Fashion Through the Decades

About Fashion Through the Decades

Give your memory a workout with Fashion Through the Decades: 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 6 medium, 5 easy, 4 hard questions, free to play right in your browser. From poodle skirts to bell-bottoms to shoulder pads — how well do you know the fashion trends of each era? Expect to spend about 7 minutes; every question comes with an explanation, so you learn something even when you miss.

A few sample questions

1. 1. Poodle skirts became a fashion craze among teenage girls in the 1950s. What type of fabric were they typically made from?

   Answer: Felt

   Poodle skirts were made from felt because it was inexpensive and didn't need hemming. Juli Lynne Charlot created the first one in 1947 as a last-minute Christmas party outfit.

2. 2. Saddle shoes, the two-toned oxford shoes popular with 1950s teenagers, were most commonly what two colors?

   Answer: White and black

   The classic saddle shoe combination was white with a black 'saddle' across the middle. They became a staple of 1950s teen fashion, often paired with bobby socks.

3. 3. The towering beehive hairdo, popularized in the early 1960s, was created by a stylist from which city?

   Answer: Chicago

   Margaret Vinci Heldt, a Chicago hairstylist, created the beehive in 1960 for Modern Beauty Salon magazine. She was inspired by a fez hat she owned. The style became an icon of the era.

4. 4. Go-go boots, the knee-high fashion boots of the 1960s, were popularized by which fashion designer?

   Answer: Andre Courreges

   French designer Andre Courreges introduced the white, low-heeled go-go boot in 1964 as part of his futuristic fashion collection. Nancy Sinatra's 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin'' cemented them in pop culture.

5. 5. The miniskirt, one of the most revolutionary fashion items of the 1960s, is most associated with which British designer?

   Answer: Mary Quant

   Mary Quant is credited with popularizing the miniskirt from her London boutique, Bazaar, in the mid-1960s. She named it after her favorite car, the Mini Cooper.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓Bell-bottoms originated with US Navy sailors in the early 1800s. The wide legs could be rolled up for swabbing decks and made it easier to remove pants quickly if a sailor fell overboard.
• ✓Leisure suits were almost always made from polyester, which contributed to both their popularity (easy care, wrinkle-free) and their eventual downfall as the fabric became associated with tackiness.
• ✓Woodstock in August 1969 brought tie-dye into the national spotlight. The ancient fabric dyeing technique became a visual shorthand for peace, love, and the hippie movement.