Women’s Fashions Reach Out in the 1960s

Women had a lot of people to look up to during the 60’s. These heroes and heroines were great fashion icons and meant a lot to the women in society. In the 60’s, women started freeing from their traditional roles as "mom-like" figures. Feminists fought hard for women’s rights. They were tired of female stereotypes and their fellow female icons were influencing them to reach out and try something new, in this case, fashion styles. Some of these role models were actresses, designers, musical artists, and models. One of these role models was Mary Quant, one of the best-known designers of the 1960’s. She designed the miniskirt, hot pants, and many more clothing items. Another icon was not a person, but were people in movies. James Bond movies were popular because they promised the latest fashion favorites. The Beatles were an influence towards new fashion designs too because they brought in the new wave British style. TV heroines such as the Avengers were considered stylish with their skintight leather and PVC cat suits. Twiggy (Lesley Horby) was a popular model during the mid and late 60’s because she had a boyish figure, which made her the perfect clotheshorse. Jacqueline Kennedy was an idol to teenage girls of the 60’s and also was an influence to the latest trends. Almost every female celebrity had made a little influence as to what women wore.

In the 1960’s new styles in clothing were erupting throughout the world. One of these styles was created by the influence of the first man being sent into space in 1961. This world victory caused new movies to be created featuring aliens. This idea of aliens then influenced endless ideas for alternative dressing. It wasn’t until 1964 that the "space-age" collection was presented. This collection included plastic goggles, astronaut helmets, silver moon boots, and glitzy cat suits. There were also tubular or A-line jackets worn with slim trousers and short boots. Space-age clothing often came in stark white with clear, silver, or black details. To create the "space-age" look, designers used materials like rayon, nylon, and polyester.

Another type of clothing, a dress, women wore was the shift dress, which hung strait up and down and was also very plain. It was often seen in duller colors like black, but still was found in vibrant colors such as orange. The first lady, Mrs. Kennedy, often wore this type of dress. She helped to make this style so popular.

Another fashion trend was fashion art. Optical art was the biggest hit in this category. Black and white circles, zigzags, squares, and rectangles helped to produce a 3-D effect of rippling, protruding, or receding. The illusion worked by confusing the optic nerves in a looker’s eyes. The clever use of shapes gave the illusion of movement of the clothing. Other forms of art in fashion were tie-dying, which was a way for people to make their own fashions at home, and, the ability to fake the appearance of knit collars or cuffs or to give dresses contrasting belts and pockets. This was considered another fashion illusion. A very stylish fashion created in the mid-60’s was the miniskirt. At first it was knee or mid-thigh length. Later, designers introduced a skimpy mini, a calf-length midi, and the maxi length coat or skirt. Young teen women mostly wore mini skirts. In the 60’s there was also ethnic or foreign look. This style brought out bright colored beads, flowers, and oriental type outfits for women to wear. Also, African and European fashions were a big ethnic hit. There were so many different styles and trends in the 1960’s and a lot of women and teens around wore them.

In 1965, the hippie era began. Hippies reflected the desire to find alternative ways of living. This was to focus on their spiritual ways instead of working to make money. Hippies were against war and believed in peace and love. Hippies were seen at the musical festival, Woodstock, wearing their trendy fashions. Hippies had very unique tastes in fashion. They often had long hair and wore a lot of beads; they walked with bare feet or sandals, and wore bell-bottoms. The women not only wore these items, but they would also wear shawls or blouses with an inexpensive skirt to match. Hippies were also into wearing ethnic clothing and other loose fitting clothes like the caftan, a long-sleeved robe originating in eastern Mediterranean countries. Hippies constantly wore bright, bold colored items, especially tie-dyed clothing made of all natural materials such as wool and cotton. Hippies were always decorating themselves with paint in lively colors. They often showed off a flower on their cheek or the word "peace" on their hand. Hippies had very different styles compared to others in the 60s. Hippie fashions were special in their own ways.

In the 1960’s there were two groups of people, called Mods and Rockers. They were British groups categorized by their style. Mods, short for modern, were into "down to Earth" type fashions. They thought the early 1960s were to be about youth, mobility, the latest music, and of course, fashion. British teens developed their own new styles. They were often inspired by the "cool jazz" music of the 50’s. Mods thought that less was more so they sometimes wore suits with a modern touch. They also wore short jackets, straight-legged pants called drainpipe trousers, polo shirts or turtlenecks, and suede boots or shoes. Most of the clothing Mods wore were made of wool and often carried a plaid design. Rockers, on the other hand, were never seen without a motorbike and were inspired by rock and roll music. Rockers used to wear studded leather jackets, jeans, and British winkler picker shoes. Mods and Rockers were always in dispute and could never get along with each other because of their differences. Finally, in 1964 the Rockers were defeated, or overpowered, and no longer continued to be a nuisance to the Mods.

In the 60s, there were many trends of clothing that never really stayed popular for long. People were wearing clothes from another time and place besides the 60’s. Theatrical fashion came about in the 60’s. These fashions were often fantasy creations and were designed only to be worn once or twice on special occasions. Another style of clothing that lasted a short time in the 60s was the see-through or topless fashion. These were worn by women often for modeling but would rarely be warn out on the streets. An accessory often worn in the 60s was the original "go-go boot," created by Andres Courreges, which was white, low heeled, and usually knee-high. Another female fashion was the paper outfit. It was simple and was worn once and then thrown away. This fashion fad only lasted for a brief time in the 1960’s and then was simply forgotten. It was never easy for fashions to stay popular through the decade. People started to change their taste in certain styles.

Women’s fashions became louder and bolder in the 60’s more than ever. As a model Peggy Moffit once said, "If you are serious about fashion, you don’t take it seriously." Without the change, women’s fashions would mostly be a drag. The 1960’s was definitely, "A decade of change.

Bibliography

• Cawthorne, Nigel. Sixties Source Book. London: Quantum Books Ltd., 1998

• Connikie, Yvonne. Fashions of a Decade: The 1960s. New York: Facts on file Inc., 1990.

• Hauke, Leslie. Personal Interview. 18 March 2001.