The thing about films is that they are often a mirror of a sort to society. So, some things we end up seeing in movies are actually a kind of reflection of how society is functioning at the time. This applies to fashion trends as well, of course, Bollywood films may exaggerate some of the fashion trends that the public is following, but they still serve as a great archive to look back on and understand history better. For instance, the kind of fashion trends India was following, especially throughout the decades. In fact, we’ve curated and ‘gone back in time’ to talk a little about the fashion that Bollywood movies showcased in the past decades, read on to know more:
1. 1960s
Fashion in the 1960s was a lot about bold, dramatic eyeliner, bouffant hairstyles and body-hugging, crisp silhouettes. And we can see this from the movies that released at the time.
2. 1970s
The era of the ‘flower child,’ the 1970s was full of bell bottoms, straight hair and tinted sunglasses. Basically, think Haré Rama Haré Krishna (1971), and Nagin (1976).
3. 1980s
The fashion from 1980s revolved around dramatic, metallic fabrics, Spanx, mullets and the incorporation of shoulder pads in almost all jackets and dresses. After all, this was the decade that women began power-dressing.
4. 1990s
Oh to be a 90s kid, brown lipstick has a hold on most of us. The bold, but well-restricted eye-liner, plus lined lips and fluffy, wavy hair, were defining elements of the 90s. As for the clothes, we began seeing more casual and minimal, denim-based looks around us.
5. 2000-2010
This decade was so interesting that we are now witnessing a whole generation of influencers recreate Y2K looks. Full of oversized sunglasses, low-waist jeans, and glittery make up, this era was truly iconic. But we rarely talk about the late 2000s – when the boho-chic look took over the fashion landscape; think big, chunky beaded jewellery, belts and bags that screamed ‘modern-day gipsy’ in a way.
6. 2010-2020
Probably the most sober-minded decade when it comes to fashion (or maybe it’s just a personal bias because of how recent and modern the looks were). We saw fashion take a much more realistic, practical and comfort-oriented turn in the last decade; What with the rise of Yeezy, SKIMS, and athleisure. And we’re grateful for that!
The funny thing about fashion trends and styles is that they are cyclical. Which means they almost always come back in one way or another. For instance, right now, we are ever-so-slowly moving away from following 2000-2010 trends and towards 2010-2020 trends. Keep an eye out, you’ll notice the littlest of details that’ll tell you how that’s happening.
