Humans have always been captivated by the urge to predict what lies ahead. With the world transforming at lightning speed, certainty about the future remains impossible — speculation is all we have.
Craving a glimpse of both yesterday and tomorrow in one sitting? You're in luck. We've rounded up some zany retro illustrations depicting what past generations of designers thought we'd be wearing today. Be warned — you may be shocked!
Bizarre vintage forecasts: what past designers imagined we'd wear
Modern fashion certainly has its imperfections, either. So in certain respects, those earlier creatives weren't completely misguided. Take a tour through the visions tailors and couturiers held for us from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Back in the day, carhops at drive-in eateries (the McDrive kind) enjoyed booming business. In 1960, somebody pictured those uniformed attendants dressed precisely like this.
The label beneath reads: "Peter Storey of Arsenal sports a kit destined for the footballers of tomorrow."
This oddball outfit was stitched together in 1970. Its maker apparently figured that rolling around on skates would become the preferred way to get around. Mind you, these weren't really promotional shots…
Batteries supply the heat for this coat, and the design genuinely has practical value. The catch? The woman wearing it ends up looking like a giant kitchen pot holder.
A swimsuit debuted in 1962 that designers confidently predicted the population would be wearing come the year 2000.
Aluminum drapery plus a headlamp nestled in the hair — this was the designer's supposed foolproof method for a woman to track down an honorable man. Dead serious.
Pierre Cardin's concept of the nurses inhabiting tomorrow's world took this form.
A bathing suit coupled with a swim cap. Earlier designers clearly pictured future generations living a wildly theatrical existence.
This photograph captures an outfit built to help tomorrow's citizen keep their most prized accessories close at hand: a radio and a telephone.
"Knitted suits will dominate 2000 fashion." Happily, that forecast fell flat.
Cardin certainly harbored some unusual theories about upcoming trends. He pictured us all clad in space-age garb. But metallic tones did become trendy — he nailed that one!
During the 1930s, it was widely assumed that 21st century brides would be purchasing glass wedding gowns…
This entry offers one take on how contemporary beauty parlors were expected to appear.
Credit belongs to the designer for their cleverness. An electric belt woven into the outfit reacts to atmospheric conditions — when the mercury rises, the skirt retracts automatically.
A 1930 gown was presented as a means for women to draw male suitors, constructed entirely from see-through mesh netting.
