One of the greatest things about fashion is that trends can come back in style at any moment. That’s why it’s so worthwhile to learn about different fashion trends in previous decades. You never know when you want to wear a ’70s outfit to a Halloween party, for instance.
In particular, you’re curious about ’60s style trends. Well, the good thing is that you’ve come to the ideal article. Detailed below are ten iconic fashion trends of the 1960s.
Remember, fashion is an ever-changing, ever-growing business. Already in 2020, for instance, the industry has generated $3 billion in revenue. To stay in touch with the present and the past worlds of fashion, keep reading.
1. Funky Socks or Tights With Bright Patterns
One key feature of the 1960s fashion world is that of accessorizing. Women might wear neutral or solid colored clothing, but they would pair that simplicity with more. Socks, tights, or pantyhose were often patterned in bright or eye-catching colors.
2. Straight Vertical Lines in ’60s Fashion
Another noticeable characteristic of the 1960s involves straight lines. In the previous decade, the ’50s, women were wearing a lot of flowing, floral patterns.
In the ’60s, though, you could find a lot more vertical skirt hems that were tighter on the figure. The ’60s emphasized the linear features of legs, arms, and torsos, rather than their curves.
3. “Babydoll Dresses” Started to Catch On
Speaking of vertical lines, you could notice those features in the style called “babydoll dresses.” In the 1960s, there were a lot of trends that stylized women in simple, yet sensual clothing.
A babydoll dress was a shorter dress (as in, the hemline was above the knee). In fact, it was rather boxy since the vertical lines and the shorter hem made a rectangle-looking aesthetic. Still, these dresses were very popular to show off some more leg skin than in decades past!
4. Sequins and Sparkles Were Everywhere
It’s true that disco is associated with the 1970s. Still, when it comes to sequins, sparkles, and other shiny clothing materials, we can thank the ’60s. This is yet more proof that the 1960s was a decade about the vibrant, celebratory way of life at the time.
5. Leopard and Other Animal Prints
An unfortunate truth about the 1960s is that many people wore real animal fur on a regular basis. It was even associated with a more sophisticated, luxurious lifestyle.
While modern fashion standards don’t promote genuine animal fur anymore, the ’60s definitely did. Still, many people only wore fake versions of animal print material.
For the first time in American culture, everyone started loving animal prints in clothing, real or fake. Leopard definitely was the most popular animal print to become fashionable during this decade.
6. Hemlines Started Getting Shorter in the ’60s
As mentioned above, babydoll dresses were shorter in nature. Well, they weren’t the only hemlines to get smaller. Even skirts and shorts were worn above the knee starting in the ’60s.
Consider the ’50s, in which modesty was essential, and hemlines were always below the knees for skirts and dresses. For more specifics, check out these details about the 50s vs 60s fashion choices. The ’60s, in particular, were liberating years in the world of women’s fashion!
7. Don’t Forget About Tie-Dye
For many people, the 1960s are related to the American “hippie” culture within the war-stricken youth. That means you can bet tie-dye was a major trend to emerge from the ’60s.
In fact, it represented more than a bright expression of the decade’s fashion trends. On a deeper level, tie-dye was chosen as the symbol to protest the violence of the Vietnam War. By the next decade, the ’70s, the rainbow pattern became an everyday part of pop culture.
8. Wearing an Entire Outfit in a Single Color
Speaking of bright colors that were worn in the ’60s, don’t underestimate how common they were. It’s true that colorful floral patterns were popular just the decade before. On the other hand, fashion in the ’60s was worn more as a statement of the vibrance of life compared with the deathliness of war.
That’s why so many people wore single-colored outfits sometimes. That’s right — women would wear different shades of the same color for shirts, skirts, socks, or even hats.
Bright colors, of course, were the most popular, such as purple, pink, yellow, orange, etc. In addition, though, neutral-colored outfits were often worn in the more professional fields.
9. Knee-High Boots
Perhaps you’re going to a party where the theme is “dress your favorite decade” sometime soon. Well, wearing knee-high boots and a bright mini skirt will ensure everyone knows exactly which years you’re trying to represent! While hems were going up in the ’60s, low-heeled boots started climbing up the legs to complement that trend.
10. Colors Were Vibrant, and Sometimes Even Clashing
No matter how you look at it, the 1960s were about earing loud, bright colors on a regular basis. Sometimes, women would even purposefully clash colors (like yellow and orange, or red and lavender). In other words, people were doing everything they could to stand out in this vibrant decade!
Put Together Your Own ’60s Style Wardrobe
By this point, you have a thorough understanding of the top ’60s style trends you need to know about. You can start putting together your own wardrobe complete with the above style suggestions.
In addition, continue learning what you can about the fashion trends of the past few decades. There’s always going to be an opportunity to get creative and make those traditional looks more modern ones.
In fact, that’s where this website can come into play. We do our best to bring the top men and women fashion trends of the day.
For that reason, we encourage you to browse through the rest of our website at your convenience. We’ve gathered the latest and greatest resources to put together your complete wardrobe. Check out the rest of our site for more information!
