Vintage Images Of 1960s Women's Fashion

1960s Historical Events

The 1960s are remembered for a general atmosphere of renewed hope within some nations across the world, as certain parts of the globe had begun to emerge from the gloom of austerity and rationing measures which was imposed on them following World War II, particularly in Western societies. The 1960s witnessed a renewed optimism for the future, especially within many European nations, as their economies increased rapidly, creating more employment and higher wages for millions of workers, in addition, the working conditions for millions of employees improved significantly, and many workers received more recreation time, which led to a healthier and better standard of living for most of the population, nevertheless, the 1960s had proved to be a divisive and tumultuous decade for particular nations across the world.

The 1960s: Consumerism

The 1960s was the golden age of consumerism and advertising particularly by means of radio and television, also living standards for most of the population in many societies improved significantly. In the 1960s, employment and wages increased considerably, in addition, many more goods on the high streets became more accessible and affordable for most of the population, as a result, there was a dramatic increase in consumer sales, as many more people could afford to purchase items such as televisions, fridges, radios, records, motor vehicles, domestic appliances, items of clothing, and branded food products. Many of the richest nations around the globe prospered significantly during this era, particularly the United States, where it is said consumer culture matured most noticeably at this time, with the middle-classes generating far more disposable income on account of the dramatic post-war economic boom.

The 1960s: The Contraceptive Pill

The contraceptive pill was created during the 1950s by Austrian-born chemist Carl Djerassi, Mexican chemist Luis E. Miramontes, and American scientist Dr Gregory Pincus. However, the first commercially available oral contraceptive birth pill, Enovid, was in fact invented by American chemist Frank Colton in the United States in 1960. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the Minister for Health, Enoch Powell, announced that oral contraceptives would be readily available on the NHS in 1961. Initially, the birth pill was provided to women at the discretion of doctors, but particularly to women whose health was deemed to be at risk once they became pregnant. Nonetheless, the introduction of the birth pill proved to be a controversial topic. It is said that this event contributed to the start of a pleasure-seeking or hedonistic culture of adventurous young people across many different nations, as well as the beginning of the sex revolution.

The 1960s: Swinging London

The British economy was positively booming during the 1960s, particularly within the city of London, as the capital had undergone a remarkable transformation to become a bright, bristling, burgeoning city of great opportunities. The capital had established an aura of such style and fashion that 'Time Magazine' officially declared London to be 'The Swinging City' in its issue dated 15 April 1966. In that era, London was said to be the mecca for numerous tourists. Meanwhile, creative artists, such as writers, musicians, fashion designers, models, film makers, photographers, as well as business entrepreneurs had descended upon the capital with the aim to fulfil their dreams. The 1960s produced a new generation of young British adults, who were perceived as independent minded, proud, and rebellious natured, and this new breed of ambitions and determined young adults had demanded liberation from the cultural and social constraints of previous generations, and ultimately, their collective actions had led to a cultural revolution within the United Kingdom.

The 1960s: Music Industry

The British invasion was a phrase used in the 1960s, which referred to the great success of many British musical artists, who had made a dramatic impression on American audiences in the USA, and those musical artists included such legends as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Animals, the Hollies, the Kinks, Tom Jones, Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield, and Lulu. In the 1960s British iconic models Lesley Lawson, also known as Twiggy, and Jean Shrimpton was at the peak of their illustrious careers, and they were said to be the original inspirations for the current and popular term supermodel. One of the most era-defining risqué looks of the sixties was the revolutionary mini skirt, and its creation was attributed to the famous British fashion designer, Dame Mary Quant. Meanwhile, over in the United States of America pop music styles were influential and varied, some of which included Motown music also known as Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, Rock & Roll, Folk Rock, Surf Rock, and Psychedelic music. In that era some of the well-known American pop artists were Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Miles Davis.

The 1960s: John F. Kennedy

The 1960s proved a very eventful and tumultuous decade for a great many Americans. This decade began with huge excitement and expectations following the US Presidential elections in 1960, when Democratic leader John F. Kennedy became the 35th US President of America. John Kennedy beat the Republican candidate leader Richard Nixon, to become the youngest President in the history of America. John Kennedy was sworn into office on 20 January 1961, while his inspired and uplifting speeches were celebrated and admired by millions of Americans, and his promise of social and political reforms filled many American hearts with great hope for the future of America. Importantly, President Kennedy had overseen the Cuban Missile Crisis, which was a tense stand-off between the USSR and the USA over the deployment of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962, it was a critical moment in history when millions of spectators from across the world witnessed and waited with bated breath, in anticipation of a possible dreaded nightmare scenario, before the crisis was finally resolved. Unfortunately, just a year later, President Kennedy was assassinated shortly after 12 noon, 22 November 1963, as he was seated in an open motorcade that was driving slowly through Dealey Plaza, Dallas, in Texas. President Kennedy's demise had shocked the world, and it was said that millions of Americans were so affected by the tragedy that they were deeply traumatized for many generations following the incident.

The 1960s: Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King was an American Baptist minister, activist, and most importantly, a prominent and charismatic public orator for civil rights and racial equality in America. King is remembered for being an inspirational leader who fought successfully for the rights of African Americans by means of peaceful protests, as a result, King was eventually awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Tragically, Martin Luther King was assassinated on 4th April 1968, while standing on a balcony outside his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The shocking news of his death was followed by violent civil unrest and numerous riots over many days, across parts of America. Moreover, there were bitter accusations and conspiracy theories directed against the US secret government agencies. Meanwhile, the Vietnam War began in March 1965, and it proved to be an incurable disease that tormented the American nation throughout the 1960s and well into the 1970s. Many American soldiers had lost their lives during the conflict, which was viewed by many people as a pointless and unnecessary war that had caused great resentment and opposition protests by political activist groups within America against its continuation. The 1960s decade, finally ended with much-needed optimism, after the greatly anticipated Woodstock festival, which was staged in New York, in 1969, this event proved to be a remarkable and enjoyable spectacle, which was viewed by millions of Americans as an expression of peace and unity, the iconic event featured many great artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Sly & the Family Stone, Mountain, Jefferson Airplane, and the Who. However, the crowning achievement for the USA at that time was the hugely anticipated launch of the NASA Apollo 11 mission in 1969, when Americans Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon.

1960s: Geopolitical Events

Some important 1960s geopolitical events began with the decolonization of the African continent, with over 30 African nations receiving independence between 1960 and 1968. East Germany completed the Berlin Wall in 1961, with the intention of preventing its citizens from escaping to West Germany. In France, the infamous protests of 1968 eventually led to President Charles De Gaulle temporarily fleeing France. In the 1960s certain nations, which were previously under the umbrella of the Soviet Bloc (satellite states), initiated a mass rebellion, starting with Albania in 1960, and then later followed by Romania and Czechoslovakia, each of which rebelled against and eventually broke free of the Soviet Union's political dominance over their nation. The 'Prague Spring' began in 1968, in Czechoslovakia, which was a mass protest against the Soviet Union's political influence and a quest for political independence and reform, the Prague Spring protests culminated in many riots across Czechoslovakia, and as a result, the Kremlin in Moscow decided to intervene by sending in the Soviet army, which invaded Czechoslovakia and eventually crushed the protests. Meanwhile, in the late 1960s, Mao’s People's Republic of China broke ties with the Soviet Union (Sino-Soviet split) because of their conflicting political doctrines of communism, resulting in two major communist spheres of influence, Russia and China.

1960s Women's Fashion

During the 1960s women's fashion was dominated by miniskirts, long leather boots, velvet trousers, jeans, maxi dresses, hippie and psychedelic attire, and mod clothing. The 1960s also witnessed the birth of skinhead fashion, which originated from the young working-class population of London, in Britain. Also popular in the 60s were polo necks, go-go boots, ankle boots, straight leg jeans, bell-bottom trousers, and slim-fitting button-down colour shirts. The 1960s was the era of immense cultural fashion changes for both genders which was driven by young adults in many nations across the world, and the resulting clothing revolution that occurred had profoundly impacted dress attire for future generations.