With the second half of the school year doing anything but greeting us nicely, there is only one thing most students look forward to at the beginning of the new year: our infamous Dance of the Decades. The only time when it’s socially acceptable to don clothing from a different decade (or perhaps even a different era, or millennia!), Pilots all across campus are brainstorming which they’ll arrive as this year to the Crystal Ballroom. Well, fear not, mistresses – Her Campus Portland is here to inspire you to dress your best! Find inspiration for all of your favorite decades through these pages – we’ll start with futuristic, and weedle our way all the way back to the caveman days.
Find your decade in these pages: Futuristic – scroll down; 2000s – page 2; 1990s – page 3; 1980s – page 4; 1970s – page 5; 1960s – page 6; 1950s – page 7; 1940s – page 8; 1930s – page 9; 1920s – page 10; Ancient Greece – page 11; Cave men / women – page 12.
Futuristic
For a futuristic look, think sharp edges and metallics – like our favorite 90’s Disney movie star, Zenon! Find shiny leggings in almost every color at American Apparel, like these, or find legit metallic ones here. Need kicks to go with your outfit? Check out some of these futuristic shoes for inspiration! For your hair, think edgy as well – don’t be afraid to go with something a little weird for a hairstyle. Being futuristic isn’t about looking classy or good – it’s about being trendy!
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2000s
Yup. That’s right. We can now dress like we were from the 2000s. Most of these inspirations fall into the early 2000s category, but either way – it’s weird. Flippy hair and crop tops were favorites of this decade, as was baring the midriff. Headbands, funky curling techniques in the hair, and pigtails were hairstyle favorites (see Lizzie McGuire if you need more clarity). And makeup? Blue eye shadow. Or really any type of colored eye shadow. Just think back to your middle school days, and think about what you really loved to wear to school – the glory days, if you will. The Disney movie Wish Upon a Star with our favorite Katherine Heigl (that’s right, Katherine Heigl) should give you some great inspiration, as well. And you thought denim was reserved for the 90s? Think again. Check out the denim-tastic photo of Britney and Justin, circa early 2000s. This was, of course, the era of matching outfits – recall multiple girl and boy bands who coordinated outfits (aka N’Sync, Dream, Destiny’s Child… need I say more?)
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90s
When people think of the 1990s, they often think of this decade as the era of anti-fashion – grunge took over (even though florals and crochet were popular), and denim soon became a staple in every aspect of the term. The popular blog Who What Wear did a piece on 90’s fashion, hoping to bring back the best of what the decade brought us. Dressing like you’re from the 90s is easy enough – denim on denim on denim, if you want it easy. Want more? Throw some florals into the denim mix, or some other types of prints with a crop top. Make sure to style the bangs loud and proud, and consider adding one of your favorite scrunchies to the mix. Watch episodes of our favorite childhood shows like Boy Meets World or Full House if you need more inspiration!
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80s
Here’s an era that most college girls already seem to live in. Sweats, legwarmers, t-shirts? Done, done, aaaand done. Fortunately enough, the 80s has tons of other fashion staples that they can share as well for all you folk who like to actually dress up. Acid wash jeans and shoulder pads, ray ban sunglasses and lingerie as clothing; oh, these were the days. Don’t forget the crimped hair and layered bangs! This era was all about punk – attitude was half the outfit. A crimpy, super curly hairstyle was popular in this decade – try braiding your hair into tons of tiny braids when wet, and sleep in them. In the morning, let them out, and your 80s hairstyle is ready to go!
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70s
If you’re looking for a decade that is just as groovy and funky as you are… look no further. This is the age of the disco – the ultimate party decade. Funnily enough, That 70s Show has great 70s style and inspiration. Donna and Jackie favor the classic bell bottoms, and you know you remember seeing Kelso wearing a big collared suit. Printed rompers were popular for the younger folk, as were pleated and maxi skirts. The Farrah Fawcett hairstyle (while difficult, but still possible) is a favorite for hair – check out YouTube for curler tutorials on how to get her flippy look.
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60s
For you Brigitte Bardot lovers, you have found your decade! The classy and timeless looks that Ms. Bardot shared are surely to be winners at Dance of the Decades this year. Not only was she revered for her hair, but for her style as well. Other era favorites are gogo boots, the beehive hairstyle, and winged eyeliner. Also popular is the hippie look – brown, earthy tones, and long, drape-y layers. Have any clothes from the current color-blocking trend? Throw them into your 60s outfit – color blocking was first a trend in the 60s! For your hair, try a natural, messy / wavy look if you’re going for hippie, or attempt the beehive if you’re more Bardot.
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50s
The 1950s brought tons of flattering dresses fit for the girly girls. It played on every woman’s extreme feminine side, capitalizing on the waist to play up her curves. A popular movie to reference for this decade is the obvious – Grease. The typical go to for this era is the poodle skirt – dress yours up by making it floral, and giving your hair big, Hollywood style waves. Or step out of your comfort zone, and into the role of a 1950s stewardess – classy, and sophisticated. Throw a bow into your ponytail, or some cat-eye glasses on to finish the look.
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40s
Get out your bandanas, ladies – the 1940s played up the hair with a head scarf! Play Rosie the Riveter, and don an awesome head scarf plus some polka dots. The army even became somewhat of its own trend – because of the war, not many colors played into fashion in this era, and women donned more and more army-like clothing. Fabric restrictions (also because of the war) brought in a new trend accidentally – shorter skirts! The Notebook is a great reference point for the 30s (and for sexy Ryan Gosling before the world realized he was the most admired man) – Allie is quite the trendy woman, and wears tons of clothes that would still be classy now.
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30s
Think glamorous for the 30s – long fur coats, elegant evening gowns, carefully adorned hair. Women in this era really knew how to put themselves together, and luxuriously, too. Hats were permanently perched, and a short, shoulder-length hairstyle was in for most of the decade. Search YouTube for a tutorial on how to pin-curl your hair, for that much crazed about wavy look that was so popular in the 30s, but maybe avoid the fur for the dance – the Crystal Ballroom isn’t exactly an ice chest when 500 Pilots are jammed in there.
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20s
The infamous Coco Chanel made her debut in the roaring 1920s – and fashion was forever changed. Attempting to blur the lines between men and women’s “style,” the designer created fashion trends that would last for decades, and are still seen today. Necklines dropped and hemlines rose in the 20s, and the flapper dress emerged as a clear favorite among women. They wore their hair short, in a “page-boy” style, and large coats were popular because women could apparently hide more bottles of alcohol within them during the prohibition period.
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Ancient Greeks
Of course, this is the ultimate college student’s go-to. Simply rip off the sheet of your bed, and figure out some awesome way to tie your toga to be BAM! A woman from ancient Greece! Trendy and cheap. Watch the movie 300 for toga shaping ideas – the Queen of Gorgo is one to watch. Need help tying your toga? Search YouTube for tutorials on tons of different ways to tie yours. Need help for your Ancient Greecian hair? YouTube is also the way to go – twisty / braidy hairstyles are easy to find and also easy to conquer. Too bad the Greeks didn’t have the internet.
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Cavemen / women
Planning to be a little more risqué? The cave woman outfit might be your answer in disguise – fur loincloths are hard to come by these days. Of course, you can always go for the more child-friendly (literally) option: Bam-Bam from The Flintstones! Make sure to do almost nothing with your hair – unless you’re going for Bam-Bam, in which you’ll want to save a bone from your chicken dinner to throw in there.
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Sources:
http://everythingisfuturistic.blogspot.com/2011/01/raphael-youngs-futuristic-footwear.html
http://teenspiritnyc.com/post/36666386949/90s-movie-marathon-wish-upon-a-star
http://dresslikeyuliya.com/milena-styling/new-trends-70s-and-50s/
http://dresslikeyuliya.com/yul…
http://trendland.com/1950s-fashion-trends/#
http://cozybiscuit.blogspot.com/2010_01_17_archive.html
http://www.pastreunited.com/id191.html http://www.msbomb.com/2012/09/tbt-fashion-1930s-fashion.html
http://www.life123.com/beauty/fashion/trends/1920s-fashion.shtml