1960s fashion: The Icons and Designers That Helped Shape The Decade

Edie Sedgwick

If buying into a certain prim look à la Dior was a big hit for 1950s fashion, the sartorial rule book was completely thrown out in swinging sixties. From Brigitte Bardot‘s beehive to Mary Quant’s geometric prints, every 1960s fashion icon contributed their own signature style to the decade (a theme that continued well into 1970s fashion and beyond). It was the era of the girl group, the gamine supermodel and the original IT-girls, who are still inspiring this generation’s Alexa Chung et al.

The sixties still provide designers of today with endless inspiration, from Hermès’ enduring Birkin bag (which FYI is a better investment than gold), to Dior’s feminist take on Edie Sedgwick’s Factory Girl style (and just look at the familiar trends popping up for SS18).

After a decade of cinched waists, full skirts and impeccable hair and makeup, many fashion traditions were broken in an act of rebellion, mirroring the momentous social and political changes of the decade. It was the era where no skirt was too short and no beehive too high. Today, we can thank the decade for culottes, geometric prints and boxy silhouettes.

From the sixties’ answer to street style stars to the key fashion designers, consider this everything you need to know about the style defining era.