Fashions

Mod

Innovative, creative, bold and brash. Sixties fashion belonged to London, England. The Brits set the tone and the world followed.

What we wear has always defined us to some degree. At the very least, it can indicate economic status, but always before within certain confines of convention. Historically, a uniformity of dress created a homogeneous population.

The 1960s ushered inan attitude of "anything goes" and reflected the shifting politics of the day. "Do your own thing" applied to clothes as well.

The fashion revolution was youth oriented and youth driven and began in the streets rather than the old line couture houses. The Baby Boomers were coming of age. 

The boutique clothing store emerged in the 1960s as "the happening" place to shop. They were fun and hipand young people felt more comfortable shopping there. No geography was more famous for swinging boutiques than Carnaby Street and Kings Road in London. Not to be left out of the trend, Paraphernalia opened in 1965 on Madison Avenue in New York and was an instant smash. 

Color played a big role in defining the look. The muted and pastel palette of Fifties fashions gave way to bright, bold coloroften splayed in geometric patterns. From daywear to Day Glo in less than a decade.

Art, usually Pop Art infiltrated fashion as works of art translated from canvas into fabric. Below left, Yves St. Laurent's interpretation of Pier Mondrian's rectangles. 

A word about the word - Mod. Mod for modern, which in its purest use meant minimalist. Arguably there is nothing minimal about most Mod fashion,but that is the origin.

| "THE MINI"SKIRTS & DRESSES |

The 1960s marked a very important stage in the evolution of twentieth-century fashion for two reasons: because the youth market demanded and got their own styles; and because the notion of anything goes in fashion became the norm.

The mini skirt or dress was at the epicenter of this evolution. Mini's created a revolution and turned1960's fashion on its head. By the late sixties no boundaries remained for the designers as to what could be done with the mini.
Women were liberating themselves from the uncomfortable and matronly apparel of the fifties. Armed with synthetic materials, new female designers and ready to wear affordable designs the mini was ready to explode onto the sixties market. Aided by the invention andcommercialization of pantyhose or tights, women were proudly showing off not only their legs but their freedom as well.
Although French designer Courreges claims to have invented the mini, there's no question that Mary Quant working out of her small King's Road, London boutique popularized and gave mass market appeal to the mini. Mary's designs were simple usually using a basic A-line design for many ofher mini-dresses. 

at left: Mary Quant design mini dress            

After the successes of Quant, Betsy Johnson, Barbara Hulanicki and other young female 1960's designers, all of the major Fashion Houses followed suit. The likes of Chanel, Dior and Y'ves Saint Laurent were soon offering the shorter mini styles in their couture lines. Not as risque as what was coming out of swinging London itdefinitely emphasized the importance of the mini skirt as a new style icon.

Although the even more liberating pants suit style of clothing would gain popularity in the early 1970's and eventually edge the mini skirt out of vogue, the remnants of that 1960's fashion revolution are still visible in today's clothing. 

Hair Style

              
 
Contrary to what you may believe, the 1960s hair stylewas just that - styled. Whether "long, straight, curly, fuzzy" a great deal of attention was paid to getting just the right look.

Although there was more flexibility in length and cut than before, hair styles were controlled. Only Janis Joplin looked like, well, Janis Joplin.

Curls were all the rage. Big deep ones, small tight ones and even spit curls.

Hippies, of course, prided themsleves on...