1960s TRIBES An Ebook By
Mandy Morello
Twiggy
2. Introduction 4. The New Look 8. The Beatnik 12. The Mod 14. The Dolly Girl 17. Mod Shops 18. The Biker 22. The Surfer 24. The Hippie 27. Bohemian Shops 28. The End
INTRODUCTION Before we go any further, I have a confession. I was never around in the '60s. I know it's hard to believe with my wrinkle-less face and bright red hair but it's true. And until time travel is invented, I spend my days watching old movies, reading vintage books and listening to music from that era. I love talking to baby boomers about their youth and take pleasure in visiting the places that they used to haunt. From all my ‘research’, it seems like the '60s were a wild time that changed attitudes as well as fashion. It's hard to believe that the sweet old 60 to 80-year-olds we see today lived through the sexual revolution and listened to songs about "coming in colours". They would have seen so many things including the moon landing and John Lennon telling the world that he is bigger than Jesus. And this is only a small Jello slice of some of the wild things that happened. Events like these shaped the '60s and its young people. With better education and opportunities after the war, teenagers felt that their views mattered too. They began meeting like-minded people in the comfort of their local cafe, found their own style and were given a label by the media. The media had a lot to do with the reputation of these subcultures too. TV broadcasters used the tribes' fashion to gain a younger audience and the newspapers pinned the older generation against them. It's strange how people began to mistrust the media at this time too...
Big name brands decided to use the subcultures for their advertising. Coca Cola began selling peace and love to the hippies and Lambretta was selling style to the mods. Although this is a strategy that would make Donald Draper weep with joy, the adverts were clichĂŠ and skin-deep. Most of what I have written about in this mini book is the purpose of these '60s subcultures and their iconic style. This book documents the young people who gathered together with a cause, who found a uniform and became a tribe. But for clarity, I have chosen the more well-known uniforms that these gangs had. Note that not all mods were clean shaven and not all hippies held a conversation with their Big Mac after taking acid. This is about who these people were and why they came together to form a whole new culture. A culture that still inspires us today.
Besos,
THE NEW LOOK With comments like this, it is a wonder that Jackie O was such an icon. But back at the beginning of the '60s, it was normal for a girl to care more about presentation than having fun. Young girls were told to pursue a husband, settle down and ignore his affairs with the girl at work. And heaven forbid her cooking to be anything less than gourmet. To be the perfect potential housewife it was custom to follow a set of rules. Always carry a hand mirror so you always look fresh. Smile, even if drowning yourself in the kitchen sink looks appealing. And remember a man’s topic of conversation is more important than yours. Although these types of women aren't normally classed as a subculture, they shared the same values, wore the same styles and hung out in each other's kitchens. Their clothes and beliefs separated them from the other young girls of the '60s who preferred having fun than listening to a man critique their latest Victoria sponge. The style that went with this Stepford-wife-life was conservative but womanly. They wore tailored clothing pinched at the waist like a wasp with hemlines below the knee. Most garments were made at home or sewn by the local tailor.
This style was born from Dior’s 1940s New Look silhouette- a style that was so popular that it carried on through to the ‘60s. It was the ultimate style for a lady. Even though society still perceived women as baby machines, it finally became acceptable for them to wear trousers like a man. The patriarchy was so generous to give women, not one, but two styles of trousers; the Capris pant and the drainpipe. Coco Chanel, after being tired with Dior’s corseted style, made a comeback in the '50s with her wool suits in hand. Her androgynous style won over the likes of ladies Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor. Her designs continued to be popular with the ‘classy' women of the '60s. Today, the Chanel suit remains a much-desired piece under the watchful eye of protégée Karl Lagerfeld. And Dior’s New Look style is still around as evening wear, especially for prom dresses. Even though the clothes remain, the housewife rules and expectations that came along with them will hopefully stay in the past
Watch: Hitchcock Movies Listen To: Roy Orbison & Elvis Presley Read: Revolutionary Road By Richard Yates
@FrassyAudrey
Audrey Leighton's style is sophisticated, empowering and with a hint of that classic new look. But Audrey is far from an opressed woman of the 20th century. She's an independent woman and her instagram is full of personal stories, wins and fails. And if you want to dress like Audrey, she owns a vintage store. https://www.audreyleightonvintage.com/
THE BEATNIK While some women were busy scrubbing the skid marks off of their husband’s underpants, others were sat smoking in coffee bars, writing about drinking strawberry jam gin instead of having a bath. The Beatniks were another subculture that carried on from the 1950s. They were inspired by the literacy movement of the Beat Generation (On The Road in particular). They would meet in late night cafes, listening to bebop jazz and reciting dirty poetry. Most beatniks were spotted wearing berets, smoking hand-rolled cigarettes from behind their horn-rimmed glasses. They smoked marijuana which made them seem edgy and interesting at a time when most people had never seen drugs before. On the record player would be Dizzy Gillespie or Miles Davis, and on the bookshelf were the immortal words of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. As the beatniks gathered more recruits, the media began to satirise them into something more pretentious. They gave beatniks superficial traits and focused on their pseudointellectualism. The all-black clothing and berets became a uniform. But the Beats weren’t all about wearing black and writing drunk poetry. Their philosophy was that they should all work on themselves from the inside rather than worry about external things. They were about rejecting consumerism. It is this core belief that shaped the Beat generation.
This mildly explains their minimalist style. The girls wore their hair flat to rebel against beauty salons and they had minimal clothing to reject the middle-class fashions. It was their antimaterialism that influenced musicians like The Beatles and Bob Dylan. One pretentious element that was typical of Beatniks was their adoption of ‘40s jazz hipster slang with words like ‘Square’ and ‘Cats’. Although the slang has withered like the balls of anybody who was around in the '40s, the Beatnik movement is still around if you look hard enough for it.
Watch: Funny Face, 1957 Listen To: Dizzy Gillespie & Miles Davis Read: On The Road By Jack Kerouac
@OrionVanessa
This American poet is often seen sporting a black turtle kneck, drinking a coffee while writing about her latest heartbreak. Although I have no idea if she listens to jazz, she most definitely oozes of modern day beatnik. Plus, her poetry is beautiful too. https://www.orioncarloto.com/
THE MODERNISTS After the war, people were subjected to rationed, ill-fitting clothing and a bunch of volatile, quiff-haired Teddy boys. Defeating the Germans did nothing for our sense of style. But as rationing was reduced and a new generation was born, finally people began to care whether they looked like a grumpy dinner lady or not. Modern boys ran to their local tailor and fixed themselves a sharp suit after getting their hair chopped at the trendiest salon. Their faces would be clean shaven and their shoes, shined. Modern girls gathered in Carnaby street and swooned over the shop windows. No longer would they stand for homemade dresses that felt like paper. These fashionistas were branded ‘The Modernists’ (Mods for short). Taking inspiration from The Beat Generation, mods hung out in coffee shops, smoking and listening to music. It was a very social affair that involved conversations about French cinema and R&B whilst on amphetamines. Modernist men could easily be spotted. Most travelled on their Vespas with their Crombie coats flailing behind them. They would wear a well-tailored suit or a v-neck jumper paired with a button-down Ben Sherman shirt. Their hair was long and flat- perhaps in a rebellion of the rockers.
Women, however, were not as easy to spot. They wore the latest trends including mini skirts and A-line dresses. The modern woman's look was mainly influenced by London’s street style. Some dressed androgynously with short hair and barely-there makeup apart from their false eyelashes- a key '60s staple. When the TV executives heard of the mods, they tried to join in with the cool kids by featuring mods on TV. But, just like a middle-aged manager that tries to join in on a joke, they just didn't get it. The mods got their style from the streets, not from the elite. Every time the image of mod culture was sold to them, a part of the tribe was lost. But after the '60s, the mods made several revivals including in the '70s when The Who made Quadrophenia and in the '90s with the rise of Brit Pop.
Any fashionable adult woman I know would rather wear a bra made out of wet sponges than be seen shopping in the children's section of a clothes store. Yet, in the '60s, wearing a dress designed for a 6-year-old would be considered trĂŠs chic. Cute, girly dresses, pastels and frills were on trend. But not for the same dodgy reasons that Lolita fashion became popular in Japan. Dolly Girls were claiming back their feminity and getting in touch with their "cute" side. Yet, in the same breath, one of the staples of the Dolly girl style was the mini skirt as popularised by Mary Quant. Mini skirts revealed more leg than had ever been seen in Western history before. They made men remain in their seats for a while longer, made grandparents cry and put most parents off their pop tarts. It was very risquĂŠ to be a part of a fashion trend that resembled little girl's clothing.
Dolly Girls wore heavy Bambi-eye make up with more than one strip of fake eyelashes. They had matte pale lips, a light dusting of raspberry blusher and a sprinkle of freckles. Their hair would be teased and placed in bunches or framed with a bow. They paired their daring mini skirts with coloured tights and peter pan collars. Gingham, crochet and A-Line shapes were all part of creating that dolly look. There were many well-known Dollys in the 60s who helped popularise this style like Britt Ekland, Twiggy, Pattie Boyd and Jean Shrimpton. They all fluttered their black batwing lashes from underneath their beauty queen hairdos. Even though you could spot a Dolly on the street in the swinging sixties, you couldn't tell where they were going or who they were listening to. Dolly Girls were a tribe but, unlike the mods or the rockers, they were nothing more than just a fashion trend. But, an adorable one.
Watch: Darling, 1965. Quadrophenia, 1979 Listen To: The Yardbirds & The Small Faces
@bttywt
For modern inspiration on Mods and Dolly Girls, look no further than this girl. She has the most amazing collection of pastel dresses, mini skirts and 60s style blouses. Plus, she looks a little like Audrey, dontcha think?
For The Best Mod Fashion Waiste Vintage www.waiste.co.uk Closet Mod www.closetmod.com Love Her Madly www.lovehermadlyboutique.com Hazy Dayz Vintage www.hazydayzvintage.com Modfather Clothing www.modfatherclothing.com
The Bikers Post World War II, the rich and middle class zoomed around in their Austins and Rolls-Royces, basking on the new tarmac that was laid out for them. While they searched for a new outfit to match their cars, the working class lived off of rations and worked hard to feed their new little American babies. They couldn't afford cars so, they rode motorcycles instead. Motorbike clubs began to form and began as a group of respectable moustached men that would gather and discuss their noble vehicles or hotrods over polite tea with biscuits. But, as rationing was reduced and the economy grew, younger people could afford to purchase their own bikes. But rather than be sensible, they stripped their bikes down, modified them for life-threatening speed and raced across the country. The reputation of the gentleman biker was tarnished. The younger bikers' style was born out of practicality. They wore leather, brothel creepers or Chuck Taylors and paired it with a slicked-back hairstyle borrowed from the Teddy Boys. They would grease their hair into a ‘duck's ass' with pomade or petroleum jelly. Other ridiculously-named-styles included 'The Folsom’,' The Pompadour' and 'The Elephant’s Trunk'. Bikers were nicknamed greasers in the '50s but by the time the '60s swang around they were re-branded 'rockers'. Rockers were named after the rockers found in 4-stroke engines of a motorbike rather than for their love of rock 'n' roll.
The media hated young people so they labelled them as trouble The media hated young people so they labelled them as trouble makers. Possibly in a bid to kill them all off, they pitted them makers. Possibly in a bid to kill them all off, they pitted them against more young people- the mods. The mods and rockers against more young people- the mods. The mods and rockers began to throw insults at each other across the country. It began to throw insults at each other across the country. It crescendoed in 1964, when mods and rockers travelled to crescendoed in 1964, when mods and rockers travelled to Brighton beach to punch each other in the face. The media Brighton beach to punch each other in the face. The media delightfully joined them and took photos to prove that young delightfully joined them and took photos to prove that young people are "scum" and "vermin". people are "scum" and "vermin". But by the end of the ‘60s, hippies became more prominent in But by the end of the ‘60s, hippies became more prominent in youth culture, and the biker gangs began to fade away into the youth culture, and the biker gangs began to fade away into the background. The Hells Angels were the new kings of the road. background. The Hells Angels were the new kings of the road. But the rocker's customised leather jackets adorned with painted But the rocker's customised leather jackets adorned with painted artwork, hand stitched patches and studs remains an iconic artwork, hand stitched patches and studs remains an iconic feature of rebellion. feature of rebellion.
Watch: The Leather Boys, 1964 Listen To: Chuck Berry Read: The Outsiders By S.E. Hinton
@BrookieBug64
The Jackets, the attitude and those badass shades, Brooke has the complete look. But, she's not just a pretty face. She is the CEO of Thunderstruck USA, a rock n roll clothing company that specialises in custom band jackets. What a day to be alive. http://thunderstruck.bigcartel.com
The Surfer If moving your body sounds fun to you, then the '60s would have been a wonderful place to live. For those that prefer lying on the sofa, crying into a tub of Ben & Jerry's, not so much. At the beginning of the '60s, teenagers drove their woodies (a type of car with wood at the back) to the coast of California to catch the waves (or sit on a board and pretend). Surfing was in vogue. Men donned flowery shirts and checkered blazers, layered over board shorts. While the Californian girls were flashing their never-seen-before bellys with a new style of swimwear- the bikini. Young musicians were working hard to create the perfect soundtrack to accompany surfing. The successful pioneers include Dick Dale with his ocean-style guitar sounds and The Beach Boys with their angelic harmonies. Surf rock was born and it helped the popularity of the Californian surfing scene make a splash (sorry, not sorry) all over the world. Surfers also inspired a new style of movie- 'beach party films'. From 1963, a number of comedy movies followed a group of teenagers hanging out by the beach and getting into trouble. With such a sophisticated theme, it's a mystery that they stopped making these movies by 1968. Even though beach party films lost their charm, Surfing continued being hugely popular, even in small towns with low tides. Today, you can still find a group of young guys who sit on their surfboards, posing at the weekend, just as they did in the '60s. It seems that surfing will always be deemed as a cool sport, but posing, however, is not.
Watch: Beach Party, 1963 Listen To: The Beach Boys Read: Gidget By Frederick Kohner
THE HIPPIE LSD, cannabis and peyote were on the menu in the '60s. It caused excessive creativity and was allowing people to think more about the world that they live in. But most dangerously of all, it brought people together in celebration of peace and freedom from conformity. The psychedelic drugs caused young people to pick some "far out" clothing. The media named them hippies, derived from the term hipster. They wore loose-fitted material, ash-stained denim and stolen garden flowers. They didn’t cut their hair (especially the boys) and took a lot of influence from Indian culture including transcendental meditation. Expanding the mind also influenced music to become more experimental. Young bands pushed their songwriting abilities and the law to their limits. Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane became icons in the scene. Music festivals became a summer staple. Thousands flocked together to listen to psychedelic music, indulge in psychedelic drugs and dance like an inflatable wobbly man. Festivals like Woodstock, Monterey Pop Festival and the Isle Of Wight were some of the events that went down in history. San Francisco became the natural habitat of the hippie. Teenagers left their strict fathers and his house slave to become a part of the growing community where everything was free, including love and drugs.
Watch: Easy Rider, 1969 Listen To: Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane Read: The Doors Of Perception By Aldous Huxleyt
But by the end of the '60s, the copious amount of psychedelics were shockingly having a negative effect, especially on some of the musicians that advocated them. People were losing their minds. Places that were once safe to meet new friends and hug strangers, were now a war zone, and the media lapped it up. Free music concerts ended with people getting stabbed, whilst cults formed and murdered innocent people in their home. Unfortunately, the summer of love was put to bed along with the ‘60s.
@rachel_valentine
Photos by @Chloesideyphoto
This girl has serious Hendrix vibes. There are quite a few hippie /boho Instagrammers out there but Rachel nails the 60s groupie look better than anyone I've seen. She helps you fall back in love with leopard print and flares. Plus, you can grab her look on her own vintage store. Groovy. www.strangerayvintage.com
THE BEST HIPPIE & BOHEMIAN FASHION Strange Ray Vintage www.strangerayvintage.com Nine Lives Bazaar www.ninelivesbazaar.com Magpie Vintage www.magpievintage.com Mindflowers Accessories www.mindflowers.shop Good Morning Keith www.goodmorningkeith.com
There are so many ‘60s subcultures that I haven’t mentioned. From Breton tops influenced by the French New Wave cinema to Emilio Pucci laying down his geometric prints in Italy. Even on English soil, there was a number of people dressing like Doctor Who characters in the running up to the moon landing. But the tribes I have chosen to focus on, are the ones who have more meaning behind them. And it's for this reason that they still influence our current culture and fashion. Take a look at Arctic Monkey Alex Turner’s slicked greaser hair to the popularity of hippie-style yogi retreats. These tribe's clothes were statements, their music was their anthems and their friends were their army. Young people in the '60s were striving to be more than a trend. They were saying something about the oppressed world that they grew up in. With the rise of social media, it seems that subcultures have died. Instead, we have online communities of people who enjoy the same things (like those pseudo-intelligent Beliebers). I think it's because we no longer have to meet up in a cafe to share our views with friends, we can just tweet. We don't have to go to the local music venue to discover new bands, we can listen while we cut our toenails in bed. We don't have to rush to the trendiest high street shop in town for new threads, we can just buy online. Sure, this gives us more time for wine drinking, but does what we do lack purpose?
Although subcultures may have died, what I've learned from the '60s is that what you wear communicates what you want to say to the world. From the 'fuck you' of the dirty Biker leather jacket to the sophistication of a Beatnik black turtleneck. The '60s made the clothes that you wear on your back, speak. If there’s one take away from all of these subcultures, it’s to always have a cause. A reason to rebel and change the world that we live in. Whether that’s through our clothes or through the power of the internet, share your ideas and do it with style. And you never know, you might find a tribe of your own.
First Published February 2019 Edition #2Â May 2019 www.mandy-morello.com
Janis Joplin