The Fab 40’s Travel Through Time: Fashion Trends Through the Decades

January 28, 2019 / 34 Comments
This is not a sponsored post.

The Fab 40’s is a group of six fashion bloggers from around the globe. Each month we choose a different theme with the goal of taking on style trends and show how we each interpret and incorporate them into our own lives. With six widely varied views, you are certain to find something that speaks to you each month and encourages you to continue to have fun with fashion after the age of 40.

If you wear clothes, as most of you certainly do, then you are probably acutely aware that fashion is fickle and trends in the world of fashion not only change frequently, but they cycle back around every decade or so. You will find old fashion trends from 20 or 30 years ago suddenly reappearing on the runways infused with a new and contemporary edge. As we watch these trends reenter the fashion world time and again, we remember some fondly and embrace them in their regeneration. Others we may see as ridiculous and wonder why they ever gained popularity in the first place. There are even some fashion trends from years so far gone that they are completely impractical and will never enter the modern fashion scene in their original state ever again. However, trends build upon themselves and get recycled over and over with new twists and updates, always reminding us that for as long as fashion has existed, it has been ever changing. But there are certain trends that have iconically defined specific decades of American culture. So when Daenel of Living Outside the Stacks chose “Decades” as The Fab 40’s theme this month, we all dug deep into the arsenal of the fashion scene throughout history and chose our favorites.

I am probably a lot like all of my Fab 40’s friends when I say that I kind of love all fashion, no matter what genre, what era, what culture in which it finds it roots. Even if I am not inclined to wear a certain style, I absolutely appreciate the artistry and creativity that led to its development and its rise to trend status. A well constructed outfit is a well constructed outfit regardless of whether it suits my style. When I received notice of this month’s theme, I really could have gone a dozen different ways. I absolutely adore 50’s style dresses with their feminine swingability. The flapper style from the 20’s makes my go all sparkly at just the mention of it. Pencil skirts and cardigans hearkening back to the 40’s make me all nostalgic for a time I never knew. The free loving 70’s with bright florals, bell bottoms, clogs, and all the flowy bohemian things is right up my alley. Coming of age in the 80’s and 90’s, I always have a soft spot for certain trends from both decades. But when I entered my closet room seeking inspiration, this black and white floral drop waist dress screamed 1960’s Austin Powers at me, a great big silly grin came across my face, and I knew what I had to style for this post.

My pink furry coat seemed to add the perfect gaudy factor that a bold black and white floral with bright raspberry tights needed. And an outfit is not properly suited to the 1960’s unless you have patent leather on your feet. So white patent block heeled booties were it…except they kind of got lost in the snow.

While I did not struggle much with this style theme at all (I was quite excited about it because I had a world of options), I did struggle with getting photos. It has been snowing and snowing and snowing and bitter cold and snowing. Did I mention the snow? With wind chills between -30 and -40 degrees. And as soon as the temperatures warm up enough to make the air tolerable, it creates the perfect opportunity for lake effect snow bands coming off of Lake Ontario. Since we live right in the heart of the snow belt, more temperate winter days mean lots more snow. My kids had 2 days of school last week due mostly to the weather. Monday was MLK Jr. Day. Tuesday it was so cold that all the local schools were canceled for fear of frost bite situations in children who have to walk to and from school (I think the high with the wind chill was -20 degrees Fahrenheit). Wednesday and Thursday went okay, but all after school activities were canceled on Thursday, leading right into a wicked snow storm from Friday morning until Saturday morning which dumped 24 inches of snow on us in about 24 hours. Add in 45 mph winds and the snow drifts are quite a sight to see. Saturday was spent cleaning up and keeping warm which led us right into another lake effect snowstorm that is currently threatening another 8 inches (at the time of this writing on Sunday morning, there was at least 4 more inches of new snow which fell in just a few hours). So, I didn’t venture past my driveway to take outfit photos for you all. My apologies for the less than stellar background. And the quality of photos is shaky at best…because, well, we were literally shaking out in the cold. If you have done the math at all, we have snow accumulations of nearly 3 feet in just as many days.

But I totally digress. We live in a place where rock salt freezes so I should not be surprised by what our weather does here. Nor should I get all that upset about it. It is definitely one of those things that is completely and totally out of our control. It is best to just roll with it. So snowy driveway pictures is what you get. And a few in my dimly lit kitchen…only because the orange wall seemed appropriate for my 1960’s theme. And I was shivering outside.

Really what I wanted to talk about was certain trends that have defined the decades throughout the history of mainstream fashion. But I have gone on too long already, so instead I am going to refer you to this rather fun article, The Most Influential Fashion Trends, Decade by Decade. And speaking of kitchens, this is a really fascinating article as well…100 Years in the Kitchen: A Century of Kitchen Color Trends. By the way, my kitchen curtains add a touch of that pukey neon green that was a quintessential kitchen color in the 1960’s. In fact, this is the second kitchen that I have decorated in this orange and green combination.

And now, to quote the International Man of Mystery himself, let’s check out my very shagadelic friends, baby.

Suzy of Suzy Turner, Pixie Chick in Portugal, is taking us back to the Flying Forties in her amazing green wide leg trousers, floral pussycat bow blouse, and red cardigan. Pussycat bows originate from the 19th century French lavallière and became hugely fashionable in the late 1940’s when designers like Omar Kiam found inspiration from the Gibson Girls of the 1890’s. This trend remained a fixture in American fashion straight into the 1960’s with designers like Coco Chanel and Ives Saint Laurent incorporating the pussycat bow into their collections. It made a huge comeback in the 1980’s as one of Margaret Thatcher’s key styling elements and still remains a steady trend in fashion today. You can read about the history of women’s pants in the 1940’s in these articles: 1940’s Pants History: Overalls, Jeans, Sailor, Siren Suits and Vintage Wide Leg Pants 1920’s to 1950’s History.

Suzy of Suzy Turner, Pixie Chick in Portugal

Outfit Details: Green Trousers – Promod / Black Floral Blouse – Stradivarius / Red Cardigan – H&M / Red Heels – Schuh / Pink Floral Handbag – Birthday gift from mother in law

Taking us on a visit to the Nifty Fifties is Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots showcasing a show stopping vintage body hugging wiggle dress and cardigan with these gorgeous green heels. Sheath dresses and kitten heels became the hottest in women’s fashion trends in the 1950’s as ultra femininity was the goal. On the other side of the spectrum, full skirts were also very fashionable as day dresses in the 1950’s. While cardigans began as an article of menswear clothing in the 1850’s, they were made popular for women by Coco Chanel in the 20’s and 30’s and have remained a steady trend ever since, more prominently in the 50’s, 70’s, 90’s, and 2010’s. Check out these two articles for more information about 50’s fashion: What Did Women Wear in the 1950’s? 1950’s Fashion Guide and 1950’s Fashion.

Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots

Outfit Details: Cardigan – NY&Co. / Vintage Wiggle Dress – Vintage by Suzanne / Fishnet Tights – c/o Berkshire Hosiery / Brooch – Ann Taylor / Earrings – c/o Happiness Boutique / Shoes – Nine West / Sunnies – Deb & Dave

Also visiting the Fabulous 50’s is Daenel of Living Outside the Stacks, who chose the theme this month. However, she went with the fuller skirted fit and flare dress which also exemplifies that decade. A librarian by occupation, this library books print on her dress is perfect topped with that ever-trending piece, the cardigan.

Daenel of Living Outside the Stacks

Outfit Details: Cardigan – Target / Floral Pins: Hobby Lobby / Dress: Modcloth / Tights: Old / Mary Janes: Journee Collection

And, of course, my outfit, representing the Psychedelic Sixties. The 1960’s was a decade highly influenced by the rebellious youth of the day who broke tradition and encouraged self-expression at any cost. Mod fashion trends captured the carefree spirit of the decade with bright colors, bold prints, and shortened hemlines. Yeah, that definitely speaks to me. I do like to challenge rules especially using self-expression as my primary medium. Check out these two articles for more on the fashion trends from this decade and how to recreate it today with a more modern vibe: 60’s Fashion for Women (And How to Get the 1960’s Style) and 1960’s Fashion: What Did Women Wear?

Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge

Outfit Details: Dress – Victoria Beckham for Target (from 2 years ago) / Coat, Black Layering Tee, and Earrings – Target / Booties: Forever 21 / Tights: really old

Leading us straight into the “Me Decade” or the Disco Era of the 1970’s is Mary of Curlybyrdie Chirps featuring a very modern and quite fabulous take on bell bottoms, color blocking, and fringe. The 1970’s fashion scene presented no dominant trends as mod style, hippie rebellion, and conservative middle age fashion could be found side by side on department store racks. Ultimately casual and comfortable became synonymous with the 70’s fashion scene and blue jeans became the daily uniform for many. And what once was a practical pant design for sailors, bell bottoms became that iconic trend that screams 1970’s. Check out these two articles on the 1970’s fashion scene: 70’s Fashion: What Did Women Wear in the 1970’s? and 70’s Fashion for Women (How to Get the 1970’s Style).

Mary of Curlybyrdie Chirps

Outfit Details: Jeans – Steinmart / Top – Pop Sugar Kohl’s / Boots – Kohl’s / Bag – Target 

And finally, bringing on the Naughty Nineties is none other than the wickedly fashionable Sheela of Sheela Writes bringing us her very adequately dubbed Polished Punk look which is a combination of “punk, rock and roll, and boardroom babe”. Punk fashion which originated in the 1970’s became hugely popular with its own fashion subculture in the 1990’s, one that is very near and dear to this nineties girl’s heart. For me, the 90’s was that decade that started to bring the attitude of anything goes when it comes to fashion. Wear what you like and strut it with confidence. A sentiment that I am very glad is still going strong in the world of women’s fashion nearly 30 years later. This article is absolutely intriguing to me…Punk: Chaos to Couture – A Dialogue Between Art & Fashion.

Sheela of Sheela Writes

Outfit Details: Leather Jacket – Pinko / White Blouse – Forever21 / Bustier Tulle Dress – Handmade / Boots – Bakers / Rings – House of Harlow / Belt – borrowed from boyfriend 

And I think the 1980’s is the lost decade in fashion. Need I explain? Probably not. What is your favorite decade for style?

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Ups.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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34 Comments

  • Kellyann Rohr

    January 28, 2019 at 12:33 pm Reply

    You ladies always bring it! I love how bold and original each of you are. It’s such a great collaboration of very creative women. That pink furry coat – OMG! Gosh I want to wrap myself in it. Your outfit is so cheery and fun Shelbee, I can only imagine the smiles you bring to the faces of passerbys!
    Have a wonderful week my friend!
    xo,
    Kellyann

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      January 28, 2019 at 2:11 pm Reply

      Thank you so much, Kellyann! I so wanted to keep this outfit on all day because it was so cheerful. But I was so cold that I had to change before heading to work. Plus with all the snow and ice, I would have killed myself getting to and from the car in these boots! Ha. Maybe if the snow ever melts, I will style this again in real life. I tried to link the coat but apparently it is no longer available.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Suzy Turner

    January 28, 2019 at 12:49 pm Reply

    I just love your outfit this month, Shelbee. The dress is super cute and super Austin Powers baby YEAH! LOL. (I do love those films – they’re so ridiculously funny, aren’t they? YEAH BABY YEAH!)
    You’ve certainly had some horribly cold weather which must’ve made things a tad difficult, but you sure did pull it out of the bag! I actually like the background outside your house. It looks gorgeous all covered in snow, but you must’ve been freezing!!
    Also really impressed that you’ve given us a bit of a history lesson in fashion for each decade. Like I’ve said before, you are an inspiration, my friend <3 <3
    Suzy xxx

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      January 28, 2019 at 2:05 pm Reply

      Suzy, thank you so much! I was so, so cold that I immediately changed into jeans and an oversized sweater and snow boots before heading to work the day I shot these photos. I was going to wear the outfit to work, but I was just too darn cold! And I had no intention of giving a fashion history lesson, but suddenly I found myself going there…so I went with it. I am glad you enjoyed it! Everyone knocked this theme out of the park!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Theresa

    January 28, 2019 at 1:48 pm Reply

    Wow, you really nailed it! Carnaby Street in London came to mind as soon as I saw this. Love that coat and the delicious color of those tights is perfect with the black and white mod floral print of the dress. Oh, and did I mention those fab boots? Groovy baby!

    xo
    Theresa

  • Susan Marinelli

    January 28, 2019 at 2:58 pm Reply

    How much fun was this post? Very cool. Shelbee you look wonderful, and that outfit is straight out of Austin Powers. Am crushing on the furry pink coat. Your outfit is so great, the background doesn’t matter one iota.
    Everyone else looks fabulous too.
    My favorite decade is of course, the 70’s, but I am also very fond of the 30’s and 40’s time period for wardrobe.
    I love the platform shoes, exquisite tailoring, expensive fabrics and sweetheart necklines of the 40’s and the upswept hair (a la Rosalind Russell in Woman of the year), or anything Ingrid Bergman wore in Casablanca. Actually, I’d totally wear Humphrey Bogart’s white dinner jacket too. I can totally see you in a cloche hat, chunky heels, and a short 40’s fur coat. With seamed nylons. Alas, that might not work in -20 degree temperatures, but if not, there is always your kitchen!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      January 28, 2019 at 3:16 pm Reply

      Oh Susan, you have articulated all of this so beautifully! I have a small collection of cloche hats that I do love but I don’t think I have worn one all year. Last year, they were my go to hats! Now I need to create an outfit just for you…with seamed stockings, chunky heels, and my long fur coat as I don’t have a short one! But I may need to wait until it warms up a bit.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Sheela Goh

    January 28, 2019 at 3:15 pm Reply

    Baby doll, you look groovilicious (isn’t that the absolute best about the 60s, that you can create words on the fly and they would still be acceptable??!!). I love how everything is just borderline kitsch which is really what that decade was all about. Pushing the boundaries plus some change. I love your outfit. Love love love. But more so, I love the thought you put behind each post you craft. You pay such attention to detail and invest so much time into creating well-woven tales. Those of us who don’t are hanging our heads in shame 🙂 MUACK xoxoxo

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      January 28, 2019 at 3:20 pm Reply

      Aw, you are too sweet, my punk rock friend! You know I am always game for creating new words…being the lover of language that I am! I respect the rules but I also know when it is best to break the rules! I had not intended on giving a fashion history lesson here, but as I got deeper into it, the more intrigued I became, and when I become intrigued, I get excited, and then I simply must share! I could read forever about the history of style and words…my two biggest passions! This was such a fun theme and I was so excited that we mostly all chose different decades which was perfectly suited to the direction in which my post hath traveled.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Claire Justine

    January 31, 2019 at 8:58 pm Reply

    What a lovely dress. Love the flower pint on it 🙂 Reminds me of some earrings I use to have which were big white flowers like your dress. Thanks for stopping by and joining us at the Creative Mondays #LinkUp

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      February 3, 2019 at 12:28 pm Reply

      Thanks so much, Jess! I am obsessed with white booties and now have 4 different pairs. I keep seeing ones I love and if they are just a bit different from ones I have, I can’t seem to resist them! But they do get lost in the snow. I look forward to seeing the ones you will be reviewing! Have a great weekend, my friend.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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