Too Cool
For School

Rock and roll on AM radio, soul 45s, surf guitar, and cars as the only real venue. Two camps ran the parking lot: greasers in leather and cuffs, and the clean-cut crowd in cardigans and saddle shoes.

• White tee, sleeves rolled
• Motorcycle leather | letterman jacket
• Cuffed straight-leg denim
• Bowling shirt, camp collar
• Cardigan and saddle shoes
• Full skirt with a wide belt
• Slim suit, narrow lapel

• Heavy raw denim
• Black leather, sheepskin collar
• Rayon gabardine
• Worsted wool, mohair
• Cotton poplin, chenille letters

• Mad Men, 2007
• Beach Party, 1963
• Wild in the Streets, 1968
• American Graffiti, 1973
• Grease, 1978

Funk, soul, fusion, and the long instrumental break. Clubs got louder, hems got wider, and the horn section dressed better than the audience. Punk showed up late and cut the sleeves off.

• High-waist flare, wide hem
• Wide-collar shirt, worn open
• Leather blazer | shearling coat
• Platform boot, Cuban heel
• Halter dress, jersey knit
• Denim jacket over denim jean
• Shrunken tour tee

• Polyester double-knit
• Satin, lurex, velvet
• Wide-wale corduroy
• Raw and faded denim
• Suede, tan leather

• Car Wash, 1976
• Saturday Night Fever, 1977
• Thank God It's Friday, 1978
• Over the Edge, 1979
• Rock 'n' Roll High School, 1979

Drum machines, boomboxes, and the first generation to dress like an album cover. Hip-hop made sportswear formalwear. Everything got a shoulder, a logo, and a can of hairspray.

• Nylon or velour tracksuit, zipped
• Shell-toe sneaker, fat laces
• MA-1 bomber | leather jacket
• Acid-wash denim, jacket and jean
• Oversized blazer, sleeves pushed
• Rugby shirt, collar up
• Bucket hat | Kangol

• Nylon shell, velour
• Acid-washed denim
• Lycra, spandex knit
• Padded gabardine
• Neon terry, mesh

• Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 1982
• Risky Business, 1983
• Beat Street, 1984
• The Breakfast Club, 1985
• Pretty in Pink, 1986
• Say Anything, 1989

Grunge, boom-bap, trip-hop, and mixtapes taped off the radio. The look was thrifted, oversized, and studiously uninterested, which took more effort than anyone admitted.

• Plaid flannel, open over a tee
• Baggy straight jean, stacked hem
• Slip dress over a white tee
• Work boot | canvas low-top
• Nylon anorak, half-zip
• Carpenter pant, hammer loop
• Band tee, thrifted and thin

• Cotton flannel, brushed
• Waffle thermal
• Heavy canvas, ripstop nylon
• Rayon and satin slip
• Fleece, chenille knit

• Singles, 1992
• Clueless, 1995
• Empire Records, 1995
• Kids, 1995
• 10 Things I Hate About You, 1999