Sixties Fashion

Articles on Fashion | Topic: fashion

by Jean Fernandez

The 1960s brought an explosion of color to Great Britain after the drab and austere years of the decade before. Food rationing did not completely end until 1954 and everyone was readjusting to normal life after World War II. The young people of the 1960s who had reached their teens were ready to live it up a little and sixties fashion reflected that.

Swinging London was the center of the universe as far as fashion was concerned. Trendy boutiques sprang up everywhere and some became known internationally, such as Bibis on the Kings Road. The designers Mary Quant and Ossie Clark were the biggest success stories and they were as feted as the models and pop stars. Sixties fashion was very much associated with the music scene and all the designers wanted Mick Jagger or Paul McCartney to wear their clothes. Twiggy was the darling of the modeling world, with her stick thin figure and short hair. Her face became an iconic image. Even the fashion photographers, like David Bailey, became stars.

The beautiful people paraded in their flowery dresses and kaftans, accessorized with bangles and beads. The sound of little bells were in the air as they were worn around the neck or tied on to bellbottom jeans. Jeans were often strewn with patches declaring love and peace or ban the bomb logos. Skirt lengths got shorter and shorter as the mini shrunk to the micro skirt. The older generation sometimes found this lack of inhibition difficult to accept. Ties got wider and wider, becoming the Kipper Tie. Sixties fashion was all about expressing your personality and throwing caution to the wind.

Quote of the Day

Lord, I fashion dark gods, too,
Daring even to give You
Dark despairing features

—Countee Cullen (1903–1946)

As with most fashion movements, there were influences from previous eras. Feather boas, so prevalent in the Roaring 20s came back as did Edwardian style suits with velvet collars. These were sported by no less than the Beatles. Another trend involved military style jackets of the sort worn by British army officers in the 1800s, a style that Jimi Hendrix took up as well as the Beatles on their Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

Afro haircuts got bigger and men's boot heels got chunkier. Men broke out of their traditional brown and gray and began wearing bright yellow, ruffled shirts. The were quite the dandy, an idea that the Kinks explored in their song, Dedicated Follower of Fashion. There was a serious side to this rush to be the next Beau Brummel. Sixties fashion was a huge global sensation and it earned a lot of money for the British economy.

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