Photos show the biggest must-have fashion item of the last 12 decades

Victoria MontaltiMar 24, 2022, 20:13 IST

S-bend corsets from the 1900s, power suits from the 1980s, and plaid flannels of the 1990s are some "it" items from decades past.Adoc Photos/Getty Images; Paul Natkin/Getty Images; ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images

There are key fashion items from every decade in history that many people wanted to wear.
Shifts in conservatism made flapper dresses, miniskirts, and power suits monumental.

In the 1900s, many women wore S-bend corsets under their day and evening dresses to create a dramatic hourglass body shape.

An advertisement for Weingarten Bros corsets (left) and portrait of dancer Cléo de Mérode taken in 1900 (right).Hulton Archive/Getty Images; Adoc Photos/Getty Images

The coveted (and restrictive) hobble skirt came into fashion in the 1910s, after corsets went out of fashion.

Cover image of "The Hobble Skirt Walk One-Step" 1909 song by Bertram Lestrange (left) and a woman wearing a rendition of a hobble skirt at a French racecourse in 1914 (right).Sheridan Libraries/Levy/Gado/Getty Images; Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Women's curves were hidden in tubular flapper dresses with low waistlines during the '20s.

A group of school girls in 1925 wearing tubular dresses and cloche hats.Kirn Vintage Stock/Getty Images

In the '30s, silky bias-cut gowns hugged and celebrated women's natural curves for the first time.

Bette Davis pictured in 1930 (left) and Marlene Dietrich pictured in 1937 (right) are both seen in bias cut dresses.John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

During the '40s, utility clothing was just as common for working in factories as it was for everyday wear or even special events.

Women wore utility clothing on a daily basis, especially when working in factories during World War II.H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images

Christian Dior's "New Look" in the '50s brought feminine, full-skirted silhouettes to the decade.

Christian Dior's "bar suit" from his 1947 collection dubbed "The New Look" was an iconic silhouette that changed fashion forever.Eugene Kammerman/Getty Images

The invention of the miniskirt came at a time of sexual liberation and youthful celebration: the '60s.

A model wearing notable French designer Pierre Cardin's miniskirt from his 1969 fall collection.Bettmann/Getty Images

Leisure suits of many forms were worn by both men and women in the '70s for a sophisticated yet casual look.

Comedian David Brenner on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" in 1975 (left) and Farrah Fawcett in an episode of "Charlie's Angels" in 1977.NBC/Getty Images; ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images

By the '80s, women began wearing padded-shoulder-and-skirt power suits to the office.

Ivana Trump wore a typical power suit on an appearance of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 1989.Paul Natkin/Getty Images

In the '90s, many teenagers owned flannels thanks to the grunge movement and their parents' closets or thrift stores.

Flannels made their way to the mainstream, as shown by Jared Leto wearing one in a 1995 episode of "My So-Called Life."ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images

Denim jeans went through several popular styles in the 2000s, but we could never escape them one way or another.

Low-rise, flared, distressed, and skinny jeans were popular in the 2000s.Carlo Allegri/Getty Images; KMazur/Getty Images; Dave Hogan/Getty Images

"Ugly" shoes were worn with athleisure by the masses and celebrities, especially thanks to high-profile collaborations, in the 2010s.

Ugg boots, Crocs, and Fila Disruptor sneakers became widely popular among the masses and celebrities during the 2010s.Raymond Hall/Getty Images; Melodie Jeng/Getty Images

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