Artsy intellectual vs. Career woman
The brainy look continued to be popular, with its flowing trousers and oversized styles. There were also many women who opted for a more sexy look, such as the iconic Katarzyna Figura, whose name was synonymous with curves. She inspired waves of women to embrace their sensuality, whether they were up-and-coming actresses, models, or secretaries in local offices.
What was the alternative? A modern take on the businesslike skirt suit – its hem just brushing the knee. This was the signature style of the former first lady Jolanta Kwaśniewska and she built her image around this tailored look.
Logomania certainly made its mark on the Polish fashion scene – just as it had elsewhere – particularly among the newly rich, who couldn’t resist the opportunity to wear their wealth on their sleeve.
Macho, macho men
There wasn’t much ado about men’s fashion at the time. It wasn’t cool to talk about fashion or try to be fashionable. And yet by virtue of necessity, men had to wear something and more often than not, they wore some spin on Western trends. Denim was a safe bet, with Wrangler’s, Lee and Levi’s finally at hand. Blazers weren’t always just black and shoes became more elegant.
One of the style icons of the time was actor Bogusław Linda, and his macho approach to his wardrobe was swiftly adopted by men across the country. There weren’t any guides or magazines, however, that would help men navigate through all the different goods and trends now so readily available. So, quite often the effect was more kitschy than suave. This meant a whole lot of tracksuits and polyester, blazers that still had the tags sewn onto the cuffs, t-shirt tucked into their trousers.