Essay on Fashion in the 1960's and 1970' s

The Different Impressions of People About the 1960s During the 1950s to the 1960s there was many changes in society. Many dramatic events of the twentieth century happened in the sixties, such Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space, Cuban missile Crisis, and John F Kennedy’s assassination. The Vietnam War and the first men on the moon,but the sixties was blamed for many things going wrong in society For teenagers the sixties was a great time for them, they could finally have their own lives and their own freedom of expression in their clothes and music and tastes. Music had become more available and convenient because of the new technology; the new seven-inch singles were created light,

The Roaring Twenties brought many fads and fashion rages. During the 1920's, Americans were given the honor of being called the "best- dressed". Several things contributed to this honor: Affordable pricing, mass production clothing, the birth of the "flapper girl", and rise of fashionable movie stars that Americans wanted to imitate.

The Jazz culture inspired multiple dances, such as the Black Bottom and the ever-popular Charleston. These dances required lots of movement leading to a shift in women’s fashion. Women wore less undergarments, went without coresets, and designed dresses that allowed for more freedom of movement. In 1921, Coco Chanel introduced the “drop-waist” dress, which were worn with long strings of glass beads or pearls. By 1925 these dresses resembled the shifts that were worn under the dresses of the early 1900. Evening dress were made up of mesh material, sleeveless, low v-neckline or backless, and sometimes adorned with sequence. These new fashions were advertised in fashion magazines that made their appearance in the 20s, Vouge, The Queen, and the

Fashion in the early nineteen twenties was all about comfort. Men’s pants got wider and women stopped wearing their corsets and tight dresses, while older women of the age considered this scandalous and still held the thought that women should not show their ankle. Though the majority of adults disagreed with the fashion revolution, young women continually hiked up their skirts, stayed out late, and kept up with fashion trends. Times were changing, and thus the flapper age was born. Hemlines rose to the knee, and then later above it- exposing the muscular dancer’s legs-toned

The fifties and sixties were completely different in so many ways; the times had changed a lot in the transition of decades. The types of music, for one, were in great contrast. By the sixties the rock-'n'-roll and pelvic thrusting of the fifties had transformed into the pop, rock and folk music of the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. Teenagers changed a lot over the two decades a lot, too. The tight pant, leather jacket bodgies, with their greased hair, and the widgies, with their rope petticoats and flared dresses, were replaced by the teenagers of the Psychedelic era. These teenagers preferred the swirled shapes and bright colours, with their newly found mini-skirts, and for the guys it was paisley shirts.

The 1960s was crammed full of many impacting events and important figures. From Hitchcock releasing one of the greatest thrillers of all time, Psycho, to Marilyn Monroe’s untimely death, to the infamous Woodstock festival. This era changed history completely and made the United States think twice about its youth. Events of the 1960s are still impacting our country as we know it today. The sudden pull from the conservative ‘50s changed America’s views on all aspects of life, including fashion, entertainment, and lifestyles.

The 1960's were a changing time for America. Soon to be gone were the conservative fifties as many post-war baby boomers became young adults. The youth of American was no longer content to continue with traditional thinking, it was a time for a revolutionary change. The changes would affect values, laws, education, lifestyles and entertainment. All of this would take place during a turbulent time for our country. The Civil Rights Movement, the Viet Nam War, Communism, war protesters, draft dodgers, political unrest and assassinations were all a part of everyday news.

The 1920s influenced the world as we know it today. Many important historical events that occurred during this decade, such as the stock market crash and prohibition, altered U.S history and world history intensely. The fashion and hairstyles of the 1920s made an impression on fashion and hairstyles of the 21st century. One of the most familiar symbol of the 1920s is the flapper. Entertainment was also changing; movies became extremely popular during this era. The 1920s was filled with music, dancing, and movies. The 1920s was known for the automobile, low prices and generous credit made cars affordable luxuries at beginning of the decade. The 1920s were an age of dramatic social and political change.

While the 1950s stressed conformity, the 1960s gave full vent to those impulses. The 1960s was a period of transformational change, when long-held values and social norms broke down and were replaced with idealism and rebellion. It is also described as ‘’a breakthrough, a fleeting moment of glory, a time when a significant chunk of humanity realised its moral potential and flirted with its neurological destiny’’ . The young people did not want to reform the society, they did however want to overhaul it, remake it and if needed, destroy it . The sweeping social changes and prevailing attitudes of the decade were epitomised through the rejection of conventions and traditions associated with many aspects of life, including fashion. As Coco Chanel stated, ‘’fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening’’ . Many of these changes were prompted by the feminist movement, the space race and the Vietnam War. Evidently, new fashion trends emerged which reflected these new ideals. Some of the most prevalent trends included revealing clothing, space age designs and alternative hippie clothing.

The early 1960s were a time of change and unrest. It was a time period where the “New Americans,” aka the young generation, were making changes in society. There was this domestic ideal that women were supposed to be at home cleaning, cooking, and taking care of children while the men would work. But during the 1960s, more women were finding jobs and eventually forty percent of workers were women. Marriage rates were declining and divorces were increasing because women were choosing to not be married.

During the 1960’s there were a various of sparks violence, fashion, and music. Once the sixties began the music industry and it’s fans noticed a changed which could have due to multiple social issues that rose such as the Civil Rights Movement, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vietnam War and others.

The 1960s in America were a time of enormous social and political change. Old attitudes toward war, race, gender, age, tradition and authority were challenged. Idealistic young people protested against the materialism, consumerism, capitalism and conformism of their parents' generation.

The counterculture, which was a gathering of developments concentrated on accomplishing individual and social freedom, was grasped by the decade's young Americans. Since numerous Americans were individuals from the diverse developments in the counterculture, the counterculture impacted American culture. Consequently, the accomplishments the counterculture developments made, the United States in the 1960s turned into a more open, more tolerant, and more liberated nation. The mid-sixties brought upon racial isolation and segregation of ladies. Additionally, the war was softening out up Vietnam for the American individuals. The counterculture time drew out another lifestyle for some youthful grown-ups. Individuals started dismissing the typical

Youth culture in the nineteen fifties was a time that opened up the world to be integrated for whites and blacks. In this paper the fifties are analyzed through the clothing, styles, cars, family life, and most importantly entertainment.

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