āæ AIRPORT STYLE ESSENTIALS THROUGH THE YEARS āæ Magentaās Fashion History 101
First, letās consider this question: Why are we so obsessed with celebrity airport style?
Short answer? Itās the perfect mix of attainable and otherworldly. Itās the age-old adoration and pursuit ofĀ āGolden Age of Hollywoodā glamour, mixed with our modern familiarity of travel [and airports themselves].
But to fully answer this question, letās go back to the beginning of air travel: The 1950s. This was a time when flying by air was not as accessible as it is today- it was new, and it was exclusive. The Golden Age of Hollywood was at itās peak, and the concept of celebrity glamour was fully birthed. People adored celebrities more than ever- think Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Sophia Loren, and the likes. And seeing them travel was just another added element of the desirable glamour and luxury they poised.Throughout the years, peaking in the 70s (in my opinion), travelling by plane became more common and the phenomenon only grew stronger. Photographers all over the world, and particularly at Heathrow Airport (to this day), would be clambering for pictures of āin-motionā celebrities in the middle of a seeminglyĀ ānormalā public environment. Itās the perfect formula for the day to day person to look to forĀ ārealistic styling inspirationā. Whatās something Cher would wear that I could actually wear? Whatās Ringo Starrās girlfriend wearing (and if I wear it, Iāll feel like her- an interesting note is that girlfriends/groupies of bands were very big style inspirations because they felt more relatable yet still out of touch- like theĀ ābetterā versions of us. Notice the similarities between people like Eleanor Calder who dated Louis from One Direction and Pattie Boyd- style icons for teens of their times... not to mention ICONIC airport looks)? Now letās fast forward and talk about the 90s. This is when theĀ āoff-duty modelā trend became popularized. The off-duty model/celeb trend essentially encapsulates what already was with idolizing and finding inspo in airport looks, but also now paying attention to street style. This trend continues to grow- but thereās no doubting that airport style is the ultimate off-duty model look. Today, the phenomenon is alive and well, and we still love that off-duty, fresh from France style. Now, with technology and social media, the trend has grown intoĀ āLong Haul Flight Skincare Routineā andĀ āMy Travel Essentialsā videos and online content from influencers and generally from people who want to emulate the glamour and aesthetic of flying and traveling FOR people who want to emulate the same.
Now, letās go through the decades and talk about some of the icons and pieces that defined and continue to define the allure of airport fashion.
The 50s look was the peak of Old Hollywood glamour. Formalwear was essential as flying was a huge event, and stars recall dressing to impress. Key pieces include fur coats, leather gloves, big sunglasses.
Style became looser and much edgier in the 60s,but the airport remained the place to make a statement, and generally stars still liked to keep their airport looks polished and preppy. Key pieces include capes, co-ords (tartan or monochrome were prefered), big square sunglasses, and ankle boots.Ā
The 70s are my personal favorite airport era. Not only was my fave, Cher, serving EVERY look on a silver platter, honestly everyone else was too. Key pieces include a long statement coat (trench, shearling, fur, etc.), knee or thigh high boots, bell bottoms, big shades (noticing a theme here?), and a floppy brimmed hat.
The 80s were way more structured, almost no one was without a blazer. Key pieces includeĀ oversized or sharp blazers, high waisted pants, a structured Carmen Sandiego hat, chunky jewelry, and colorblocked outfits.
The airport looks in the 90s were all about the casual, NYC, offādutyĀ āvibesā. Key pieces include clubmaster sunglasses, berets and beanies, oversized sweaters and blazers, floral, muted colors, and layers.
From the moment the Juicy tracksuit came to fruition, celebs finally started embracing casual airport wear (and started embracing it even more onceĀ āathleisureā became a thing), but it definitely hasnāt stopped stars from serving looks that nod back to the classics.
So all in all, I think we can agree that big everything, a dramatic coat, black as night sunglasses, and a Carmen Sandiego hat will forever be our airport classics as we continue to fantasize about our long-haul flight skincare routine.
