Who Were the Influencers of the 1960s?

 There’s no denying the 60s were one of the most stylish decades ever. There is a reason shows like Mad Men, Masters of Sex and The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel all make us want to hop into a time machine and steal the characters’ wardrobes (and furniture).

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.

Edie Sedgwick’s 1960s fashion

Edie Sedgwick and Andy Warhol

The wealthy socialite, toast of the New York art scene and a certain Andy Warhol’s muse, Edie Sedgwick was the original IT girl. The essential ingredients of her good-girl-gone-bad aesthetic were lashings of eyeliner, chandelier earrings, mini mod dresses with sheer black tights and a crop of platinum hair – one day to be celebrated by Sienna Miller in the film Factory Girl.Twiggy’s 1960s fashion

Twiggy's 1960s fashion

Twiggy in the 1960s

No 1960s fashion round-up would be complete without mentioning Twiggy, real name Lesley Hornby. Bob hairstyles were huge for 1920s fashion, but this girl cemented an even short hairstyle‘s place in history – the pixie crop. One of the greatest muses of all time, Twiggy quickly rose to supermodel fame, thanks to her paint ’em on thick eyelashes and the boyish style celebrity hairdresser Leonard chopped for her in ’66. Almost overnight she became the face of the decade; instantly recognisable, she’s been immortalised on everything from Andy Warhol screen prints to M&S shopping bags.

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