Fashion History @ vintagevixen.com - Time for a Revolution

Fashion History:

1900s * 1910s * 1920s * 1930s * 1940s * 1950s * 1960s * 1970s

Turquoise & Purple 1960s Orchid Print Pleated Kaftan

Fuchsia Linen Tailored Sheath with Chartreuse Embroidery

1960s Lolita Orange Floral Cotton Halter Dress

For more information on this decade in fashion history, check out our list of books and reviews at Recommended Reading.

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Time for a Revolution - Women's Fashions of the 1960s

Silhouette Despite the decade's new and very different fashions, everyday clothes were quite simple. Usually A-line or shift dresses were worn with lengths between the high thigh and the knee. Hair was short to shoulder-length and sometimes piled high in a "beehive".

Common Designs

Simple shift or princess line dresses in a solid or soft print fabric
Mini length dresses with ultra-modern or baby doll details
Dress and coat sets, conservatively styled and usually imported
Boxy jacket and skirt suits, in solid suitings a la Jackie O

Fabrics Available Almost all fabrics we know of today were available. Day dresses and suit sets were of light- to medium weight, usually in natural or natural-look fabrics. The new space-age styles were in smooth, bright, obvious synthetics like vinyl.

Popular Colors and Prints Florals of all types and some abstracts were common day prints. Brighter and more varied prints were seen in leisurewear, especially Hawaiian motifs. Solids and basic prints were predominant for evening and business wear.

Trims and Detailing Overall, there was little trim, excepting simple motifs seen in piping or embroidery. Evening saw more extravagant sequins or beading, especially encrusted panels on a jewel collar and cuffs.

Hemlines Day and Night Mini skirts and dresses were skimpy, sometimes daringly popular items for day or evening. Usually, day dresses were just above the knee, and evening was ankle-length.

The Latest Fads

Hot pants (extremely short shorts)
Mini skirts
No hats or gloves for daywear
Space-age fashions in vinyl and other synthetics
Bold, solid color contrasts from the Op Art movement, commonly called Mod fashions
Preppie fashions, including mohair sweaters, madras plaid and A-line skirts

Innovations Invention of aramid fabric (1961)

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