A Look Into '60s and '70s Fashion
The 1960s and 1970s are by far my favorite decades for fashion. I find myself watching movies either from that period or based on that period, sometimes, solely for the clothes. Some movies that come to mind are Austin Powers, Barbarella, Ciao! Manhattan, Dazed & Confused, and Taxi Driver. I wanted to create looks inspired by Swinging London, groovy California, and the New York City music scene.
‘60s Mod
The Swinging ‘60s are probably one of the most fun decades for fashion. Diana Vreeland was Editor-in-Chief of Vouge and was creating amazing editorials with Veruschka and Twiggy. This was a time fashion revolution, hemlines shrunk abandoning former conservative notions of the ‘50s and sexual liberation was afoot. Mary Quant, a British fashion designer, and André Courrèges, a French designer, were given credit to creating the mini skirt. Bright colors, lively prints, and knee high boots were all the craze. One of the most remarkable fashion pieces that came from the ‘60s is Paco Rabanne’s chain mail dresses, especially the one Jane Fonda worn in Barbarella. The ideal beauty look of the ‘60s was doll-like eyes and nude pouts, both Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick wore this look often. It’s even rumored that Sedgwick layered multiple falsies to achieve the perfect eye. The accessories were eye catching too, such as low belts, chunky earrings, and vivid scarves. After the mod’s, came the hippies.
Late ‘60s California Cool
Young kids all over the States migrated to Los Angeles and San Fransisco rejecting traditional values. It was a hard time for America, the ongoing Vietnam War, the chilling Manson family murders, and drugs were seducing many. Fashion became more relaxed because the teens that were involved in the hippie subculture were always on the move, which means they often wore the same clothes as long as they could. Popular materials of the decade included denim, crochet, and polyester. Denim jumpsuits and and high-waisted flares were incredibly popular as well. There was also an Edwardian revival during the ‘60s/’70s in both fashion and in mentality—it was a return to simpler times. White big hats, floral patterns and long lace dresses paired with activities like spending the day in the country side and pressing flowers are some things the Edwardian revival consisted of. There was also a huge Eastern influence during the ‘60s from religion (Buddhism) to fashion. The beauty towards the end of the decade and well into the ‘70s consisted of a fresh tan face and both men and women grew their hair long. Some style icons include Pamela des Barres, Bianca Jagger, and Anita Pallenberg and with the groupies come the rockstars.
‘70s New York Rocker
Punk and New Wave dominated the music scene in New York. Out of it came some of my favorite style icons: Debbie Harry and Patti Smith. Recently, Lynn Goldsmith, known for capturing the essence of ‘70s rock ’n’ roll through her lens, published Before Easter After, a book filled with unseen Smith photographs. According to Harper’s Bazaar, the photos show off her leather jackets, designer blazers and her many scarves, including the one she gave to Bob Dylan. Animal print was also super popular during this time, as you can see Harry is wearing a zebra dress and Smith has a cheetah scarf tied around her head. Many were also into androgynous looks, whether that be David Bowie wearing tall platforms to Annie Hall wearing a vest with a tie.
Another music scene happening during this time was Disco. Studio 54 was the hottest club in New York City and party goers dressed to impress. They wore glittering lamé, luxe fur coats, hot pants and platforms that would make your legs a mile long.
The ‘60s and ‘70s were some of the greatest decades in fashion and it’s no surprise that many designers to this day look to these periods for inspiration. Some designers that have had these influences in their past couple collections include Coach, Gucci, Paco Rabanne and Sara Battaglia.
