Mash-up the fash-up

The noughties was an odd era for fashion - it was one big mash-up of trends from previous decades, and so there isn't really a look to define the decade. The fashions were extremely casual - a more conservative look was favoured, and denim rose to the top of its game, in the form of shorts and skinny jeans, which were embraced over every other style of jean and still remain the most popular.


(Source: thesun.co.uk) Britney and Justin loved denim - perhaps a little too much.


(Source: goodgoodgirl.com) I really like this way of wearing denim - it shows off the legs in a quirky way


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Celebrities were the main style icons of the noughties - television stars such as those on talent shows became the hottest new people to watch.


(Source: blogspot) Cheryl Cole became something of a style icon when she was part of the X Factor judging panel.

Just like in the two first world wars, the War On Terror influenced the fashion industry's top designers and so many military references were filtered down through the industry structure. Balmain was the top brand to pioneer this trend in the noughties, and its influence is still strong today.


(Source: pinterest) Balmain's military references are absolutely stunning


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Given that we were in a new era, people were feeling a sense of nostalgia and looked back on past eras - vintage clothing was increasing in popularity as people bought clothes from bygone eras to create a new, stand-out look. One of the main icons of this was the character Carrie Bradshaw in Sex And The City.


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Boho chic was still in fashion - the likes of Sienna Miller had put it in the public spotlight and ensured it would stay there for a long time. It eventually progressed into festival fashion in the late noughties, with style icons such as Kate Moss and Alexa Chung holding strong influence over the fashion conscious. Waistcoats, maxi skirts, Hunter wellies, Topshop festival makeup and casual jackets were some of the key items of this trend.


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Fashion became extremely ethical in the noughties - there was a huge focus on making sure the manufacturers gave their employees fair wages and care, and so more expensive but quality garments were being made from brands such as People Tree.


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High-street and high-fashion designer collaborations were in abundance in the noughties - designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney were collaborating with the likes of H&M and Topshop to bring their vision in a watered down version to the wider audience. This tied in well with the consumerism, in which everyone was striving for quick, cheap fashion.


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It's Britney, B*tch

Music in the noughties was filled with different subcultures - if you were to pick up a NOW! CD from the time, there'd be a whole host of different genres available to listen to.


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By far the most successful female act of the noughties was Britney Spears. Introduced to the world via the Mickey Mouse club, she became an international pop culture icon and was infamous for her revealing outfits and provocative nature. Other power female acts include Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, and of course Beyonce.

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Her male counterpart was rapper Eminem - he was the biggest selling artist of the decade with his catchy, well balanced between humour and serious lyrics.


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Away from the pop culture, indie- alternative bands were making a comback; some of the most well-known include the strokes and the White Stripes.

Films of The Noughties

The Noughties was the era for film series and sequels - Harry Potter ruled supreme, along with films such as the Spiderman movies, The Pirates of the Caribbean films, Transformers 1 and 2, and the Lord of The Rings movies. The majority of them allowed escapism in film - people could feel like they were becoming heroes, and a cult of fans would form for each; most recognisably the Harry Potter Generation, all of who just wanted to go to Hogwarts (I am most definitely part of this group.)

(Source: danielyerelian.com) Digital interpretation of the Harry Potter Characters by Daniel Yerelian

The highest grossing film of the decade came at the end of the era - James Cameron's Avatar was a breakthrough in cinematic technology and was absolutely captivating to watch.

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Television was brilliant in the noughties too - Cartoon Network and Disney Channel reigned supreme, and so powerful role models for children to follow included Dexter of Dexter's Laboratory, and Raven Baxter of That's So Raven. That's So Raven tackled issues such as racism and weight issues in the fashion industry, and it's a shame they don't show it any more as it was really inspiring.


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Other popular shows included Scrubs, Mad Men, Hannah Montana and Lizzie McGuire.

That's so Emo

The 90's had paved the way for alternative rock, industrial music and punk pop to move forward - this was pioneered by bands such as Green Day, Marilyn Manson, Blink-182 and U2, and this progressed into the noughties, during which alternative rock bands formed and became huge in youth culture; two of the most famous include Fall Out Boy and the amazing My Chemical Romance (my favourite band ever). Though both bands are listed under the rock genre, their style caused some controversy, especially with the daily mail.

Marilyn Manson was a popular industrial act in the noughties

Mindless Self Indulgence, a lesser known industrial band, have been creating mashups of jungle industrial punk music throughout the noughties, right up to present day. They're one of my favourite bands and I've met all the members - they're lovely!

'American Idiot', one of Green Day's most popular songs

The video for 'Helena', the most obvious tribute to the Way brother's grandmother Elena.

My Chemical Romance (MCR) Released 3 albums over the course of the noughties; their 2nd studio album, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, is a story about two lovers caught in some sort of Vampire apocalypse, and also as a way for the Way brothers (frontman Gerard and bass player Mikey) to grieve their grandmother who helped the band with their initial funds and was a general supportive figure to the two.


(Source: my-chemical-romance.sarkizolerimp3.com) I have this picture across one wall in my room - though their song lyrics are a little heavy, their intention was to heal and help people, and create some brilliant music.


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Their 3rd studio album, The Black Parade, is the one which the controversy is centred around; it again is conceptual and follows the tale of a man who has a terminal illness and his journey into death - he is welcomed into the Black Parade in death and looks back on his life.

The Daily Mail accused MCR of promoting self harm and suicide when teenager Hannah Bond hung herself, a few weeks after showing interest in the band. This sparked off a national debate about the supposedly 'emo' subculture - apparently dressing in skinny jeans and a band t-shirt with dark makeup and listening to MCR made you obsessed with death and self destruction. One of the many emo-bashing articles the Daily Mail wrote is here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-566481/Why-child-safe-sinister-cult-emo.html


(Source: wordpress) The stereotype of 'emo'

Cool Britannia

Pride in Britain was booming - it started in the 60's with the worldly renowned success of the 'Swinging Sixties' culture in London -the fashion sector of that was partially resurrected by Isabella Blow's shoot with Steven Meisel which sky-rocketed the career of Stella Tennant and showcased some of the most innovative British designs in an area which was about to become the hub of all creativity in London. This game-changing woman ended her life in May 2007 and the fashion industry will never be the same again.


(Source: zalando.co.uk) The late and great Issy Blow in one of her staple Phillip Treacy hats


(Source: 80's-90's-supermodels.tumblr) Stella Tennant in the 'Anglo Saxon Attitudes' photoshoot)


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It had spilled over slightly from the 90's - Geri Haliwell's iconic Union Jack dress showed patriotism at its finest, and established Britain as really quite adventurous.


(Source: express.co.uk) The Spice Girls at Eurovision - spot fashion designer Victoria Beckham, also known as Posh Spice in the background!

There was a thriving pool of new designer and artists coming to the forefront - Damien Hirst, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and the brilliant Alexander McQueen ruled the fashion roost with their absolutely brilliant creations; Damien Hirst changed fine art forever, Westwood brought about new social attitudes towards the ethics of clothing, and Galliano and McQueen revolutionised the creativity in fashion; both pushed it to its boundaries, Galliano with his quirky and seriously psychedelic pattern cutting, and McQueen for his controversial, boundary breaking, fairytale-like theatrics.


(Source: wikimedia) Hirst's 'For The Love Of God' Skull


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(Source: timeinc.net) Galliano's 2006 collection inspired by 'Lucifer'

McQueen is by far, in my opinion, the most genius designer there ever was, and I'm upset that he didn't have more of an influence over the mainstream fashions of the time because the world would've been a much more beautiful place.

McQueen's most dramatic show VOSS, before which the audience were forced to stare at themselves for 2 hours.


(Source: blogspot.com) from 'The Horn of Plenty' show


(Source: painted-tongue.tumblr.com) The 'it's only a game' collection was a  brilliant infusion of eastern-vs-western fashions, and was set out like a chess match.

The Naughty Noughties

Just before the new millenium started, everyone was scared as they thought the world was going to end when we passed into the 20th century. It didn't end to many's surprise, and so the world continued to thrive in a growing technological state.


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The Noughties began with tragedy - on September 11th 2001, the World Trade Centre Twin Towers and the Pentagon were hit by terrorist-hijacked planes. It sparked a huge debate about national security and provoked a war on terror in Afghanistan.


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It was a time of social change too - the first ever black president (Barack Obama) was elected at the end of the noughties and so racial equality was finally apparent.


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Technology had advanced so much that the internet was now dominant; computers provided one of the fastest ways to communicate and everyone was under its influence - this was definitely the Information age, and it was travelling fast - literally!

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Fashion in the noughties was, like many eras before, a bit confused; it was a mashup of previous styles  which came together to form a well-rounded pool of trends.

More and more music

Though the 90's is considered a terrible time for fashion, for music, it is regarded as one of the best. The highly commercialised success of MTV in the 80's died down slightly as new artists focused in on new music genres and thus a new, almost underground music revolution took place.

The most famous song of the decade - Smells Like Teen Spirit


(Source: hdimagesinfo.com) Cobain with a tiny kitten - it just goes to show that many rebellious rockers did have a soft side and weren't afraid to show it.

Grunge is the main music genre associated with the 90's - The most iconic band is Nirvana, fronted by the late and great Kurt Cobain, who was a style icon, and a huge social icon for the youth of the 90's. Nirvana, inspired by hardcore punk and heavy metal, created a new, almost sludgy sound which had the effect of being totally chilled whilst rebelling at the same time - which pretty much describes the attitudes of society at the time. Drug use was in abundance in the grunge culture and this has sparked much debate as to whether past icons were actually good role models or not.


(Source: fanpop) Kurt Cobain and Hole lead singer Courtney Love are famous for their drug use.

Another music genre was hip hop - the best selling music genre of the 90's, it was deeply influenced by the places the rappers had grown up - they spoke of hard times in their lyrics, and this became controversial because some thought it was promoting the wrong lifestyle. It popularised snapbacks and rappers such as Tupac would wear bandannas, causing that to become a fashion statement

The Wu Tang Clan were one of the most successful hip hop acts of the 90's

Tupac Shakur was sadly murdered at the end of the 90's - many believe he is still alive

Eclectic mix

Fashions in the 90's were so eclectic - layering your look was essential, and many looks dominated the fashion scene.

(Source: styleblazer.com) Heartthrobs of the 90's would often wear this - For both men and women, layering a solid crew-necked tee with a blazer was a key smart look; suits were extremely baggy in the 90's and there wasn't a solid silhouette; everyone was extremely relaxed in the way they looked - baggy jeans, graphic tees and plaid flannel shirts dominated, partially down to hip hop and grunge.


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Accessories were brilliant - sneakers were taking off like never before; Air Maxes and Reeboks had some of the best success, and heavy duty boots completed the hip-hop look. Snapback hats and wristbands were frequently seen on the youth of the nineties - and if you were really fantastic, it's likely you owned a mood ring, which would change colour based on your 'mood' (body temperature). Though I didn't grow up in the 90's, I still had about 4 in the 2000's, and they were brilliant.


(Source: complex.com) I love how influences from the 60's were on these psychedelic bracelets


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(Source: soletheory.com) The much-loved nike air max

The big and small screens

For film and TV, the nineties brought in huge success. TV Sitcoms such as F.R.I.E.N.D.S and Wil and Grace were renowned for their hugely successful comedy and relatable nature. The supernatural was embraced too - Sabrina The Teenage witch and Buffy the Vampire Slayer were two popular programs which were family friendly too.


(Source: wordpress) The TV Show 'Friends' was such a long-running program that you really felt connected to the characters - 'The Rachel' became a popular hairstyle amongst women and set Jennifer Aniston to be one of the most influential style icons of the decade.


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Salem the cat is by far one of the funniest characters in any show, ever.

The films in the 90's were, in many critics (and my own) opinions, some of the best ever made. Disney films were churned out, and were some of the best too; being raised on The Lion King my opinion is a little biased but they really were classics. Other amazing films included the mind-blowing Matrix, the heart-tugging Schindler's List and of course, cult classics such as Titanic, Star Wars, Jurassic Park and of course, Clueless.


(Source: fanpop) A scene which people love to recreate with their cats everyday across the world.

One of the most traumatic scenes of my childhood...

...But it's okay, because Hakuna Matata!

Whilst films such as The Matrix and Star Wars opened up new worlds for us to think about, Clueless portrayed a slightly glamorized version of the 90's - trends such as the attack of the plaid and overalls with one strap hanging down


(Source: dan-dare.org) The Matrix makes you question every aspect of so-called 'reality'

One of the most iconic movie scenes ever!


(Source: mtv.com) The Dionne and Cher coordination is simply classic

The Nitro Nineties

Many of the 'Millennial' generation regard the 90's as one of the best, if not the best decade of the last 100 years. Many new innovations were propelling us into the new millennium on the advancing technology; the internet had finally taken off, and whilst many people were stuck waiting for their dial-up to start, it provided a new platform for social interaction and how information travelled round the world - things were beginning to become immediate.

The classic and slightly ear-grating dial-up sound.


(Source: cyberconicc.com) The design interface of internet windows in the 90's - technology has come a long way.

Walkmans were also popular; they provided music on the go (this was the step just before our modern-day iPods). Mobile Phones were also taking shape - though they started out with gigantic proportions, eventually they were scaled down and provided, yet again, a new way for people to communicate on the go, creating a fast-moving social world.


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(Source: katziem.blogspot.com) The mobiles of the 90's remind me a little of house phones today.

Games were moving forward too; the Nintendo 64 created an arcade experience at home, and children had a fantastic time with water guns, slap bracelets and digital pets such as the tamagotchi.


(Source: logic-sunrise.com) Many of the games in the first Nintendo consoles are still popular today such as Harvest Moon and Super Mario.


(Source: wordpress) By far one of the best toys ever invented.