American Style

Exploring style in the 1940s and 50s, how World War II and Hollywood helped create America’s own fashion identity, and the introduction of new trends including the bikini and zoot suit.

Exploring the style of the ‘60s and ‘70s as the youth culture comes into its own, and fashion, like politics, goes to extremes.

The Reagan presidency ushers in a new era of optimism which leads to extravagance, excess and eventual greed. Brands capitalize on the spending while Wall Street capitalizes on the public. In the urban centers, marginalized communities are finding new ways to express themselves that will forever change American identity.

As the millennium draws to a close, fashion pushes back against the excess of the 80s and women make strides in the workplace and the media. In the 2000s, a new decade brings a brave new world in the form of the internet and social media, drastically changing almost every aspect of American life and identity.