Clothing Trends in the West

Introduction

Fashion and clothes have become the means of conveying a social message. Clothes define social status, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation and personalities. Fashion trends are distinct all over the world. Eastern and Western worlds express their element of style in their own unique ways. However, the two cultures still play quite an influential role in each other's clothing trends. Clothing west vary vastly from person to person. People symbolize their style to express their individuality and exclusiveness. Seasonal changes are radical in west clothing. Summer brings the need to wear cool and light colored sundresses, skirts, khakis, shorts and flip flops while in winters people adorn coats, blazers, boots and scarves. Depending on the taste, west clothing can display a lot - from elegance and sophistication to total funkiness and hip.

History

Fashion in the western world has seen countless changes and diversification. 1900s west clothing was highly influenced by the 1890s of European culture. The long puffed sleeves, silhouette of an hourglass shapes of the body, long skirts that brushed the floor were very popular among the women. Men wore sack coats with a matching waistcoat and trousers. 1920s saw huge changes in the western trends. Women began to dress more comfortably in skirts, trousers and short dresses and men also abandoned the formal attire and started wearing athletic clothes. World War II greatly altered the fashion sense and the Great Depression brought on the subdued style for several years. 1960s trends were diverse, bizarre and had a million of designs and colors. The fashion was highly reflected by famous people of that time. Hats, gowns, short A-line dresses, shifts, Capri trousers, mini skirts, bikinis, bell bottoms comprised the popular trends among the women. Menswear included brightly colorful jackets, frills, bell bottoms, leather shoes, wide patterned ties and plaid button down shirts. This continued in the 1970s and 1980s with some alterations like jeans, halter and tube tops, platforms shoes, tracksuits, leotards, hot pants and the origination of punk fashion. 21th century has the mashed up fashion. Previous trends have become popular and we often see the fusion of eastern and western styles. Hipster, punk, Indie pop, alternative fashion, Boho chic, American western styles and numerous others describe the latest fashion today.

Features

West clothing has evolved over the period of many decades. There are no restrictions and rules when it comes to a western wardrobe. Women's world of fashion is endless. Dresses are widely popular among the women. Baby doll dress, kimonos, warp dress, shifts, sweater dress, sheath dress, evening gowns and let's not forget the little black dress are a few examples. Different types can be worn for casual and formal occasions. The business attire for a career woman can be fashionable and sophisticated. It consists of button down shirts, suits and coats, knee length skirts and ties usually in dark colors. Jeans, tops, skirts, bikinis, shorts and T shirts in various colors and designs make up the essential part of every closet. Menswear tends to remain subtle as compared to women's. Suits, pants, button down shirts and ties in dark harmonious colors are favored for the workplace while for casual use the trends range variously. Jackets, shorts, trousers, jeans, tees, hoodies and jumpers are the constant urban style in men's west clothing.

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