Fashion is cyclical, so it's no surprise that 1960s style is still popular today. The images of Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy and members of The Beatles still stir our hearts today. How did they manage to look stylish? Let's take a look at some of the big name designers who use elements of the 1960s in today's collections.
How the fashion of the 1960s developed and what are its peculiarities The fashion of the 1960s is one of the most colorful periods in history. It was characterized by freedom, liberation, expression. Some trends of that time are popular to this day. France continued to offer girls a romantic style - elegant dresses, gloves, pearls. However, these trends ceased to be interesting, and Paris failed to retain the status of the fashion capital - it passed to London. Fashionistas of that time preferred wardrobe items with such characteristic features:
mini and midi length skirts and dresses; geometric and animalistic prints; contrasting colors; abstract patterns; artificial materials in clothes and accessories; combination of different textures and prints; shoes with stable heels; wide-brimmed hats. The young generation had new idols: Elvis Presley; John Lennon; Mick Jagger.
Singers became objects of imitation. However, they were not the only ones young people orientated themselves to. Thanks to other idols, several different styles emerged.
‘Mods’ - a subcultural movement that emerged as a result of the development of the “Edwardian style” - the style of Britain's King Edward VII. The adherents of the movement were called teddy-boys. They were easily recognisable by: tight trousers; white shirts; fitted jackets; thin ties. ‘Teddy’ advocated neatness and moderation, wore impeccable hairstyles and loved riding a scooter. Fans of the new-fashioned movement became popular The Beatles. In 1962, the band members gave up leather jackets in favour of stylish suits.
The new trend was not only to the taste of guys. Girls also paid attention to it and dressed in men's shirts and trousers, preferred short haircuts and flat-soled shoes.
Mini Mini fashion was a trend that was radically different from the previous one. This scandalous trend created a furor, as the clothes looked provocative and flashy. It was born thanks to Mary Quant - a British fashion designer. In 1962 she released a collection called ‘London Style’: the models denied the impeccable elegance and traditions of so-called good taste, as well as the sanctimonious morality of the bourgeois world; the miniskirt became the clothes of protest of young women who were leaving their parents' homes in search of independence. The embodiment of the image of a sexy and uninhibited woman was the model and singer Twiggy.
Over time, Paris managed to reclaim the title of fashion capital. André Courrèges, the creator of the ‘space style’, had a major hand in this. The French fashion designer was inspired by the first human flight into space. Courrèges embodied the ideas with the help of synthetic vinyl fabrics: on the catwalk defile mannequins in white vinyl half-boots, hats, similar to the helmets of astronauts. From then on, trapeze mini-dresses, trouser suits and jackets with two sides became the most fashionable. Combinations of white, black, silver, yellow, pink, orange and green colors were at the peak of popularity. Simultaneously with Courrèges, Paco Raban worked in the ‘space style’. The French fashion designer created clothes made of plastic and metal, as well as plastic jewelers. A lighter and less provocative version of the trend was created by Pierre Cardin. The fashion designer demonstrated a much-loved sundress made of leather, synthetics and jersey with deep armholes. However, Cardin's trademark was the tandem developed in 1967 - a combination of high boots and supermini.
Women's fashion In the 1960s, ladies wore the following outfits: Dresses. The most fashionable style was the trapeze dress. Also in the 1960s ladies wore gowns, military-style dresses with epaulettes, stand-up collar and gold buttons, models with tight-fitting top and puffy skirt, as in the Miu Miu collection.
Turtlenecks and jumpers. Turtlenecks were often worn under shirts or sundresses. Jumpers were preferred tight, with large prints, they were combined with a monochrome bottom. Such a stylish variant was presented by Chloé. Shirts. The demand was for shirts that were close to the body as monochrome items of wardrobe, as well as shirts in stripes, plaids, polka dots. Coats. In the 1960s, coats became more fitted, and the length changed - just above the knee. Coats were decorated with flap pockets and expressive buttons. You will find such a model at Paco Rabanne. Some ladies preferred to wear a belt, emphasizing the waspy waist. Skirts. Women favored pencil skirts, half-shells and trapeze-shaped versions like the mini model at Alice+Olivia. Corduroy skirts and coarse knit wardrobe items were also popular. Trousers. Capri pants, popularized by Audrey Hepburn, were particularly popular. However, wide palazzo trousers and flared trousers were also on trend.
Pantsuits. This outfit shocked no less than miniskirts. Pantsuits with shortened jackets, as in the Paco Rabanne collection, and dinner jackets became fashionable. An obligatory element - arrows on trousers, which gave the image of sophistication and rigor. Shoes. The trend in the 1960s - stable heels, as well as shoes on a flat sole. Ladies liked high boots of silver and white color, like Miu Miu, and bright sandals made of shiny plastic. Accessories. Plastic jewellery was the most fashionable. Girls wore voluminous necklaces, often made of large beads, massive bracelets, huge earrings with pendants. Sunglasses in massive frames looked stylish.
Men's Fashion
Men's fashion of the 1960s was characterized by simple cuts, sleek lines and elegance. To create a 1960s look, look out for the following wardrobe items: Jackets. Men wore single-breasted, fitted jackets in dark colors, as in Gabriela Hearst's collection. Shirts. The trend was for fitted white shirts with narrow collars. One of the most fashionable was a model made of nylon. Trousers. Like jackets, men preferred to wear black, grey or brown. Trousers were tapered, like Prada's. Coats. Black coats, as in the Brioni collection, added elegance to the whole image. Men gave special preference to wardrobe items made of wool. Footwear. Elegant style was emphasized by boots and shoes with narrow toes. White socks became an indispensable item of wardrobe. Accessories. Fashionistas wore hats made of felt and narrow ties. The fashion of the 1960s was so spectacular that designers and fashionistas still pay homage to it. If you too are in awe of the bold and elegant people of the past, feel free to try on a stylish retro look.
