60s fashion – The swinging Decade of style
May 3, 2016Fondly known as the swinging 60s, this decade showcased an extraordinary period of change. 60s fashion took the lead in a new era of individual style and stand out designer trends with unique clothing lines and a generation of people with money to spend. You’ll probably most relate 60s fashion to bright colours, mini skirts and the famous model Twiggy, and this decade was all this and much more.
Fast fashion was becoming a fixture on the high street and independent boutiques stocked lines that were updated on a weekly basis rather than just each new season. Music heavily influenced this new generation of young people looking to wear and style their looks based on their favourite celebrities and A-Listers.
60s fashion paved the way for a unique style of fashion and has become one of the most revived and loved decades in fashion history. Take a look at the key looks that made this an iconic period of style an inspiration for many designers today.
60s fashion – Iconic mini skirt
Possibly one of the most iconic and recreated 60s trends is the mini skirt. This rebellious style symbolized the end of a decade of reserved dressing and celebrated a feminine, individual style. Hosiery became a huge feature during the 60s with designer Mary Quant creating unique tights and stockings to fulfill a need in this new market. This meant in all weathers you could wear fabulous skirts without feeling the cold.
60s fashion – Graphic design and geometrics
In a decade of new trends, bold and bright design was a huge feature. Prints took inspiration from optical illusion art and design had a strong graphic impact with vibrant stripes and geometric checks. Another well-known print included the flower power generation with clothing sporting frilly shirts, flower print tunics and ethnic garments, something that inspired trends in 70s fashion too.
The shift dress
One of the most popular shapes and cuts in 60s fashion was the creation of the shift dress. This clean triangular style often featured sleeveless design, large pockets and contrasting edging around the neck and hemline. This dress is prevalent in modern designers collections with Orla Kiely taking inspiration from this iconic cut.
Shiny plastics and space age
Anything from over the knee boots, mini macs, bags and pinafore dresses were transformed with PVC plastic fabrics. This shiny printed design was a popular choice for unique celebrity shoots and designer collections with Paco Rabanne designing a special item in 1967. This decade also famed for the first moon landing gave inspiration for a range of space age style clothing. The beautiful Audrey Hepburn modelled a space inspired helmet with a full leather look in 1965 and French designer Courréges designed a whole collection named ‘Moon Girl’ based on this historic moment.
The 60s was an inspirational and iconic time for fashion, this decade has defined an era of individual style and was a new outlook for a generation of influential shoppers.
Vibrant mini skirt styles
Psychedelic graphics
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