Fascinating photos of 150 years of fashion

The 1950s - In 1947, Christian Dior debuted the ‘New Look’. This was the opposite of the practical early-1940s look. The fabric was luxurious and voluminous, shoulders were soft instead of squared, and silhouettes were hourglass instead of boxy. Huge circle skirts and tight pencil skirts replaced the pragmatic A-line and bodices were extremely tight, accentuating a tiny waist.

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The 1950's - England drew inspiration and borrowed from Parisian designers Dior, Chanel, and Givenchy.

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The 1950's - By the end of the decade, the tide had changed again. Givenchy unveiled his ‘sack dress’. It was completely loose, taking the emphasis away from the waist. It inspired the iconic 1960s tunic dresses.

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The 1960s - The 1960s started out with clean-cut two-pieces and pillbox hats, but by the end of the decade hemlines had risen to an unprecedented mid-thigh.

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The 1960s - London was the fashion capital of the world and Mary Quant named her tiny skirts after her favourite car, the Mini Cooper. Mod culture was about bold contrasts and youth.

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The 1960s - Twiggy's androgynous body, short hair, and big eyes epitomised this movement.

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The 1970s - The 1970s saw hair grow long and women adopted pants and casual clothing more than ever.

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The 1970s - Denim had been worn as workwear in the 19th century and by rockabilly youth in the 1950s and '60s, but the 1970s saw jeans explode across genders and social classes.

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The 1970s - Bold colours and psychedelic prints featured heavily.

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The 1980s - The conspicuous consumption of the 1980s manifested in over-the-top everything. Wide shoulders, bright colours, synthetic fibres, and costume jewelry were common. Punk fashion began in the late-1970s as a reaction against both the hippy movement of the past and the materialist values of the current decade.

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The 1980s - Whether you were punk or preppy, hair was big. Perms, teasing, bleaching, spiking...

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The 1980s - Globalisation and mass media like MTV saw fashions spread and subcultures thrive across the globe.

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The 1990s - The 1990s saw the continuation of the bold colours and sportswear popular in the 1980s, but also saw the emergence of grunge "thrift store" chic.

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The 1990s - Plaid shirts, repurposed lingerie as outerwear, and "heroin chic" eyeliner and emaciated frames were all parts of grunge. Later in the decade, looks got cleaner and tighter. Bare midriffs and branded clothing were popular.

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The 1990s - Calvin Klein was a key 1990s brand. Dark denim, visible branded underwear, and ad campaigns featuring supermodels all played a part.

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The 2000s - The 2000s started with tinted sunglasses, bandanas, low-rise pants, and trucker hats.

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The 2000s - Bling was in. Clothing was heavily embellished with rhinestones and branding. Halter tops and bootlegged pants were popular.

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The 2000s - Oversized hoop earrings, faux fur, boob tubes, and super-straight hair accessorised those bare midriffs.

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The 2010s - Deconstructed blazers and skinny jeans became our uniform in the 2010s. Waistlines got higher and colours more subdued.

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The 2010s - The 2010s have so far been defined by hipster fashion, athleisure, and an eclectic mix of vintage and alternative fashions. It's easy to see the mid-century influences in designs such as the shift dress.

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2010's - In place of obvious exposed flesh, designers use sheer fabrics in conservative cuts over bralettes and slips.

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Victorian era (mid- to late-1800s) - During the mid-1800s, the Gothic trend was adopted by the British.

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Victorian era (mid- to late-1800s) - Upper-class women wore crinolines under their dresses to create a wide skirt. Steel cage versions replaced earlier horsehair ones in the mid-19th century.

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Edwardian era (1901 – 1910) - The Edwardian era saw a shift to tighter-fitting skirts and dresses made of lightweight fabrics suited for a more active lifestyle than earlier years.

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Edwardian era (1901 – 1910) - Two-piece dresses came into style. Skirts were tight at the hips and flared at the hem, creating a trumpet shape.

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Edwardian era (1901 – 1910) - Necklines were high and the Victorian whale-bone corset was replaced by the "health corset", which removed pressure from the abdomen and created an S-curve silhouette.

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World War I (1914 – 1918) - Similarly, women cut their previously long hair short for practical reasons.

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The 1920s - As hemlines rose, so did stocking sales. The 1920s saw much more leg than previous decades and hosiery became a fashion accessory rather than a practical item.

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The 1920s - Dresses became even simpler and rose to mid-calf, and then just below knee-length.

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The 1920s - Flappers sporting bobs and drop-waisted dresses emerged. Bare arms were seen for the first time, and silhouettes became more streamlined and androgynous.

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The 1930s - The vitality of the 1920s turned somber in the aftermath of the Great Depression. 1930s fashion saw a return to conservative styles and sophisticated, tailored looks.

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The 1930's - Fitted waistlines returned and hemlines dropped back to mid-calf. Shoulder pads and pill-box hats arrived.

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The 1940s - Man-made fabrics like rayon, acetate, and nylon replaced natural fibres.

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The 1940s - The two-piece Utility suit was ideal for a new generation of professional women.

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