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.

Entertainment of the '60's

Entertainment that arose during the 1960's seemed to outlast the test of time throughout the decades. Bands such as the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Monkees,Simon and Garfunkel and others took the sixties by storm and

Groovy Lifestyle

Click here for more sixties lingo

Social Change

During the sixties social factors in the United States had changed drastically. The women who were once expected to be faithful housewives, became successes in their own right, active in the right for gender equality as well as racial equality. . People were beginning to look at education with disdain and opting for an alternative hippie lifestyle. Drugs became an escape for the youth who followed loyally behind bands such as the Beatles, who wanted a way out of fifties conservatism and for those who sought to escape the violence taking place in Vietnam. The style of life that people had become accustomed to in the fifties was overrode by the outspoken nature of people during the sixties and with that American society could only move forward from the change that had already taken place.

Malcolm X

Bio: Born May19, 1925 as Malcolm Little in Omaha Nebraska

Died: February 21, 1965 (assasinated)

In comparison to his fellow civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X was considered a radical when it came to fighting for equality in the United States. He had a resentment towards white Americans due to the oppression that he faced as the backlash of slavery. Was the child of political activist who supported Marcus Garvey's militant style of activism. He did not keep his birthname because he took it as a brand of the slave owners that owned his family years ago and took on the name Malcolm X/El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. He had also been appointed as a minister and national spokesman for the nation of Islam. Because of his behavior the United States government took interest in him and began an investigation that incorporated wire taps, bugging and spies that infiltrated his organization. In 1964 he terminated his relationship with the nation of Islam after learning of Elijah Muhammad's adultry and hipocritical teachings. Was subjected to many death threats and his assassination was successful in 1965 when he was shot at several times during one of his speeches in a ballroom. He was 39 years old. Foraudio speeches click here

Martin Luther King Jr.

Bio: Born January 15, 1929

Died April 4, 1968 (Assassinated)

Was a civil rights activist during the 1960's. Using his background work as a reverend, he traveled around the United States preaching about equality and injustices throughout the country. Was supported by other activists such as Jesse Jackson and Malcolm X. Supported civil disobedience as a method of speaking out against the inequality that plagued African-Americans. Was a member of the executive committee of the NAACP. At age 35, was the youngest man in history to receive the Nobel peace prize.

Quotes:
1. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
2. History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

The Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights movement was a continuation of the struggle for basic rights for African Americans in the United States of America. It was mostly associated with its major leaders of the time: i.e Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson and Ruby Bridges. These civil rights leaders led the nation during this time to voice their desires for an equal, balanced and unified nation. The sixties was met with riots, protests, boycotts, marches and other forms of protest by African Americans and their supporters to changes society's opinion about their social status. These efforts changed society in the United States and made life for Blacks more endurable.
The sixties brought along newly developed organizations such as the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.), the Black Panthers (a radical group focused teaching people military defense to African Americans to combat the U.S. government. and to establish revolutionary socialism.), and Students for a Democratic Society, which was apart of the New Left. With the Civil Rights Movement came a great change in acceptance of race, religion, creed and color in the United States.