If you’re still looking for inspiration for that 60s costume or just doing a little research you’ve come to the right place for here we have a collecting of articles all about fashion in the 60’s. Whether it’s information about the style of shoes or go-go boots or how to tye dye it’s all here for you to see.

The Fashions of the 1960’s

The ’60s was the decade of freedom. Everyone, particularly the youth, spoke out their preferences, and had an immediate and powerful effect on the fashion industry. For example, the women of the ’60s chose to have a childlike image with short skirts, much like the trend in the 1920s.

Fashion in the ’60s emphasized simplicity, youthfulness, and neatness. Synthetic fabrics became widely used during the decade. Hats became passé. Stilettos were widely used items as well as lower kitten heels. Flat boots were also worn as well as very short dresses. Shoes invariably changed from pointed toes, to chisel shaped toes, and to almond toes.

Light fabric was the choice material for menswear in the decade. Young men chose to grow their hair down, even reaching the collar. For good measure they added floral motifs and colors to their shirts. Other trends among men were the wearing of the polo neck, the workman jacket coupled with rough corduroy. The Mao jacket also proved to be more than a political gimmick. Jeans were also worn marking another innovation in the wardrobe of men. Designers like Pierre Cardin introduced some progressive rumbling although the 3-piece suit remained unchanged. The ’60s movements of hippie and psychedelia had a strong influence on fashion.

The decade also marked the rise of partnerships between high fashion designers and popular celebrities. Audrey Hepburn was matched with Givenchy, while Jackie Kennedy found hers with Oleg Cassini. It was also the time when models stamped their influence on fashion.

The History of Go-go Boots

Go-go boots have gained a slightly filthy reputation in recent years, due to their association with strippers and the sex industry, but this reputation is totally undeserved. They are an important part of any woman’s wardrobe, and it is important to try and salvage their place in fashion history. An item that can be worn with, and enhance, just about any outfit. They are fantastic for enhancing the shape of the leg, and are a surprisingly revolutionary piece of footwear – far from the preserve of strippers and sex industry workers; they are a liberating and eternally fashionable item to slip your feet into.
The term actually derives from a French expression. À go-go, meaning ‘in abundance’ is derived from the ancient French term for happiness, la gogue. This entered the English lexicon in 1962 as a term meaning ‘all the rage’, thus giving Go-go boots their name. But why are they so revolutionary? Well, the whole concept of a mainstream boot for women as a fashion accessory was totally unheard of, as they were worn only to keep women’s feet warm during winter and in rainy weather, and not as streetwear. They were designed specifically to compliment the fashions of the time, with short skirts like the miniskirt all the rage. They accentuated the shape of the leg on display, and also helped cover a bit of the leg – perfect for women who were a little unsure about flashing the flesh.
The designer André Courrèges is widely credited with creating the first ever Gogo boots. It was a low-heeled, calf-high boot created for his 1964 Autumn collection as part of the ‘Moon Girl’ look. These boots quickly became popular, and were soon mass-produced, and became a huge hit with girls dressed in the ‘Dolly Bird’ style in 1960s London. They were usually designed with a zipper up the back, or on the side, and were adopted by teenagers, which saw them worn by dancers on television shows, helping to further popularise them.

This popularity soon saw them become iconic. For example, the boots in Nancy Sinatra song ‘These Boots are Made for Walking’ are widely recognised to be Go-go boots. The boots became a part of pop culture when they were worn by Jane Fonda in the cult sci-fi film Barbarella. Such success saw other designers have a go at making their own version of the boots, with the height of the boot rising as the hemlines became higher and higher, culminating in Yves Saint Laurent’s thigh high garter boots. These in turn gave rise to ‘kinky boots’, calf- or thigh-high boots with a pointed heel, and were worn by Diana Rigg and Honor Blackman in the classic TV series The Avengers.

Nowadays, the Go-go boot has become a huge part of fashion worldwide, so it is important to move away from stereotyping it as a slutty item of footwear. It is one of the most revolutionary items of fashion wear to emerge from the sixties, and a key part of any woman’s wardrobe.

1960’s Men’s Fashion

Social Changes Affect Fashion
In the 1960s, fashion really kicked off with the introduction to many new and diverse trends. You can easy determine trends from the early, middle and end of the decade. Traditional, conforming man’s attire was lost due to social changes. Throughout the 60s, the focal point in fashion was the uprising of bright colors and tones. The changes in the fashion of this time were more so than any other time previous. This renaissance in fashion was influenced heavily by Italian designers and by the Modernist, Hippie and Edwardian styles of dress.

The British & the Modernist Movement
At the forefront of style in the 60s were the British. The modernist movement came about at the beginning of the era, allowing young men to push boundaries and make way for the many new trends that would follow. It was all about moving away from the ‘lack of style’ in the 50s and experimenting with psychedelic prints and gregarious patterns. No man wanted to be seen in dull and pale shades. No! It was time to add color and plenty of it, the brighter and more flamboyant the better. It wasn’t uncommon to see frills and cravats on a man’s shirt. Even neckties enjoyed their rebirth, from the skinny tie at the beginning of the 60s to the very wide ties in the Hippie age, all adorned with unusual prints, stripes and patterns.

The Mods versus the Rockers
If you lived the 60s, you were probably a Mod at one stage, and if you weren’t, you were a Rocker. The two were notorious rivals. The Rockers were heavily into 50s rock-and roll, big bikes like the Harley Davidson, leather jackets and ‘Elvis’ greased back hairstyles. The Mods were classier, listening to British bands such as The Beatles. They preferred Vespers over Harleys and took their trends from respectable French and Italian clothes designers. Most commonly, tailored suits with slim shirts, pants and skinny ties slimmed down to just an inch. The Modernists also brought us the anorak, an item of clothing regarded as their trademark.

The Edwardian Movement
A bit further down the line, specifically the year of 1966, men embraced the Edwardian movement. Double-breasted suits in velvet were worn by men following icons such as Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. These suits were accompanied with brocade waistcoats, shirts with frilled collars and longer hair as opposed to the previous shorter styles. All variations of colors, stripes and patterns were evident in this so-called ‘dandified’ look. The Nehru jacket also came about in this time and was popular with both men and women.

Hippies and an Even More Flamboyant Fashion
Towards the end of the decade, fashion became even crazier, people were not afraid to customize their clothing. Hippies were born and men became more in touch with their feminine side with long hair, polka dot neckties, paisley patterned shirts and florescent colors. Skinny became wide; for example, bell-bottomed trousers and ties returning to the 5” width. Nearly every item of clothing was tie-dyed or produced with floral prints, pop art and paisley patterns. Neckwear was commonly sold with the shirt together and designers continued to play with bold colors.

Hippie Clothes

Many people might remember the 60s to 70s era as the hippie era. The hippie culture was the most dominant culture during these times. The hippie clothes and the hippie lifestyle was the most popular culture and everybody wanted to belong to this group. The “hipster” term in London refers to the cool people and it is actually based on the word hippie. Many would say that the clothes of the hippie would be the catchiest part of the whole hippie culture. But most people cannot remember the whole essence of the hippie culture.

Hippie culture actually started as a movement that was pro-nature and anti-war. They were started by people that could not tolerate violence around them. They love the nature and they incorporate them in their clothes. They use clothes that have lots of colors and the uses cotton and hemp as the cloth for their clothes. It is during these times that unkempt sexiness was popular. They spread the message of love and peace.

Girls would wear colorful loose sexy spaghetti strap tops and pair with bell bottoms and leather sandals. Their hair is kept straight and uncombed. Native accessories were also popular these days and scarves and bandanas were used as headbands and flowers too. More popular clothing items from the hippie culture were the baja hoodies, the tie dye shirts, and leather vests.

Nowadays, maxi dress, rompers, and other dresses that are hippie inspired are back on trend, making it popular again.

Though the hippie clothes are popular and are going back on trend and are loved by most, the people who really live the ideas and thoughts of the hippie culture are not as much loved. They are criticized by many. Despite this, they still continue to spread the message and ideals of the culture.

Lingerie in the 60′s

The sixties is always thought of as the era of the mini-skirt and associated swinging designs. But it didn’t start out like that. It all started in London, where I was living at the time. We’d just got through the ’50s, which was still an age of austerity in England and much of Europe.

Not a mini-skirt in sight when I finished my compulsory service in the Royal Air Force in 1962. Skirts were well below the knee, and the glimpse of a petticoat showing below it was very much to be deplored.

The USA was even more conservative, although there was much talk of ‘Swinging London’ when I visited in ’66. A couple of years earlier, a Swiss colleague had been asked to leave a restaurant in New York because he had a beard. If you watch a ’60s TV show such as “Get Smart” notice how the villains have foreign accents, and wear beards!

I guess it must all have started with the new general availability of “The Pill”, as it was referred to. The young ladies in London, initially, then all over the country, suddenly realised they didn’t need to keep the boys under control, they could afford to tempt them! The designers leapt at this opportunity to bring out new shorter skirts and dresses, and shorter, and shorter…

Another trend had to come into play here, for years girls had worn stockings, usually held up by suspenders,(garters) which hung from a suspender belt, or frequently a girdle. Much effort was spent to ensure these did not show under the skirt, much like the VPL these days, for fear it would inflame the boys’ ardour!

Now with the shorter skirt, stocking tops and all the accoutrements were in view if the girl leant over a little. This would not do, so some idiot invented the pantyhose, or tights (modified dance tights), the ugliest item of female clothing ever (Male opinion). Men’s fantasies of women’s hosiery were shattered overnight.

The designers had a field day, or several years of them. Now it was quite possible that underwear, panties or knickers, would be glimpsed, if not displayed, so they had to be redesigned and given an endless array of colours and patterns.

At the other end of the body the once heavily disguised, or embarrassingly peeked bra strap and now part of the decoration, along with two or three more sets of straps. Women’s Bras became a subject that men could mention with only a little embarrassment. A Plus Size Bra was still in the future.
So began a long era of new designs and different approaches, though we are condemned to see them being re-invented every few years.

Back to the 60s – Tye Dyeing

Tie dying is one of the most fun craft projects you and your children can do together. The results are beautiful and the process is easy enough for even beginners to try. Because tie dying is so popular, a variety of kits and products are available to help you learn more about this technique. Give tie dying a try-this craft of the 1960s is still popular today because it is so simple.

First, you will need something to tie dye. This can really be any cloth item, but most people like to begin learning this technique by using T-shirts. You can also try pillow cases, handkerchiefs, sheets, socks, curtains, and just about any other cloth product out there. Make sure the fabric is mostly cotton, or the dye may not work. Also, light colors usually work best.

Next, you need dye. A variety of brands are available at your local craft supply store, with some costing as little as a dollar or two for every color. You can also try other techniques by finding recipes for dyes using food color, coffee, and tea. Along with the dye, you’ll need rubber gloves, a large pot that you no longer need for cooking, and stirring utensils. Read your dye’s directions. Some dyes require you to pre-treat your cloth item with soda ash or add salt to the mixture. You may also need to let your project soak up the dye in a plastic bag for a specified amount of time. As with most craft projects, keep newspapers and paper towels on hand for quick clean up of spills and messes.

The only other supply you need to tie dye is the “tie” part. Rubber bands are the easiest to use, especially with children, but you can also use string. Depending on how you tie it, you will get varied results. Start with a traditional circle/starburst design by laying your shirt flat on the table. Grab a bunch in the middle and wrap your first rubber band. Simply continue to wrap rubber bands down the length of the shirt as it falls naturally. You can create a striped design easily as well-just roll up your shirt into a long snake and tie off every few inches. The fun part of this process is revealing the results after you wash out your shirt. No two projects will ever be the same, but the results are usually beautiful and whimsical, even if they are not what you expected.