The word “teenager” was first coined in the 1950s, a time when teen fashion found its footing and created a niche market for itself. 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.
Being a teenager is being rebellious. If you take a look at the decades of teen fashion, you might see that they have proven to be a way to rebel.
Back in the fifties, when teenage fashion appeared, it would follow the famous look of James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause”. Although their clothing 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. Boys wore skinny Levis, chinos, black or white skinny 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 the garments reveal the lifestyle, the conceptions and even the prejudices of the 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 leading 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 craze for aerobics. The ultimate combination was shiny, skinny stretch leggings paired with an oversized cold-shoulder sweatshirt. Pop singer, Madonna, was at her peak 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 clothing and were admired by the young generation. It was the time of the platform shoe again, appearing in many shoes, from sandals to sneakers. The colors are dramatic or pastel, while the classic black color 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. Teenage clothing should be affordable in terms of prices, since youth spending is quite limited within the amounts of money collected in their piggy banks.
