It seems to me that fashion and what we now call pop-culture had much longer lifespans in ages past.

Consider the case of the top hat. The top hat started off as a replacement, socially, for the tricorn hat and was worn by all classes of men starting around the 1790s and arguably peaking in the 1890s. The topper remained an acceptable style of hat to wear all the way in America through to 1961, although after WWI it became more and more associated with the upper classes and the ultra rich and was slowly abandoned by the "common man" in favor of the fedora. But - the point remains that this single style of hat, with slight variations, remained a popular clothing item for over 100 years.

Now, look at the world today in comparison. Since the 1950s or 1960s, it seems, the lifespans of fashion and pop cultural trends have grown shorter and shorter. In say, 1950, prior to the Rock N' Roll boom of the middle to late 1950s, American pop culture and fashion essentially bore only slight comestic differences from the styles of the 1930s.

Even as late as the 1990s, a particular hairstyle could remain acceptable for a long while - teased hair for women was popular, in different styles, from the mid 1970s through early 1990s for example; The mullet hairstyle for men remained acceptable from the early 1970s through mid 1990s. Nowadays, hairstyles change with the year or even with the season. The manbun was the craze in 2015 or so - and today is already a punchline in many circles. The undercut, popular in the last two years, is becoming unpopular due to negative political associations.

Yet, at the same time, fashion has stagnated in some ways. The 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s all can be easily distinguished from each other in terms of what people wore. It is very easy to tell a photo taken in 1967 from one in 1977 and one in 1987.

But compare say, the mid 2000s to the present. Many of the items we wear today - jeans, t-shirts - would be available in not only the same styles, but same cuts and such, as they were in 2008. Only hairstyles, at this point, now differentiate these late 2010s from the late 2000s. There is a certain sense of conformity in terms of a national form of dress that in the 1960s and early 1970s didn't exist - in those times you could literally wear almost anything and get away with it. Today, if you go outside a certain margin, you'd be considered odd or at the very least eclectic.

So, my question is, why has fashion both seemed to decline in its longevity, and yet also stagnate in its innovation?

Back in 2012 a lengthy article in Vanity Fair attempted to grapple with this very issue you bring up. Although it is now almost six years old, I still recommend reading this article as it dissects many of thee questions you bring up in some detail. I still feel the article comes up short when it comes to answers, but it remains a very worthwhile read. I recommend taking some time and reading it:


So You Say You Want a Devolution
by Kurt Andersen

www.vanityfair.com/style/2012/01/prisoners-of-style-201201



Blurb from the article:

"For most of the last century, America’s cultural landscape—its fashion, art, music, design, entertainment—changed dramatically every 20 years or so. But these days, even as technological and scientific leaps have continued to revolutionize life, popular style has been stuck on repeat, consuming the past instead of creating the new."

I actually think that fashion in 2040 will be the same as now.  :P

I believe that this century will be like the 1800's, where it's hard to tell the 1820's from the 1890's, unless you look hard enough.

I actually think that fashion in 2040 will be the same as now.  :P

I believe that this century will be like the 1800's, where it's hard to tell the 1820's from the 1890's, unless you look hard enough.


When I think of the 1820s though I tend to think of frontier guys wearing fur with ponytails, and Davey Crockett type of stuff; whereas I associate the 1890s with all that stuffy Victorian era clothing and top hats and derbie hats.

I feel like it was the lack of social media then, so even if something was out of style we would be unaware of it, we lived in our own worlds and didn't really have anyone to judge us but close family and friends and only their approval and our own mattered. so it stuck around for a quite a while when something was in style and we would be blissfully unaware if it wasn't in style anymore.. But now because of Social media were constantly pressured to change to the next "thing" every other week that's now the only thing acceptable by society and that appeases our followers. But now we've become too "self-aware". the 2010s doesn't really stick out as iconic in pop culture and fashion  well not to me in my opinion at least. notice how people are really obsessed with 90s fashion and pop culture and 80s, and the early 2000s because they have an iconic factor to them that the 2010s just doesn't have.

Notice how this decade has the most reboots of anything then any other decade, and this decade is the one that people feel most nostalgic for other decades and to rewind back to when things were interesting and fresh. Or do you think its just a coincidence.

It seems to me that fashion and what we now call pop-culture had much longer lifespans in ages past.

Consider the case of the top hat. The top hat started off as a replacement, socially, for the tricorn hat and was worn by all classes of men starting around the 1790s and arguably peaking in the 1890s. The topper remained an acceptable style of hat to wear all the way in America through to 1961, although after WWI it became more and more associated with the upper classes and the ultra rich and was slowly abandoned by the "common man" in favor of the fedora. But - the point remains that this single style of hat, with slight variations, remained a popular clothing item for over 100 years.

Now, look at the world today in comparison. Since the 1950s or 1960s, it seems, the lifespans of fashion and pop cultural trends have grown shorter and shorter. In say, 1950, prior to the Rock N' Roll boom of the middle to late 1950s, American pop culture and fashion essentially bore only slight comestic differences from the styles of the 1930s.

Even as late as the 1990s, a particular hairstyle could remain acceptable for a long while - teased hair for women was popular, in different styles, from the mid 1970s through early 1990s for example; The mullet hairstyle for men remained acceptable from the early 1970s through mid 1990s. Nowadays, hairstyles change with the year or even with the season. The manbun was the craze in 2015 or so - and today is already a punchline in many circles. The undercut, popular in the last two years, is becoming unpopular due to negative political associations.

Yet, at the same time, fashion has stagnated in some ways. The 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s all can be easily distinguished from each other in terms of what people wore. It is very easy to tell a photo taken in 1967 from one in 1977 and one in 1987.

But compare say, the mid 2000s to the present. Many of the items we wear today - jeans, t-shirts - would be available in not only the same styles, but same cuts and such, as they were in 2008. Only hairstyles, at this point, now differentiate these late 2010s from the late 2000s. There is a certain sense of conformity in terms of a national form of dress that in the 1960s and early 1970s didn't exist - in those times you could literally wear almost anything and get away with it. Today, if you go outside a certain margin, you'd be considered odd or at the very least eclectic.

So, my question is, why has fashion both seemed to decline in its longevity, and yet also stagnate in its innovation?




PAUSE

Fashion is completely different and the cuts and styles to the ones in 2005
Sorry for the bold, I assume you don't pay attention to fashion

PAUSE

Fashion is completely different and the cuts and styles to the ones in 2005
Sorry for the bold, I assume you don't pay attention to fashion


Most fashion changes are variations on themes and it evolves more rapidly for youth.  Average middle-class adult fashion (people who don't generally keep up with it after a certain age) really hasn't changed that much.

As for the original question, I think a good answer is how do we know it didn't?  Prior to the invention of the camera and the phonograph, there was no way to capture the progression in pop culture in real time.  When we look back at the 19th century and before we look at it from a historical perspective and not a pop culture perspective.

Each decade's fashion is different. I can spot 2008 from a mile away, you're not observant enough.

Each decade's fashion is different. I can spot 2008 from a mile away, you're not observant enough.


Okay then what is the "2008" look compared to the 2019 look?

Okay then what is the "2008" look compared to the 2019 look?


2008 - Those American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch etc. mall brands being everywhere. Popped collars, polo shirts, giant hoodies, baggy or slim bootcut jeans, messy hair etc.

2019 - fast fashion clothes. Denim everything, athleisure, fitted or tight clothing OR baggy clothing that fits (aka doesn't look two sizes too large; goes with the body shape), neater haircuts, beards, plaid etc.



It's easy to spot if you know what to look for. There was a viral video of Alexandria Ocasio Cortez dancing in what the media said was "in high school". She would've been in high school around 2003-2007, but from the clothes her dance-mate was wearing I could tell something was off. He was wearing slim khakis that cut at the ankle (huge dork alert if that was 2007 when bootcuts were all the rage, even his khakis was suss tbh, if it was 2007 it would have been cargo pants), a simple tight black shirt (no apparent brand - reeked of fast fashion) and black Nike's in a 2010s style (if you watched the video you know what I'm talking about). I swore the video was shot around 2012/2013 the latest. I was vindicated when people pointed out that it was from her university years when she graduated in 2011. ;)

2019 - fast fashion clothes. Denim everything, athleisure, fitted or tight clothing OR baggy clothing that fits (aka doesn't look two sizes too large; goes with the body shape), neater haircuts, beards,


So that is guys wearing those wide at the top tight at the bottom joggies.

The only distinctive hairstyles I've noticed over the past 5 years have been the fashy and the man bun, men's hairstyle have changed more than womens.

What are the hairstyles for women, I've just seen the same flat or wavy hair since the early 2000s.

So that is guys wearing those wide at the top tight at the bottom joggies.

The only distinctive hairstyles I've noticed over the past 5 years have been the fashy and the man bun, men's hairstyle have changed more than womens.

What are the hairstyles for women, I've just seen the same flat or wavy hair since the early 2000s.


Long straight hair was more common in the 2000s, as were bangs towards the end of the decade.

2010s from what I can tell has more long wavy hair, and hair extensions are more readily available, so hair looks more voluminous too.

TBH, I don't know much about 2010s women's hair. Blame it on me being in a male-dominated field and in a male-dominated university major. But I know the 2000s hairstyles when I see em ;D

Incredible how the 80s borns are so out-of-touch lmao

2008 - Those American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch etc. mall brands being everywhere. Popped collars, polo shirts, giant hoodies, baggy or slim bootcut jeans, messy hair etc.
Don't forget those hideously oversized flared jeans 8-P
https://i.imgur.com/RBBhaAt.png
All the rage in the late-2000s

Women basically dressed like 10 year olds back then
https://i.imgur.com/q2LbyAC.jpg
It's cute, if not too overly bubbly, but the overlayering is just ergh.

Incredible how the 80s borns are so out-of-touch lmao

There's people on this planet who think 2008 is the same as now lmfaoo  ;D ;D

I believe that this century will be like the 1800's, where it's hard to tell the 1820's from the 1890's, unless you look hard enough.
Lol lol lol, just because you clearly know 0 thing about 19th century fashion doesn't make them one big era where everything blends together. High-class women fashion especially changed almost every decade in that century. You had
:

The simplistic 1800s with the ridiculously high waisted gowns
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T_Uon3tNNiA/UsoUjQTEFFI/AAAAAAAABlo/VLlG45YuUlo/s1600/1808tz294a.jpg

The extravagant 1830s
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/8d/5a/6d/8d5a6d65127b1ae0c0921fffb23d2f8b.jpg

The over-layered 1850s
http://www.darvillsrareprints.com/images/images/Ladies%20Fashion%201830-1850/1851/oct.jpg

The 1860s aka the crinolin peak
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0b/f0/1c/0bf01ce71b8002378587dbddaffb1636.jpg

The bustle-obessed 1870s
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f9/7d/74/f97d7491837f89bf8fc88652df320802.jpg

The famous-hourglass-corset 1880s
http://ctgpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/american-womens-fashion-1880-05-May.jpg

The bustier-focused art nouveau 1890s
https://2lth8w1uv77536l8d72pqh10-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/1898-skirt-blouse-dress.jpg

Just because pop culture and people in general are not overly obsessed with 19th century fashion evolution doesn't make it non-existant ::)