1960s Fashion Research Paper

People may say that the true years of fashion began in the late nineteen forties and went on through the early nineteen sixties. If you look at fashion today, its almost repeated the look from sixty years ago. In each generation fashion trends become based on history and/or important events. in the nineteen forties fashion was being modeled by the military wear. World War II caused a drastic change in the way clothes were being made and worn. In the nineteen fifties Americans admired the fashion of movie stars and music artists. Media had a strong influence on the wordly trend. The people of the sixties expressed there personalities and emotions through

From newspaper articles in 1964 announcing the London Look, to an article by Mary Quant in Vogue in 1966 and an article at the end of the decade that declared the return of Paris Power, young people in the U.S. had the opportunity to read and examine British contributions to fashion and make decisions about whether to adopt or not. The 1960s in the United States was a turbulent time –a decade of political and social upheaval. The youth quake of British styles helped to set a new energetic pace for America and a means to deal with the turmoil. College campuses in the U.S. were often the place of change and acceptance of new ideas and thus a place to study the

Throughout the 1920s through the 1950s Women’s clothing in America was affected by World War II, which lead to the exploration of different styles, the encounter of new trends and the exchange of ideas and new styles.

Powerful women that were looked upon, created the chic of the 30’s. Ginger Rogers, Jean Harlow, and Bette Davis had the signature styles of blonde bobs, red lipstick, and arched eyebrows. Katharine Hepburn was a champion of the menswear trend with the wide legged trousers and shirts, which are still worn today. Joan Crawford was a very successful woman and when she pulled off the over-starched ruffled dress, it became so popular that manufacturers across America started making replicas. These women were very important to the 1930’s fashion era and created new fads that boomed across America (“1930s Fashion And The Women Who Defined The Thirties Style”).

Throughout the 1960s the way people saw fashion had changed. Less

The feminist movement, which took root in the era, lead to a liberated sense of fashion. Women began to wear pants in the workplace with the popularization of the pantsuit (Pendergast 922) to show that they were every bit as capable as men. Hot pants and bell bottom jeans, both styles unique to the era (Pendergast 889), were intended to make a bold statement. Another prominent trend of the 1960s was known as “mod style.” Women wore short, skin-tight skirts and form-fitting tunics (Pendergast 890) unlike anything the fashion world had previously seen. Twiggy, a model, quickly proved herself to be one of the most memorable mod icons of the time (“Twiggy”). One of the most popular and notable styles of the 1960s and 1970s, however, was the “peasant” look. Clothing was modeled after European peasants from centuries earlier; women sported loose-fitting, off-the-shoulder blouses and long, flowing skirts (Pendergast 925). Fashion was also used as a protest of sorts for American youth. Teenagers, male and female alike, creating inexpensive tie-dye clothing as a means of voicing their disapproval for the Vietnam War (Pendergast 927). Young Americans used tie-dye as a form of defiance against societal norms.

“Men had long hair, beards, and mustaches, women had big hair-do’s and African Americans afro look. They wore bright colored clothing, jackets, polyester pant-suits, and turtlenecks” “At least fashion then encouraged teens to dress well, while sagging jeans and hoodie styles would be shunned in the 60’s society”(Winn). This means people were not afraid to stand out, or show their emotion in their clothing. They were all different and no one would judge them for being different. It also shows how teens would dress more wholesome.

After the 50s came the 60s (obviously). There was a lot of change. Even more than the 50s! At first, nothing changed (like in the 20s). Then, skirts got shorter, bottoms of pants got bigger, patterns got brighter, and the waistline came back! Women took notes of fashion from London, and tried to copy them (well, I’m not actually sure that they did that, but you get the point).

It was an introduction to a more soft and rounded look which was especially popular in America. Because it was an end of the World War II, men were coming back from the war so the women focused on their role as homemakers and looked for the clothing that they could easily wash and keep neat. The most popular materials were acrylic, spandex and polyester during this decade. ‘Vogue’ magazine was already popular at that times and sportswear was introduced in 1950s and people started experimenting with different clothing. Teenagers also started developing their own dressing code for the first time, which was more casual than their parents.

The fashion during the 1950’s represented the way life was lived in this era. Before this decade, it was a time of conformity and mediation. The clothes worn represented the wholesome, good, clean citizens that Americans were expected to be. In the past years, everyone had dressed the same so that no one would particularly stand out from their cookie cutter life. The early 50’s was when people started to feel less pressure about what they wore. “No longer did people feel like they had to conform to a certain look for certain situations” (retrowaste.com- 1). “1950s fashion saw the introduction of many new styles as well as many styles that paid homage to the 1920s” (retrowaste.com- 1). Women dressed in clothes to portray them as the ideal housewife.

Good morning/ afternoon class today I’ll be talking about the impact of fashion in society in the 1960’s. Clothing styles have always reflected the current attitudes of the times and this is definitely true of fashion in the 1960s. The 1960s was marked by a huge social change and the domination of youth culture - baby boomers were growing up and demanded their own fashion cult. Clothing broke with social changes that were controlled what could be worn when and by whom. In the past, clothing items had been divided into 'formal' and 'casual’.

Reminiscences, lovely as they are, wouldn't be enough to so heavily influence the fashion industry if it weren't for the second reason these styles have captured the modern woman's heart -- their simplicity. "Most women today are looking for simplicity and elegance," says Yolanda Celluci, owner of the Waltham store that bears her name. She has seen a return to sleeveless sheath dresses with geometric necklines and long gloves. "Brides feel very elegant and beautiful in these classic gowns, and can actually wear them again." Simplicity of design doesn't mean these dresses look plain. At Priscilla, the bateau neckline of the Sabrina gowns are paired with a low

1960’s Mod Fashion the Set Up For All Era’s Following The Mod fashion sense was the most popular style of the 60’s. The Mod fashion trend may have started in London, but it became extremely popular because of the new and innovative color combos and new ways to look great.

1970s Fashion The 1970s was an eventful decade. Many people fought for equality and peace. 1970s fashion wasn’t just clothing, it was showing their voice through the cultural and political times. The many styles and looks of them showed people’s personality and who they are too.

The Years between the 1950’s and 1960’s was an explosive time in fashion. The 50’s represented an out coming of the new generation. People began to gain their own personal style and appearance, influenced by films and singers (“Vintage Fashion”). Their styles incorporated leather, jeans, corduroy, and the ballet shoes for the girls. Men’s wear began to drastically change. Men would wear a leather jacket, with jeans that narrowed at the bottom, and a simple t-shirt (Peacock 210-211). This was the first time in history that jeans were not just worn by the working class but by all men (“Brief History”). The man’s lust for flesh grew during this time, so women’s skirts began to get shorter and the bikini was invented. Clothes were made to glorify the female body and emphasize every curve. It wasn’t until the Barbie doll was created in the late 50’s that young girls began to have a separate fashion from their mothers. Young girls would wear sweaters with full skirts or pants