The Aesthetics of Wartime: A Review of Women’s Fashion in the 1920s and 1960s

Fashion has operated as a reflection of humanity and its role in history from the time that Adam and Eve first fitted fig leaves to their body to hide their shame. Beginning with a novice Aristotelian logical argument and a historical understanding and fashion analysis of the 1920s and 1960s, it is clear that women’s fashion has significant cultural importance. This thesis answers the question “Does fashion matter?” by looking at the zeitgeist of two post-war decades and connecting it with fashion trends. The theory of the zeitgeist states that fashion is a reflection of the cultural climate guided by the current dominating events, ideals, and attitudes. A fashion count analysis was also conducted on Vogue US’ first issues for the months of March and September in the 1920s and 1960s. The zeitgeist allows a connection to be drawn between historical context and the fashion of that time to prove that fashion is a fundamental and vital part of history and culture.