About This Quiz
Trends come and go, becoming famous and popular during different decades. Are you a fashion fan with an eye for style? Check how "on trend" your style knowledge is with this HowStuffWorks quiz!Some love the man bun and others hate it. It can't be denied that this modern trend has overtaken men's style.
The 1950s were all about complete outfits containing numerous matching accessories, from gloves to hats to jewelry. Pillbox hats were incredibly popular during this decade.
Bold prints and colors were on trend in the '70s. Polyester took over during this decade.
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First lady Jackie Kennedy, the wife of President John F. Kennedy, inspired women's fashion worldwide at the start of the 1960s. She wore sensible, clean dresses and jackets with matching accessories and hats, a more understated take on the excess of the 1950s.
Before the 1920s, makeup and cosmetics were largely considered crass and immoral by American society. This changed during this decade when women began copying the makeup looks of movie stars.
Men and women grew their hair long and gave up on extensive styling during the '60s. The natural look was in.
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The '50s are known for their glamorous excess across all areas of life. Women were expected to be perfectly dressed and groomed at all times with complex undergarments, fabrics and accessories, while in public or even while at home with their husbands.
Thanks to Kanye West, you could find someone in almost any public place wearing a pair of shutter shades during the late 2000s. This accessory is actually an '80s throwback that never took off during the decade where it was born.
Shorter skirts became symbols of confidence and sexual liberation in the '60s. Anything above the knee was considered a miniskirt.
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The roaring '20s was all about flapper fashion. Flappers wore rolled stockings below the knee, held up with garters.
The 1950s was defined by signature looks, which everyone was expected to conform to perfectly. This backfired spectacularly in the 1960s, with many young people completely throwing out the rigid, confining and high maintenance fashion of their parents.
Flower children rebelled against rigid, structured, high-maintenance, gendered fashion with free-flowing bright clothing made of natural fabrics and textures. They prized handmade clothing and accessories.
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T-shirts were initially considered men's underwear and became a unisex fashion staple by the mid-1970s. T-shirts became bold, multicolored and branded during this decade.
There was no such thing as too much during much of the '60s. Checkerboard, stripes, bold polka dots and even Warhol-inspired Campbells soup cans were used as eye-catching patterns on classic '60s shift dresses.
Brown and nude lips were a classic '90s look. These 'greige' tones have made a comeback in recent years.
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Women would wear their house dresses at home, and smart silk or rayon crepe dresses to run errands or enjoy the afternoon out. These afternoon dresses often featured the classic '30s silhouette described above.
In the 1940s, both women's and men's clothing became fitted with shoulder pads. Most blouses, jackets and dresses of the era were fitted with them.
While plus-size fashion had been overlooked entirely up to the 1940s, retailers began catering to women of more body types during this decade. Catalogs and department stores began carrying "stout" sizes, with beauty and fashion books offering plus-size fashion advice.
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During the '40s, women took over for men in the workplace as they fought during World War II. Women made large strides in independence and comfortable fashion, almost all of which was undone during the 1950s.
Women and men feathered and teased their hair to new heights during the 1980s. This was especially popular with teens and young people.
Thanks to the success of bands like Nirvana, young people in the 1990s embraced grunge for all it was worth. Baggy T-shirts, flannel and ripped denim replaced the more polished and brightly colored looks of past decades.
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In the '50s men wore somber and sleek boxy suits in stark colors. They also were expected to look glamorous and well put together at all times.
Bold scarves in striking Art Deco prints were a 1920s must have for the fashionable woman. They would often knot the scarves behind or on the side of their head.
In the 1960s fashion changed drastically. While during previous decades women strove for mature looks that emphasized their figures, '60s fashion focused more on bows, collars, kitten heels and straight dresses that made women appear smaller and less curvy.
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Rubber bracelets that supported different causes were all the rage for a short while in the 2000s. Whether it was the yellow Livestrong bracelet or one of the many others for different causes, almost everyone had at least one.
Shift dresses were often above the knee and boxy. These slim dresses were considered casual and not appropriate for the office or more formal events.
The hourglass figure was in fashion during the '40s. Dresses were designed to create the illusion of broad shoulders, full hips and narrow waists.
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Beatniks were the major counterculture movement against the repressive and high maintenance lifestyle and fashions of the 1950s. They embraced unisex fashion, with both women and men wearing black slacks and black turtlenecks.
This was the decade during which tight-fitting pants became everyday wear for both men and women. While at the start of the decade the bell bottoms from the 60s were still popular, by the end tight-fitting pants without any flare at all were in fashion.
The '80s is known for colorful and bright fashion. Neon clothing and accessories were everywhere.
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One popular style of house dress in the 1930's was the hooverette. This practical wrap dress was reversible and had a tied waist and ruffled sleeves. Women would not wear these dresses out of the house.
The '50s were all about luxury, and women's fashion was defined by the designer Christian Dior. Dior pioneered branding accessories by stamping them with his brand label, which is still done to this day.
Flapper style was all about the chemise dress. These simple tube dresses had thin spaghetti straps and were often adorned with bold accessories.
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Due to rationing of fabric during World War II, dresses in the 1940s became shorter. Unlike the long dresses of previous decades, knee-length dresses became popular during this decade.