Changing face of Fashion 1960-1970

1960’s fashion was  dominated  by youth culture. The post War baby boom had created millions of teenagers for the sixties, and these youth swayed the fashion, the fads and the politics of the decade.The 1960's began with crew cuts on men and bouffant hairstyles on women. Men's casual shirts were often plaid and buttoned down the front, while knee-length dresses were required wear for women in most public places. By 1965 miniskirts or hot pants, often worn with go-go boots, were revealing legs and curves, and women's hair was either very short or long and lanky. Menswear had a much needed renaissance; bright colours, double-breasted sports jackets, polyester pants suits with Nehru jackets, and turtlenecks were in vogue.

Early 1960's- Predominated by high profile French and London based fashion designers. Fashions in the early 1960’s reflected the elegance of the First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy. Pillbox hats were worn with suits with short boxy jackets, and over-sized buttons. Simple, geometric dresses, known as shifts, were also in style. For evening wear, full-skirted evening gowns were worn; these often had a low neck line and had close-fitting waists. For casual wear, capri trousers were the fashion for women and girls. Stiletto heel shoes were widely popular.

 

 

Mary Quant Mid 1960’s- In 1955 Mary Quant began designing clothes for her shop (Bazaar) in King’s Road, London. Her clothes were not cheap but reflected a rise in the power of young people who wanted to express themselves through fashion.

Some say that she ‘invented’ the mini skirt, but it was probably more the product of the times rather than a brand new fashion idea.

Hem lines started to creep up in the late 1950’s and were shortest at the time this dress was designed in 1967. Indeed, the white band on the bottom of this dress (thought to be called ‘Peggy’), suggests the original dress was designed to be even shorter than it finally was. Designs were ‘unfussy’, easy to wear garments, made of materials such as wool jersey.

 

Her designs became so popular that she later launched a lower priced ‘Ginger-Group’ ready to wear range, which made her and her designs a household name and huge commercial success.

Beatniks- Mary Quant was influenced by Chelsea beatniks and dance outfits she remembered from childhood.

Her clothes were made up of simple shapes combined with strong colours.

 

Pierre Cardin- His interest in architecture showed up in the geometric shapes which became his trademark in the 1960s.

His dresses were decorated with circular and rectangular motifs. He preferred crisp, supple textiles like wool crepe and jersey. His designs appealed to the wider public.

Cardin was also fascinated by new 'space age' materials like vinyl, silver fabrics and large zips. He added moulded plastic visors to helmet-like hats to make them resemble astronauts' headgear.

Givenchy- By contrast to the youthful Mary Quant Givenchy creations concentrated on haute couture, which, at the time, seemed a little out of touch to some critics. However, in 1968, a New York Times reporter wrote that Givenchy's “evening clothes…have a perfection that not many designers show these days.”

In retrospect, Givenchy's designs had a timeless appeal lacking in trendier late 1960s designs. The black evening dresses featured here retain their elegance and could easily be worn today.

This dress epitomises quality - a delicate triangle of a black coq feather dress flowing from a small black velvet silk bodice.

Late 1960’s fashion - Male fashions in 1968 reflected the growing tendency to mix and match a wide variety of materials, styles and accessories. It was an exciting time in men’s fashion.
Tailored suits gave way to a unprecedented array of daring styles. Men wore turtlenecks, Nehru jackets and jewelled pendants. Even bright madras plaids were challenged by the flower-splashed resort blazers.

 

1950-1960

Dior’s 1947 New Look had been embraced by public this brought a new positive light after the depression and the war, it brought new hope and style for women. After the war, men adopted an Edwardian Style of dress.

This was a very feminine era contrasting from the last decade from which women had to dress rather masculine to fit with the work in factories, therefore women tried to emphasis feminism; they wore makeup for everyday outings, gloves became popular, most women wore earrings. This was all inspired by the new style of ‘the perfectly groomed women’.

 

Following with the feminist craze women looked up to people like Audrey Hepburn as idols, as she became the best known and most copied of all famous faces. The hourglass figure was still continued as women’s idols like Audrey Hepburn’s clothing highlighted an hourglass figure which women aspired to style like. Women would also wear heels on a very regular occasion; ‘the stiletto’ shoe became the biggest craze since Dior’s “New Look” it introduced heels into womens fashion as still to present day heels are a very popular choice for work wear or evening wear.

 

Although in this era women dressed very feminine, there was a change in this decade for clothing as a result of people becoming more family orientated as men and women spent more time at home with their families and doing household chores around the house so women dressed in a more practical way for ‘wifely’ roles. They would wear more house dresses for practically even when taking outings for errands. As the country got out of depression people had more disposable income so families would take annual holidays therefore beachwear became very popular. In 1947 the first bikini was unveiled.

 

As designers began experimenting with silhouettes the sack dress was introduced by Balenciaga (Spanish designer) changed the restricted waistline. Then Dior created the tunic dress, very off the body draping no figure hugging or hourglass shaped garments, changing silhouettes dramatically.

 

 

Blue jeans were another huge craze in this era and became popular for lots of different people and functions. They were very popular with teenagers in this decade and also worn as work wear and practicality. “I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity – all I hope for in my clothes” Yves Saint Laurent. Levi strauss introduced the blue jean in 1873 which became one of the biggest fashion innovations ever. The classic levi 501 jeans founded a fashion phenomenon which from then on all designers and companies have adapted and used this design and it’s such an innovative and successful design.

 

 

1940-1950

In this period World war 2 took over starting in 1939 and ending in 1945, this changed everything including fashion. As rationing became a big thing after the war because of the war, rationing clothes was also introduced. Because of extreme rationing and different living conditions people got used to a different way of life; women had to work, they got used to wearing trousers, which in earlier eras would never be accepted. People and the Media began to strive for victory/ peace such as when vogue began new slogans like ‘dig for victory’. Vogue ran articles on “your one and only dress”. Silk and other materials were banned from public use. Rations even meant that American Soldiers became a source for nylon stockings.

The war brought the country together as a unit. Military detailing on civilian clothing gave the wearer a sense of unity. Even some Wedding dresses were designed with a utility, uniform line in mind this allowed even fashion of public to feel like they were supporting they country in this rough time and believed they could win, many people showed this by adapting there clothing like this to show unity. Materials that were needed for military purposes were restricted for civilian use. Utility and practicality became more fashionable and “Rosie the Riveter” was created as a role model.

 

 

Due the large amount of work load women were called in to do as the men were off fighting they had to adapt their clothing and style to the work place bringing a social and cultural change. This meant that women working in factories would have to wear overalls and have to have their hair tied up for health and safety.  Slacks, once considered scandalous and fit only for the boudoir, gained popularity.

 

February 1947 brought one of fashion history’s most dramatic events – Christian Dior’s explosive first collection hit the runway. He named the collection the Corolle line however it was better known by public and press as ‘New Look’. This was a positive end to the war and had an explosive effect on public as the style became a craze; rounded shoulders, exaggerated bust lines, wasp waists and padded hips and long, often extravagantly full skirts that required an exorbitant amount of fabric.

 

1930-1940

As the depression began fashion contrasted to have great innovations despite the economic fall. All around the world were in great financial crisis and there was a noticeable difference in the classes or richer and poorer people. Wealthier people benefitted as they kept servants, could travel, were well educated- this allowed the cycle to carry on as the richer well educated people would get good jobs and raise wealthier families who would provide their children with better education, and so the cycle continues. However the poorer people who had to live with large families cramped into small rooms and unhealthy living situations with little or no education would carry on that cycle of raising poor families as families could not afford to get their children good education and therefore would not get good jobs with a worthy income.

 

Although in the previous decade hemlines were raised to the knee, this era portrayed a very classy sophisticated, to contrast to the depression people tried to put on a front and still dress respectably and well-dressed to cover the financial problems they may have had. Longer hemlines returned and waistlines went back to waist height instead of hipline. Designers now focused on a classier, elegant style but keeping it simple for people to still be able to afford the clothing as the depression left everyone in an economic down fall.

 

 

Towards the end of the decade small shoulder pads became popular leading to the big emphasis on them in the 40’s. This was the very beginning of where media influenced fashion, movies influenced how women dressed and what they thought about fashion. The ‘hollywood image’ became very big, as women aspired to style and look like famous celebrities in this era, idols included Marlene Dietrich.

 

 

 

Hats became very popular and a ‘must have’ fashion choice when going out, almost everyone, men and women, wore hats when on outings. Hats were normally Plate shaped hats worn towards the back of the head. Men in suits were still big and carried on as a popular choice throughout this era. Even lower class men would try and aspire to get a suit.

 

New silhouette shape was founded as garments became more tight fitted, widened shoulders, longer figure hugging skirts, brought in at waist. New popular styles arised as godets and pleats below knee were introduced showing a more fishtail design.

 

 

1920-1930's simplier garments, shorter hemlines

In the 1920’s when World War 1 had just ended fashion began to change dramatically. Hems of skirts started to rise, flappers became the ideal women style, people began to dress more casually. Firstly the hem only rose a few inches but when flappers became very popular in 1925 when it rose to just below the knee, by 1926 hemlines had reached the knee. As dresses became shorter shoes became a focal point.

Flappers were women of working age in the 1920’s whose hair, style, dress were very different to the previous ‘ideal women’ image of the Gibson girl from the previous generation. Flappers dress sense was quite masculine; they would flatten the chests with tightly tied pieces of cloth, and cut hair short. At this time waistlines dropped to the hipline and dresses became unfitted.

Fashion became simple, dresses and garments were simplified in manufacture but still contained embroidery and detailing. Towards the end of this era hemlines became tamed and the popularity became asymmetrical hemlines, shorter at the front longer at the back, around 1928/1929 however the hemline still never exceeded knee length.

1910-1920 Kimonos, Draping and flapper dresses

1910-1920

Shaping and silhouette constantly evolving, more innovative styles were developed like the hobble skirt and the lampshade skirt. The Edwardians became more daring and unique, showing interest in asymmetrical draping techniques; When visiting the V&A museum in London the exhibition for fashion history showed in depth 1910-1920 fashion and how it evolved throughout the decade. It spoke about ‘the cult of kimono’ which happened between 1905-1915, so was very influential in this time era. This highlighted that the trade and the world becoming a more multicultural society, the fashion from different cultures started becoming more popular. The popular kimono worn in western and eastern Asia then became popular in Europe which then was promoted even more as Paul Poiret started bringing out draping wraps and gowns and getting rid of corsets and shaping clothing, highlighting the Edwardians interest in draping garments.

Considerably less boning and shaping was used in bodices and boning was now only for supporting the shape as opposed to changing it. Suits became a fashion for daywear and seen as more casual alternative now. A big change in fashion happened in this time as fashionable skirt hem rose to the ankle.

 

The world becoming more multicultural also allowed the influences of art and design to change. The tribal aspects of Africa and Asia influenced a huge change in art and design not only for fashion but in lots of fabric furniture, buildings, art furnishings this kick started the slow revelation of printed fabric in garments.

Continuing with the draping craze popular trends at this time from the first world war, were bat-wing sleeves draping skirts, higher waisted trends, flapper dresses and skirts rising above the ankle.

 

The first 3 photos I took myself at the V&A London, Fashion history Exhibition. The last photo courtesy of pinterest.com.