How did the '60s change the history of fashion?

Fashion and history have always moved forward together. While times change, clothing changes with it, adapting itself to new lifestyles and consequently needs.

One of the most iconic decades in fashion was definitely the 1960's. When we talk about the '60s people immediately think about the hippie style and this is why I'm here writing this blog: To show you the '60s had much more style and glam than you may think.

My focus will be on western fashion: the UK and the United States to be more specific. I chose to focus on them because the fashion of this decade was strongly influenced by music: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, The Doors, The Stooges, The Velvet Underground and many more, and all of these bands are from the UK and the United States.

The swinging sixties was a time where traditions were broken and self-expression was encouraged. Key fashion styles of the decade included mod, beatnik and hippie looks, all of which captured the artful, fun and free spirit of the time. More than music, the sixties' fashion was a political statement. Freedom, peace, sexual liberation, women's rights, they were all happening at the same time and the young folks were craving for a more just, peaceful and equal world, which is noticed by the shortening of clothes, men wearing tight tops and bottoms and showing more skin, the use of brighter colours and different patterns and other awesome details.

Twiggy

One thing that should be noted is the huge shock and impact the '60s fashion caused in the world. Until 1950's fashion was pretty much all of the same - with slight changes between decades, of course - but mainly the same. Women in their dresses, men in their suits. gender roles extremely defined and separated in fashion and not much creativity. Thanks to icons such as Coco Chanel and Marlene Dietrich in the decades of 1910,1920 and 1930, fashion started to change towards a more comfortable and still classy (for women) style, but these fashion icons were exceptions and fashion changed veeeeery slowly until it couldn't hold it anymore - THE SIXTIES.

From left to right, fashion in the: 1910's, 1920's, 1930's, 1940's , 1950's and boom, 1960's

Ok, but what changed in the 60's?

The teenagers and young adults were in the middle of thousands of revolutions: the first human landed on the moon, technology was advancing faster and faster, the first personal computers started to be sold, the cold war making everyone in the world stressed, the Vietnam war was happening, punk and rock and roll were rising and feminism was finally conquering its space in society. The young people were tired of war and violence and they demonstrated their frustration of the old world through art: music, fine arts and fashion.

For the first time in the 19th Century, London (not Paris) was the center of the fashion world. The British Invasion didn’t stop with The Beatles, Andy Warhol emerged as the artist of the decade with his iconic pop art movement and avant-garde experimental films, Twiggy has become the expression of the cool girls of the decade, the Woodstock festival marked the meeting of rock legends asking for a more just and peaceful world and women were entering the job market and becoming independent.

The scenario was effervescent and full of life and desires that were transported to fashion.

Edie Sedgwick in the 60s

Bright colours and bold prints

If we had to summarize the fashion of the sixties I'd say it was full of bright colours and bold prints in general, but many trends emerged such as new types of cuts, head scarves, maxi-sunglasses, huge earrings, calf-high boots and others. One of the most remarkable trends was the miniskirts that debuted in the ’60s and changed women’s fashion forever. This type of skirt shocked conservatives by allowing ladies to show off their legs in defiance of conformity. Other huge trend was the shift dresses, a signature of the ’60s style. Cut short, these rectangled-shaped dresses proved the perfect alternative to the restrictive styles of previous years. Printed dresses were the fixture of the decade, with the craziest prints that finally came to life in the sixties (and I'm so glad they did)! Bold and striking prints were an essential element of sixties style and they appeared on a variety of garments. These loud and proud prints ranged from psychedelic designs to striking florals, tie-dye and strikes.

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If you were one of the cool kids, you would definitely have heaps of coloured stockings. A quirky and youthful addition to outfits, coloured stockings were a modern alternative to stockings with suspenders, which weren’t ideal to wear with miniskirts and short dresses. The white boots known as 'Go-Go Boots' were the footwear sensation. Introduced in the middle of the decade, these shoes were traditionally white, low-heeled and finished mid-calf. An alternative to this style was to wear calf-high socks that were paired perfectly with miniskirts.

I personally love the sixties style and I'd love to wear these outfits in my everyday life. Can we bring the 60's back?

#sixties #60s #1960s #Fashion60s