It’s no secret that Kim Kardashian has made a career out of being the best at being famous. But aside from transforming our perceptions of beauty, the mother of three also accomplished something else: changing the way we interact with our clothing. Now, the fashion industry has caught on, and created a tracksuit design inspired by the “Thighs” singer.
Kardashian Thighs
The designers drew inspiration for their creation from a simple yet effective marketing technique used by Kardashian: showing off her thigh. While most people wear shorts above the knee in the summertime, Kardashians wear their skirts higher, showcasing their legs. This is exactly what the designers did, taking their cue from a style that has been around for over a century.
The Rise Of The Thigh-High Skirt
It all started in 1914, when Mary Quant designed a dress with a high waist and a large, over-the-hip skirt. This became known as the “Quantum of Denim” and it is seen as the birth of the modern skirt. While most women of the time wore long, sweeping dresses with trains, the “quantum” of denim caused an abrupt shift. Even if you didn’t want to show off your legs, you couldn’t help but want to wear the new fashionable design.
Kardashian’s daring fashion choices don’t end with her choice in clothing either. In 2007, she became the first fashion blogger to grace the cover of New York Magazine. The following year, she released her own line of luxury perfumes, which is now sold in over 70 countries. After her fragrance company became a global success, the fashion industry took notice and began emulating her fashion choices, resulting in a wave of retro inspired clothing.
The Retro Fashion Trend
Aside from the retro fashion trend inspired by the Kardashians, designers have also taken cues from another famous fashion family. First-generation Italian designer Valentino drew inspiration from the Monroe’s for his 1926 “Black Pearl” swimsuit. Since then, his designs have become famous for their exuberant use of Swarovski crystals.
Other designers have looked to Hollywood’s golden era for inspiration, and the movie industry has certainly responded with several retro fashion trends of their own. Back in the ‘70s, designers began paying tribute to the ‘70s by creating lavish, floral-print maxi dresses. These weren’t just any old ‘70s dresses either – some of them were actually designed in the ‘70s and have been reissued ever since.
Retro Styles For All Ages
Even if you aren’t familiar with the fashion choices of well-known personalities, you will have undoubtedly seen designs that were inspired by them. Retro styles were first designed for older audiences, but have since been embraced by all ages. For example, the floral-print dresses regularly used in Hollywood cinema have been hailed as “the ultimate dress for all ages” by fashion experts.
The Ultimate Style Mixture
Not only have the Kardashians and Valentino inspired retro styles, but they have also worked together to create a lavish lifestyle brand. Their label, Mugler, is known for its extravagant display of color and pattern. In 2014, Dior and Mugler became the first fashion houses to launch a collaborative collection of swimsuits and lingerie.
This isn’t just a trend that has been spurred on by popular personalities. The luxury industry has realized the power of this demographic – women aged 35–49 form the largest buying group in the world and now have the spending power to back it up. According to the NPD group, the baby boomer generation are the biggest spenders when it comes to clothing, and it’s not just because of the abundance of stylish options during this time. The industry knows exactly what it’s doing – the mature yet fashionable women that this group is inspired by have significantly increased the demand for menswear as well as women’s jeans.
Jeans, The Foundation Of Fashion
It wouldn’t be a trend article if we didn’t throw in some references to modern fashion’s most significant figure: the humble pair of jeans. It’s fair to say that without them, none of the above would exist. Since the ‘70s, jeans have transformed our perceptions of style and fashion. They’ve made regular men fashionable, and even some of the most stylish men in history have credited their jeans for changing their style.
The style icon of our time is Kanye West. It was once said that his wife, Kim Kardashian, has “more style than any other woman in the world”. The rapper, singer, and creator of Yeezy shoes acknowledged his wife’s styling prowess in a recent interview with Elle magazine. “I always say that she has more style than any other woman I’ve ever met,” he said. “So if anything, I give her props. I just want people to understand that whatever she does, she does with such ease and confidence.”
Jeans, Forever
Kanye’s praise for his wife’s style shows how much the world now embraces jeans. In the ‘70s, fashion insiders and regular Joes alike wouldn’t have given these humble garments a second thought. But since then, they’ve become an icon of style and fashion, appearing on the red carpet at every major awards ceremony and appearing as the focal point of numerous style-related articles.
The humble pair of jeans have gone from being seen as unassuming garments worn by underachievers and misanthropists to being the uniform of choice for celebrities and style icons. If you want to keep up with the Kardashians or other famous personalities, you can copy their style by opting for a pair of jeans. It’s not just about following fashion trends anymore – it’s about living them.