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Throughout the 20th century, fashion influenced and was influenced by the cultures and social movements of the time, from global to hyper-local scales: for example, even today we associate flapper dresses with the Prohibition era and Kangol hats with the birth of hip hop.
Fashion has always broken boundaries and captured the zeitgeist, but it has also evolved from a symbol of social status to a tool for self-expression. This list of some of the 20th century’s most famous style icons shows the extent of that change, and how key figures in popular culture literally changed the way we dress and the way we wear it.
A fashion icon is someone who creates a recognizable style that is unique to them or the environment they live in. Fashion icons create and popularize trends that define mainstream culture by deviating from or embodying the status quo, or by taking risks to develop their own unique visual identity.
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Portrait of actress Camille Clifford, circa 1906.
In the early 1900s, the “Gibson Girl” was a symbol of the modern, independent American woman. Originally conceived and painted by artist Charles Dana Gibson, the Gibson Girl was tall and graceful, with an hourglass figure. Belgian-born actress Camille Clifford was hailed as embodying this aesthetic, and her elaborate updos and long, form-fitting dresses (which accentuated an exaggerated, S-shaped silhouette) dominated women’s fashion.
1910s: Paul and Denis Poiret
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Designer Paul Poiret dresses a fitted model in a bias-cut silk dress.
The progress of the war in the 1910s created a need for more women to join the workforce in Western countries. Subsequently, throughout the decade, hem lengths became shorter to allow for greater freedom of movement and dresses became looser, eliminating the need for corsets. Designer Paul Poiret, known as the “King of Fashion” at the time, is widely considered to have contributed to the demise of the corset. Poiret, who introduced the “lampshade” tunic and chemise dress to women’s fashion, was inspired by his wife, Denise Poiret, who advocated for and modeled harem pants, a controversial garment at the time since pants were almost exclusively worn by men.
1920s: Josephine Baker and Coco Chanel
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Portrait of Josephine Baker, circa 1920s.
An icon of the “Roaring Twenties,” flapper fashion is known for dresses with dropped waists, cropped hems, sequins, and lots of fringe. Women’s clothing adopted a more androgynous style with simple lines and loose fits. Some women even chose to wear undergarments called step-ins, which minimized their natural curves and suited the more “boyish” flapper aesthetic.
One of the most famous figures of the Jazz Age, singer and dancer Josephine Baker embodied the flapper look. French designer Coco Chanel also helped popularize the style, along with other staples that remain in fashion today, such as the classic little black dress. Chanel often drew inspiration from menswear, previously introducing the two-piece tweed suit that became one of her eponymous brand’s most iconic designs. Her work proved that clothes should be both fashionable and functional for working women.
1930s: Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn
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Actress Marlene Dietrich poses in a 1932 photograph.
In the 1930s, hem lengths shortened and waistlines rose, emphasizing a more feminine silhouette, but in the aftermath of the Great Depression, Western fashion reverted to more conservative styles. Smart suits, or dresses designed to look like suits, became popular, along with padded shoulders and patterned day dresses.
Marlene Dietrich was one of the first to challenge gender norms in fashion during this era: normalizing androgyny through her work in film, the German actress often wore men’s clothing on and off screen, challenging stereotypes about femininity at the time.
Actress Katharine Hepburn was also known for her understated yet outrageous style. Off screen, she was often seen wearing blue jeans, high-waisted slacks, and button-down shirts, embodying what became known as the quintessential “American look.”
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Cab Calloway gave an acting performance in the 1943 film “Stormy Weather.”
A variety of suits and formalwear dominated men’s fashion in the 20th century, but the “zoot suit” of the 1940s may be the most iconic. A long, oversized coat with padded shoulders paired with high-waisted, wide-legged pants, the zoot suit originated in urban areas across the US and was popularized by African-American performers in the jazz world. As swing dancing became mainstream, the zoot suit became a kind of uniform for trendsetters like Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis Jr., and Cab Calloway, famous for performing at Harlem’s Cotton Club.
1950s: James Dean and Marilyn Monroe
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A still of James Dean from the 1955 film “Rebel Without a Cause”
The 1950s saw a new outlook on teenage life emerge as young people distanced themselves from outdated habits and parental expectations and created the culture of their generation. Many working-class youth were drawn to the rebellious style exemplified by actors like James Dean, who famously wore a plain white T-shirt, red nylon jacket and jeans in the 1995 film “Rebel Without a Cause.”
Dean’s style came to symbolize a generation grappling with the anxiety and ennui that accompanied the end of World War II and the beginning of the new Cold War. The counterculture look, popularized by Dean and actors such as Marlon Brando, rejected the more formal fashions worn by the GI generation.
Marilyn Monroe offered a radically different, yet equally iconoclastic, new ideal for young women of that decade: with her billowing, figure-hugging dresses, one-shoulder gowns and halter tops, the blonde beauty was a symbol of sexual freedom and body positivity.
1960s: Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy
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A still of Audrey Hepburn from the film “Love in the Afternoon.”
The 1960s was characterized by a variety of fashion trends, including “Space Age” style, hippie fashion, and the Mod movement. Each of these subcultures had its own unique characteristics. British model Leslie Hornby, better known as Twiggy, was known for her bold futuristic style, including shift dresses, miniskirts, and no-bra outfits. Rock star Jimi Hendrix embraced the hippie aesthetic with bell-bottom jeans, embellished vests, vintage military jackets, and fringe.
Movie star Audrey Hepburn, known for her simple yet elegant style, subtly incorporated elements of these trends into her wardrobe. A muse for Hubert de Givenchy, Hepburn accented her signature outfits with oversized sunglasses, ballet flats, and statement earrings. First Lady Jackie Kennedy was also known to accessorize, matching her trademark pillbox hat with elbow-length white gloves. Kennedy’s style was chic yet approachable, allowing her to connect with the masses through fashion in a way that previous First Ladies struggled to do. Her personality shone through through a wardrobe that pioneered women’s clothing trends, including dress suits, trench coats, and capri pants.
1970s: Diana Ross and David Bowie
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An image of Diana Ross performing circa 1970s.
America in the ’70s was known as the “Me Decade,” a term coined by author Tom Wolfe in an essay that predicted the country’s “Third Great Awakening.” People sought new ways to express individuality, sexuality, and body confidence, with tube tops, flared jeans, and hot pants becoming wardrobe staples. And when it came to dressing up for a night out, Motown queen Diana Ross was the model. Ross was the perfect embodiment of ’70s glamour, often performing in sparkly, form-fitting jumpsuits with her iconic big hairdo.
David Bowie was also known for his eye-catching performance outfits. Adopting multiple alter egos throughout his career, including the iconic Ziggy Stardust, who debuted in 1972 (and was retired by Bowie just a year later), Bowie embraced outlandish style and challenged traditional notions of masculinity by wearing platform shoes, one-legged jumpsuits and dresses.
1980s: Princess Diana and the Prince
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Princess Diana photographed at Guards Polo Club in Windsor, England on May 2, 1988.
What we know today as “athleisure” became popular in the ’80s. The release of “Flashdance” in 1983 and the Jazzercise fitness craze, which made bodysuits and leg warmers commonplace, made dancewear and sportswear more acceptable in everyday life. One of the early advocates of athleisure was Princess Diana, who could make a simple biker shorts and sweatshirt combo look classy. While other members of the British royal family followed a strict dress code, Princess Diana was known for taking risks in following (and popularizing) mainstream fashion trends during and after her marriage to then-Prince Charles.
Meanwhile, the artist known as Prince followed in Bowie’s footsteps but forged his own path and made a name for himself in the fashion world. Prince was a maximalist who used fashion as a tool for self-expression and incorporated women’s clothing into his wardrobe to rebel against gender stereotypes. Some of his most memorable style choices included monochromatic clothing, ruffled shirts and feather boas.
1990s: Michael Jordan and Aaliyah
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Michael Jordan in an oversized power suit, circa 1996.
Michael Jordan is best known as a basketball player, but his approach to fashion on and off the court had a major impact on menswear in the 90s. After the release of the Air Jordan sneaker in the mid-80s, everyone from athletes to rappers to grade school kids wanted to “look like Mike,” as a famous 90s commercial put it. By combining sportswear with formalwear, Jordan showed how to wear the oversized power suits of the time in a casual way, swapping out formal shirts for t-shirts and crewnecks and loafers for sneakers.
Streetwear was also influenced by the style of R&B singer Aaliyah, whose chic tomboy style features baggy jeans teamed with crop tops and bandeaus, fusing hip-hop fashion with her own femininity.
The list goes on…
From Anna May Wong’s dragon dresses to Grace Jones’ tuxedo blazers, Little Richard’s eyeliner to Madonna’s cone bras to Kurt Cobain’s grunge knits. As fashion cycles become more intense (and blurred), we continue to draw inspiration from the wardrobes of fashion icons from the past century, crediting contemporary style to those who took risks and challenged restrictive societal norms. After all, being trendsetter never goes out of style.
