As spirit week rolls on, “decades day” approaches us. Each grade has been assigned a decade from the fifties (freshman) to the eighties (seniors) to dress as. The fifties through the eighties were times full of icons, trends, and change. Faced with this fashion challenge, it may be helpful to know a little bit about each time period. So, I have compiled a few tidbits from each one. Each decade is so complex and full of important events that it was extremely difficult to pick and choose ones to include here. However, I did my best to capture the essence of what it was like in each decade highlighted during spirit week.

The 1950s

The year 1950 marked the beginning of the Korean War. This war, originally a civil war between the north and south end of Korea, transformed into a big part of the Cold War between the United States. and its allies and the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China. The war was bloody and lasted for two and a half years until an armistice was put in place.

By the late fifties, most Americans owned televisions. Notable programs that debuted during this decades were I Love Lucy and Leave it to Beaver. Popular music in the early 50’s featured artists such as Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland, whose music was mostly a continuation of popular music in the 40’s. By the mid-50’s, however, rock-and-roll had become wildly popular. Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Pat Boone were extremely popular rock-and-roll pioneers at this time. Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe rose to fame during the 50’s. Popularized by the actor Marlon Brando, the “greaser” look for men became trendy. For women, poodle skirts were a brief fad. For most of the decade women generally wore knee-length dresses or skirts paired with very conservative tops.

The 1960s

The “Swinging Sixties” was a decade full of change. As the Cold War raged on, the Vietnam war began. The Vietnam war, which began in 1959 and didn’t end until the mid-70’s, sparked widespread protest throughout the United States due to its length and rising death-toll. Anti-war protests would not be the only movement in the 60s. The Civil Rights movement for African-Americans and the second-wave feminist movement made big headlines throughout the 60s.

The mid-60s marked the beginning of the “British Invasion” in the music world. Sparked by the introduction of The Beatles to American audiences, the “Invasion” describes the sudden popularity of British musicians during this decade. Along with the Beatles; The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, and The Who became major players in the “Invasion”. Notable films in the 60’s include The Sound of Music, Marry Poppins, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Spartacus. In television, The Twilight Zone, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, and Lassie were hit programs. The 60’s marked the invention of the mini-skirt and the bikini. Afros, bee-hives, and crew-cuts were popular hairstyles during the 60s. For men, the Beatles were the dominant fashion icons. Marilyn Monroe maintained popularity during this decade, and was joined in fame by Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews. Jackie Kennedy, President John F. Kennedy’s wife, was also a popular fashion icon at this time.

The 1970s

The mid-seventies brought the Vietnam war to a close as the Cold War still continued on. Hafez al-Assad (father of current Syrian president Bashar al-Assad) launched a coup d’etat in 1970 and seized power over Syria. Cambodia underwent a communist revolution and remained under power of the dictator Pol Pot until 1979. President Nixon resigned after the Watergate scandal. Throughout the seventies, the United States went through an oil crisis. Cars whose license plates ended in odd numbers could only buy gas on odd numbered days and cars whose license plates ended in even numbers could only buy gas on even numbered days.

Disco music rose to fame during the seventies. Rock music continued in popularity and added artists such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, and AC/DC. Star Wars, Jaws, Grease, Rocky, and The Godfather were top-grossing films during this decade. Popular TV shows at the time included The Brady Bunch, Charlie’s Angels, and Family Feud. The Young and the Restless, a soap opera that still airs today, began in 1973. Bell bottoms, platform shoes, and leisure suits are trademark fashion trends of the seventies. Jack Nicholson and John Travolta were popular icons during the seventies. On the ladies side; Farrah Fawcett and Bianca Jagger attracted much attention.

The 1980s

The Cold War remained in the forefront of Americans’ minds throughout the 80s. Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979-1989 kept tension between the communist and capitalist states heated. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, post-WWII Germany was reunited and conflict in the Cold War finally began to cool off.

Michael Jackson became wildly famous during the 80s with the release of Thriller, the best-selling album of all time. Madonna and Whitney Houston became the dominant female artists of the decade. Top grossing movies of the decade were E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the fifth and sixth Star Wars films, Batman, and Top Gun. MTV was first launched in the 80s. A few other popular TV shows were The A-Team, The Cosby Show, and The Smurfs. Pac-Man, a revolutionary figure in the video-game world, was released in 1980. The perm and mullet were popular hairstyles. Acid-washed jeans, miniskirts, leg warmers, and off-the-shoulder shirts were very trendy in the 80s. Princess Diana, Molly Ringwald, and Madonna were popular fashion icons at the time.