Fashion of the 1960's-1970's

  • Period: to

    Important events in fashion

  • Audrey Hepburn

    Audrey Hepburn
    Hepburn received a place in the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in '61 but her iconic style lived on past just that year. Even though the 60s fashion were largely youth-driven, fashion icons also dictated the style of older women. Throughout her career, Hepburn wore simple, flat shoes, three-quarter length pants, and plain black shift dresses which she became known for. Her clothing style and her beehive hairdo, was copied by millions of women all over the world.
  • Breakfast at Tiffany's

    In 1961 the critically accliamed film Breakfast at Tiffany's was released. Audrey Hepburn was the titular role and her style in that film
  • America enters the Vietnam War

    When America entered into the Vietnam War, most Americans were very against this for many reasons one being that it wasn't there war to fight and it was young boys who were signing up to join who were going to their deaths possibly.
  • The Rolling Stones

  • The Beatles

    The Beatles were a pop band from England that would change the world of music and forever. There clothes and hairstyles would influence a generation of people.
  • The bikini

    The movie "The Beach Party" led the a surge of bikini-clad movies as well as the bikini having huge popularity.
  • Iconic Pink Chanel suit

    Iconic Pink Chanel suit
    American First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy wore what was going to become the iconic pink Chanel suit and matching pillbox hat, which was worn on the day her husband, John F. Kennedy was assainated.
  • The Space Look

    The Space Look
    French designer Andre Courreges introduced the "space look", with trouser suits, white boots, goggles, and box-shaped dresses whose skirts soared three inches above the knee. These were mainly designed in fluorescent colours and shiny fabrics such as PVC and sequins
  • Bell-bottomed trousers

    Bell-bottomed trousers were a new alternative to the capris of the early 1960s. They were usually worn with chiffon blouses, polo-necked ribbed sweaters or tops that bared the midriff.
  • Shift dresses

    Shift dresses
    Sleeveless shift dresses became very popular for women in '65
  • Leslie "Twiggy" Hornby

    Leslie "Twiggy" Hornby
    Twiggy became "The face of '66" with her short, boyish haircut, and her stick-thin figure which would change the way the would design clothing for women. In her modelling career she graced the covers of every major fashion magazine.
  • Edwardian Style coming into fashion

    The space age was gradually replaced by the Edwardian. The men would wear usually double-breasted suits of crushed velvet or striped patterns, brocade waistcoats, shirts with frilled collars, and their hair worn below the collarbone.
  • Skinheads

    During 1967, the Mod culture started to embrace reggae music and their working-class roots giving way to a new urban fashion; The Skinhead.
  • The Hippie Look

    The androgynous hippie look was in style by '68. Men and women wore frayed bell-bottomed jeans, tie-dyed shirts, workshirts, and headbands. They would also wear sandals was as part of the hippie look for both sexes. Women would often go barefoot, and some would even go braless.
  • Animal Prints

    During Autumn and Winter, Animal prints became very in style.
  • Woodstock

    Woodstock
    Woodstock took place at the height of the "hippie" era. It went for 4 days and with a huge line up of artists from that time.
  • New dress lengths

    In addition to the mini skirt, mid-calf-length dresses called "midis" and ankle-length dresses called "maxis" were also worn in 1970 and 1971, offering women three different skirt lengths.
  • Vivenne Westwood

    Vivenne Westwood
    Westwood was very interested in the Punk era of the 70's. Her"punk style" included BDSM fashion, bondage gear, safety pins, razor blades, bicycle or toilet chains on clothing and spiked dog collars for jewellery, as well as outrageous make-up and hair. She adopted also some very out there elements of style such as traditional parts of Scottish design like tartan fabric.
  • Hot pants

    For a very brief period of time in ’71, hot pants became very popular for females.
  • Disco

    With disco becoming extremely popular amongst all and the increasing availability and diversity man-made fabrics, a drastic change occurred in mainstream fashion. Men began to wear stylish three-piece suits (which became available in a huge variety of colours) which were characterized by wide lapels, wide legged or flared trousers, and high-rise waistcoats. The zippered jumpsuit was also quite popular with both sexes, and clothing inspired by modern dance became common as well.
  • Glam Rock becomes the latest trend

    Starting in 1972 and going on into 1974, Glam rock music inspired fashion trends. Extravagantly-dressed rock stars like Roxy Music, David Bowie.
    fashions were inspired by extravagantly-dressed glam rock stars such as David Bowie, Roxy Music, and Marc Bolan. Glitter was in vogue. Women wore high-waisted, flared satin trousers or denims, the latter usually decorated with rhinestones, tight lurex halter tops, metallic-coloured lamé and antique velvet dresses, satin hot pants, sequined bra tops, and
  • Jersey wrap dress

    First designed by Diane Von Furstenberg, the jersey wrap dress became a popular style for women all over the world as it could be worn to work or out to a night on the town. It flattered most body types and sizes which was also an upside.
  • Abba

    Abba
    In 1974 the Swedish band, Abba, won the Eurovision Contest for that year. After winning they became very popular all around the world with their upbeat pop music. Other than their music though they were known for their very colourful and trend-setting costumes that they would wear.
  • Glam Rock fashion fades out of style

    After two years of being the style to wear, glam rock began to fade out of style.
  • Sex Pistols

    Sex Pistols
    The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were widely credited with starting the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll.
  • One-piece swimsuit

    One-piece swimsuit
    American actress Farrah Fawcett was featured on a poster with her long mane of streaked-blonde hair, perfect white teeth, and wearing a one-piece swimsuit that launched the trend. They were to be sexy, tight swimsuit, with deep neckline and high-cut legs, worn by young women and girls in lieu of the bikini but it didn't replace the bikini completely.
  • Yves St Laurent introdues the peasant look

    When the peasant look was introduced by YSL, it took off and became very influential. Skirts were gathered into tiers and shoulder lines were dropped. Clothing became very unstructured and fluid at this point in time. Floral-patterned prints were very in style as well as embroidered clothing. It would usually be either self-made or imported from Mexico or India.
  • Punk Icon Debbie Harry

    Punk Icon Debbie Harry
    Female singer Debbie Harry of Blondie, became a female punk icon for teenage girls all over the world (especially in Britain and America) with her dyed platinum blonde hair which was then copied by many.
  • Saturday Night Fever

    Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta, was released on the 14th of December. This movie forever immortalised the style that was seen throughtout most of the decade; wide-legged, flared jeans and trousers which were another fashion trend for both sexes.
  • The Sex Pistols disband

  • Materials becoming popular

    Polyester, double knitting, skin-tight Spandex trousers, tube tops, and slit skirts were popular for a while when the 70's were drawing to a close.
  • Skinny legged jeans

    Skinny legged jeans
    As the decade was coming to a close, jeans had moved from being flared to being skinny legged. Most people would also wear their jeans cuffed.