Fashion is an expression of who we are as individuals. The clothes we wear, the shoes, accessories, and anything we put on our bodies reveal the type of people we are. Fashion tells everything about us, even our culture and beliefs. Even if we say that we do not care about what we wear every day, the clothing and every little accessory we have in our closets speak so much about our personality.
Do you know that car designs are also connected to the latest fashion trends? This might come as a surprise to some, but cars indeed have a connection with fashion.
Cars as Fashion Influencers
In the 1930s up to the 1960s, cars were designed according to people’s politics, age, and fashion sense. When automobiles rose in popularity during those times, handbag makers also made their first prototypes of purses and clutch bags. Those bags were created as storage for driving gloves. Later on, these bags were made into modern handbags, which women can carry as accessories that go with the type of clothing they wear.
For men, the design of cars also paved the way for leather jackets and tweed driving caps. It also led men to wear slicked-back hairstyles back in the 1950s and women to wear white bobby socks. These fashion trends were influenced by the whitewall tires and Cadillac tail fins, which were popular during those years.
In the 1960s, more new car designs were created. Along with them came recent innovative fashion trends that were warmly welcomed by the consuming public. These days, fashion enthusiasts and car lovers collect automobiles based on their beauty and trendy features apart from the functionalities they offer.
Fashion Influencing Car Designs
While car designs play a huge part in the growing fashion trends, new fashion innovations are also influencing the latest designs of automobiles in the modern era. This means that both industries influence each other to make them more attractive to the consuming public. Car manufacturers are now taking the cue from some of the most popular fashion trends, making sure that their cars show the latest fashion innovations that people love and adore. Some dealers are now integrating fashion into their car dealership promotion tactics to lure more people into buying their automobiles and growing their sales.
Fashion Trends and New Car Designs
Many car manufacturers are also releasing innovative car designs for fashion lovers. For instance, some race cars are now designed to look like motorcycle boots, while some are made to look like bodysuits worn at racetracks. Some are made to look like leather zip-up jackets.
Fashion and Cars – Their Similarities
Both industries take a large chunk of the consuming market. They work hand in hand to provide satisfaction to fashion lovers and automobile aficionados alike. Their teamwork is also remarkable. They take great lengths to think of new innovative designs that will fit the taste of fashion buffs and car enthusiasts year after year.
Both the fashion industry and the car industry see their designs as exclusive art forms. They both aim to create eye-catching, beautiful, colorful designs that attract the interest of their target markets. While this similarity and connection may be unconsciously made at times, they are still doing an excellent job of satisfying even their most meticulous markets with the designs they offer, which seem to correlate with and complement each other.
To prove the point that car designs and fashion indeed have a connection, here are some creations made by two of the world’s most popular designers:
- Cadillac corset. Created by Thierry Mugler in 1989, this corset looks like a Cadillac with red tail lights. This fashionable outfit was worn by many celebrities over the years, including Naomi Campbell, who wore it for the Vogue Italia 1989 issue.
- Motorcycle bustier. This is another creation by Thierry Mugler. This piece of looking looks like a bicycle without wheels. Created with side mirrors, handbrakes, and handles for resting, this piece of clothing was worn by Beyonce in one of her album performances.
- Javelin Collection. Created by Pierre Cardin for his 1972 collection, this fashion clothing features patterns that match the exterior of the AMC Javelin automobile.
While the runway provides the stage for new and existing fashion designers to shine and show their creativity, the roads provide car manufacturers a platform to show the beauty and creativity of their creations. Inarguably, fashion will continue to influence car designs and manufacturing in the coming years and vice versa, enhancing and changing along with the times.