Oh, yes! Brace yourselves, folks, because today we’re going places! Don’t worry, you don’t need any luggage with you, just you eyes and your joyful self, ’cause we’re about to start talking about fashion!
There’s nothing like looking back a few decades and analyzing the clothes people were wearing. Some may say that now, those outfits are extremely out of style, but I prefer to say, just like Coco Chanel did, that style is not about the clothes you wear, but about your personality.
Sometimes, clothes can make you look in a certain way and also behave in a certain way, but what can you do when you know that some of these styles are not everyone’s cup of tea? We’ll find out together.
Let’s stop the chit-chat and get on board, because these fashion trends from many moons ago are waiting for us!
1. Poodle Skirts
Everybody loves dogs, including myself, but putting them on my clothes doesn’t seem like a true fashionable idea.
According to Jennifer Grayer Moore’s “Fashion Fads Through American History”, it looks like in 1952, the United States of America hit a trend called “poodlemania”. These beautiful and small dogs were seen as a status symbol and their silhouettes were designed on almost every clothing item.
The interesting fact is that the skirt originated in 1947 and it was invented by Juli Lynne Charlot. The idea came into her mind when the girl needed a last-minute Christmas skirt. She didn’t have money, but knew how to sew, so she created a seamless skirt out of felt.
The original design that she created on the skirt was actually a story with three dachshunds, each one with a different personality: a flirty girl, a snobby girl and a male who was in love with the flirty girl dog. Their leashes were being tangled, so the male dog was stuck next to the snobby one.
Charlot wished her designs to be conversation starters, so she always drew parts of a story. After a while, she changed the original print to a coiffed puddle and a lot of teenagers and stars were “addicted” to this skirt. Girls were wearing it at school dances and even just as street wear.
A lot of movie stars wore this skirt, which also appeared in magazines and advertising. This clothing item is known as the “first teenage fashion trend” and soon after the debut of the poodle skirt, these coiffed dogs made their appearance on scarves, sweaters and handbags as well.
2. Aloha Shirts
”Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take ya/ Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama”, this is what we’re going to sing when we’ll see this fashion trend. Just like the Beach Boys in 1988, when they launched this song.
It is believed that the members of the U.S. military stationed in Hawaii during and after the World War II brought these Hawaiian-style floral print shirts – that are also knows as Aloha shirts – back home, as a “badge of honor”.
Turns out that these shirts became immediately casual clothing staples. It doesn’t matter what state you live in, or even what country you live in, the Aloha shirts became statements when it comes to men’s wardrobe.
3. Â Propeller Beanies
In 1947, while he was still a high school student, Ray Nelson, a science fiction writer and cartoonist, invented the propeller beanie. This item was part of a “space man” costume. Later, he drew these hats in his cartoons, as statements for science fiction fandom.
The hat became really popular and it was sold widely by a lot of manufacturers. Ray Nelson never claimed that it was his invention, so he didn’t receive any of the money that was earned after selling the hats.
Now, these “head accessories” aren’t worn on the streets anymore, but just for satirical purposes. Newly hired employees from Google receive these propeller beanies as part of their onboarding.
4. Detachable Collars
In 1827, Hannah Montague nipped off the collar from her husband’s shirt. After she washed it, he sewed it back on. It is thought that this woman from Troy, New York is the inventor of the detachable collars, but the person who began to commercialize this item was actually a businessman in town, named the Rev. Ebenezar Brown.
Even if it’s a dead trend now, a detachable collar can be an interesting item to have in your wardrobe, especially when you want to spice up your outfit. You can attach it to your dress, sweater, blouse, shirt, even on a T-shirt.
You can find it in different shapes and sizes, colors and patterns. If you don’t care about trends and you want to do something unique, just be creative and use it in a fun way to elevate your look!
Looks like our little fashion journey came to an end; but just for now. Even though we may think that some of these fashion trends were weird and strange to wear when being out and about, we have to admit that back then, people who wore those things were considered fashionable and stylish.
Would you wear any of this clothing items now? Where would you go dressed like that?
Tell us in the comment down below and give us some fashion inspiration!
Happy weird / not so weird fashion trends day!
