WHAT’S IN, WHAT’S OUT

By LILLYANNE DAY contributing writer

The Breeze has evolved significantly in the last century, and so has the fashion industry. From the 1920s to the 2020s, let’s take a deep dive into the changes in fashion trends on campus over the past 100 years.

Collections. The faculty was opposed to the trendy, flapper-esque hairstyle and made futile attempts to prevent students from trying it out.

1930s allowed for a new type of fashion to bloom during the ’50s. A more feminine silhouette was revived, with cinched waistlines, higher hemlines and bright colors and patterns becoming common.

When the Great Depression struck, fashion became more conservative and cost-effective. Clothing wasn’t viewed as a form of expression so much as a necessity. Womenswear featured simple lines and silhouettes, while menswear had a more blue-collar look that opposed the elite designs of earlier years.

1960s The ’60s introduced a time filled with self-expression. For women, revealing mini-skirts and bikinis came into fashion, although loose-fitting peasant blouses were also common. In 1966, JMU began admitting men as full-time students. Tie-dye, loosefitting shirts and velvet vests were all a part of the men’s hippie aesthetic in the later part of the 1960s, while color continued to remain front and center. As the ’60s moved into the ’70s, flared trousers, jeans and long hair were all widespread men’s styles.

1970s

1920s

Back in the 1920s when JMU was the State Normal and Industrial School for Women, boyish silhouettes were introduced into women’s fashion, with women wearing more trousers and loose skirts as opposed to body hugging dresses. The roaring ’20s also brought about the common use of accessories such as headbands and dramatic pearls. In 1923, bobbed hairstyles became popular on campus but faced backlash from the faculty, according to JMU Special

1940s

During the ’40s, nationalism was reflected in trending nautical and militaristic inspired fashions. The lines between women’s and men’s fashion started to blur, which prompted more production of trousers and stiff shoulder tops for women. In 1941, then-Madison College students revolted, demanding, among other things, freedom from wearing stockings on certain occasions, according to JMU Special Collections.

1950s

Once World War II and rationing ended, a new availability of different types of fabrics and larger quantities of these fabrics

Any preconceived ideas about fashion were challenged during the 1970s. From disco trends to glam rock, fashion changed quickly. Bell bottoms, flares and hemlines of every level proved the ’70s were about being free and owning who you were. Most men embraced jeans, T-shirts and sweaters as everyday wear. The leisure suit became popular after 1975, which was usually paired with gold jewelry and an elevated pair of shoes.