Last week I introduced you to my favorite fashion decade, the 50s! Post war fashion is often some of the best, society choosing statement styles to portray their liberation and relief. The 1960s continued this trail of fun fashions, riding the economic boom of the previous decade.

In the 60’s, less people made their own clothes and the commercial fashion industry grew. Clothing was a sign of status, and the brands you wore determined your wealth. Now instead of distinguishing between rich and poor, people determined low, middle, upper-middle, and upper classes (“1960’s Fashions including Prices”).

Fashion also became much more casual in the 1960’s. While formal dress was still popular, women were free to mix and match outfits to include relaxed and professional pieces. Slimmer and sleeker lines with A-line and shift dresses became popular for women, and tapered dress shirts were popular for men. Hemlines were higher, and 2 piece bikinis became popular for trips to the pool. The changing fashion styes in effect corresponded with the increasing liberal society.

A major fashion icon in the 60’s was Jackie Kennedy.

“Jackie Kennedy’s style was clean, simple, well fitted, with perfectly matched accessories. She wore dresses without collars, and jackets that buttoned only with one large top button. She wore sensible low heel shoes  (although many women still preferred high heels.) She was the last woman to wear hats, a pill box hat, as necessary fashion. Jackie O’ put a lot of care into her look and women in the USA and abroad copied her style with enthusiasm” (“1960s Fashion: What Did Women Wear?”).

The colors and prints were also a large part of 1960’s fashion trends. At first they were fun and vibrant- checkers, stripes, and dots adorning short dresses. Earth tone colors were also a trend especially with the rise of the hippie movement (“1960s Fashion: What Did Women Wear?”).

While this blog is about American fashion history, I can’t discuss the 60’s without the British Mods. Due to a rebounding economy after World War II, British youth were able to buy more superficial things such as clothing. The fashion choices were often very expressive (“Mod Fashion From the 60s to Now”). Mods emphasized style and sophistication, specifically connected with designer Mary Quant and the popularized mini skirt. Emphasis was placed on bright and bold colors and for women items such as go-go boots and shorter hairstyles (“1960’s Fashions including Prices”). Eventually these styles became popular throughout the whole west, America adopting mod style in the late 60’s.

The couture of French designers such as Balenciaga and Dior reflected elegance and grace within 60’s society. Sleek Italian design also became popular, especially reflected by the mods. Kids with new money insisted on tailor made clothes, fitting them to a T. As the wave of upcoming youth emerged, such preppy styles were considered outdated, and couture died down (Victoria and Albert Museum).

Despite the popular happy and bright clothing of the 60s, a counter culture emerged moving more in touch with the natural world. “A cosmopolitan view was reflected in fashion by Ossie Clark, Jean Muir, Thea Porter and Zandra Rhodes, all of whom experimented with non-traditional tailoring and colourful prints, showing an interest in ethnic garments. Secondhand attire was sought after and even items like military dress were worn for their decorative qualities” (Victoria and Albert Museum).

Ultimately, the styes of the 1960s were extremely unique and divided. Transforming from elegant couture to vibrant mod contrasted with a counter ‘hippie’ culture, the 60’s included a little bit of everything. As Cristobal Balenciaga once said, “A couturier must be an architect for design, a sculptor for shape, a painter for color, a musician for harmony, and a philosopher for temperance”.

“Mod Fashion From the 60s to Now.” Fashion Gone Rogue. N.p., 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 July 2016.