Important Facts.

  

The fashion of the 21st century has been diverse. Models are more televised (who are shown in social media, TV shows, music videos, and movies), more people are going out of their way to educate themselves about fashion, and more people are overtly fighting abuse and corruption found in the fashion industry to this very day. Celebrities, athletes, and other wealthy people still influence fashion in a great fashion. The Internet has caused fashion trends to develop more rapidly instead of spanning months or years in its duration. Fashion culture has been decentralized where regular people can make tons of economic profit by developing their own grassroots belts, shirts, pants, dresses, and other accessories. Denim jeans, jerseys, and suits are still very popular. Also, the 21st century saw unique colors, shapes, words on shirts, and more diverse imagery as the 21st century continued. Some people wanted to wear more corporate-owned clothes, handbags, watches, and just anything with a logo on it. We have to balance fashion with the rejection of extreme conformity. There is nothing wrong with wearing name-brand items per se, but we should recognize that our human dignity is not defined by wealthy name brands. We are defined by birth by our souls being entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by birthright.

 

The early 2000s was a continuation of the fashion of the late 1990s. By this time, many women wore a Matrix like look with metallic silver, black clothing, and belts. Balenciaga funded catwalks with models using black including Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, and Calvin Kelin. There was more conservative clothing, especially after 9/11 with leather, trench coats, and straps. After 9/11, more people wore jeans. Many people wore True Religion, hip hop brands, and by 2005, skinny jeans were in prominent. Many of the young men and women regularly wore skinny jeans by the late 2000s and early 2010s. Numerous women wore crop tops, low rise pants, and long hair. Jessica Alba loved to wear True Religion fashion clothes. Tom Ford embraced a black leather style during the Fall of 2001. The early to mid-2000s dealt with more conservative clothes for men and women. Later, many women wore Uggs boots and low cut skirts like Beyonce. Bohemian styles were commonplace. More people showed more skin in clothing. By the late 2000s, more experimentation in fashion took off. One example is how Lady Gaga wore diverse sunglasses, wore experimentative clothing, took more risks in terms of fashion. As the Internet grew, international online fashion increased profits. The rise of smartphones helped many fashion companies, both well-known and unsung to gain profits. Mya, Paris Hilton, Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Jay Z, RIhanna, and other people promoted unique fashion clothing in their everyday lives. Men wore sunglasses, polo shirts, track suits, jerseys, Jordans, and cargo pants. Pharrell is underrated in his fashion displays along with Kanye West. By the end of the 2000s, emo-styles, hip-hop fashion, and ties were very popular. Hip-hop fashion (found in Rocawear, Phat Farm, Billionaire Boys Club, BAPE, G-unit clothing, Fubu, etc.) and indie culture were among the most popular fashion of the 2000s. More globalization caused people to wear casual clothes too. Fast fashion was advanced by H&M, Forever 21, Zara, and Target. More people wore tattoos and piercings. A lot of people don't know that before the 1990s, tattoos and piercings were not that common among human beings like that. Some wore braids and America's Top Model with Tyra Banks helped to expand the careers of many up-and-coming fashion models. 

 

The 2010s witnessed a new era of time. By the early 2010s, many people wanted a retro 1980s look. Some hipster types of people loved fashion. The growing world of social media from Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook helped many independent fashion human beings to gain more influence. Fashion culture is more decentralized. People can sell belts, wigs, watches, shirts, dresses, T-Shirts, etc. from their own homes to make a lot of economic benefits on another level. We see social media influencers transform overnight to be credible fashion leaders. The mainstream fashion brands of the 2010s included Abercombie and Fitch, Adidas, Balenciaga, Ben Sherman, Forever 21, Louis Vutton, Gucci, Under Armour, Nike, etc. Many designers continued to increase their profile like Michael Cinco, Frida Gianni, Marc Jacobs, etc. Internatinal models were more diverse from Irina Shayk, Cara Delevingne, Adam Senn, Liu Wen, Joan Smalls, Jourdan Dunn, Eva Marcille, etc. Many women wore bright colored clothing which was similar to the 1980s style like Jing Ulrich and Candace Swanepeol. Many people wore capri pants, motorcycle jackets, crop tops, and low rise pants. Many fashions from the Middle East increased from hijabs to black stain gowns. Printed clothing were common. By the late 2010s, a much more mature look was in existence. Many men wore neon colors, V neck t-shirts, and shawl collar cardigans. Some wore 1990s style fashion and business casual clothng. Some wore two-piece suits, workwear, and luxury sportswear. New style eyeglasses with transitions were common along with unique sunglasses. Many men wore clothing from luxury items, hip-hop fashion, sportswear, and athleisure. African fashion growing in the world too from mitumba clothing (in Kenya and Uganda) and kente cloth and silk Madiba shirts. Many black Americans wore dashikis. Many young kids wore neon cloths, amine styles, and a more conservative look too. Jordans, Riccardo Tisci, and Rick Owens promote distinct fashion. Chicano culture, K-pop, and British pop artists inspired futuristic fashion too. Women wore individual styles like the French twist, crown braids, natural hair, pixie, dreadlocks, etc. Men wore the undercut, the Afro, waves, the taper, mohawks, and the high-top fade. More men wore full beards during the 2010s.

 

The 2020s in fashion saw a look for nostalgia for older aesthetics. Many people were inspired by the late 1990s, mid-2000s, and 1980s. Fashion was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic causing people to deal with retail and consumer trends. TikTok, Shein, and Temu marketed clothes. There were E-commerce platforms and small businesses promoting clothing like Depop and Etsy. Many people wore fashion more reasonable prices. The facemask with diverse designs became a generational fashion motif. Many people in the 2020s wore pajamas, sweatpants, and athleisure wear to deal with the pandemic. Some people wore athletic shorts, sneakers, and more looser items. There was more comfortable clothing. The flashy logos of the late 2010s were replaced by quiet luxury items and timeless designs. There were more runway items. There was the maximalism fashion. Some people wore navy blue, neon green, and electric blue items. There were cashmere cardigans, Crocs, sandals, and Air Force 1s. Some people wore boho 1960s clothing like hippie style sandals and flared trousers. Some wore flannel coats. Shinny dresses were worn near the mid 2020s. Some wore the 1980s style fashion from corduroy sports coats to aran sweaters. More old-school blue-collar clothes existed and gender-neutral clothing existed in the 2020s. By this time, we saw more patriotic items, sportscoats, duster coats, college sweaters, Western leather jackets. Young people wore more emo, hip hop, pop-punk, and skater plus vintage aesthetics. Many hip-hop fans wore political clothing items to oppose racism and all other injustices from T-Shirts with Black Lives Matter imagery, Black Panther themes, and camouflage patterns. The VSCO images were worn by women. Some younger people wore Japanese inspired kidcore clothing. Many women wore dyed hair, natural hair, scrunchies, hair clips, and bandannas. Men wore breads, mullets, and the Caesar cut along with dreadlocks including Afros. Some people wore buzz cuts and mustaches as inspired by political changes and movies like Miles Teller's role in Top Gun: Maverick. BBLs are still popular along with unique tattoos that deal with fashion. The skin care boom is embraced fashion wise by people in Generations of Millennials, Alpha, and Generation Z. Skin care is very important in my life as an older Millennial. Many people use sunscreen, retinol, and other methods to improve the human skin. 

 

 

The invasion of D-Day was months in the making. Winston Churchill was skeptical about D-Day at first, because Churchill didn't trust Stalin because he was a Communist. Also, Churchill didn't want British soldiers to sacrifice their lives for the interests of Joseph Stalin. Stalin wanted the Allied Forces to invade France to lessen the burden of the Soviets on the Eastern front. America and Britain agreed to participate in D-Day after multiple delays. By June of 1944, the Allied Forces knew that the Nazis were going to be defeated. The question was only how and when. Roosevelt supported Stalin's position to invade France, but Churchill was more stubborn. After the Tehran November 1943 Conference, plans for D-Day was starting. Operation Overload was the plan for D-Day. General Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded the operation among the American side along with British General Bernard Montgomery (being the commander of the ground forces). General Omar Bradley of America led the United States First Army. The invasion was in Normandy, France with 21 American divisions, 26 British, Canadian, and Polish divisions on a 50 mile stretch of land. The Normandy invasion was the largest amphibious invasion in human history with 4,400 ships and landing crafts. The plan was to allow General Patton to deceive the Nazis in claiming that a certain part of France was invaded, and then Allied forces would invasion on other beaches (coded named Omaha, Gold, Junio, and Sword). The Allied used fake cardboard images from Calais to think that the Nazis would have to fight in Calais. This plan worked as Hitler sent his military forces at Calais. On June 6, 1944, the Allies attacked German forces with more than 11,000 planes. The first troops landed at 6:30 pm., and the fighting was fierce. Many men died and it was graphic. The Omaha beach region had strong American causalities. The Allied forces had to climb cliffs at Normandy to defeat the Nazi enemy. Thomas E. Herring of C Company said that the carnage on the beach was indescribable. Many soldiers drowned, heavy gunfire was in existence, and the Allied forces defeated the Nazis as time went onward. Many Allied forces died, but by the end of the day, the Allied military forces gained a foothold in France. The American, British, Canadian, and anti-Nazi French forces worked together to help liberate France. 

The Soviets soon controlled Lativa, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary. The Soviets attacked Finland by June 9, 1944. The Nazis liquidated the town of Oradour-sur-Glane in France on June 10, 1944. The first German V-1 rocket attacked Britian on June 13, 1944. There was the Soviet summer offensive called Operation Bagration on June 22, 1944. The U.S. troops liberated Cherbourg, France on June 27, 1944. We saw the Battle of the Hedgrows in Normandy and the Soviets captured Minsk on July 3, 1944. British and Canadian troops capture Caen, France on July 9, 1944. The U.S. troops reached St. Lo, France on July 18, 1944, German Army officers tried to assassinate Hitler on July 20, 1944, but they failed. Soviet troops liberated the first concentration camp at Majdanek on July 24, 1944. From July 25-30, Operation Cobra existed (U.S. troops broke out west of St. Lô). Soviet troops take Brest-Litovsk. U.S. troops took Coutance on July 28, 1944. The Polish Home Army uprising against Nazis in Warsaw begins; U.S. troops reached Avranches on August 1, 1944. Anne Frank and her family were arrested by the Gestapo in Amsterdam on August 4, 1944. The Nazis used a major counterattack towards Avranches on August 7, 1944. Operation Dragoon begins (the Allied invasion of Southern France) on August 15, 1944. There was the resistance uprising in Paris on August 19, 1944. The Soviets attacked Romania on August 19, and the Allies encircled the Nazis in the Falaise Pocket on August 20. The liberation of Paris finally happened in August 25, 1944. There was the Slovak uprising on August 19, the Soviets took Bucharest on August 31, 1944, and by September 1-4, Verdun, Diepper, Artois, Rouen, Abbeville, Antwerp, and Brussels were liberated. Finland and the Soviet Union have a cease fire on September 4, 1944. 

By September 13, 1944, American troop reach the Siegfried Line in western Germany. Holland was bombed by Allied Airforce's via Operation Market Garden by September 17, 1944. Soviet troops occupied Estonia on September 26 and by October 2, 1944, the Warsaw Uprising ends as the Polish Home Army surrendering to the Nazis. The Soviets captured Rigs on October 10-29, the Allies liberated Athens on October 14, and Rommel committed suicide on October 14 too. There was a massive German surrender at Achen, Germany on October 21. The last use of gas chambers at Auschwitz on October 30, 1944. French troops drive through the Beffort Gap to reach the Rhine by November 20. The French captured Strasbourg on November 24, there was a civil war in Greece and Athens is placed under martial law on December 4, 1944. The bloody Battle of the Bulge happened in the Ardennes from December 16-27, 1944. The Nazis had a surprise attack on Allied forces and the Allies responded to defeat the Nazis after the Battle of the Bulge was over. American forces at Bastogne held fast to defeat the Nazis. The Battle of the Bulge involved cold conditions, and many people had frostbite. It was the Winter. After the Battle of the Bulge, the Nazis were in constant retreat. The Waffen SS murdered 81 U.S. POWs at Malemdy on December 17, 1944. Patton relieves Bastonge by December 26, 1944. The Soviet troops besiege Budapest on December 27, 1944. The Nazis leave Ardennes from January 1-17, 1945. By January 16, U.S. 1st and 3rd Armies linked up after a month long separation during the Battle of the Bulge. The Soviets captured Warsaw, Poland on January 17, 1945. The Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz on January 26, 1945. The famous Yalta conference took place from February 4-11, 1945, among Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin. Roosevelt by this time was dying, and all men had to decide what to do after WWII. They agreed that Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania would have free elections. Yet, Stalin didn't fulfill his promise. FDR hoped that Stalin would at least promote free elections. Since the Soviets occupied much of Eastern Europe, Churchill and Roosevelt didn't have a strong hand to extremely pressure Stalin except with vague promises. Stalin supported FDR's desire for the Soviets to invade Japan in exchange for Stalin to control certain regions of Asia. They agreed with the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, Stalin agreed to have France to have a fourth zone of occupation in Germany (formed from the American and British zones), and Germany would have demilitarization and denazification. Roosevelt allowed Stalin to join the United Nations. The Yalta Agreement allowed Nazi war criminals to be found and put on trial in the territories in which their crimes had been committed (then the Nazi leaders were to be executed). The Yalta Conference was controversial and groundbreaking at the same time. 

From February 13-14, Dresden was destroyed by a firestorm after Allied bombing raids. March 6, 1945, was when the Last German offensive of the war when the Nazis wanted to defend oil fields in Hungary. March 7, 1945, was when Allies took Cologne and establish a bridge across the Rhine at Remagen. Soviet troops captured Danzig on March 30, 1945. By April, the Allies found stolen Nazi art and wealth hidden in German salt mines. The American troops encircled Germans on the Ruhr. The Allied offensive in Northern Italy happened. On April 12, 1945, Allies liberated Buchenwald and Belsen concentration camps; President Roosevelt died. America mourned the death of President Franklin Roosevelt who fundamentally changed the whole world. Harry Truman becomes President. Soviet troops began their final attack on Berlin; Americans entered Nuremberg on April 16, 1945. The Nazis surrendered in Ruhur by April 18. The Soviets reached Berlin on April 21, 1945. Mussolini was captured and hanged by Italian partisans and the Allies took Venice on April 28,1945. The U.S. 7th Army liberated Dachau on April 29, and Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945. Nazi troops surrendered in Italy on May 2, 1945, and there was the unconditional surrender of all Nazi forces to the Allies on May 7, 1945. VE Day (or Victory in Europe Day) is celebrated on May 8, 1945. May 9, 1945, was when Hermann Göring was captured by members of the U.S. 7th Army. May 23, 1945, was when SS-Reichsführer Himmler committed suicide; German High Command and Provisional Government imprisoned. June 5, 1945 was when the Allies divided up Germany and Berlin and take over the government. June 26, 1945, was when the United Nations Charter was signed in San Francisco. July 1, 1945, was when American, British, and French troops moved into Berlin.

 

The end of the Pacific Theater of World War Two was here. There was the Battle of Vella Gulf in the Solomon Islands on August 6-7, 1943, the Allies occupying New Georgia by August 25, and the Allies recapturing Lae-Salamaua, New Guinea on September 4, 1943. The Japanese executed about 100 American POWs on Wake Island on October 7, 1943. On October 26, Emperor Hirohito said that his country's situation is now grave. The U.S. Marines invaded Bouginville in the Solomon Islands on November 1, 1943. The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay happened on November 2, the U.S. troops invaded Makin and Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands on November 20, and the Japanese end resistance on Makin and Tarawa on November 23. U.S. troops landed on the Arawe Peninsula of New Britian in the Solomon Island on December 15, 1943, and there was the full Allied assault on New Britian as 1st Division Marines invaded Cape Gloucester on December 26, 1943. 

By early 1944, British and Indian troops recaptured Maungdaw in Burma. U.S. troops invaded Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands on January 31, 1944. As time went on, American forces captured places in the Marshall Islands in February of 1944. The Japanese led offensives in China and in Imphal and Kohima. Later, the Allies invaded New Guinea by April and May of 1944. Americans use B-29 Superfortress bombers as 77 planes bomb Japanese railway facilities at Bangkok, Thailand. The American Marines invaded Saipan in the Mariana Islands on June 15, 1944. Japan was bombed again on June 1944. Japan leaves Imphal. American Marines invade Guam and Tinian. By July 27, 1944, American troops completely liberated Guam, so the Allied forces are going from island to island to defeat the Japanese military forces. The Allied forces also worked with Chinese troops to take Mtyikina. American troops captured the Marina Islands on August 8, 1944. The U.S. have air raids against Okinawa on October 11, 1944, and the U.S. Navy won the Battle of Leyte Gulf by October 26, 1944. Japanese use suicide air kamikaze attacks on U.S. warships in Leyte too. This was in October. The U.S. Navy bombs Iowa Jima by November 11, 1944. U.S. troops invade Mindoro in the Philippines by December 15, 1944. The U.S. Army Air Force prepare for dropping the atomic bomb on Japan using the B-29s. On January 3, 1945, Gen. MacArthur is placed in command of all U.S. ground forces and Adm. Nimitz in command of all naval forces in preparation for planned assaults against Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Japan itself. The British fight in Burma, and the U.S. Sixth Army invaded the Lingayen Gulf on Luzon in the Philippines on January 9, 1945. 

The Marines invade Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. This came after the U.S. troops recapture Bataan in the Philippines. By March 1945, American and Filipino troops take Manila on March 3, 1945. British troops liberate Mandalay, Burma. B-29s continue to bomb Japanese territories. The U.S. Tenth Army invade Okinawa on April 1, 1945. Japanese forces started to leave China on May 20, 1945. The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff approve Operation Olympic, the invasion of Japan, scheduled for November 1. This was on May 25, 1945.

The Potsdam Conference took place from July 17 to August 2, 1945. It was a meeting of President Harry S. Truman, Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee, and General Secretary Joseph Stalin. The group decided on how to divide up Germany and agreed to an unconditional surrender of the Axis Powers. This conference focused on more details about establishing the post-war reality, solving issues on the peace treaty, and dealing with the effects of the war.  Numerous representatives of America, Britain, and the Soviet Union were at the Potsdam Conference too. Harry Truman was more hawkish than FDR, so Truman and Churchill were allied to put more pressure on Stalin to support their goals. The conference allowed Germany to be divided into four occupation zones (being ruled by America, the UK, the Soviet Union, and France), a Soviet back group would be recognized as the legitimate government of Poland, Vietnam is to be partitioned at the 16th parallel, and the Soviets agreed to invaded Japanese held areas. Truman told Stalin that he had a powerful new weapon at the conference, but Stalin knew of the atomic bomb because Soviet spies were inside the Manhattan Project (that developed the atomic weapon). The Potsdam Conference set the stage of the Cold War allowing the Soviet Eastern Bloc to rule much of Eastern Europe. Germany's eastern border would be shifted west to the Oder-Neisse line via the Potsdam Conference too. 

Japanese Premier Suzuki announced Japan will fight to the very end rather than accept unconditional surrender. Japan have defeats in the Philippines until General MacArthur's headquarters announced the end of all Japanese resistance in the Philippines. The liberation of the Philippines was declared by July 5, 1945. After this event, there were 1,00 bomber raids against Japan from July 10th. The U.S. Navy bombs Japanese home islands. The first atomic bomb was successfully tested in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. Later, part of the Little Boy atomic bomb was sent to Tinian Island in the South Pacific. A Japanese submarine sinks the Cruiser INDIANAPOLIS resulting in the loss of 881 crewmen. The ship sinks before a radio message can be sent out leaving survivors adrift for two days on July 29, 1945. The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima from a B-29 flown by Col. Paul Tibbets on August 6, 1945. After that bomb, the world changed. People died instantly in Japan, graphic images of bodies were shown, and radiation poisoning harmed innocent lives for decades. It was a war crime against humanity and a crime against God period. It was blatantly evil and unjust which was done by Harry Truman. The Soviets declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria on August 8, 1945. The 2nd atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, from a B-29 flown by Major Charles Sweeney. - Emperor Hirohito and Japanese Prime Minister Suzuki then decide to seek an immediate peace with the Allies. On August 14, 1945, the  Japanese accept unconditional surrender; Gen. MacArthur is appointed to head the occupation forces in Japan. August 16, 1945, was when Gen. Wainwright, a POW since May 6, 1942, is released from a POW camp in Manchuria. B-29s drop supplies to Allied POWs in China by August 27, 1945, and the Soviets shoot down a B-29 dropping supplies to POWs in Korea; U.S. Troops land near Tokyo to begin the occupation of Japan on August 19. The British reoccupy Hong Kon on August 30, 1945. September 2, 1945, was when there was the Formal Japanese surrender ceremony on board the MISSOURI in Tokyo Bay as 1,000 carrier-based planes fly overhead; President Truman declares VJ Day. September 3, 1945, was when The Japanese commander in the Philippines, Gen. Yamashita, surrenders to Gen. Wainwright at Baguio. Japanese troops surrendered on Wake Island on September 4, the British land in Singapore on September 5, MacArthur enters Tokyo on September 8, and the Japanese surrendered in Korea on September 9, 1945. The Japanese surrender on September 13, 1945. The United Nations was born on October 24, 1945, which was a dream of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. World War Two is finally over, but the Cold War was born. 

 

In recent decades, there has been a merging of country music with other genres of music. Many people who complained about country being too pop were mostly silent when Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers did pop songs before. There is such a time called country music pop that originated in the 1960s. This type of music was created to appeal to a wider audience. Country music merging with pop music dealt with melodies and lyrics that were difference. Even the Nashville sound used pop, rock, and folk into country music. This style of music was promoted by Studio executives Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley. This sound was promoted to the younger crowd of people. Crossover hits were common among Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves, and Eddy Arnold. Crossing genres were shown by Charley Pride, Lynn Anderson, Mac Davis, and Donna Fargo. We know about Olivia Newton-John. Today in the 2020s, we have country music merging with hip hop too. Artists like Maren Morris, Dan + Shay, and Kelsea Ballerini have experienced with different styles. Florida Georgia Line have rock elements in their songs, and Beyonce's Cowboy Carter merges multiple genres into one album. There are tons of black young country music artists expressing themselves all of the time since country's inception.

By Timothy