1960

Influenced by the 1960's

Did you ever realise that a lot of clothes women wear today were probably introduced in the 1960's? The 1960's were a decade of change for fashion, particularly women's. During the 1960's, fashion underwent perhaps the most dramatic transformation of any decade of the 20th century. Consequently, fashion reflected a new movement towards comfort and youthful expression of independence. My theory states that; the fashion's of the 1960's underwent dramatic changes due to celebrities, events and elements of popular culture that both influenced and shaped the decade's fashions. We will look at the changes, influences, affects, elements and comparisons of 1960's fashion to support my theory.

The 1960s introduced an extensive range of both evolved and brand new fashion elements. However, as one would immediately assume, the sixties did not start out with colourful clothing. Instead, clothes were dully designed and suited to those of older ages. Though, this was soon to change when designers such as Mary Quant emerged into the fashion scene. Mary Quant was an increasingly popular fashion designer during the sixties, responsible for designing mini skirts, vinyl fashions and coloured tights. Thus, altering fashion eternally. Due to the discovery of Mary Quant, and several other timeless designers including Yves Saint Laurent and Hubert de Givency, fashion now had new standards and limitations. Women now wore mini skirts, leather boots, baby-doll dresses and hot pants. Men, on the other hand, wore paisley shirts, velvet pants, Beatles inspired suits and tie-dye, which was considered unisex and resulted from the development of the hippie movement. In the mid-sixties, space age styles consisting of discs, metals, plastics and leather in metallic and neon colours were linked together with wire creating an assemblage when worn. Shortly after, ethnic fashions began to spread. The ethnic look was borrowed from other cultures and consisted of African, oriental and middle eastern looks. Mod fashion originated in 1965, it consisted of retro styles such as knee length coats with matching hats, go-go boots, fuzzy vests and the use of bold prints such as polka dots. Finally, the late sixties saw the uprising of the hippie movement, which contributed to skirts lengthening out and becoming classified as Ð''maxi' skirts. During the hippie movement, loose, colourful, tie-dyed clothing was popular, as well as body art such as paint, jewels and piercings. These styles were now permanent and the tone was set for the decade.

The majority of sixties fashion was influenced and shaped by celebrities, events and elements of popular culture. The most recognisable celebrity influences were musicians such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Sonny & Cher, Elton John, Abba and The Rolling Stones. According to Tom Ford, "Even if you look at Elvis' costumes from the 1960's, studs and rhinestones influenced all of the fashion designers," he said. "So did Cher and Mick Jagger. Keith Richard was the first to wear leopard and leather. Then there was Jimi Hendrix with his mod gear. And the Rolling Stones have been icons of fashion for 35 years." However, actors and models influenced fashion as well, the most prominent were, Ursula Andreas, Twiggy, Jim Morrison and Audrey Hepburn. Society tended to follow the stars trends, particularly the youth. Though, celebrities did not only shape fashion. For the first time ever it was shaped by the youth of the decade. The teenage influence inspired fabric prints, and caused hemlines to creep up. In fact, according to some, fashions were inspired by youth on the street. Youth independence was now in full swing, and so was the fashion. Events contributed to the development of 1960's fashion as well. For example, the first man landing on the moon inspired the creation of space-age styles that were popular during the mid-sixties. Popular culture contributed to these new and inventive fashions as well. Books, film, songs, televisions and locations all played parts in influencing fashion. These influences can be seen through the following cultural inspirations resulting from popular culture. Firstly, the Ð''Hawaiian' influence, which started in 1963, was partially due to the film production of Ð''Blue Hawaii' starring Elvis Presley. Secondly, the film Ð''Dr. Zhivago', set during the 'Russian' revolution in 1965 inspired the creation of overcoats as both Russian military, and the female lead, Julie Christie wore them. Lastly, the international influences inspired by central fashion locations such as Paris, Tokyo, New York, Milan and L.A. began in 1966 and inspired designers to incorporate materials, styles and designs from other cultures. Shortly after, 1969 saw the coming of the hippie movement, which evolved due to influential events such as Vietnam War and 'Woodstock' which split society into two groups having ant-conventional and conventional attitudes towards the fashions of the time. By the late sixties, fashion was no longer influenced by the select couture group, but was influenced by global trends and cultures due to technological advancements. For example, air travel, television and international magazines.

The sixties gurus consisted of two main groups, individuals who created their own style, and the others that followed the trends set by both random individuals and groups, particularly celebrities and idols. Along with the development of many new fashion elements, various generations developed diverse and