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TextFiftyYearsofFashion1Nohistoryoffashionintheyears1960to2010canoverlookorunderestimatetwoconstantfactors:theubiquitousjeansandtheriseandfallofhemlinesforwomen'sskirtsanddresses.Text2Denim,thematerialwhichjeansaremadeof,wasknowninFranceinthelate16thcentury,butitwasLeviStrausswhosawthatminersintheCaliforniangoldrushinthemid-19thcenturyneededstrongtrousers,whichhereinforcedwithmetalrivets.BluedenimjeansremainedpopularintheUSasworkclothesuntilthe1950s,butthenbecameassociatedwithyouth,newideas,rebellionandindividuality.WhenLeviStrauss&CobegantoexportbluejeanstoEuropeandAsiainthelate1950s,theywereboughtandwornwithhugeenthusiasmbyyoungpeopleandrecognizedasasymboloftheyoung,informalAmericanwayoflife.Text3Hemlineshaveamorepeculiarsignificanceduringthisperiod.Ithasoftenbeennotedthatthereisaprecisecorrelation,withonlyafewexceptions,betweenthelengthofwomen'sskirtsandtheeconomy.Asthestockmarketrises,sodohemlines,andwhenitfalls,sodothey.Exactlywhywomenshouldwanttoexposemoreorlessoftheirlegsduringperiodsofeconomicboomandbustremainsamystery.Butthegeneraltrendisinescapable.Whenevertheeconomicoutlookisunsettled,bothmenandwomentendtowearmoreconservativeclothes.Text4Perhapsthemostimportantdevelopmentinfashioninthe1960swastheminiskirt,inventedbytheBritishdesignerMaryQuant.BecauseQuantworkedintheheartofSwingingLondon,theminiskirtdevelopedintoamajorinternationalfashion.ItwasgivengreaterrespectabilitywhenthegreatFrenchdesigner,Courrèges,developeditintoanitemofhighfashion.Butitwouldnothaveachievedsuchinternationalcurrencywithoutthedevelopmentoftights,insteadofstockings,becausetheriseinhemlinesmeantthestockingtopswouldbevisible.Text5Thehippiemovementofthemid-1960sandearly1970sinfluencedthedesignofjeans,withthetrouserlegdevelopingaflaredbell-bottomstyle.Bythemid-1970s,astheeconomydeteriorated,hemlinesdroppedtomidi(mid-calflength)andmaxi(anklelength),whilejeanswerenolongerexclusivelyblue.6Jeansremainedfashionableduringtheperiodofpunk,usuallywornripped,oftenwithchainsandstuddedbelts.Thelooklastedforseveralyears,althoughbecamemoreandmorerestrictedtosmallgroupsofinner-cityyoungpeople,andhadlittleinfluenceonotheragegroups.Text7Asabacklashtotheanarchyofpunk,theNewRomanticswasafashionmovementwhichoccurredmainlyinBritishnightclubs.Itwasglamorousandcourageous,andfeaturedlavishfrilledshirts.Jeansweredefinitelynotacceptable.Text8Themid-1980ssawtheriseofanumberofdifferentstyles.Powerdressingwascharacterizedbysmartsuitsand,forthenewly-empoweredwomen,shoulderpadsandknee-lengthskirts.Notsurprisingly,theeconomywasunstable,andpeopletooklessrisksinwhattheywore.Formen,theMiamiVicestyle,namedafterthetelevisionseries,madeuseofsmartT-shirtsunderdesignerjackets,anddesignerstubble–threeorfourdaysofbeardgrowth.Butasalways,denimremainedpopularwiththeyoung.Inparticular,heavymetalmusicfansworebleachedandrippedjeansanddenimjackets.Text9Graduallyhemlinesstartedtoriseagain...untiltheworldstockmarketcrashin1987.Sothelate1980sintheUSsawtheriseofthemoreconservativestylecalledPreppystyle,withclassicclothesbyRalphLaurenandBrooksBrothersformen,button-downshirts,chinosandloafers,withasweatertiedlooselyaroundtheneck.Theyalsoworejeans,buteitherbrand-neworcleanandsmartlypressed–notatallwhatLeviStraussoriginallyintended.Text10Astheworldeconomiesimprovedagaininthe1990s,fashionforyoungpeoplebecamemoredaring.BootsandConverseorNiketrainersremainedpopular,butthepredominantcoloursbecameolivegreenandoatmeal.Hairwaswornlong,orcutspikyshortanddyedblue,greenorred.Hoodies,baseballcapsandbaggyjeans,whichwereoftenwornlowbelowthebuttocks,werecommononthestreets.Text11TheninJanuary2000theNewYorktechnologystockmarketcollapsed.Asusual,sodidhemlines,whichweredescribedbyonecommentatorastheprimandproperlookisin.Skirtsshouldbebelowtheknee.”Butmerelyoneyearlater,thestockmarketbegantorecover,andthemicrominiskirtreturned.Hemlineswerehigherthantheyhadbeenformanyyears.Text12Duringthisperiod,itwasunusualtowearformalclothesunlessyouwereatwork.Designerjeansgainedhugepopularity.TextsuchasArmani,HugoBossandMoschino,whountilrecentlyhadonlyconcernedthemselveswiththesmartestfashionlines.SkinnyjeansalsobecamepopularinBritainandmostofEurope.Skirtlengthisuncertain,rangingfrommicrotosensible–knee-lengthorjustbelow.Theseweremadeofthetraditionaldenim,perhapswithsomelycraadded,butcutandmarketedunderwell-knownbrandsText13Sometimesthehemlineindicator,asit'scalled,canevenprecedeandpredictachangeinthemoodofthestockmarketlongbeforeitactuallyhappens.InSeptember2007,attheNewYorkfashionshows,whichweredisplayingtheirstylesforspring2008,thetrendwasformuchlongerdressesandskirts,manytomid-calforevendowntotheankles.TextSomepeoplefeltthisshowedthatthehemlineindicatorwasnolongerreliable,andthatdesignersnolongerdictatedwhatpeoplewouldwear.DuringtheLondonandNewYorkfashionshowsinSeptember2008,hemlinescontinuedtodrop.Butsureenough,inthefallof2008,thestockmarketindexesfelldramaticallywhenthebankingcrisishittheUS,Europeandthentherestoftheworld.Hemlineswerenolongerfollowingthestockmarket–theywereshowingthewayandindicatingfutureeconomic