Speech: “the fashion of yesterday and today”

It is a set of clothing , ornaments and accessories based on tastes, uses and

customs that are used by the majority during a certain period of time and that will
set a trend depending on the duration of the period. In case the teacher asks

During the 20th century the world changed completely and fashion was no
exception and evolved at the same speed as society did and was even able to
anticipate those changes in some aspects. It is clear that fashion did not begin in
1900 but 20th century fashion begins. In 1900 at the World's Fair in Paris, the so-
called Pavillon de l'Elégance was created, in which selected by Jeanne Paquin, the
creator of the very famous empire dresses and of the kimono coat and whose
career was overshadowed by the fact that she was a woman, the most important
couturiers of the time presented her garments, including Doucet, whose dresses
are not remembered today but whose name will never be forgotten. because he
was the discoverer of the designers who changed the fashion of these years: Paul
Poiret and Madeleine Vionnet, and Worth, an Englishman who revolutionized the
world of fashion by signing his clothes as painters did, and for whom the term was
created. of "Haute Couture" to designate the luxury and detail of its models.

Likewise, 20th century fashion began in 1900 with the so-called S silhouette ,
known in this way due to the corset that pushed the breasts up, narrowed the waist
and the skirts tight to the hips, which widened in the shape of a bell at the waist.
reach the ground. In the work world , tailored suits and cuts with a masculine
influence are beginning to be incorporated for women. The dresses were still long,
covering the shoes. Feathers and lace were all the rage; The large hats stood out,
with countless decorations and ornaments. This fashion was followed mostly by the
upper and middle classes. In 1908, the silhouette became much straighter, without
marking the waist as much, and there was a wave of orientalism thanks to the
designs of Paul Poiret and the Russian ballets .

Consequently, in the 1910s two periods are distinguished. The first, from 1905 until
the beginning of the First World War , characterized by being the appendix of the
ornate fashion typical of the Belle Époque , as well as by the appearance of a
silhouette that tends towards verticality in women and orientalism. Long, straight
corsets and skirts with little flare accompanied by an overskirt are becoming
fashionable, and daytime skirts are shortened to the ankles, leaving the shoes
visible. The second, throughout the entire conflict, is characterized by the
appearance of much more comfortable fashions for women: skirts continue to
shorten to almost mid-calf and bodies follow the natural line of the body, without
corsets. This was due to the need for women to fill the lack of labor in jobs
previously held by men. Because of this comfort in clothing, the androgynous
fashion of the 1920s would later be born.
Then, in the 1920s , clothing began to serve a much more practical purpose. The
silhouette changes again, lowering the size until it reaches the hips. The jacket suit
became popular as street clothing and for parties, dresses with large necklines on
the back as well as long fur coats were chosen. The short skirts up to the knee and
the sober, closed hats (cloché) stand out, in addition, the women left their hair
short for the first time.

During this decade, ladies traded in their white looks for the natural look of pink
face powder, created by Polish cosmetologist Helena Rubinstein . The 1920s were
one of the most revolutionary periods of the 20th century in this sense, as women
adopted the habit of putting on makeup, keeping compacts and lipstick in their
purses for touch-ups. Until then, the only ones who wore makeup were artists and
prostitutes. Young women uncovered themselves and began to drink and smoke in
public as a way to provoke the rigid status that reigned at the beginning of the
century.

The girls who were more fashionable painted their lips red, wore their hair short
and their eyes painted with dark shadows, and they used to dance jazz until dawn.
This was probably the most daring and transgressive decade. It was a time of
change that affected all cultural aspects and had a strong impact on fashion.

Optimism ended with the stock market crash in October 1929, which caused a
serious global economic crisis for the following years. In 1930, the waist was
marked again in its natural place and the skirts were lengthened to below the knee.
Femininity returned, the decorations on clothes, the little hats and the hair
abandoned the garçon style for hairstyles that were a little longer and with waves.
Starting in 1935, the shoulders are usually marked, giving the silhouette an
inverted triangle appearance.

During the Second World War , fashion was defined as austere and simple: the
look was militarized and the fabrics became poor due to the scarcity of materials.
Consequently, women dressed in city uniforms, that is, suits. The length of the
skirts continued below the knees, but the shortage of materials was so great that
laws were imposed that regulated this length. Given their cost, not all women could
afford stockings . Panties became popular, cork topolino shoes and very simple
hats or simply headscarves were worn. 1940

The first post-war years brought women back to the home, to housework, and to
thinking about themselves again. After years of anguish, worries and a lot of work,
the woman was able to live in the tranquility of her home, indulge in small
pleasures and be flirtatious. The world left a stage behind and so did fashion. Since
then, women once again worried about their beauty, their aesthetics and their
clothing. That is why the fashion of the 50s stands out for the return of splendor.

In 1947, after the triumph of Christian Dior 's new look , the hourglass silhouette
became popular: a narrow waist with voluminous curves. To exaggerate this
silhouette, cone-shaped bras and tight-fitting corsets were used. The flare of the
skirts increased, the length of which continued below the knees. Women wanted
frivolity and craved feminine clothing that did not look like a civilian version of
military uniforms. She wanted to be sensual again, but without being too
provocative; Curves thus became the new symbol of feminine beauty. She always
had to wear correct makeup, and the use of accessories such as stiletto shoes,
gloves, headdresses, hats, elbow bags... began to be highly valued. The most
used fabrics were different types of silk and tulle. The main objective was to give
greater volume to the woman's hips and achieve a wasp waist.

The most notable designers of this era were Christian Dior , Coco Chanel ,
Cristóbal Balenciaga , Elsa Chiaparelli , Hubert de Givenchy , Jacques Fath, Nina
Ricci and Pierre Cardin . 5 6

Then comes the 1960s which stands out for the revolution. Comfortable and
youthful clothing was used again, following the natural line of the body and leaving
bourgeois luxury behind. The usual use of hats and dress gloves is abandoned.
Starting in 1966, extravagant clothing, with butterfly, flower, pop-art or ethnic
prints , became fashionable. The silhouettes became smoother again and the
revolutionary miniskirts, short to the thigh, which were born in London in 1965 by
the designer Mary Quant , began to quickly prevail among young women all over
the world.

In this way In 1970 , adolescents had the ability to express themselves freely. This
is how the concept of different, original, fun and extravagant clothing emerged. Hair
was worn short, long or with geometric cuts. Both men and women began to wear
bell-bottoms and cotton blouses, among others, became popular.

It was a very diverse decade, in which there was a craze towards retro . Flowers
were one of the main symbols, not only in clothing but also in hair, and represented
the illusory ideology that guided them to the so-called flower revolution . The suits
and dresses stood out, which were worn with tight pants. Cotton was replaced by
lycra , and they wore boots or high-heeled shoes, Swedish type.

Fashion brought with it considerable changes during these years. The new style
was characterized by the use of visible underwear , either over a T-shirt , under a
translucent T-shirt, or visible lace suspenders. This new fashion was highly
controversial, becoming a synonym for liberation for women , since in the past
wearing underwear in this way gave them the appearance of being a disheveled
woman. Thanks to this trend, women can now wear comfortable t-shirts without
having to worry about transparency or bra straps. 1980

In this regard, the 1990s were based on variety and not on a specific and lasting
trend. There was a preference to dress in what made them feel most comfortable,
without giving much importance to the opinions of others or trends, because it had
been concluded that there was no true freedom. Band t-shirts became popular, as
did loose hair. One of the great innovations of this period was the appearance of
piercings , tattoos and hair dyes.
In this way, in the 21st century, the first fashion show was held at the Instituto
Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus. As a
result, the possibility of ordering and sending clothing items to any part of the world
was born thanks to the media or Internet. Consequently, current fashion seems to
be heading towards universal uniformity.

In the 2000s, the concept of urban tribes gained strength. These directly influenced
the ways of dressing, mainly due to the growing exposure to mass media such as
the Internet. Although subcultures have already existed since the 60s and 70s,
such as Beatnik and Hippies , some do not adopt the countercultural sentiment that
gave rise to them, being only identifiable by their way of dressing, for example, the
emo culture . Both men and women adopt tracksuits for almost all types of
occasions. Women wear shorts , skirts, miniskirts and high-waisted pants, and
some garments from the 1980s are reincorporated, returning the floral print. As for
footwear, women wear strong boots, clogs or sandals.

Likewise in the 2010s, men introduce the V-neckline along with skinny pants and
designer sneakers into their wardrobe. White pants cause a sensation among
boys, although on the other hand, dark pants provide great elegance, as do open
shirts with t-shirts underneath and rolled up sleeves. Women prefer fresh fashion
but with a modern touch, little makeup and natural hair with structured hairstyles,
incorporating details of 1960s fashion. Vintage has a strong presence in the
women's wardrobe. On the other hand, in men's clothing an alternative fashion is
beginning to grow that seeks identity, which is influenced by one's own trends and
tastes, giving rise to a style that is a little more risky and fun.

Currently, fashion and clothing have a complex relationship with identity: the
clothes we choose to wear can be a way of expressing who we are, of giving
details about our gender, class or position, for example. The new generation of
consumers does not passively receive the brand stories that companies tell, but
rather is the joint creator of their meaning. For marketers, this means that the old
trick of shouting about how great the brand or use of it is no longer works. Today it
is crucial to listen to young consumers and understand how they fit brands into
their lifestyle. In addition, in its Talk Track surveys of more than 2,000 teenagers in
the United States between the ages of 13 and 17, the Keller Fay group found that
young people have an average of 145 conversations a week about brands. Of
course, each country or region has its favorite local brands. Topshop dominates
the industry in the United Kingdom, Zara triumphs in Spain and G-Star in Holland;
but, in general, it is H&M that achieves the greatest international success in the
Generation Y market.

On the other hand, it is known that there is a strong compatibility between

emotions, fashion consumption and color, whatever the cultural roots or the
different types of population analyzed; That is, color shows correspondence in
terms of meaning and is associated with emotions. Furthermore, based on the
analysis of surveys carried out in a single region, a strong tendency to obey color
preferences is demonstrated both in making decisions about entering consumer
establishments and in the purchase event itself; with conclusive and definitive
results for the most part, which allows us to infer that consumption is affected by
color and that the consumer can be influenced to such an extent that they give up
consuming an object because they cannot find their favorite shade. Likewise, the
link between color and fashion consumption is not consistent and generates
conflicts regarding the meanings of color, but it is concluded that as a result of the
effects of color on the emotions of individuals, the object must contemplate trends
and chromatic ranges of color from a design perspective in order to cover as many
individuals as possible.

Fashion and brands not only embrace the desire to imitate other people or a
certain community, but to express individuality; That is, although clothing indicates
our affiliation with specific communities and expresses shared values, ideas and
lifestyles, we do not want to be "clones" dressed identically to the members of that
community. The clothes we choose to wear represent a compromise between the
demands of the social world, the environment to which we belong, and our
individual desires.

A successful fashion captures the “mood” or “taste” that is emerging. Fashion, as a

discourse and as a practice, embodies the body, making it social and identifiable
and explains how this construction of the body through clothing is of considerable
importance for the development of modern society. 12

The mass consumer society began to play a central role at the time when fashion
began to be understood as the need to mark a distinction between each individual,
which Pierre Bourdieu and Jean Baudrillard spoke of. 7 Fashion is part of our
context as people, it influences different aspects of our lives, from what we eat and
drink to the places we should frequent. Currently, the simple act of dressing brings
with it factors as diverse as self-esteem, security, aesthetic experience,
consumption and imitation practices or the desire for inclusion. 8 It should never be
forgotten that all fashions are dangerous from the moment they become extreme.

Furthermore, the mass media are and have been an important tool in the field of
information and its dissemination, 9 since they can reach any part of the world in a
very short time due to the globalization process. They are creators of a new culture
and global reorganization of the market, generating millions of income worldwide
and having such an influence on contemporary society that few match the power
that has been conferred on them. Fashion is strongly linked to these media and is
controlled by them, as they contribute to socialization processes.

We live in the era of communication: the media make us accomplices of

information of all kinds and are responsible for teaching us to shape the
perceptions we have of reality. 10 These media bombard the entire population,
although their target is mainly adolescents and young adults, with series, television
advertisements, programs, reality shows, social networks such as Instagram and
Facebook, magazines or music, among others. All this leads us to a new
multicultural individualism. The impact of social networks and technology among
young people, based on sociological concepts of group and primary relationships,
generate a need for identity among young people.

Dressing, therefore, is a kind of supermarket of the self, with the ability to create
different looks that transmit different identities. This represents a value today
because it allows you to use your own personality on an aesthetic level and make it
another product on the market. In addition, in the same way that personality is
materialized in clothing, fashion itself is capable of making people feel, of
transmitting its own values to those who wear it. As Gavarrón indicates "beyond a
pattern, a fabric, a color and some shapes, the suit manifests the mood of the
person who wears it and, reciprocally, influences him" (Gavarrón, 1989:11) . But in
fashion, not everything is about individual expression, because the same thing that
distinguishes us also manages to integrate us, its power lies in its ability to be
distinctive, universal and social at the same time. Alvira talks to us about this
fashion value of the self in relation to the environment because she considers that
dressing is a way of inhabiting the world, a way of having. Thus, through having,
we identify, we are and we take possession and awareness of our place in the
world for ourselves and for others (Alvira: 2004). It is in this process of becoming
aware of ourselves and others that the concepts of expression and perception are
key to making possible not only the establishment of relationships with our
environment and with others, but also to define our experiences and its value.

Those who criticize fashions say that they respond to a simple process of "they
create it and we wear it." The truth is that the reason why we follow fashion trends
is neither so simple nor so expendable for human beings. A influences B in the
same way that B influences A. This is the fundamental premise of social
psychology, one of the most empirical branches of psychology that investigates
and explains how people behave in social contexts. And that is how we are, social
beings and that is why the presence of others influences us in such a direct and
powerful way.

This being the case, succumbing to fashion does not seem to be a thing for fools,
but rather a thing for humans. Adolescence is a stage that involves more than
physical changes; At that moment in life, the defining path of the personality of the
future adult is crossed and values, convictions and goals are built and reinforced,
consequently. Fashion is a very influential factor in young people, especially in the
search for their identity. They are always thinking about how they look, looking for
someone to follow or have as a model, looking for acceptance, but what many find
is emotional instability. As a result of this, fashions stand out.

 Punks.
 Gothic.
 Floggers.
 Emos.
 Break dance.
  Rastafarians.
 Rappers.
 Skaters.
 Reggaetoneros.
 Rockers.
 Metalheads.

The way we dress, the colors we choose, the television shows we watch and the
products we consume are all related to our personality. And being fashionable not
only refers to the way we dress and the accessories we use, but also to lifestyles,
behaviors and products.