The word “teen” was first coined in the 1950s, a time when teen fashion had found its place and a niche was created. Adolescents were now a closed group with their own feelings, style, beliefs and ways of perceiving life; that is to say, his own personality.
Malcolm Barnard says in his book Fashion as Communication, “Fashion and clothing have always been explained as forms of communication.” Adolescents now have their own voice to say what they think and they achieve it through fashion.
Being a teenager is being a rebel. If you take a look at the decades of teen fashions, you might see that they have proven to be a way to rebel.
Back in the fifties, when the firs of teenage fashion appeared, it would follow the famous look of James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause.” Although her clothes did not differ too much from the general fashion trend, girls could be seen in fluffy dresses with petticoats and crinolines under the skirt. The boys wore tight Levis, Chinos, white or black tight shirts, as well as loafers or Converse shoes with leather jackets.
Fashion is totally influenced and “manipulated” by history. Historical facts put a hallmark on the fashion decades, as clothing reveals people’s lifestyles, conceptions, and even prejudices.
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, such as The Beatles, or rebellious rock stars, such as Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger, spoke on behalf of the younger generation and represented the main force.
In the 1970s, the disco era was loud and colorful. The fabrics of the decade were polyester, acrylic and lycra. Women’s dresses fell to their knees and men wore flared trousers, jackets, and gold chains. The platform shoes were great on the dance floor and the shirt patterns were dizzying.
The 1980s came with aerobic fashion. The ultimate combination was a tight and shiny stretch leggings paired with an oversized off the shoulder sweatshirt. The pop singer, Madonna, was at her peak at the time and was very influential in the teenagers’ sense of style.
The 1990s, in terms of teen fashion, represented a mix of many different styles. Pop music boy and girl bands were quite eclectic in terms of clothing and were admired by the younger generation. It was platform shoe time again that appears in many shoes, from sandals to tennis shoes. The colors are dramatic or pastel, while the classic black was still used for dramatic effects in fashion.
Today, teenage clothes are very comfortable in every way. The basic trends are vintage blue jeans with a trendy touch. Teenage clothes should be accessible in terms of prices, since young people’s spending is quite limited within the amounts of money collected in their piggy banks.