Fashion Trends of the 1960s and 1970s
Let’s travel back to a time in history when the most groovy and radical changes were being made to the fashion of men and women. Influenced by pop culture icons, impactful movements, and at one point even the first lady these are some of the fashion trends of the 1960s and 1970s.
Fashion of the 1960s:
Unlike the decade before it, the 1960s saw a radical change in fashion. All the bottled-up excitement from the 1950s seemed to surge into the 1960s. For the first time ever the height of the fashion trends was not in Paris, France, but instead in London, England. This is partially due to the British Invasion and British Beatlemania. To begin, here are three of the major styles that dominate women’s fashion in the 60s. The first was the Go-go boots. Go-go boots were in turn worn by Go-go girls, dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at venues where music was played. The boots were typically white low-heeled boots that sat right under the knee. Along with the boots, women would wear anything from shift dresses to miniskirts, other fashion trends of the time. Another major fashion trend that dominated the 1960s was inspired by former First Lady Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Kennedy. While her husband was in office, Jackie Kennedy inspired and influenced fashion around the world, with many adorning and praising her simple yet elegant style. The style consisted of sleeveless and collarless dresses, single buttoned jackets, prim skirt suits and, super-sized dark glasses. Jackie Kennedy’s style made her a fashion inspiration across America, to the point that the pink suit she wore when her husband was assassinated is regarded as one of the most iconic fashion outfits of all time. The last fashion trend that dominated not only woman’s fashion styles but also men’s fashion was that of the hippie culture. Originally meant to go against fashion trends and only reuse old clothing to aid in the planet, hippie clothing became a fashion trend in itself. The trend originally consisted of faded blue jeans and t-shirts, but began to make a change with the flower child look of adding small flower crowns or bands to one’s outfit.
Fashion of the 1970s:
The fashion of the 1970s continued the hippie trend of the late 1960s, while also making drastic transitions in fashion to emulate the radical times that people were living in. Inspired by disco and icons like Farah Fawcett and Elton John the decade’s trends have become iconic in the fashion world. The main fashion trend that dominated the 1970s was the disco trend! Men and women alike wore bellbottoms, platform boots, and tie-dye shirts daily for nights in and nights out. With the popularization of African American musicians and talent in Disco like the Jackson 5 and Earth, Wind, and Fire, the afro became an incredibly popular hairstyle. Farah Fawcett’s iconic blow-out feathered hairstyle from Charlie’s Angels dominated woman’s hairstyles, even making a comeback today. Surprisingly, despite negative outlooks from younger citizens towards the Vietnam War, a strong military clothing trend also swept through the 1970s, as people adorned khakis, fatigue-inspired jackets, and combat boots.
The fashion trends of the 1960s and 1970s have made their marks in pop culture and history as some of the most influential fashion periods. Once more the trends of these decades have made their impression, even being revived or seen today in modern fashion.
Works Cited:
Kala, Kalyani. “Fashion History- The Look of the 1960’s.” medium. 19 November 2018. https://medium.com/@kalyanii8927/fashion-history-the-look-of-the-1960s-292958b78951
Wallace, Dillion. “15 TOP TRENDS FROM THE 70S.”legacy box. 2022. https://legacybox.com/blogs/analog/15-top-trends-from-the-70s
