Poor Kids Fashion in the 1960s

1960s fashion was bi-polar in merely virtually every way. The early sixties were more reminiscent of the 1950s — conservative and restrained; certainly more classic in style and design.

The late 1960s were the exact opposite. Bright, swirling colors. Psychedelic, necktie-dye shirts and long pilus and beards were commonplace. Woman wore unbelievably short skirts and men wore tunics and capes. The foray into fantasy would not take been believed by people just a decade earlier.

Information technology'south most like the 1950s bottled anybody up and so much that the late 1960s exploded like an old pressure level cooker. Women were showing more skin than ever before.

For the first time in the 19th Century, London, not Paris, was the eye of the fashion globe. The British Invasion didn't stop with The Beatles. It swept into all parts of life, peculiarly clothing.

But actually, lost in the two extremes is the mid-60s, which I retrieve actually had the coolest way, albeit more subtle. I love the long, slender shapes, the bright colors and the young, London look. I have ever wished the Mod mode stuck around a petty longer.

Keep reading below for details, covering every year from 1960-1969.

QUICK REFERENCE LINKS
1960s Mode Timeline
1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969
1960s Fashion: In-Depth Profiles
1960s Mode: Pictures

In-Depth 1960s Fashion Profiles

1960s Fashion: Women & Girls »

Women's way trends & styles in the 1960s varied greatly. The early 60s had box dresses, the mid-60s took cues from London and the late 60s got crazy!

1960s Fashion: Men & Boys »

Changes in men'south fashion & manner in the 1960s were just as desperate for men equally they were for women. The differences between 1961 & 1969 are staggering.

1960s Dresses & Skirts: Styles, Trends & Pictures »

Dresses in the 1960s came in all shapes, colors and fabrics. Skirts varied in length, from ankle to super-short. It was a time of bang-up experimentation.

Twiggy: Pictures, Bio & Model Profile »

At merely seventeen-year-erstwhile, Twiggy prepare the standard for mode in 1967. The British sensation brought the age of the mini-mod into full force.

Fashion in 1960

Givenchy suit (1960)

Although the 1960s are all-time known as a decade of experimentation, it didn't starting time out that fashion in the fashion world. While at that place were several important tweaks to the status quo, no revolutionary new basis had been broken.

The typical daytime look consisted of a bulbous lid over a high bouffant coiffure, silhouettes with deep armholes an wide sleeves, and a rounded jacket that tapered in at the hem.For evening, the slender look was in. Long-waisted dresses, often with an overblouse, replaced the fitted waistline and full skirt.

Contemporary architecture and sculpture were the most prevalent inspirations for fashion designers in 1960. There were too hints of the twenties and thirties with bloused, bias-cut clothes, long directly overblouse and sashed tunics, short skirts, closely plumbing equipment hats and exaggerated makeup (especially scarlet lips) and brusque pilus.

Culottes, divided skirts and trim trouser skirts were introduced for travel, street wearable and evenings at dwelling house. Dewdrop and sequin embroidered evening clothes sparkled the dark away. The long dress of sequins or crystal beads had replaced the bouffant dress.

Skirts got a piffling bit shorter in 1960. While worn with low-heeled shoes it placed more than attention on the leg. Sleeveless daytime shirts placed more emphasis on the arms. Collarless coats, suits and dresses created a long-necked effect. Some dresses had draped cowl backs to intensify the elongated await.

The two- or three-piece accommodate, mix-and-match, was very popular.

Designers embraced opulence, even in the nigh pragmatic clothing. Such rarities every bit natural vicuna for suits, brocades at $40 per g, 24 karat golden lace, Renaissance-patterned metal brocades and cutting velvets set against a gilded groundwork were all samples from style collections in 1960.

Plaids of all sizes and colors were heavily favored. Abstruse and expressionist fine art were big influences on printed silk designs. Wools were in manner, but had to lightweight. Glaze and suit woolens were usually loosely woven and sometimes every bit porous every bit lace.

Deep, darker colors were the rage in 1960. They especially covered the spectrum between purple, carmine and green. Colors like like grape, plum, vino ruddy, garnet and olive greenish. In dissimilarity, neon bright pink was too a very popular colour for those looking to make a statement.

Furs and hats maintained their popularity, equally did fur and seal coats. Evenings turbans of tulle swirled loosely around the head not just gained high way acceptance, but were sold in every hat shop.

Fashion in 1961

Jackie Kennedy (1961)

In 1961, manner was all virtually the costume await. The fashionable woman liked to go out in the evening dresses in an expensive simply only cut dress known affectionately as "little nothing." She never left home without an elegantly styled bouffant hairdo.

Oval shaped shoulders and tapered hemlines were being replaced by straighter, wider shoulders, accompanied by a gentle inward curve at the midriff and a flare at the hem.

Many designers created "the look" past designing not but the dresses, merely besides the hats, shoes and fifty-fifty makeup of their mannequins.

Skirts had risen to the middle of the kneecaps, only by the end of 1961 merely the very young continued to wear them short.

The hairdresser was of extreme importance in 1961. Beehive coiffures adorned by the likes of Princess Margaret, Jacqueline Kennedy and Brigette Bardot were imitated by women of all ages.

The bias cut gave a new fit to clothing, while keeping the comfortable softness women had to come to love. The bias skirt added grace and flare, while bias bodices molded the body without feeling likewise tight.

The "piffling nada" dress was called and so for its simplicity. Information technology was near always sleeveless and slim, with depression blousing or in a loose chemise shape recalling the flapper dresses of the 1920s.

The high rounded hat and the depression, foursquare-toed shoe were the accessories of choice. The simple pump of dogie, alligator, crepe or satin was worn morn and night, and the women of high style wore heels of medium elevation, even with brawl gowns.

Style in 1962

Audrey Hepburn helped popularize the loftier-bosomed, sleeveless dress in 1962

1962 was marked by subtle, yet meaningful changes. The silhouette became slightly more form-fitting, just the lines didn't try to accentuate curves.

Shoulders were widened and the bosom received more attention. The waist was always accompanied by a belt, sash or broad inset bias ring.

Costumes dominated evening wear, complete with matching jacket or wrap. After in the season the long, tweed dinner coat was showcased in several high-fashion collections.

1962 generally focused on 3 styles:

one.) Sleek and slender
2.) softly bloused with muffled neckline
3.) "natural" outline, which barbarous in a elementary, form-fitting line

Greater choices allowed women to express their individuality.

1930s-mode wearable came dorsum in style, sparked by the ascension popularity of onetime movies revived on tv.

Clothes created by Hubert de Givenchy of Paris for Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's were given the panthera leo'due south share of credit for bringing into style the high-bosomed, sleeveless apparel.

Irene Sharaff's Egyptian costumes for Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra inspired dresses and jewelry.

A young designer past the proper name of Yves Saint Laurent, who had recently left the House of Dior, successfully opened his ain establishment.

The mode world once again was crazy for Jackie Kennedy. Her gentle, loftier-bosomed coats and dresses, slender evening dresses, berets, breton hats, her impeccable jewelry and even her sports wear consistently dominated manner headlines.

Manner in 1963

Although first shown in 1962, Saint Laurent'due south fisherman'southward shirt jacket was most popular in 1963.

In 1963, the immature look swept through the way world similar a not bad tsunami. This look included human knee-high skirts, sleeveless dresses, lower heels and close-cropped, natural hair.

Whatsoever type of artificial wait was abased quickly. Large amounts of makeup and high heels were also contrived for the stylish woman of 1963.

Tweeds, mohair, leather and furs were the rage. Boots ranged from ankle to thigh-loftier.

Vests, kerchiefs, textured cotton wool stockings, turtlenecks and paisley ascot scarves all came together to create a "sportive look." The phrase became the motto of 1963 fashion.

Fur-trimmed suits and coats were the most prevalent items in autumn fashions. Two preferred furs were lynx and kit fox — long haired furs were back in mode. Leopard, nevertheless, was the leading fur of all of them.

The most desperate change in men's style in 1963 was the widespread acceptance of pleatless pants. Stripes were seen on sports jackets, sweaters, shirts and ties. The three-button suit was the most popular, but the two-push button adjust was gaining fast. Men of means liked a soft Italian-style shoe.

Norman Norell and Cristobal Balenciaga were responsible for the reappearance of capes, while Yves Saint Laurent's fisherman shirtjackets became earth-wide fashion. In 1963, we get to encounter the first Geoffrey Beene collection.

Way in 1964

Coco Chanel wearing a pilus bow

Fashion in 1964 was hitting past a shock wave of nudity that extended around the globe and acquired globe-broad controversy. Showtime came the deeply plunging necklines introduced in Paris spring collections. Then came the American versions, attributed to the motion picture, Tom Jones. The moving ridge reached its crest with the creation of a topless bathing suit by designer Rudi Gernreich.

Dress manufacturers quickly jumped on the bandwagon, creating sheer-topped evening dresses with just the flimsiest layer of flesh-colored net used for a bodice.

The topless bathing adjust created all kinds of problems. A woman in Chicago was arrested for wearing it in public. Throughout the summertime, comments concerning the controversial pattern were published around the globe.

"Feminine" was peradventure the most overworked word in 1964'south fashion vernacular. It referred to swinging, knee joint-high skirts, fitted bodices, ruffles, pleats, a lace revival and the render of the hair bow equally the coiffure accompaniment for women of all ages. "Coco" Chanel was responsible for the hair bow revival.

The cosmetics industry reflected the delicate, feminine expect that had come into fashion. Pale lipsticks and nail polish replaced the vivid shades for the sought after natural look. Hair was no longer curly, only but waved to follow the profile of the caput. Eyebrow brushing bangs became the trademark of the young, along with hair bows piece of work front, rear and off-center. Girls with hair too curly besieged hairdressers known for the straightening techniques — a chemical session that cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $40.

Textured stockings were very popular in 1964. Wintertime too saw the revival of fuller skirts, smaller coiffed heads under shut-fitting hats and the return of the ball gown.

For men, the emphasis was on youthful advent. Accommodate colors were lighter and brighter. Suit coats and sport jackets were shorter, with wider lapels. Trousers were frequently uncuffed. A wider stripe appeared on shirts and striped were pop in sweaters.

Fashion in 1965

Vintage Poor Boy Sweater Advertizing

The mood of fashion was young in 1965. Andre Courreges, the immature French designer of the bar knee, the square cut white dress and flat white boots, offered the freshest and boldest look. He borrowed the cowboy hat — chin strap and all — to pinnacle the geometric looks of his apparel. White textured stockings epitomized the trend. His ideas influenced near every facet of manner.

A fashion revolution broke out in London, and for the the showtime time a British fashion invasion stormed NYC.

In the US, Popular Fine art popped into way. Then along came Op Art, which opened upward a whole new world. Women dressed to match Op Art paintings, with their stripes, checks and wavy line prints. Dressed were divided geometrically by intersecting bands and brightened by contrasting blocks of color.

The Mondrian style was a striking.

Rounded toed shoes became more prominent. Straps were evident, heels were open, sides were pared downward to add to the look of gangling young elegance. Heels continued in the depression to medium height range.

We cant forget about the "Poor Boy Look." Women continued to habiliment low hipster pants in combination with the "poor boy" sweater (see picture).

Another fad defenseless on in the dressing gown space. Cristobal Balenciaga designed a gown with one bare shoulder and it caught on similar crazy. Even Jackie O got into the mix.

The Saint Laurent Mondrian wearing apparel was a huge hit in 1965.

Way in 1966

1966 Mod mode

Fashion designers revolted confronting tradition in 1966. The thunder was kickoff heard in England, where a youth rebellion resulted in massive profits for modernistic designers. Although the flames of way rebellion sparked in London in 1965, it spread like wildfire in 1966.

What is modern style?

The mod look required mini skirts and pale colored fishnet or lacy textured hosiery, cut-out low heeled "lilliputian girl" shoes, mannish jackets, and ties. Accessories included over-the-shoulder handbags and gaudy jewelry, which ranged from antique pins (similar Bakelite pins) to modern styled geometric earrings.

Immature men also went Mod via low slung, wide belted, skinny, fitted pants, to which they added extra-wide, flashy printed ties that contrasted with the wallpaper floral prints of their shirts.

Boots, vests, London caps and narrow Carnaby jackets were also worn past the young men who took part in the rebellion against traditional men's clothes and bourgeois ways.

American youth became infatuated with the exotic, off-beat image, using it equally a means of differentiating themselves from the adult generation.

Miniskirts were adopted to more conservative styles with the length modified to 2 inches above the knee. The new brusque-skirt fashion resulted in mixed emotions everywhere.

Women borrowed suit styles from men. They wore directly legged pant suits, often of what was traditionally men's fabrics, for daywear.

Pant suits were an acceptable means of mode and were worn everywhere.

The military expect was also popular. Army pockets, brass buttons, epaulets, and trench glaze treatments were featured on coats, suits and sportswear.

Paper dresses were introduced in 1966 by designers such as Judy Brewer.

Fashion in 1967

1967 Mode: Twiggy was a fashion awareness

In 1967, fashion vicious in honey with the leg. Brusque skirts worn college above the knee gave legs exposure they hadn't seen in years. Women took advantage of the actress leg room past pulling on some colored and patterned hose.

Women as well wore peekaboo fishnets, spidery weaves and lace. Not only did they provide smoothness from hip-to-toe, just they besides eliminated the possibility of garter show.

Women also fancied high boots every bit a fashionable way to cover upwards their legs. High-ascent stretch vinyl and patent leather provided a glove-like fit. They too wore shiny black and brown boots that stretched to the knees.

Youth continued to set the step for fashion. The chugalug did non define the waist anymore, instead information technology created a new "fit and flare" attitude.

In addition to leg, the fashion world roughshod in love with Twiggy, the skinny 17-year-old British model who burst upon the scene, adorned every magazine cover and brought the age of the mini-modern to the forefront.

Her success was controversial at the time. To some, she was an insult to the female figure, while other lavished her fresh, new look. Her slightly androgynous wait blurred the lines betwixt genders.

Another interesting development in 1968: hardware. Accessories consisting of metal squares, nailheads, rattling chains, zippers, brass buttons, clamps were something new. The chain belt was some other of import accompaniment.

In men's manner, the mood departed somewhat from the mod of Carnaby Street, but the British await was still evident. Turtleneck sweaters were an important trend, eliminating the demand for a tie. The more daring sported a turtleneck under dinner jackets for a casual elegance.

Style in 1968

1968 Mode: Newsweek embrace: Male Plumage '68

In 1968, the style manufacture was stripped of its dictatorial ability by a revolutionary assertion of individualism.

The take hold of phrase "do your ain thing" was put into practice when women and men decided they no longer had to adhere to what designers put in front of them. People were creating their own styles to match their personalities and mood.

Accessories dominated the outfit, often times overpowering the clothes in importance. The new mental attitude was a reaction to the mini-apparel of recent years, whose lack of fabric lone gave women less manner real manor to work with.

Western-type shirts were very pop with the younger crowd. Women would constrict them into Dirndl skirts for a fun await.

The midi brim was the fashion globe'due south answer to the long skirt that women wore against the designers' wishes. Unfortunately for the style world, the midi skirt never caught on. It ended upward existence one of the biggest misses in recent fashion history.

The Bonnie and Clyde picture show triggered nostalgia for the 1930s. Pinstriped suits and gangster hats were popping upwardly here and there, looking like they walked right off a period picture ready.

The about colorful, loud and expressive trends evolved from the outfits scavenged from thrift stores by hippies. Even affluent women adopted the hippie expect in lavish fabrics, furs and jewels. Information technology was a nomadic mix of ethnic and fable-inspired garb. Gaucho pants, meditation shirts and, particularly, vests.

Some way trailblazers wore Pocahontas dresses consummate with Native American headbands.

Paris finally had to accept what had happened. Designers could no longer pay the bills designing for the affluent. Saint Laurent led the style with his ready-to-clothing drove. Balenciaga shocked the way world with his retirement in May.

Pants, celebrated for their versatility, were getting wider legs and softer. Women loved topping them with a colour, ethnic-inspired tunic.

Male fashions in 1968 reflected the growing tendency to mix and match a broad variety of materials, styles and accessories. It was an exciting time in men'southward style.

Tailored suits gave way to a unprecedented array of daring styles. Men wore turtlenecks, Nehru jackets and jeweled pendants. Even bright madras plaids were challenged by the blossom-splashed resort blazers and P.J. (Lilly Pulitzer) jeans.

Fashion in 1969

In 1969, manner stretched, softened and became fifty-fifty more trunk conscious. A woman wanted to look lean, linear and long.

The sometimes funny, oftentimes edgy and nigh e'er mini-skirted daughter of contempo years grew up. Her fashion prototype became more feminine, sensuous and sophisticated.

She wore softer, clingier clothes. Sweaters and sweater dresses at present hugged every part of her figure, especially effectually the ribs, waist and hips.

In a higher place all, she had liberty to chose from an unprecedented variety of hemlines.

Instead of choosing a hemline, designers gave women the choice. Both in Paris and in the United States, couturiers showed maxi-lengths, but were enlightened of sales enough to keep some styles short. Yves Saint Laurent made waves with his "lowdowns", while skirts at Courreges barely covered the torso.

No matter the hemline, outfits were oftentimes topped with a jacket or long coat.

The long, lean line was the nigh obvious fashion trend in 1969. "The Skinny Sixties" closed accordingly equally women looked for dress that would requite them a alpine, slim body. Elongation was accomplished by extended skirts, long, straight-cut pants or, if she had long legs herself, they were accentuated by sheer night tights.

Slender tunics, skinny long sleeves, low-rise pockets and belts, hip-hiding weskits and body-length cardigans helped fight a top-heavy look. The more fringe the better.

People too loved to wear super-scarves. Oblong in shape, some were 10 feet long, called Isadora Duncans. Long, fringe adorned shawls mimicked pearls. Feather boas, red fox stoles, and mink tails extended the silhouette by descending below the hemline.

Accessories flourished in fantasy, peculiarly with young people. They couldn't beget diamonds, then they enjoyed linked metals, chainbelts, tassels, snake rings, serpent bracelets and arm bracelets.

In addition to new fabrics that did nothing to hide the figure, designers splashed color all over them. Necktie dye and ink-splatter had broken into the mainstream.

Patchwork, Persian and Navajo carpeting motifs were seen everywhere. Intense principal colors turned subtle in the fall. Royal was a hot colour in belatedly 1969.

Because women were becoming more than traditionally masculine (wearing pants) and men were condign more traditionally feminine (wearing bronzing gels and moisturizers), the term "unisex" was coined for style styles that both men and women could savour equally.

1960s Women'south Fashion Pictures

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1960s Men's Way Pictures

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