Orin Carlin
From crochet to mini skirts: Hello! Fashion picks the top 1960s fashion trends that are still relevant now
Our love for Swinging Sixties fashion looks knows no bounds. Moon landings and mods, sartorially speaking, is there a better decade?
The youthquake movement was coming to the fore (think Austin Powers in 4D) and when the contraceptive pill became readily available in 1967, this meant one thing: sexual liberation. Fashion’s cyclical nature means that what goes around comes around, and although the 1960s were more than 50 years ago now, we’re still reaping the style benefits from the It-Girls of the day.
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Hello! Fashion shares the top 5 fashion trends from the 1960s that we still adore today:
Mini skirts
The modern minthusiast (rolls off the tongue, no?) owes much to Miu Miu’s ‘micro-mini’, part of their SS22 collection, as seen on that Vanity Fair cover featuring Hollywood legend Nicole Kidman.
When the mini was first popularised on the streets of London in the late 1960s, a shift in the cultural landscape was taking place – women were being allowed more sexual freedom. Perfection lies in proportion. With that much flesh on show, there’s a certain threshold of confidence involved. The wearer of the miniskirt is spirited, sexy and most importantly, unaffected by British weather.
The classic mini
Bouclé mini skirt, £252, GRETA BOLDINI
The party mini
Lina mid-rise metallic-jersey mini skirt, £355, Dodo Bar Or
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Crochet
Crochet was just as popular in the 1960s
Despite its humble origins, this trend is still absolutely everywhere – it’s weird to believe that the craft was originally used as a cheap substitute for traditional lace back in early 19th century Europe.
The 1960s saw a huge boom for crochet, and judging by the number of bucket hats, crop tops and slip dresses that are currently on the market today, the trend is going absolutely nowhere.
The crochet dress
Fringed crocheted mini dress, £1,320, Calle Del Mar
The crochet hat
Crochet checked bucket hat, £156, Memorial Day
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Psychedelic prints
The psychedelic art movement had a major effect on many areas of pop culture, namely music, literature, philosophy and, of course, clothing. Plenty of today’s fashion brands are still producing collections featuring prints heavily inspired by the movement, including cult brand House of Sunny’s and their covetable bodycon midi dresses.
The Psychedelic 60’s Dress
Fujiko feather and crystal-embellished printed jersey mini dress, £1,705, The Attico
The Hypnotic Fendi Bag
Small FF Vertigo print glazed canvas tote bag, £1,450, Fendi
Knee-high boots
Swedish-American actress Ann-Margret wears black knee-high boots
Paired with the classic mini skirt, knee-high boots ruled the 1960s footwear scene alongside go-go boots – which were white, low-heeled and mid-calf in height, as defined by top designer of the moment, André Courrèges.
Almost every modern fashion house has at least a few (hundred) pairs of knee-high boots in their Autumn/Winter collection, some of our favourite styles are made by Dear Frances, and Musier.
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The Go-go Boots
White knee-high leather boots, £1,398, Victoria Beckham
The swinging 60’s boots
Cream knee-high leather boots, £900, Jil Sander
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Tie-dye
This trend was embraced by free-spirited counter-culturalists breaking away from the traditional social mould, and came to symbolise all things peace. Today, tie-dye has been adopted by high-end designers and celebrities alike, including Taylor Swift, Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber.
The tie-dye dress
Tie-dye gathered-link maxi dress, £1,060, Dion Lee
The groovy tie dye top
Queenie shirred tie-dye linen cropped top, £290, ALÉMAIS
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