Inside the Tents: A Look at the History of Fashion

If you've been inside the Tents at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Bryant Park for the Spring 2010 collections, you've journeyed through the history of fashion as presented by Modelinia and Mercedes-Benz. Here's a look at those amazing fashions and a few more that made each decade so special.

Posted in: Entertainment & Lifestyle, Fashion

In this slideshow: Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista

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1940s: Society Girls The proper white-gloved society women were on their best behavior until Dior creates a dress with a plunging neckline dubbed the "cocktail dress."

The hem falls below the knee, and the dress becomes the must-have piece for any fashion-forward woman.

1950s: Hollywood Glamour The austere wartime attitudes became a thing of the past once varied colors and fabrics found their way into everyday fashions.

A woman's hourglass shape is emphasized with tight waists, full skirts, and higher heels as a new silhouette is born.

1960s: The Awakening The graceful costuming inspired by Breakfast at Tiffany's reaches far beyond the silver screen, shaping the look and feel of the consumer fashion world.

However, when Mary Quant's miniskirts become mainstream, fashion takes a new risk, and soon the free-flowing styles of flower power and bell-bottoms are in full bloom.

1970s: Disco The woman is celebrated as Ralph Lauren launches his women's collection and Diane von Furstenberg's iconic wrap dress is introduced, creating a timeless, confident style.

Sleek lines and glitz shape the fashion of this era, when women liberated themselves and their styles with a new energy that mirrors the times.

1980s: Denim & Decadence Brands like Guess? and Calvin Klein skyrocket to popularity thanks to their cutting-edge ads featuring models like never seen before. Brands begin to introduce unique design elements; the bottom of pants' legs feature zippers on the sides or at the back, essential since they were offered in such a tight fit.

Jeans soon become a wardrobe staple and are now available in stonewash, acid wash, black, and bright, vibrant colors.

1990s: The Rise of the Supermodel & Grunge Fashion of the early 1990s starts right where the 1980s left off. Bright colors and excess litter the pages of fashion magazines and supermodels continue to dominate the runways, influencing consumer fashion like never before.

As the middle of the decade nears, however, the focus goes from glamour to grunge, courtesy of alternative musical influences from bands like Nirvana.

2000s: Millennium Style A surge of independent labels mirror the multimedia phenomenon of fashion expanding beyond the conventional runway.

With the collaboration of Kate Moss as a designer for Topshop, the debut of Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model, and Heidi Klum's Project Runway, a new audience is introduced to the world of fashion, which is made even more popular when First Lady Michelle Obama wore a Narciso Rodriguez dress straight off the runway from the designer's upcoming Spring 2009 collection on election night.