Monday 9 August 2010

A Century Of Style: The Challenge (1960 - 1970)


I'm back! Thanks for the lovely comments you left whilst I was away on yet another hedonistic weekend. The Big Chill was as fabulous as ever and I promise to share my tales of pyrotechnics, stage invasions and public nudity with you later in the week. In the meantime the Century of Style challenge continues with 1960-1970, the Swinging Sixties.


During the early years of the decade Jacqueline Kennedy's elegant way of dressing dominated fashion. Pastel-coloured suits with cropped jackets and oversized buttons, pillbox hats and simple shifts were worn with the stiletto heels first made fashionable in the Fifties.


Inspired by a 1964 design by Courrèges, Mary Quant adapted a shorter-style skirt for her boutique, Bazaar.  By 1966 she was producing short waist skimming mini dresses and skirts set almost seven inches above the knee. With the introduction of tights and the freedom they offered the mini was adopted by most stylish women of the Western world and changed the face of fashion for ever.

It's difficult to know which came first the skirt or the tights but what is certain it is unlikely the one could have existed without the other as no groomed young lady ever went out bare legged then.
 

Kitten heels became an alternative to the stilettoes of the earlier part of the decade and they eventually gave way to the low-heeled go-go boot which went perfectly with the shorter skirt. Dr Scholl sandals also became popular during the era.

Vintage shift (Jumble sale), Biba bangle and Biba sunglasses, Biba Go-Go boots (All inherited), Vinyl vanity case, emerald leather driving gloves and PVC mac (Car boot sale)

The Sixties also saw the birth of many new synthetic fabrics by both ICI and DuPont. Nylon, polyester and crimplene all held their shapes well and were ideally suited to the cut of the clothes and the vibrant colours worn in the 1960's. PVC was a popular choice for macs and jewellery was often perspex or lucite.


43 comments:

  1. I was looking forward to this one! LOVE the vibrant print of your dress, and teamed with the go-go boots and PVC mac it just embodies that 60s style. My favourite so far for sure! xx

    PS - Glad you had fun at The Big Chill... can't wait to hear about this public nudity! :) x

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  2. Yay, you groovy chick!
    Good to have you back, by the sounds of things you had an unforgettable weekend :)
    I love your 60s to 70s get up, the dress is funk-tastic & those shades are fabulously quirky.
    I spotted a pair of vintage dead stock Dr Scholl sandals at the car boot sale a few weeks back but never bought them…I wish I had now.
    I can't wait for tomorrow’s instalment.
    …xXx

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  3. I just knew you would have some fab 60's stuff the mac is fab! Looking forward to the 70's.
    Kandi x

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  4. Ah! This is one of my absolute FAVS by you! That dress...wow.

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  5. Wow love it! The green dress is fab and the boots and jacket - very Heartbeat Gina xx

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  6. I love the green! Lovely dress. Still cannot believe what treasures you pick up whilst thrifting.

    Keep up the challange - I love it!

    Lou x - craftyandquirky.blogspot.com

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  7. woo loving that 60's look you groovy chick xx

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  8. Hi Vix, thanks so much for your comment, glad you had a great time away. I love this decade, your dress is fantastic xxx

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  9. Thank goodness you're back! It just isn't the same without you,darling!!
    I knew you'd do the 60's most gloriously!!!
    That is a sublime frock,and all the details are perfectly fabulous!

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  10. Hi there-so lovely to see you back and that you had such a great time too, thanks for your lovely comment too x a lovely post and one of my favourite looks of yours, the dress and boots look sexy chic!!

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  11. Nudity? Stage invasions? Sounds a bit tame to me. :)

    Another cracking outfit, love those boots. And lucky you inheriting those beautiful things.

    X xx

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  12. This is the best blog challenge ever, I love it!
    You're so good at styling vintage clothes. Your wardrobe is in my top 10 Most Wanted for Raiding haha.

    x x x x

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  13. Whoops,LOVE Helga xxxXXXxxx

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  14. OH! This is my Favorite Favorite Favorite!!! The green is looking awesome on you! Dress, gloves, boots, everything is rocking the look! GLad to have you back :)

    P.S. Thank You for your wonderful words. It looks like we have a lot of 'bloggers' who had to tone it down. We find our medium here!! :)

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  15. Cool dress. I remember starting secondary school in '66 with stockings and suspenders. About two years later tights took over. You never saw mini skirts with stockings. So tights did come first. And I had to save for two years to get a pair of Scholls. They weren't even that comfortable!

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  16. Those boots are to die for!
    And I looooove Biba. I'm sad there isn't anyone designining for the label right now, I loved all the stuff Bella Freud did, very 60's.

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  17. you sound refreshed from your travels. this is a stunner! i love you in those sunnies! the dress is lovely and well everything. i peeked in on a 1940's vintage dress show over the weekend. i will have to go back and take photos.

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  18. The mac is fab! The whole look is - (late) 60s is my favourite, closely followed by early to mid 70s so I can't wait for tthe next one. Or are you going to shock us all and do punk or something!!!

    xx

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  19. Hi Vix, we certainly missed you over the weekend.

    I love your dress but I think my favorite item has got to be the gloves because they green! I also like that raincoat, the glasses, etc., etc. Vix, I guess I just like the whole lot! Oh, and I love a kitten heel!

    I used to have Mary Quant's auto bio Quant by Quant. Sad to say it's been lost over the years. Waaaaa!

    xoxo, Bonnie

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  20. This is my favourite one so far. I love the green in the dress....no sorry the whole outfit is fab!! xxx

    p.s And yes that is a old sewing table in the corner. My future mother in law gave it to me. She studied fashion like me when she was young. :)

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  21. i have to admit girl that was the century of style! I was born way after that but boy do i wish i was born back then accept i'd like to bring my epidural needles with me so i can deliver my bump in peace. ;-) lol. great look! your looking fabulous♥

    http://theveiledbump.blogspot.com/

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  22. the gloves, the boots, THE POSE.. you killed the 60's.

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  23. Too awesome! I love that patterned dress.

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  24. Great outfit, but I especially love the coat.x.

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  25. Fantastic Vix...totally on the button!
    LOVE that PVC coat, amazing button detail
    you look just fabulous

    xxx

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  26. And don't you look just gorgeous? Adore your dress! LOVE your boots! Thanks for the fun info AGAIN! LOVE this challenge. Seriously, adore.

    Oh, and YOU MUST post a pic of your closet sometime. Because I MUST see it. It's a whole room isn't it? It must be!

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  27. I love this one, one of my favourites by far. So vibrant and spot on.
    I love the print of the shift, o so 60's and brilliant xxx

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  28. Gorgeous outfit ... :0)

    Shirl x

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  29. This was MY "coming of age" decade :) You've captured it well!

    By the way, I'm waiting to hear which decade is your favorite....maybe at the end???

    Can't wait for those photos of public nudity!(JUST JOKING - if anyone I really "know" sees this comment!)

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  30. Well the amount of green in this outfit was always guaranteed to get me to love it, wasn't it? :) Every detail is just perfect.

    Any chance of some jewellery closeups? Those earrings look fab but I can't quite make them out properly.

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  31. This is definately your fashion era! Love that gorgeous dress!

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  32. Oooh, I love that 60s dress! Gorgeous and the colour's amazing! I'm so glad it sounds like you had a brilliant time at the festival, hope it was a good birthday for Jon!

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  33. I love that dress, you look gorgeous. The boots are hot! x

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  34. You had me at "I'm back!" then slayed me with "...my tales of pyrotechnics, stage invasions and public nudity..."!!!!!!!

    60s (and 70s)... this is you, your look, your essence... you put the grrr in swinger baby!!! xo

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  35. Lovely blog!
    I would like to invite you to mine - I think you will really like it :))
    Also, the main reason for my invitation is that I want to invite you to join my Challenge - just click on the link at the very top of my left sidebar and see what it is - I hope you will find it exciting :)
    In any case - I hope you enjoy my blog and of course feel free to follow me if you do! ;)

    Much love,
    Sabina.
    xxx

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  36. Few months ago,I've seen some green gloves.They were longer than yours,but that's not the point. The point is I want a pair too,Vix! :)

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  37. Love the green/white dress and it looks really fab with the go-go boots..I didnt know these were called that -so thanks for the history lesson..

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  38. This is my fave so far. The styles here work really well on your body shape. Love the glasses - very cool. xx

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  39. So glad you had a good time. Look forward to hearing all the tales. This look is great. Fantastic print on the dress and I didn't know about go go boots but they are fabulous! x

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  40. You totally ROCK this look!! This dress is awesome and I love the colors. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me in this decade.

    PS. I am considering your suggestion of doing a sixties fashion photo shoot. It would be fun! I don't think I could do it as well as you, but it would be an interesting challenge to try!

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  41. Hi vix

    hope you dont object , I referenced your fantastic work on my blog, http://joebart.blogspot.co.uk/

    let me know if it is a prob

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Lots of love, Vix