The Cocktail Dress A Renaissance no comments
The cocktail dress is an iconic emblem of the style of the 1950′s and 60′s. However, the traditional form of the dress was lost in the 70′s and 80′s as styles took a drastic turn for the casual. With the popularity of certain pop culture sensations like Mad Men, the cocktail dress has come back into prominence.
Cocktail dresses have experienced revitalization in the last few years. Mad Men has made dressing in more form-fitting, formal clothing trendy again and the fashion world has taken notice. The latest trends are full of old-fashioned styles, and vintage clothing has never been more popular, with 1960′s imitations abounding. The longer dresses, floral prints, tapered waists, boatnecks, and brocades are showing up in fashions as they haven’t since the sixties.
In response to the new trends and the popularity they are enjoying, many people in entertainment and society are being influenced by the retro fashions for cocktail dresses. The influence of Mad Men can particularly be felt in the styles of new shows like Pan Am and The Playboy Club. In fashion, Banana Republic debuted a line of Mad Men fashions in August of 2011, and Reese Witherspoon’s hair and dress style at this year’s Oscars evoked the era nicely.
Another big reason that the cocktail dress has re-emerged comes from across the pond. With the marriage of Kate Middleton to Prince William, the world has gained a fashion icon whose style is primarily based on the modest, classic and the well-cut. The kind of events that Princess Catherine attends in her capacity as a new member of the royal family often require a formality of dress that is not required in most of the lives of average citizens. However, her style is undeniably influential and people and designers are mimicking her dress.
Pop culture has brought back the cocktail dress in force and made it into modern and cute clothing. With Mad Men starting the trend and other shows and media continuing it, the cocktail dress is likely to go through several incarnations and enjoy some attention for a while.
