hippie culture Hippies represent
space exploration + travel
the counterculture of the 60’s. Their lifestyle is usually associated with rock music, hallucinogenic drugs, and long, flowy hair and clothing. They were seen by some as disrespectful and dirty and a disgrace to society, but to many they are a reminder of a more peaceful, carefree part of America’s history. Hippies were strongly against violence and supported liberal policies and freedom of personal expression, their lifestyles centering around the concepts of peace, freedom, and harmony for all.
The 60’s became a time of optimism and belief in the future with the development of Concorde, flying faster than the speed of sound, and the space race reached its climax when US astronauts took the first steps on the moon in 1969. This was mirrored in the energetic fashion shots of emerging new photographers such as David Bailey and John Cowan and the metallic fabrics used by Paco Rabanne and Michele Rosier.
60/70s
CULTURE SOCIETY & POLITICS
television
Disco FEVER popularity
The 1960’s saw the invention of the colour television, people could be entertained in a bright, new way at home, and was seen as the primary medium for molding public opinion. This meant the rise of celeb culture and television icons, with Hollywood being more accessible. Actresses such as Brigitte Bardot became fashion icons, with mini skirts breaking all the rules thanks to Mary Quant, PVC boots, culottes and the flick of the eyeliner.
Disco’s peaked in the late 1970s, where this dance dominated sound was a reaction to rock music’s command. This commemorated decade in popular culture was the era of the mini skirt, go go boots, bell-bottom trousers and the androgynous hippie look. The 70s disco style was immortalised by the John Travolta film ‘Saturday Night Fever’ which incorporated platform shoes, three piece suits and jersey dresses.
sexual revolution
second wave feminism
RECESSION
The sexual revolution was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of sexuality between the 1960s-80s, this saw the increased acceptance of sex due to the contraceptive pill becoming available on the NHS and the legalization of abortion and homosexuality.This reflected in fashion through the daring rise in hemlines and the creation of the miniskirt/ minidress. The invention of tights also allowed women to wear shortened hemlines while keeping their modesty.
By 1974 the price of oil had risen so considerably it led to economical problems. This meant the recession; which was the end of the World War II economic boom; there was high unemployment with high inflation. The recession saw many strikes and the three-day week, stopping people from working long hours and using too much electricity and fuel, leading to electricity black outs being common across the U.K. The recession saw the rise in cheap clothing often bought from a charity shop, with individuality being key.
The 1960s may have brought the pill and the sexual revolution but as the 1970s dawned equality of the sexes was still a long way off. Women could be paid less than a man for doing the same job, posts were advertised by gender and ‘sexual harassment’ was an unknown term. The second wave of feminism involved abolishing sexism wherever it could be found and portrayed in fashion through the emergence of androgyny in loose fit clothing, short crop hair and more of a shapeless physique.
punk
Punk first emerged in 1975 in London and were about equality, freedom and anti-conformity. The fashion reflected the anarchic and aggressive movement that was heavily influenced by 70’s music, with musical icons such as the Sex Pistols. The clothes worn were made to attract attention and make a political statement. The trend was shocking with lots of leather, piercings and studs. Punk was the birth of Vivienne Westwood as she took influence from their street style and helped drive Punk fashion to a wider audience. In 1979, Thatcher became the first female John F Kennedy was Prime minister. Along with president of the united this came the new spirit of states from 1961 until his individualism and self reivention assassination in 1963. His wife, that was highlighted by David Bowie’s Jacqueline Kennedy became a fashion androgynous alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. icon, A-line dresses and deco millinery Thatcher was not only a pioneer in politics but became her trademark. There is perhaps no also in how she believed women in power should ensemble from that era more iconic than the pink dress, always sporting suits,pussybow Chanel suit that Jackie was wearing the day blouses and pearls. of her husband’s assassination.
thatcher
jfk Assassination