The second annual Syracuse Style Event is going on this weekend in Armory Square. To continue the trend of the worldwide fashion month that is September, here’s a look at typical student style at Syracuse University from 1950 to 2005.

1950

In the ‘50s, the U.S. was finally in a powerful position globally and fashion matched the mood of the country: cheerful. Women wore dresses with shorter hemlines and ones that showed off their small waists and full bust and hips. It really was a time to play around with dress. This shirt dress, from 1950, shows off her tiny waist and the simple design of the dress keeps it classic.

1965

The ‘60s was a time when all fashion traditions were broken. It was the first time that multiple trends could be popular at the same time. People were finally able to express themselves as individuals — they could be mod, rocker or hippie. This woman decided to embrace the mod trend, which was much inspired by British model Twiggy. Her skirt reaches above the knee, which was not seen before the ‘60s and paired with Mary Janes and a turtleneck. What really suits her outfit the most is her bob hairstyle which was big for that decade.

1978

As the ‘60s eased into the ‘70s, the hippie trend eased itself from one decade to another. The ‘70s were defined by looser, more fluid silhouettes. As travel became easier fashion became more globally inspired with printed fabrics and ethnic accessories. The ‘70s also saw a rise in rock n’ roll, which produced a high interest in rock band t-shirts.

1986

As more women started to enter into the workforce in the ‘80s, fashion entered into the era of power dressing (think tight suits and shoulder pads). On the other spectrum, punk fashion rose to a high and so leather, Doc Martens and flannel popped up everywhere. Madonna was a huge fashion icon, so she encouraged everyone to embrace their own style. The two in this picture have clearly embraced their style by dressing in graphic printed tees, snapback hats and denim.

1993

Fashion in the ’90s became a lot more casual and minimal reflecting the carefree nature of America at that time. Denim made a fierce comeback and fashion was heavily influenced by several subcultures – grunge, hip-hop, and rave. As you can see in the picture, men and women’s fashions of the ’90s looked very similar. Women often wore masculine silhouettes and both genders often wore bright prints.

2005

The 2000s was a weird time for fashion. Outfits were made up of recycled materials and mixed up fashions (both styles and fabrics). Both the ‘80s and boho made a comeback, but there really was no one style to define the decade. The only thing that was common was almost every outfit showed some midriff. This girl’s outfit definitely epitomizes the ‘90s with the mixture of prints and fabrics, the little bit of midriff and the ‘80s hair (ouch). The only question is: where are her shoes?

Published on September 16, 2015 at 10:59 pm