Is the 60s the Greatest Fashion Decade of the last 100 years?

Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick and Chuck Wein, 1965

 In the same way that current young people are looking back to the 90s and early Y2k for their fashion inspiration, (the 80s have been done and dusted apparently) in the 90s we looked back to the 60s and 70s for our sartorial influences. Does fashion travel in 20-30 year cycles? So it would seem. But what rich pickings those two decades were! To this day, the fashion of the 60s and 70s will always have that fashion edge for me. Children of the 60s were just stepping out of the drudgery of a post war society with it's bombed out buildings, rationing (including fabric) and misery, to a more affluent and exciting future. Music was at it's most creative, as was cinema - in fact every area of the arts. Think the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Motown, Phil Spector and his girl groups. The birth of independent cinema was well underway with the French wave, Luis Bunuel and Ingmar Bergman on this side of the Atlantic and John Cassavetes, Stanley Kubrick and Sidney Lumet making waves in the States. In the art world, Andy Warhol and his Factory were creating his famous Pop Art, and in the world of fashion - where to start?

The Ronettes, early 1960s

Although some might see 60s fashion as somewhat twee or overdone - from caricature images of paisley-wearing Hippies carrying flowers, to men in capes or cartoon-colourful silk jackets a la the Beatles on the cover of Sargent Peppers. With women in white go-go boots, Mary Quant dresses and ridiculously thick lashes and PVC baker boy hats - it's easy to dismiss the 60s fashion as fancy dress clothing that doesn't translate. 

The Beatles in their Sgt Pepper's gear

But perhaps no other decade made such a marked and startling transition from it's predecessor than the 60s from the 50s. And this is one of the reasons why the 60s holds such a strong place in the hearts of many a fashion lover. It was a truly groundbreaking decade in so many ways. In previous decades, fashion was aimed at an older market. The 60s for the first time truly embraced styling for the younger generation. For once, dressing like your parents was not what teenagers aspired to (think of all those old photos of your 15 year old grandparents where the boys wore suits and ties and looked like they were in their 30s). This time, teenagers were given the option to dress like teenagers. For the first time fashion was driven by the youth market -the term for it - the 'youthquake' was coined by Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, to highlight the moment that the idea of the post-war teenager really came to life.

Mary Quant

So what was the 'youthquake'? it was the rebellion marked of not dressing like your parents. Without the 60s youthquake, there would be no punks or indie-kids or goths or emos. The teenagers of the 60s shunned the couture houses of their parents, and made Carnaby Street and the boutiques of the Kings Road, the centre of the fashion universe. This mini revolutiuon against tradition and confinement changed the course of youth and fasfhion culture forever. Teenagers embraced psychedelic prints, shift dresses, PVC, Mary Quant Mini skirts, faux fur, pant-suits and colour pop tights. (although mini skirts were de rigeur, going bare-legged was still considered immodest).

Hippies

Fashion trends mirrored social movements of the time. The Hippies being the most obvious. The subculture which embraced free-love, mind-expansion through drugs, meditation, exploring the world through travel, and a liberal, anti-war stance was translated into their clothing aesthetic. Their rejection of consumerism led to a more individualistic approach to fashion. Bell-bottoms, tie-dye, long hair and beards, armfuls of Indian silver jewellery, organic materials, bright, swirling colours and flower-power. This move into fantastical, magical dressing would never have been believed by those living a decade earlier. 

The women's liberation movement was in full-swing, the pill meant free-love was possible without the fear of pregnancy and in a pre-Aids world there was an experimental innocence to the movement. The 60s 'Single Girl' was based on Helen Gurley Brown's 1962 book 'Sex and the Single Girl' which showed women as financially emotionally and sexually independent. Fashion and fashion photography created a new feminine aesthetic, which was thin, 'active', self-reliant, and liberated. 

The Single Girl, as highlighted by Cosmo

For the first time women were also showing off more skin, the shortest of mini skirts, bikinis, hot pants, camisole vests all had their birth or were popularised in the 1960s. Women's silhouettes also changed to match the clothes - skinny, boyish figures were the order of the day and pushed out the curvy, womanly frame of the 1950s. It was as if all this skin on show required a more boyish figure to make it less 'shocking' to people's sensibilities. A cultural revolution was taking place for women, but in order to make it more palatable to the masses, it had to be watered down. Women could show off their bodies - but cleavage and hips were out and a more streamlined look was in. The voluptuous screen sirens of the 50s - Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell,  Sophia Loren, Jayne Mansfield - gave way to the likes of Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton, Verushka, and Penelope Tree, who all embodied a big eyed, skinny limbed child-like aesthetic. 

Twiggy

The old adage about 'starving in times of plenty' was most certainly true for the 60s woman. As the West came out of the Second World War, rationing went on in the UK til the mid 1950s. The 60s were seen as a time of plenty - just like the 20s had been post-First World War, and women's body fashion shrunk with the abundance of food available. In an age of post-war affluence, rising body weights and changing fashions, dieting and eating disorders became an unfortunate secondary effect amongst young women. The feminine body has always served as a symbol of socially created values, and in this case, the long-limbed, pre-pubescent aesthetic of the 60s illustrated how women were 'permitted' to be more autonomous while still paradoxically, being put in a box of pre-conceived ideas.

Mods on their scooters

Although the Hippies are undoubtedly the most famous image of the 60s, other countercultures are equally significant and influential. The Mods, 'Modernists' who first appeared in the late 50s were a working class movement focused around French and Italian style - think sharp skinny suits and polo shirts whilst riding around on Vespas or Lambrettas. They listened to Black American soul, ska and R&B and were all about looking sharp, whatever the budget. Their rivals, the 'Rockers' considered them effeminate and preening, however, their cool and attention to detail made their look one that is copied to this day. Other subcultures included Rudeboys, Rockers, Black Panthers and more.

Jackie O's 60s chic

The space race had a huge impact on aesthetics. Andres Courreges SS64 collection debuted the "space style," which featured trouser suits, goggles, box-shaped dresses with high skirts, and go-go boots. In the 1960s, go-go boots were a hallmark of go-go girl attire. The vivid hues, gleaming material, and sequins were all hallmarks of the look. Boxy forms, thigh-length hemlines, and flamboyant embellishments characterised the space age aesthetic. Designers of the space era favoured synthetic materials as well. Pierre Cardin created clothes with a plastic feel and strong forms. Non-cloth materials like polyester and PVC have also gained popularity in apparel and accessories. 

Andres Courreges SS64

Short plastic raincoats, colourful swing coats, and other daytime clothing were favoured by young women, who wore bubble dresses, helmet-like headgear, and coloured faux furs. The Nehru jacket first appeared on the fashion landscape in 1966, and it was worn by both men and women. Suits came in a wide range of colours, but they were all tailored and thin for the first time. Women's waistlines were left untouched, while hemlines became shorter and shorter. Low-heeled sandals and kitten-heeled pumps, as well as the popular white go-go boots, were among the footwear options for ladies. 

Pierre Cardin was most known for his helmets, short tunics, and goggles. He was famous for his "12 Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Mater" collection from 1966 which used chain-mail, aluminium and plastic. Vinyl go-go boots, huge bouffant hair and silver mini dresses were all highlights of the fashion in the classic Roger Vadim movie Barbarella, where Jane Fonda demonstrated the space age look to perfect effect.

Marianne Faithfull and Anita Pallenberg

Then there is the rock star styling of the day - singers, actresses and models like Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, Edie Sedgewick, Sharon Tate, who combined the best fashions that the 60s offered and rolled them into a creme de la creme of perfect 60s styling. The 'glamorous hippie', if you will - a look that combined mini shifts, go-go boots, shaggy fur coats, chandelier earrings and chain-mail dresses to name a few. It's a look that is most easily translated today - think Kate Moss and Alexa Chung in the Noughties in their fur coats, big sunglasses and fedoras - it's a look that screams Marianne Faithfull. In fact, Marianne Faithfull was so incensed at Kate Moss 'stealing her style' she publicly called her a 'vampire' and ended their friendship. Apparently imitation is not always the sincerest form of flattery.

Kate Moss Glastonbury 2005 looking very Anita Pallenberg

Ultimately, the 1960s can't be characterised by a single style, group, or aesthetic, which is part of what makes it so fascinating to look back on. Once you get past the tie-dye and countless Twiggy photos, you'll discover a lot more in what I consider to be the most fascinating fashion decade of the twentieth century.

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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Mary Quant (centre foreground) launches her 1967 footwear collection

Last year, while staff at the V&A were researching its major retrospective of Mary Quant, which opens next month, they launched a #WeWantQuant campaign, appealing to the public for clothes they might be willing to loan or donate. “We were overwhelmed,” the show’s co-curator, Jenny Lister, recalls: “We had more than a thousand emails from women – some friends of Quant’s and members of the bohemian circle to which she belonged – but most were ordinary women. Former students, teachers and nurses – some got in touch with us from as far afield as San Francisco and Australia.” One woman – and this makes Lister laugh with delight – described taking her Quant dress to Antarctica, to wear at the south pole. Some have hung on to their makeup (such as the eyeshadows Quant’s husband and business partner, Alexander Plunket Greene, jauntily dubbed “jeepers peepers”). The collective message was that Quant’s clothes were more than just clothes, they were cherished clues to the past. In the end, the museum could only make space for the offerings of 30 women (four of whom are interviewed below). But for everyone who lived through the Quant era, this show will be a form of time travel – back to the 60s and 70s and the coolest of surnames (that Q had kudos) and the simple daisy logo that kept on blossoming.

In a new foreword to her first autobiography, Quant by Quant (1966), Mary Quant remembers: “Life was a whizz! It was such fun and unexpectedly wonderful despite, or perhaps because of its intensity… we were so fortunate with our enormous luck and timing. We partied too – there were no real boundaries.” Her written style – ingenue enthusiasm – matched her clothes. For Quant, fashion was “a game” and her son, Orlando, (writing In the V&A’s catalogue) acknowledges the fun his parents had after they met as art students at Goldsmiths. He remembers how his father made life “riotously exciting”. He recalls people saying: “But Mary, you can’t do that…” (an invitation to go ahead). He also argues that his mother’s designs were more serious than her modest account of them, that they brought about an “attitude revolution that changed much more than fashion”.

At 89, Quant still sticks to her original line. “I loved wearing the clothes which I designed for like-minded friends and for myself,” she tells me by email. “They reflected the sense of freedom that we felt at the time – shorter skirts allowed mobility, to run, jump and to have fun in. As I get bored quickly, I was always seeking fresh inspirations so if they worked on me, then they would provide fashion for everyone who enjoyed the styling, the crazy accessories and the cosmetics.”

Lister emphasises Quant’s prescience: “She used clothes to demonstrate that change was coming. Fashion was no longer about couture, it was about expressing individuality.”

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Why you need to visit the Mary Quant exhibition at the V&A

Can’t imagine a world without mini skirts and hot pants? Well, if it wasn’t for the revolutionary designer, Dame Mary Quant, they wouldn't be part of our wardrobes.

And now, the V&A are honouring her subversive designs in their upcoming exhibition - and it’s a must-see.

So if you are a fashion fanatic or just like looking marvelling at great clothes - get ready to discover how one incredible woman revolutionised British street style, in an exhibition that epitomises female empowerment and ingenuity.

It will feature over 200 objects - including pieces from Dame Mary Quant’s personal archive that have never been seen before. It will not only include her incredible designs, like the rebellious mini-skirts and trousers for women, but it will also chart her rise to success throughout the 50s to the 70s, and share stories from friends and fans alike who wore her designs.

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More than just a miniskirt: New exhibitions reveal how Mary Quant shaped our world

Mary Quant at home in Chelsea, 1968

If you’re a British woman, you’ve probably got Mary Quant in your wardrobe. OK, maybe not literally – but if there’s a sleeveless shift or a tunic dress, a Peter Pan collar or a skinny-rib sweater, a pair of brightly coloured tights or even a PVC raincoat, you’re wearing Quant. And that’s before mentioning her most famous creation: the miniskirt.

She pioneered mass-market, trend-led clothing – but the looks Quant came up with have proved anything but throwaway, still influencing both high end and high street fashion more than 60 years after she opened her first boutique. And in 2019, her creative vision and enduring influence is being recognised by two new museum shows.

This spring, the V&A opens a major exhibition of her work, with more than 200 garments and accessories, including previously unseen gems from Quant’s own archive. But first, Swinging London: A Lifestyle Revolution opens at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London. It uses Quant, and designer Terence Conran, as a way into looking at the “youth quake” that shook London in the late Fifties and early Sixties, which transformed the way we live. It features rare and early designs by Quant and Conran, plus clothing, textiles, furniture, lighting and homeware by fellow members of the “Chelsea set”, the bohemian west London crowd they ran with.

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V&A to host first Mary Quant exhibition in 50 years

The Victoria and Albert Museum has announced that it will be hosting a retrospective of the British designer Mary Quant’s work.

The exhibition, due to open in April 2019, will focus on Quant’s designs between 1955 and 1975, and will be the first international retrospective of the designer’s work in almost half a century.

With unprecedented access to Quant’s fashion archive, the display will bring together over 200 objects, many of which have never been on public display.

One of Britain’s most influential designers, Quant is famous for her bright, playful clothes that sparked a movement marked by a youthful change in fashion.

Quant had no formal design training, but her understanding of what young women wanted to wear was enough to turn her into a fashion mogul. Making A-line shiftdresses with little Peter Pan collars and teaming them with knee-length boots and coloured tights, Quant’s young style was popularised by celebrities and models like Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton.

But it was the miniskirt for which Quant’s reign is remembered. Trialling different hemlines in the early 1960s, the designer eventually settled on the thigh-high mini. A debate continues to rage over which designer actually invented the miniskirt (many say it was the Parisian André Courrèges) but what is undisputed is that it was Quant who popularised it.

In an early example of bubble up fashion trends, micro hemlines were adopted on the runways of designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin.

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