

In fashion, subdued colours continued from the end of the previous decade into the early 80’s, with less accessories and people moved away from the disco look.

Unisex clothes were popular, with turtleneck, v neck and crew neck sweaters and trench coats Women wore faux fur and leather coats, fur lined puffer jackets and velvet blazers.

Streetwear was worn as casual wear, velour tracksuits, leotards, tights and sweatpants. Aerobics arrived and brought with it, head bands, leg warmers, trainers, spandex and designer tracksuits.

By the mid 80’s trousers had become more tapered, some with stirrups giving a long lean look. Jumpsuits, fur coats (mainly rabbit, unless you were rich), chunky long jumpers worn as a dress with tights, striped tube socks worn with shorts and leather trench coats were popular.

Power dressing including padded shoulders, smart jackets, tailored skirts and trousers all added to this look, emulating the masculine powerful look, giving women confidence in the work place. Hair was long and bouffant.

Young people had less of an influence on fashion as older people who were more financially stable with more spending power

At the end of the decade designers produced mini skirts coveted by young people, shorts, slouch socks and leggings. Shoulder pads became smaller and full taffeta dresses for the evening. Branded trainers and shoes appeared including Keds and Sperry’s

Men wore more athletic clothes than jeans and as the women, wore more sombre colours.

Tracksuits, v-neck sweaters, hoodies, wide trousers and sports jackets, were all part of the look. Many who followed the New Wave craze wore slim fitting suits, narrow ties and striped tights. Hairstyles were short with quiffs. Clothes such as Oxford shirts, argyle socks, Hus Puppies and brogues which are still around today were worn by people who wanted to achieve the Preppy look.

The programme Miami Vice brought hawaian shirts, shell suits, flannel shirts, white trousers and jackets, tshirts worn with suits and no socks.

Men in business wore pinstripe suits reminiscent of the 1930’s and 40’s, striped wider ties became more popular. Navy blue, airforce blue and grey were the colours of choice for suits and designers made the double breasted suit fashionable again at this time.

Like all decades, music influenced people’s choice, from heavy metal in the early 80’s, men and women wore their hair long, with logo and badge adorned waistcoats and jackets, jeans and white high trainers, to punk bands which promoted the Mohawk haircut, shaved at the sides and spiked in the centre from front to back, ripped jeans, well-worn tshirts. New Romantics, following designers such as Vivienne Westwood & Malcolm McLaren,

whose Pirates AW 1981-2 is often cited as a New Romantic collection, saw a softer more feminine fashion, many making or adding to clothing they already had to make them individual and theatrical. Men wore dramatic make up, flashes across their face, like David Bowie or heavy black make up as Adam Ant wore. Boy George rebelled against the Westwood look, creating his own fashion, which was followed by many.

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1970′S

The 1970’s was a decade of strikes. Postal workers, miners and dustmen went on strike for better pay and conditions. A three day working week was imposed in February 1972, at the beginning of the miners strike, to save electricity. The nation had to use candles for light. Rubbish accumulated in the streets after weeks of the dustmen being on strike. It ended with the 'Winter of Discontent' in 1979 when ITV went off air for five months.

The summer of 1976 was so hot and dry that water supplies reached critically low levels and was rationed. The Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1977, street parties were held all over the UK to celebrate this.

The first domestic microwave was sold, VHS video recorders went on sale, Sony launched their Walkman personal stereo and colour television arrived. By 1971 91% of families had a TV.

Intel launched the first microprocessor, the 4004, Sony introduced the Betamax video tape system, Bill Gates and Paul Allen create Microsoft and Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak create the Apple Computer Company. Concorde made its’ first flight

In 1971 Britain went decimal, replacing pound, shilling and pence (£sd). Before this 12d (pennies) was 1 shilling and 20 shillings was one pound. There were 54 million people living in Britain, and the world population was 4 billion.

The 70's saw the growth in women's rights and women's role in society including the ability to decide when, where and if they wished to have children (partly through the availability of the contraceptive pill). Louise Brown, the first test tube baby was born in Britain.

Abroad the oil crisis loomed, Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), during the Yom Kippur War, announced that they would no longer ship petroleum to nations that had supported Israel in its conflict with Syria and Egypt) which impacted on oil prices in Britain increasing them dramatically.

There was still a feeling of uniformity to clothing in the 1970’s, people followed brands and styles, happy to wear the same as each other.

Fashion was fun and colourful at the beginning of the decade, changing to black and white, greys and earth tones by the end of the 1970’s. Platform shoes and boots, PVC boots and coats, high cut boots and low cut, designer jeans, tight fitting pants for both men and women.

Polyester and Nylon was in abundance.

Mods and hippies were still around as were mini, midi and maxi skirts. Hot pants were top of the list for some, as were pant suits, leisure suits and branded track suits, giving the impression people were sporty. Long dresses which at one time would have been worn in the evening were worn at any time of the day. Beginning of Punk and the disco fever influenced fashion. Glam rock brought glitter, bright and fun clothes to match the music.

Trousers varied from tight fitting, bell bottoms to oxford bags, a wide straight trouser worn by men and women, in all walks of life.

Chest hair, medallions, polyester, butterfly collars, skin-tight t-shirts, sandals, flower patterned dress shirts, sideburns and tennis headbands were worn in the 70’s.

As the mini skirt disappeared, the midi skirt took over with slits and slashes, laced-up or zipped-up, strapped or wrapped to one side and sometimes buttoned down the front. Mainly flattering young and thin women emphasising small waists and hips. The distance from the hem to the ankle was very important.

Jewellery was an important part of the outfit. Chokers, dog collars, crafted items including feathers, wood, shells and leather were used to create the look.

Bags were also part of the scene, clutch bags, worn tightly under the arm or shoulder bags worn across the chest.

In 1971 there was a gap between what designers were making and what people wanted to wear. Designers hemlines were at the knee whilst the public wore skirts which grazed the

Designers declared the hemline would be at the knee in 1971, but the public had other plans. Skirts that grazed the ankle, that were intended to be evening gowns, were being worn out on the town. Another, more extreme, backlash were “hot pants”, which had nothing to do with the so-called fashion world.

Men’s fashion started to shed the flamboyant styles of recent years, but they retained a sense of fun and freedom. They remained tight fitting, tailored and more wool was used, called the double knit. Plaid was also worn along with flared trousers.

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (better known as Coco) died in 1971 at the age of 87. She influenced fashion for more than 50 years and remains to this day one of the most important designers in history.

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1960′S

The decade of the mod, rockers, hippies, skinheads, suedeheads and greasers.

The economic boom of the 1950’s continued into the 1960’s, many people were more prosperous and less inclined to want to make their own clothes. With the growth of ready to wear clothing, fashion advertising in radio, magazines and tv influenced peoples choice.

In 1960 John F Kennedy became President of the USA and in 1963 he was assassinated.

The decade saw many conflicts, the Vietnam War, the building of the Berlin Wall, the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space and one month later, Alan Shepard became the first American in space. The Beatles released their first single ‘Love Me Do’, the first episode of the BBC Dr Who progamme, Mary Quant designed the first mini skirt which became a fashion craze, Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to arrive on the Moon during NASA's Apollo 11 mission. The Woodstock music festival took place in New York and featured acts like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and The Who, The United Kingdom abolished the death penalty.

Subcultures used fashion to give them and identity and differentiate them from each other.

Skinheads wore their hair close-cropped or shaven and wore working class clothing such as Dr. Martens boots, braces, high-ankle straight-leg jeans, and simple shirts. Brands such as Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Airtex, Jaytex, Brutus, Permanent Press and Arnold Palmer, Harrington and Crombie, some of which are still around today, were worn like a uniform.

The youth movement set fashion trends from mini skirts in the early 60’s, oversize collars, shapeless mini dresses, kitten heels, flat pumps, coloured and patterned tights, moving on to the hippy culture in the mid 60’s with psychedelic bright clothes for both men and women, even painting their faces and bodies. Women wore midi and maxi skirts, men’s fashion included flared trousers wide sleeved shirts, hat and accessories. Hair and make up were also important starting with the bouffant look high hair to hair which was cropped above the ears with the ‘Twiggy’ look. Make up started with pale colours, foundation and lips with bold black eyeliner moving on to eyes exaggerated with extra long lashes, shimmer shadow, arched brows, blusher and baby pink lipstick. Many men wore their hair long.

A fashion list for the 1960’s woman would have included a dress, pants and tops, stockings, knee socks flat shoes or boot shoes, jewellery, hats and a coat.

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1950′s

After World War II ended, there was an economic boom. Men went back to work in record numbers, replacing the women who had been doing their jobs during the war.

Department store catalogues and other fashion marketing was geared at women who were now at home and many having babies, creating the baby boom. Adverts subtly hinted that fashionable clothing would either get you a husband or keep your husband happy. Advertising for men’s fashion even hinted that women were more likely to shop for their husband

In 1947, Christian Dior changed the fashion industry for good creating the look that dominated the 1950’s

Called the ‘New Look’ by Harper’s Bazaar editor Carmel Snow, Dior’s first fashion collection, shown in Paris, was the exact opposite of the ‘40s look. The fabric, softer more luxurious and voluminous. Shoulders were soft instead of squared, the figure was hourglass instead of boxy, and the short, straight skirt of the 40’s ration days was replaced by  huge, billowing mid-calf creations. The pencil skirt appeared in the 50’s they were so slim and fitted that women found it hard to walk. Bodices were really tight, showing of women’s tiny waists.

To achieve the look women had to squeeze into what looked like mid nineteenth century boned corsets giving them the ‘wasp waist’, they used bust and hip pads to complete the hourglass figure look.

There was also new leisure wear which people wore at home.

During the war women found their independence and did not want to lose this. Some felt that through radio, tv and magazine advertising they were being pushed into the new fashions and having to conform, and their choice of what they wanted to wear was being diminished, some even demonstrated against Dior’s new clothing, which used excessive amounts of material, needed constant maintenance and co-ordinating accessories to achieve the ‘perfect’ look. By the beginning of the 1950’s everyone was wearing the ‘New Look”.

In the 1950’s new suburbs were being built, there was a feeling of affluence, family life was supposed to be picture perfect and conservative. Racism and anti-communism were rampant.

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1940′s

Up to the mid forties, World War II dominated everything. The war was followed by the Baby Boomer Years and technological advancements, improved air travel and space exploration.

In 1940 Germany invaded Belgium, France, Norway, Luxenbourg and the Netherlands, President Roosevelt was elected for a third term as President of the USA and signed the Selective Training and Services Act to draft civilians into the army.

Germany began bombing London in attempt to weaken the British Royal Air Force, the bombings became known as the blitz.

1941 brought more devastation as Japan launched a surprise attack on the US base in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, this brought the US into the war.  Italy and Germany declared war on the US and the Japanese–Soviet Non-aggression Pact was signed, a pact between the Soviet Union and the Empire of Japan signed on 13 April 1941, to ensure neutrality between the two countries to enable them to concentrate on fighting other countries.

In September 1941 German troops entered the Soviet Union beginning the Siege of Leningrad which lasted until 1944. In 1941 alone, 1600 people a day were known to have died and been buried in Leningrad due to lack of food and the cold. The official death total for the whole 900 day siege was 632,000, some think it may have been nearer 1 million.

The United States lowered the age to draft people into the army from 21 to 18, in 1942.

The Battle of Midway began between Japan and the US. The US preempted and countered Japan’s plans to ambush the US’s few remaining aircraft carriers, inflicted permanent damage on the Japanese Navy which allowed the US and its’ allies to move into offensive positions.

WWII continues into 1943. On 25 July, Mussolini, the fascist dictator, resigned from his position as head of the armed forces and the government in Italy. On 3 September Italy surrenders during World War II.

On 19 April 1943, the Warsaw ghetto uprising began after German troops and police entered the ghetto to deport its surviving inhabitants. By 16 May 1943, the Germans had crushed the uprising and left the ghetto area in ruins. Surviving ghetto residents were deported to concentration camps or killing centres.

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The Great Depression

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1930

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Editors Letter

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Lindy Hoppers 

Lindy Hoppers were very similar to flappers. Both styles were aiming to beat cultural norms set from the 1910’s and before. Except the term Lindy Hoppers was given to African Americans using music and dance as a way to express themselves. The Lindy Hop comes from Harlem during the late 1920’s and was established as a dance in 1935. Many of the inventors were involved in gangs which is relatable to Street culture in the 1990’s. The majority of the males wore long Chesterfield overcoats with a derby hat, very similar to what we would see in gangster movies. High-waisted wide-legged trousers were also worn with white belts, two-tone shoes along with a pair of sunglasses to finish the look. Women wore very light clothes, making them seem as if they were floating whilst dancing. Pencil or A-Line skirts with sweaters and gloves were worn with a pair of flat shoes or low-heeled Mary Janes.

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Originally, the word “Flapper” was used as a term for an underage prostitute. But by the 1920′s the word developed to describe a young woman, who listened to jazz and wore sleeveless shift dresses with hemlines higher than usual. One of the main reasons this trend grew so fast was due to how easily accessable the look would be. For example, previously you would need a fair bit of money to fit in with a trend due to the need of a corset but with the Flapper style and dresses the materials would be easy to gather and was fairly simple to make. 

Worn with the dresses were usually Mary Jane shoes and t-bar strap heels along with bright red lipstick and excessive blush. Art Deco earings and broaches were usually added along with a pearl necklace to complete the outfit. 

The women who wore circulated within the scene usually enjoyed partying and visiting bars. The outfits did not restrict the womens movement and from the age of around 15 women were out getting drunk and stomping around the town. This really showed the development of femininity growing, especially after women winning the right to vote. 

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The 1920′s were known as the “Roaring Twenties” due to the new styles of  fashion, music and culture as a whole. With the economy booming, America began the age of consumerism. The building of skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building which helped with the growth of major cities such as New York and Chicago.