historical or current events, art movements, or socio-cultural theories were
considered in the development of this book; the scope was limited only to
those areas the authors believed directly impacted fashion trends. Nor is
this book a comprehensive guide to subculture or alternative fashion
movements; the focus is on the mainstream, common fashion trends that
were adopted by the majorit y of Americans.
To guide the reader, a chronology of key historical events and fashion
trends is provided at the beginning of each volume. Illustrations of signif-
icant fashion trends for both men and women are included to supplement
the descriptive text, as does a glossary of fashion terms, which will assist
the reader with terminology. An extensive resource guide of numerous
articles and books, videos, and films that demonstrate fashion of certain
eras, and a substantial listing of authoritative websites, including those for
museums and special collections, rounds out the Selected Resources
provided.
THE TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST
CENTURIES
The birth of the twentieth century marked the beginning of the new,
modern era that was more open, expressive, and progressive than the re-
served and sober nineteenth-century Victorian era. Changes in society
were rapidly taking place. The telephone, electricity, automobiles, and
cameras, at first technological marvels, became commonplace items. Over
the course of the century, mass-produced ready-to-wear clothing replaced
custom-made hand-tailored clothing, allowing new fashions to be rapidly
reproduced and distributed in large volumes simultaneously across the
entire country. First store catalogs, and then the Internet, made fashions
immediately accessible to individuals in even the most remote parts of the
country. After World War II, the economic prosperity experienced by most
of the United States resulted in a population shift from urban to suburban,
and fashion followed suit with the development of the shopping mall.
The last half of the twentieth century was marked by space explora-
tion, activism, and civil unrest. The tumult of the 1960s witnessed the
birth of both space exploration and the Civil Rights Movement. Although
the ultra-hip donned vinyl dresses with metallic details, African Ameri-
cans explored their origins and adopted traditional forms of African dress
to express their identity. Middle-class youth became involved in numerous
social protest movements against the establishment and, dubbed ‘‘hippies,’’
chose to differentiate themselves from their parents by rejecting Jackie-O
x
Preface