From very classy to very wild, the 1960s was a historically rich decade for fashion trendsetting. The 1960’s trends were a mirror reflection of the social changes during that decade. Emerging hippie culture and Beatle-mania was taking America by storm and along with this Cultural Revolution woman’s fashion was dramatically evolving. Socially women were finally breaking free of restrictive lifestyles and the new trends in fashion reflected it.
The 1960’s also saw the dawn of “mass media” and fashion trends were promoted on TV, movies and magazines. Hot new looks were being buzzed about on national stations. Actresses and celebrities were all ‘on trend’ wearing bikinis, capri pants, wing-tipped eyeliner and cat-eye glasses. On the runway, the original supermodel, Twiggy, captured America’s attention with her super-slender figure; a look which would influence the fashion industry for decades to come. Although many fashion trendsetters and their styles were followed closely by a growing American shopping culture, one woman completely overshadows all other fashion icons of that generation: Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy referred to by the media as Jackie O. She was the wife then President to the United States, John F Kennedy (one of the most handsome and powerful men of that time). The First Lady inspired women to wear the pillbox hat, matching suits, and a flipped hair style - but she didn’t just influence the world of fashion she represented its merger with the Modern Woman.
A lot has changed since the 1960’s but the same themes in fashion are back. The look of Jackie O and Super-1960’s-Model, Twiggy, are here again. Media outlets have gotten even louder since the 60’s and their enormous influence on fashion trends has become the new normal. Skinny ties, and scotch on the rocks for business meetings are the essentials for today’s 60s craze - the TV show, Mad Men. The show’s plot, pivoting around advertising and the relationships between the characters, has captured the sexiness of the 1960s and infiltrated our culture - again. Before Mad Men aired, the 60s look was appreciated, yet didn’t dominate contemporary fashion scene. However, with the show’s popularity, the costumes worn by the characters have caused a nationwide craze.
The days of black and white television and Man landing on the moon may be long gone, but the fashion trends from that decade have crept back onto the runways and our closets, celebrating the era of serious fashion icons the 1960’s look is back. The 1960s decade’s elegance provides women with a feminine wardrobe that is dressier than a jeans-and-t-shirt look, yet freeing enough for comfort.
Click here to see accessories On Trend with the 1960's look.
