Fashion Snapshot

Throughout history, fashion has been a critical part of any culture; and there have always been those avant-garde souls who pushed the boundaries of gender and sexuality. In the 1800s, for example, daring women commonly wore men’s riding clothes, though more for functionality than fashion. Marlene Dietrich who was one of the most famous gender-benders wore her now iconic tuxedo in the film Morocco — a radical statement in the conservative 1930s. World War II fast-tracked women’s adoption of men’s clothing. On the guy’s side, Jimi Hendrix changed menswear forever when he started the Peakcock Revolution in 1967 with his now-infamous Dandie Fashion Suit. The shift led to frilled hems, beading, vibrant patterns, velvet and vivid colors. David Bowie went completely anti-establishment when he wore a glamorous satin dress on the album cover of 1970s The Man Who Sold The World. More proof that gender bending is another prime example of how everything old is eventually new again!