A Decade by Decade view of Women’s Fashion in the 20th Century. This 10-part series covers the styles and changes in women’s fashion from 1900 to the year 2000. We discuss everything from designers to fabrics, hem lengths to sleeves. This week we look at vintage fashion from 1960 to 1970. Follow along with us each week as we delve into another decade.
The 1960s were a decade of change. In the early years of the 1960s, we were still wearing knee-length dresses with full skirts and accessorizing with pearls and clip-on cluster earrings. We carried boxy handbags and wore pointed-toe kitten heels. As society transitioned from the post-war 1950s to the Swingin ’70s, fashion changed drastically along with everything else. Some of the women who changed the direction of fashion in the 1960s were Jackie Kennedy, Bridget Bardot, Edie Sedgwick, and Sonia Rykiel.
Mary Quant created a new look that was bold and playful featuring bright colors and big prints. Known as the Mother of the Mini Skirt, she was also noted for popularizing colored and patterned stockings. Her empire eventually embraced make-up, home goods, and even a Mary Quant designed Mini Car.
On the more practical side of 1960s fashion was Bonnie Cashin. Her sportswear and layered clothing was a more subtle look. The use of hardware was part of her signature style. Her brass toggle lock was part of her look for Coach, as she was the first designer hired to create for the newly formed company.
Rudi Gernreich is best known for his avant-garde looks incorporating the use of plastic and vinyl. He was the first to create fully unstructured swimwear as well as creating the Monokini and thong bikini. His designs were created to make a statement both socially and politically.
Ossie Clark began designing clothing before he was 10. Working alongside Celia Birtwell, who designed his fabric, the partners created some of the most romantic, flowing fashions of the time. His clothing was flamboyant and designed to easily move in. He was a favorite designer of the Rock ‘n Roll groups of the 60s and early 70s, designing for the likes of Mick Jagger, The Beatles, Marianne Faithfull, and others.
By the end of the decade, fashion had swung in a completely different direction. We now wore bright bold patterns and big colorful jewelry paired with Go-Go boots or sandals and hobo-style shoulder bags. Our hemlines were short and our jeans were bell bottoms.
Wear the Look of the 1960s
Explore the other decades by clicking here.
