1960 - 1970

The 1960s were greatly transitional. The decade opened with a continuation of the 1950s silhouette but ten years later the look was the complete opposite.

In the U.S. in 1961 John F. Kennedy took office as President, bringing with him a beautiful, young and fashion-inspiring wife as First Lady. Jackie Kennedy’s innate sense of style and dress soon made her ‘Queen’ of American fashion. The American designed short-jacketed sheath suits which captured the passion for French couture style.

As the first wave of baby boomers came of age, the market shifted towards a more youthful silhouette. Teens dominated the fashion scene and in time adults adopted some of the looks of their offspring. The French ‘baby doll’ look personified by Brigitte Bardot comprised shorter skirts and big hair. Eventually this gave way to the ‘British Invasion’ or ‘Youthquake’ movement, with teens embracing the free and fun fashions of their London contemporaries. The “It” girl Twiggy was seen on the covers of most fashion magazines, slinking about in colorful shifts and space-age prints. This helped convince the majority of women in the mid 1960s to try the new styles.

The movement towards modernity was alive and international. Italian designers like Pucci created psychedelic palettes of color, transforming wearers of simple silk knit gowns into walking works of art. American designers excelled in casual, uncomplicated sportswear chic. French couture explored other ideas; one of these borrowed pants and tuxedo jackets from menswear for the hip, set free fashion-obsessed woman.

The times were changing and fashion needed to follow suit. By 1967 the new fashion was scandalously baring more of the body than ever before – "less is more". Even the most conservative suits were cut above the knee. The old etiquette gloves and hats, was out the door. Balenciaga even proclaimed that “Fashion is dead”.