More than a century of fashion on one page: the silhouettes, designers and moments that defined each decade.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 2 November 2026
How has fashion changed decade by decade?
| Decade | Defining look | Key names |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | The S-bend corset and long, trailing skirts | Worth, Doucet |
| 1910s | Freed from the corset; war brings practical clothes | Paul Poiret |
| 1920s | The flapper: dropped waists, shorter hems | Coco Chanel, Jean Patou |
| 1930s | Bias-cut evening gowns and Hollywood glamour | Madeleine Vionnet, Elsa Schiaparelli |
| 1940s | Wartime rationing, then the New Look (1947) | Claire McCardell, Christian Dior |
| 1950s | Cinched waists, full skirts and the first teenagers | Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy |
| 1960s | Mod, the miniskirt and the space age | Mary Quant, Courrèges, Yves Saint Laurent |
| 1970s | Boho, disco and punk | Halston, Diane von Furstenberg, Vivienne Westwood |
| 1980s | Power dressing and big shoulders | Armani, Mugler, Comme des Garçons |
| 1990s | Grunge, minimalism and supermodels | Calvin Klein, Prada, Versace |
| 2000s | Y2K, logos and the It-bag | Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, John Galliano |
| 2010s–2020s | Streetwear, Instagram, then quiet luxury | Virgil Abloh, Alessandro Michele, Phoebe Philo |
Why does fashion change so much?
Fashion reflects its time: wars and rationing, women’s changing roles, new technologies and fabrics, music and youth culture, and the economy. Designers both respond to these changes and help speed them up.
Does fashion repeat itself?
Often, in cycles of roughly 20 to 30 years, as each generation rediscovers the styles of its parents’ youth. The 1970s returned in the 1990s, the 1990s returned in the 2010s, and Y2K style came back in the 2020s.
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