The Twiggy Era: 60's Fashion

As women began to venture outside the home,and search for more independence in the business world and beyond, their clothing followed. Sixties fashion was epitomized by the young woman. For the first time in Fashion history, young women become the "leaders of fashion." These young women were independent, determined, focused and extremely fashionable. Gone were the poodle skirts and sweater sets of the fifties and in their place came radical new fashion.
The first fashion revolution emerged in the early sixties with straight pencil skirts which now had inverted pleats in the front and back, allowing the knees to move freely and all the more ideal for the sixties dance craze; the twist. Sweater dresses that were belted at the waist were still knee length and flat pressed cardigans remained a fashion staple.
By 1966, British Designer Mary Quant was creating short slimming skirts that were 6 to 7 inches above the knee. She began to look for daring young British girls and found them in London. Young and adventurous they were willing to try the daring short mini. The mini skirt craze soon took off as the "Chelsea look", reaching the lights of London's infamous Carnaby Street and soon after the United States. Young women were thrilled with the new found freedom of the mini and the disapproval that came from adults.
As hemlines rose, arm lengths were shortened as well. Dresses became narrow shouldered and cut in at the armholes to reveal the arm and shoulder joint. Baby doll dresses made popular by teenage British model Twiggy were a favorite among the especially young. These dresses were full, flared and short tent shaped dresses with cutaway armholes or halter neck in delicate materials such as transparent tulle's, lace, or crinkled cotton crepe fabrics. In contrast to the ultra-girly baby doll fad, the mod fad of black and white patterns, opt art dresses and block pieced dresses in the Mondrian dress style also exploded onto the fashion scene. Yves St. Laurent, a young and adventurous designer, made the Mondrian dress a fashion icon, a more modified form of the shift or sack dress, it's color block jersey pattern drew attention to the figure, while still hiding all curves.
Undoubtedly, the sixties society had a massive impact on the way of dress. After the Beatles wore black polo neck sweaters on an album cover, young girls began sporting them underneath check pinafore dresses and young men began sporting the infamous Beatle haircut. The Vietnam War inspired a trend in "retro"military clothes and ethnic prints. Twiggy the stick thin British model, unknowingly started the stick thin fashion craze which would continue well beyond the decade. Jackie Kennedy made the pill box hat and three quarter sleeves popular. While well known designer Emilio Pucci captured the psychedelic era in his infamous and beautiful exotic prints.