1960s American Fashion | 1960s Clothing

The 1960s saw a complete pendulum swing in fashion from the early part of the decade to the end--from wholesome and clean cut to carefree and unconstrained. Perhaps no fashion decade saw more of an influence from music than the 60’s.

In the early 1960s, fashion still leaned toward the modest, with hemlines at or below the knee and hats and gloves still in style. The shirtdress was a very popular choice from teens to homemakers, and the Chanel suit remained a hit with the upper class.

Cotton fabrics such as madras, seersucker and dotted swiss were very popular in the 60’s and were the materials from which shirts, suits, shorts, and dresses were made. Clothing made from bleeding madras, a type of plaid madras cloth made with handmade dyes which were not colorfast, was all the rage. Each time the piece of clothing was washed, the colors would run or “bleed” creating a different look each time.

Music in the 60’s had quite an impact on fashion. In the early 60’s, there were the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, and other California surf bands with their songs about beaches, surfing, girls and hot rods. Fashion during this time tended to show a clean cut, wholesome look with button down short-sleeve shirts and slacks for the guys, and a-line or empire waist dresses for the girls. Girls were starting to prefer slacks over skirts and the Capri style of pant continued its popularity from the late 50’s, but overall, women’s fashion was still considered modest.

With the arrival of the Beatles came collarless jackets and tight-fitting jeans. However, it wasn’t long before their psychedelic phase ushered in more Indian influences such as the Nehru jacket and bell bottomed pants. Experimentation with drugs, especially psychedelic drugs, seemed to heavily influence fashion as more “hippie” styles emerged such as suede-fringed vests, tie-dyed t-shirts and bell-bottom jeans.

By the end of the decade, America was in full psychedelic mode and fashion became synonymous with the music. The unconstrained attitude of the young people saw skirt hems rise well above the knee in the mini-skirt, and necklines drop with the halter tops. Dresses were free flowing and colorful, with tie-dye designs as well as paisley and flower prints.