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Do you remember when you were a teenager and what fashions and jewelry styles were de rigueur? Was it the mod or hippie era of the nineteen sixties or the disco era of the seventies or the new romanticism era of the early eighties or a later decade? Whenever it was, long ago or only recently, there have been very definite styles in fashion and jewelry, whether it was the mini skirt and large geometric shaped plastic jewelry popular with the mods in the 1960s or the Ugg boots and best friend half heart necklace that are popular today.
It was not until the late 1950s and early 1960s that teenagers really came into their own. Prior to this the clothes they wore, the films they watched and the music they listened to was very similar in style to that of the older generation.
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This all changed when rock and roll music became popular with the younger generation and a so called “generation gap” emerged because their parents did not approve of their teens’ taste in music and dances. The marketing people were quick to pick up on this and suddenly there was a whole new range of films and products aimed at them. Instead of being mini adults they were able to express their identity not only through their music and films but also the clothes and accessories they wore.
My teen years were spent in England during the nineteen sixties and what an exciting time it was, London was where the mini skirt and geometric designs of the mod era originated (Mary Quant) and new groups such as the Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, the Rolling Stones and many others were bursting onto the music scene. I remember wearing mini skirts, knee length boots, hipster flared trousers, hot pants, lots of eye make up and false eyelashes, bobbed hair and big chunky geometric jewelry. One of the mod fashion icons of the day was Twiggy with her cool, chic style and this was the style I favored as I loved getting dressed up and looking smart when I went out. Although I definitely loved the look of the era I never slavishly followed fashion, preferring to add my own individuality to my look.
From the mid sixties another fashion style, imported from the West coast of America, influenced my teen years. This was the hippie style with it’s flowing skirts, peasant blouses, Jesus sandals, long hair and jewelry depicting the peace sign or heart charms representing love or flowers hung on leather straps used as either necklaces or bracelets. Although I adopted some of these fashions into my wardrobe they weren’t really the sort of outfits you wore to the clubs we used to frequent in a big city in England.
Since the emergence of “teenagers” as a separate entity, i.e. no longer a child but yet not an adult, the world of fashion, music and film making has recognized the fact and trends have followed on a regular basis. The hippie and mod fashions of the sixties extended into the “disco” era of the seventies but with the addition of platform shoes and afro hairstyles.
By the late seventies and early eighties some teenagers were into shocking and raging against the establishment and this is when the punk rock bands and their outrageous fashion burst onto the scene. Gone was the smart, clean look and in its place came multi colored Mohican haircuts, for both male and female, scruffy, dirty looking T shirts and jeans and Doc Marten work boots. Body piercing became ever more popular and jewelry ranged from leather collars or thick wrist bands with studs or spikes to razor blades or pull tops from cans hung on chains, not a piece of heart jewelry or other sentimental stuff in sight!
The eighties and early 1990s brought the glamor back with the arrival of the new romantic bands and their flamboyant fashions. This was very much a retro era in fashion with frilly shirts and blouses, glamorous outfits and make up not just for the females but for the males as well. Princess Diana was very much a fashion icon for this particular era, with fashion style from the pearl chokers she popularized to her signature hairstyle that many girls wanted to copy.
Every teen thinks that their fashion statements are different than the previous generation and in some cases they are, especially when you contrast the punk style to the fashions both before and after it. Today’s teenagers are no different and, like previous generations of teens, have very definite ideas on what is cool and what is not whether that is music, clothes and jewelry. However I think some fashions come round again over time. For instance the mini skirt is very much a part of the modern miss wardrobe – the only difference is that it is much shorter than in the nineteen sixties. And the same can be said for jewelry styles such as heart jewelry which was very popular during Victorian times and is now very fashionable with women of all ages. The teenage girls that I know love to wear jewelry and heart bracelets and pendants are definitely a favorite with them.
So even though Ugg boots and half heart necklaces may sound like a strange combination of style items, there have certainly been even more oddities of fashion that have preceded them!
