The Never Ending Parade (History of Street Fashion)

Street: we love it, know it, worship it and flock to it religiously. But how much do we really know about our favourite places in town and where did our fashion mecca all begin?

Topshop, H&M, Zara and New Look are names just as famous as Brangelina or the Beckham in light of their popularity, so I thought we’d take a look at the history behind how it all began.

In 1964 the disposable, fast and cheap fashion culture we’re so used to today begun. Young girls didn’t necessarily want clothes in classic designs made to last, they wanted high fashion statements and that very same year Topshop was born! After Topshop  followed Evans, Dorothy Perkins Topman, House of Fraser, leading to dominate most of the high street as we know it today. With the international arrival of Swedish retailer H&M, Spanish retail empire Zara and the addition of Next, British high street fashion is now often proclaimed to be the best in the world! 

Instead of having been styled by models on runways and designers standing in front of board of directors, street fashion is said to have emerged from the streets. It has what is said to be grassroots in the youth culture of the most recent decade. Street fashion is not specific to one type of dressing, but instead covers a host of different styles, all unique in the fact that they were created and styles by the young people who favour them.  It is this style that has begun to influence the creators of high fashion. The tight-fitted jeans once favoured only by those wearing the street fashion know as punk now is a fashion element in high fashion designers wear. Similarly the hippies, loose flowing dresses with filmy material are being redirected in the fashion set in a more demure, focused innocence. Hip-hop fashion, with its origin in street fashion, has now translated itself into a multi-billion dollar industry. While now considered as iconic style, it still continues to be a statement of the music culture from which it originated. Hip-hop street clothing emerged from the African American urban movement and filtered into the music industry and was worn by many well-known recognised athletes. Street fashion, though largely influenced by the trends seen worn by the youth of United States, can be noticed throughout the world, as each and every culture has a youth that is desirous of making a statement. The statement is made many times by the clothes chosen to be worn by any given generation. Every decade, which produces a new crop of youth, has a markedly notable street fashion uniquely generated by it. Below are some of the pictures from every decade, which shows us the transformation of street fashion. 

1960's era of very short minis 

                        

Late 60's of Street style

                                                        

1968 the Afro Culture

                                                       

 1970's Giant Sunglasses and Scarf-wrapped head

                                         Late 70's Discoland

   1980's Bare skin Bleached hair nighttime hard edges became round the clock wear

                                                       

         

80's Puffy shoulders and hip ruffle

                                    

  Late  80's Dress for success, no non-sense suit

                            

  Early 1990's tights, red heels, denims, boots this was evening glam

                        

1990's Grunge and men underwear becomes outerwear

                            

1998 Diddy, the swelegant hip-hop dandy

                                     

Hip-hop culture at its best

                                                    

Early 2000 Colourful footwear and accessories 

                                    

  2006 till date Skinny jeans Quirky hats ans the era of the really really mini again