Today, the influence of 1960s retro clothing can be seen everywhere. Designer fashion houses, fashion stores and fashion-conscious trendsetters take inspiration from this decade. The 1960s were responsible for revolutions in music, film, and fashion, which is why it may be so beloved by fans of vintage clothing.
The 1960s was an era of innovation and new ideas. Fashion was heavily influenced by the younger generations who spent their salaries on clothes and music. A school leaving age of fifteen meant that most teens older than this age had full-time jobs and an income to facilitate this expense.
The craze followed three main phases, but there were also several popular subgenres. In the early 1960s, fashion followed similar trends to the late 1950s, such as the full skirt and suits by Chanel. This was followed by the rise of miniskirts, the looks of Mary Quant and Vidal Sassoon. It was these that formed the ‘definitive’ look of the ’60s and by the end of the decade the hippy look was more prevalent with long hair and kaftans.
The most iconic looks of the 1960s can be divided according to your gender. For the women, it was Carnaby’s almost chic look with miniskirts, short angular haircuts and knee-high boots. For men, the ’60s brought the modern look with fitted Italian suits and skinny ties. These were the looks that defined the era, as many are still popular today and still influence British fashion and style.
Even if you take a look at the popular movies of the 1960s, these styles can be seen. Music also influenced fashion and vice versa. Many of the top bands during this decade helped set the trends, which were again largely bought by the younger generations.
The late 1960s gave way to the hippy style, which was heavily influenced by music culture. Long hair, beads and kaftans were the order of the day and anyone with a keen eye for fashion wore bell-bottoms and jeans. However, not everyone favored this style. For some it was too scruffy, therefore a mix of this style and mod emerged where double breasted suits with wider leg pants bridged the gap.
The style of the 60’s keeps coming back. You only have to look back to the late 70’s and early 80’s to see this when two-tone music and fashion became popular with 60’s inspired monochrome fashion and a new take on modern style.
Even if you look around your typical town or city, chances are you’ll see someone whose style has been influenced in some way by the fashion trends this decade had to offer. They could be dresses from the 60s; maybe it’s someone sporting a ’60s-inspired skinny tie or pointy shoes. Whatever it is, ’60s style and vintage ’60s clothing will continue to resurface again and again.
