How did the strict standards of dress in society become more laid-back?

Answer 1

Dress in society can be attributed to many different ideals and situations. First of all, it would be worth noting to take a look at current/past cultural trends to have an idea of what was considered proper attire. Let us take a look at various decades and what was occurring within those decades.

Let us begin with the 1920's (a.k.a "Roaring 20's"). This decade may have been considered a "devil may care" mentality. Picture shows were becoming popular (movies) and starlets began to wear articles of clothing that were a bit risque (according to the time period)...not as conservative as the previous era. Prohibition was occurring at this time as well with the "speak easy's" a rebellious and influential part in daily life. "Zoot suits" and derby hats were popularized with the men, and gang members such as as Scar Face, John Dilinger, and "Baby Face" Nelson were running rampant with their crime syndicates. Therefore, the culture in this time period may have been considered a bit more prone to unrest, reflected in the daily dress of people.

On to the 1930's, we will see a whole different scenario for citizens (the majority of the population anyways). In 1929, Wall Street crashed...the stock market plummeted and a huge percentage of the population were unemployed. Food, gasoline, and other items were not as readily available and thus needed to be rationed. Hoovervilles," which included man-made shanties and shacks served as housing for the population without any means of shelter. This course in American history would have been reflected in the dress of the people. Therefore, the clothing in this era was less illustrious and decadent by far in comparison with the previous decade.

During the late 30's and early 1940's, production and consumption began to increase once again, thanks in good part to the "New Deal" offered by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (F.D.R). The W.P.A began many new jobs to the unemployed and large-scale building projects were initialized (such as the Hoover Dam construction in Nevada and other locations). Also, one must recognize the ushering in of one of the most apocalyptic events to influence American history, as well as that of the entire globe...World War II which began in 1939 and progressed until 1945. Certainly during this time, rations were still occurring, as the U.S. needed to be concerned with providing American troops with the materials for the men and women serving in the armed forces. Therefore, it can most likely be surmised that the attire of people during this era were conservative in nature.

The 1950's heralded in a "Golden Era" of change. President Dwight David Eisenhower, who was a war hero in World War II as a five star general of the allied forces, ensured the American people a time of prosperity. This was also known as the "Baby Boom" generation, as men who had been serving in the war had finally been able to arrive home and begin families with their spouses. Women were typically found in homes and new inventions were readily available for homemakers...the microwave oven, frozen dinners, etc. More consumerism was taking place; people had more money to spend and the economy was doing much better. However, it was still considered a conservative time and can be translated into the dress.

Onward to the 1960's and 1970's, we see a huge change taking place once again. Televisions were becoming mainstream entertainment in lieu of the radio. A new rock sensation, The Beatles, had tremendous impact on the youth of America and the rest of the world. Sporting the "mop top", many young men began to have their hair done like the idols of their youth and trying to gain favor with the female crowd who loved the group as well. The 1960's and much of the 70's were the exact polar opposites of the 40's and 50's. This was considered a time of "experimentation" and "free love" was a common attitude, as was rock and roll a state of mind to many. In 1965, yet another event began which would shake the principles and belief system of America to its foundation with the Vietnam War. Youth across the states became very vocal with their protest against the conflict. Bell-bottoms, tie-dye, hemp jewelry, and rose-colored bottle-neck shades were a part of many people's attire. Into the seventies, much of the same attitude of unrest occurred and adolescents were still experimenting.

Into the 80's to present day, dress styles came and went. Spandex and denim of the 1980's evolved into the grunge/punk motif of 90's. We should also consider the extreme influence that new Music Genres have on clothing styles such as the rap hip/hop movement of the 80's to present. Also, we can see that previous trends may reflect past trends...much of the clothing and hair styles of the 1960's and 70's seems to have come full circle in the current age. The old idea that "trends come around" appears to have a truth to it.

Now, much of the clothing that I mentioned may be considered the "stereotypical view" of what people chose to wear in a particular era. Indelibly, ones economic status, cultural region, and peers can have a much larger impact than outside society at large. For instance, many people in the Midwest during the 1960's and 1970's may not have had a much of a case of the "Bell-Bottom Blues" as those in the east and west coast. Instead, they may have favored a much more conservative look that would fit in with a rural/small town lifestyle where farming and small communities were the norm. However, there are always exceptions to the rule here as well. Also, there were those rich few in the 1930's who still donned their custom two piece suits and extravagant dinner dresses, simply because these people did not fall into the norm and were able to afford what many could not. As mentioned before, there are extenuating circumstances.

By no means am I an expert on these trends, but hopefully this provided a bit of insight to the dress trends in society.