Joan Rivers: A retrospective through 6 decades of fashion

Date September 5, 2014

Joan Rivers was nothing if not fashionable—or more specifically, Joan Rivers proved that fashion is whatever you make it; that power through clothing is a very real thing.

Clothes, for Joan, were her battle garbs. Over the course of her 50-year career, Rivers, who passed away yesterday at the age of 81, became synonymous with fashion not only because of her red carpet coverage, but because she used it to help construct her personas: on late night in the ‘60s, she was a no-nonsense truth-teller who had audiences laughing through tears (likely because her biting social commentary forced many to confront our dysfunctional social norms), while her ‘80s comeback saw her embrace glamour in the face of personal tragedy. Then, as Rivers became more ingrained in the fashion industry itself (through E! and her collections for QVC), she adhered to the bold aesthetic that we now equate her with—one that suited her brassy persona while deflecting, too. (Which makes sense, considering Rivers’ brand of comedy was on the offense.)

Considering her career was born out of protest (her parents weren’t happy with her choice to work in comedy and frankly, how many parents really do jump for joy when their kids choose the arts over a 9-5?), Joan had to assert herself both professionally and aesthetically, especially when it came to late night.

1960s: Early late night days
Drake is clearly referring to Joan Rivers in “Started From the Bottom” because she epitomizes that sentiment exactly. Having scored her first writing job because a colleague felt it was beneath him, she started writing sketches for Ed Sullivan, Phyllis Diller, and Bob Newhart before moving on to Second City and stand up. Finally, she made making her first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1966, and with it, embodied the modernity of the era.

Yep: at 33 years old, Rivers was publicly rejecting the 9-5 mentality. She could’ve donned a safe, maternal two-piece, but instead went full mod (let’s talk about those boots, shall we?) to position herself as somebody who not only rejected certain social norms, but challenged them directly. Kind of like what she did in this 1967 appearance where she gets all up in those norms’ faces:

That dress! No sleeves, loose-fitting, short, and black: the ‘60s may have loosening up a bit by the later part of that decade, but considering high society women were still in girdles and silhouette-hugging counterparts (think Linda Cardellini’s character in Mad Men), Joan really was using her clothes to flip off others’ expectations. She was a rebel with a cause, and she didn’t even need a leather jacket.

Also, that eyeliner.

1970s: Building of the dynasty
So, thanks to all of this (and her talent, obviously), Joan Rivers became a bona fide household name come the 1970s. And that’s when she began dressing the part of an actual star (in the literal sense). Proving her affinity for risky, interesting pieces was no ‘60s fluke, Rivers’ 1970s wardrobe embodied the industry she demanded a place in: show business. Real, star-studded (let me have the puns you guys, it’s what Joan would’ve wanted), sparkly show business. The type that called for a glamour that we don’t see anymore, and the type that respected a stand up comedian’s right to wearing sequins and gems next to a sweater-donning Carol Burnett. Joan’s pieces represented a tier she’d fought hard to find a place on. No longer was she on the outside looking in—she had arrived.

However, while loud, she wasn’t gaudy. Girlfriend knew how to dress for the occasion. In this ‘70s episode of The Hollywood Squares, Joan fit in among her celebrity counterparts (Vincent Price! Aretha Franklin!) perfectly, but she still used accessories to up the ante by reminding anyone watching that what she had on was thought out – like her jokes and the rest of her career.

1980s: Damage control
However, the ‘80s weren’t easy on Rivers. Leaving The Tonight Show (and ending her friendship with Johnny Carson, who’d given her a writing job), she branched out to debut The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers on Fox, which made her series a Tonight Show competitor. (She was banned from appearing on The Tonight Show for 20 years because of it.) Worse yet, her show didn’t last a year, and three months after its cancellation 1987, her husband Edgar Rosenberg committed suicide.

But the more risks she took in her career, the more risks Rivers seemed to take in fashion. Her 1982 appearance on The Tonight Show saw her not just drop the now-infamous “Can we talk?” (bless) it saw an excess of fabric, a contrasting print, and absolutely no regard for conventional shapes.

Two years later, and she upped the dare. She dared you to look directly into her gold dress, she dared you to look better in a metallic masterpiece, and she dared you to argue that 30 years later, this wouldn’t be go-to choice.

Also, that same year, she and Miss Piggy wore the same outfit. Officially cementing her as a woman of style.

1990s: A woman in charge
But Joan is a survivor. Even from her 1989 interview with Pee Wee Herman (how did we let Pee Wee Herman go so far, guys?), Joan bulked up with fabric and colour as if to push any pitfalls away, or maybe more accurately, to prevent anything from getting to her. Rivers was notorious for her sharp tongue, so she combatted accordingly: I mean, just try to spit out a comeback when you’re transfixed on puffed sleeves.

But by 1995, Rivers had toned her look down and aligned herself more with the high fashion circuit – which makes sense, considering that same year saw Joan and her daughter Melissa Rivers host the Oscars pre-show for the first time. So, as always, Joan began dressing the part: choosing one piece as a focal point, the comedian brought her high caliber glam to even a 1995 Got Milk ad, still using fashion to command a space while proving that she understood it enough to at least judge the outfits of others.

2000s: Joan Rivers™
And now here we are today. Some of us don’t (and won’t) recognize award season without Joan Rivers, and rightfully so: for 20 years, she’s been a mainstay on the red carpet, tearing down, sometimes controversially, celebrity dresses and celebrities themselves, all while dressing like a person who’s been through the trenches.

In fact, the 2010s saw Rivers amalgamate her pasts and former selves perfectly: she challenged style convention like she did in the ‘60s, she stepped into the “showbiz” persona (through furs and feathers) like she did in the ‘70s. She bulked up to block out like she did in the ‘80s (especially needed since most of her comments garnered controversy), and still maintained a 90s-esque air of elegance – which makes sense.

Not only had Joan Rivers cultivated a career of being and looking like herself, she went on to help others do the same via her QVC and Shopping Network collections. She cared about fashion in terms of looking great, yes, but especially in terms of empowering oneself and looking one’s best.

So Joan, we’ll miss you. We’ll miss your snark, and your honesty, and you’re living proof that survival is not only possible, but also rewarded. Joan Rivers was proof that fashion represents not just trends, but how you want the world to see you. And anyone who respects her career, her opinions, or her empire will never see Joan Rivers as anything less than a style force to be reckoned with.