Fashion in the Swinging Sixties

Teacher: Ms. Gooden Student: Aleesha Siddiqui

Fashion in the 1960s Introduction The 1960s was a decade which marked the beginnings of a new era on social and political horizons. It initiated the end of the conservative values and resulted in bold and revolutionary changes. This also affected fashion which underwent rapid transformations to suit the needs of the changing society. Changing values The years prior to 1960s were based on traditional values. Although the 1950 saw the introduction many new technologies the general population was extremely conventional. Racism and sexism were very common. Fashion before 1960 was also very conservative. Women were expected to wear long dresses with matching hats and gloves. Men were expected to wear formal suits. Teenagers mostly followed their parents dressing style and were expected to look reserved. However this situation changed in the 1960s. During the 1960s the world economy was expanding (Jackie 2001). And due to post World War II baby boom 70 million teenagers had been created. So the prosperous economic conditions and youth acted as catalysts for the social change which affected the fashion. The 1960s saw the rise of the feminine movement. Female activists challenged the traditional role of women in society and large numbers of women began to enter the workforce. As the role of women changed clothes became more practical. The hippie movement which started in 1960s also impacted upon the values and fashion. Hippies believed in changing the world through love and peace. Their action defied values. The movement gained a huge following. (Robert Fuller 2011) The youth drew inspiration from these movements. They further challenged the society by taking part in anti-war demonstrations, experimenting with drugs etc. The fashion industry of the 60s was developed to carter to the needs of these youths and in turn had a great influence on them. Female fashion The fashion era of 1960s can be divided into three periods. Fashion in the early 1960s was still conservative. It was mainly centered on the graceful American first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. She introduced the pill box hat which became a style icon. Apart from that women usually wore long geometric dresses called shifts .These dresses had three quarter sleeves. Working women wore suits with jackets. Capris and madras shorts were popular among teenagers.

In the mid 1960s fashion really started to evolve as styles that challenged old values were launched. It began with the introduction of mini skirt by Mary Quant. Although controversial it soon became a fashion symbol. Professional women started to wear pant suits with clog sandals .As dress lengths got shorter baby doll dresses, angel dress, cocktail dresses worn with patterned tights became the new trends. Hairstyles began to changes as Vidal Sassoons 5 point hairstyle became fashionable. In the late 1960s fashion was influenced by the hippie movement. Bell-bottomed trousers with flower patterns were commonly worn (the fifties web 2010). Tiedyed cotton shirts with Indian prints also came into style. Another trend was miniskirts worn with French polo-neck tops. There was a move towards long hair with bangs. Mens fashion In 1960s males became fashion conscious. In early 1960s male wear started to become bright and colorful and men started wearing bright suits. In the Mid 1960s Male fashion changed forever when Mod fashion took over. Mods stand for modernists; they were young trendsetters who were inspired by Italian fashion designers and wore suits with narrow lapels, slim shirts, pants and anoraks. Mod fashion was copied and inspired many young men all over the world. (Ashley Kane 2011) It was gradually replaced by the Edwardian. Men began to wear double breasted suits, checked trousers and waistcoats. Apart from that music icon such as the Beatles introduced the Indian inspired Nehru jacket. It had a tight fitting with small buttons and was often worn with turtle neck sweaters. In the late 1960s mens fashion was influenced by the hippie movement. It became more colorful and feminine. Men started to wear bell-bottomed trousers, stove-pipe pants and tie- dyed shirts. Fashion designers also began to create tight fitted clothes with patterns and polka dots. Facial hair and long hair soon became a fashion for young boys. Many jewelry collections were also launched for men Jean Shrimpton Jean Shrimpton was a famous and iconic British model from the 1960s. She is thought to be one of the worlds first supermodels and an inspiration for many women. Jean Shrimpton became a symbol of swinging London because of her bold looks and feminine appeal. (Yvonne connikie 1994 p.15)She appeared on the cover of many magazines and was awarded titles such as the face of the 60s.

Jean Shrimptons biggest contribution to the fashion industry was the launch of the mini skirt. In 1965 she was invited to Australia to attend the prestigious Melbourne cup. Being unaware of the conservative society she chose to wear a short sleeveless dress without any stockings, gloves or hat. Australian people were scandalized and unimpressed. The crowd jeered at her and one woman said(Howitt 1965 press communication,1 November) if Miss Shrimpton wants to wear skirts four inches above the knee in London, that's her business, but it's not done here... we all dress correctly here." However through this event Londons fashion started infiltrating in to Australia. Australian teenagers were impressed by her style and as this event became prominent the miniskirt was introduced to the world. She also influenced many other models such as twiggy. British influences on fashion In 1960s London was regarded as the fashion capital where new trends and styles were born. The introduction of television and new musical styles brought these fashions to Australia. Anti-war demonstrations, drug culture and protests slowly spread amongst Australian youth who helped to spread Londons fashion. Jean Shrimptons Melbourne incident paved the way for Londons fashion invasion in Australia. The miniskirt was copied by thousands of teenagers. In the late 1960s twiggy was a major fashion icon. Her thin figure inspired many Australians to start diets. Mary Quants five point hair style was also copied by many teenagers. (Edelstein Andrew Jr. 1985 p.10) Australian boys were influenced by notable music icons such as the Beatles. The Beatles brought Mod fashion to Australia. They started the trend of Nehru jackets. Another major influence was the rolling stones. Their messy and long hairs were copied by many boys around the world. British fashion designers were also very popular amongst Australians. Conclusion The 1960s were a decade of social change. The feminine movement, hippie movement and youth had long lasting impacts on fashion which were imported to Australia through new technologies such as television.

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