1960s Fashion: What Did Women Wear?

1960s Fashion for Women

Women’s 1960s fashion was an extreme style and attitude from the start of the decade to the end.  In the early years, the fashion idol was Jackie Kennedy with her perfect white pearls and tailored suit dresses. By the middle of the decade, supermodel Twiggy had women freeing their minds and bodies into clothing that didn’t require any extra thought or effort.

From modest to “there is no such thing as too short,” 1960s fashion was in many ways like the 1920s flapper revolution. But it didn’t happen overnight.

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Women’s 1960s Fashion Trends

What clothes were popular in the 1960s? Shift dresses, mini skirts, go go boots, flare pants, jumper dresses, colorful denim, cloche hats, turtleneck shirts, flat shoes, pattern tights, and daisy flower prints.

1960s fashion trends for women – 1966

Even more trends were:

• Jackie Kennedy, Brigitte Bardot, and Mary Quant were fashion icons.
• The Youthquake movement created “Babydoll” clothing.
• Short, shapeless shift dresses in bright colors and colorblock patterns became a staple of the Mod look.
• Button-down shirts, turtlenecks, and chunky knit sweaters made up casual outfits.
• Mini skirts or pencil skirts in plaid were a teen’s school outfit.
• Jax pants, stirrup pants, bell bottoms, and pantsuits were new trends.
• Low heel flats, boots, and vinyl shoes made up footwear.
• Stockings or tall socks came in all colors.
• Pop Art Jewelry emerged.
• Hair could be short and bobbed or long and straight.
• Hippie fashion – Blue jeans, ethnic clothing, psychedelic swirls, tie-dye in the mid-late 1960s.

1960s Fashion Icons

Jackie ‘O – Early 60s fashion icon

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Jackie Kennedy’s style was clean, simple, and well fitted, with perfectly matched accessories. She wore dresses without collars and jackets that buttoned only with one large top button.

On her feet she wore sensible low heeled shoes (although many women still preferred high heels). She was the last celebrity woman to wear hats, a pillbox hat, as a necessary fashion.

Jackie O’ put a lot of care into her look, and women both in the USA and abroad copied her style with enthusiasm.

Sadly, after her husband’s assassination, Jackie was no longer in the public eye. Women had to find a new 1960s fashion idol to be inspired by.

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1962 Bridgette Bardot

Brigitte Bardot was that woman. She was Jackie’s opposite. Jackie was put together, simple and modest. Brigitte was tacky, cheap, bold, and even silly. Her 1959 pink gingham wedding dress with white lace trim was so unexpected that gingham and lace quickly became a new trend in the early 60s.

Mary Quant was another 1960s fashion influence. Her style moved away from “grown-up fashion” to playful “youth” driven clothing. Her shift dresses were short, very short, and her prints were bold and colorful “mod” prints. Her fashion as well as her personality set the tone for the rest of the 1960s: “fashion is fun.”

1967 Mary Quant Ad Featuring Beret Hats, Drop Waist Dresses, and Bold Colors

It was the whole idea of a return to childhood that drove most of the fashion in the 1960s. Oversized collars, bows, and delicate trim miniaturized women and made them appear smaller.  Shapeless mini dresses de-emphasized a woman’s natural form. The flat and boxy look took away women’s curves and made them little girls once more.

1960s Youthquake Outfits

Kitten heel pumps, Mary Jane strap shoes, and flat sneakers were all childhood shoes returned to the ’60s youthquake culture. It was no coincidence that a young culture had a lot to do with half the American population being under 25 and with European countries having a similarly large youth population, too. After growing up in the ’50s as “little adults,” the youth embraced their fond early childhood memories and fashions. By children’s fashion, we mean babies and toddlers. The “babydoll” look was incorporated into dress, hair, and even makeup.

1960s Dresses

The full skirt and tight bodice of the ’50s swing dress continued in the early ’60s, with a slightly above- or at-the-knee hemline and modest high necklines. Colors and patterns were bigger, brighter, and streamlined with simple necklines and short cap sleeves. This full-skirted look didn’t leave fashion in the 1960s. Instead, it carried through to the 1970s in a pared down, less fluffy form.

1950s-1960s style swing dress

The other style of early 60s dresses was the contoured sheath dress. Like the 50s version, it was knee-length, modest, and simple, but tailored to the hourglass curve of the body. By 1963, the sheath was losing its tight curves (a welcome relief) and relaxing into the shift dress.

A Variety of Sheath Dresses Worn with Coordinated Gloves and Heels

The shift dress lacked any sort of tailored waistline, but did pinch in slightly around the ribs and skimmed over the hips to just above the knee. This loose but narrow looking dress was very comfortable and easy to wear. It became the primary women’s dress style of the 1960s.

60s style sheath dress

Skimmer dresses were a cousin of the shift dress. They fit straight on the body with a high neckline and (usually) a belt to define the waist, but not shape it.  They “skimmed” the body without touching the skin. They also hovered above the knee.

1968 Knit Shift Dresses for Women

The drop waist dress was a 1920s throwback where the skirt circled the low hip and dropped to the knee. It was a bit more fitted than the shift dress, with a gathered or pleated skirt. It seems to have been favored by mature women who were more used to a tailored fit.

1960s dresses became shorter and shorter. Anything above the knee was a “mini skirt.” How short a woman’s dress became a sign of how confident she was — not necessarily that she had great legs. Hem length was directly proportional to how women felt about their own sexual liberation. Short skirts were not meant to attract men for the sake of sexual interest, but instead were a way to attract attention so that a WOMAN could be the one to decide if his attention was wanted. It was sexual power through fashion.

1969 Short Jumper Style Dresses with Big Bow Blouses and Neckties

The jumper dress was a Mary Quant invention that captured the youthful, playful side of 1960s fashion. That style immediately made a 20-year-old look 10, a welcome change from the ’50s mature fashion. Big bows, large round collars, pastels, and polka dots were all dress details that made women look like a little girl’s dolls. The more innocent, the better.

Marvin Gaye and Ammi Terrell, in the Late 60s, Wearing a Striped Dress and Go Go Boots – Very Mod!

60s Dresses – Shop Mod Dresses and More (For the UK shop here)

Colors and prints were at first inspired by the pop art and modern art movements, AKA “Mod” culture. Checkerboard, horizontal stripes, windowpane, polka dots, colorblock, honeycomb, houndstooth and Campbell’s soup cans were all placed on short shift dresses with contrasting white cuffs and collars. Black and white was especially MOD.

Psychedelic swirls and prints introduced a trippy edge to clothing that was picked up by the hippies around 1966-1968. Being over the top was never too much. Large paisley swirls, neon flower daisies, and tropical beach prints all made an appearance. Bright yellow, orange, hot pink, and lime green were the favorites. These bold colors and loud patterns were seen on dresses, skirts, tops, and pants.

Shop 1960s style dresses here

60s-70s Flower Power Dress with Daisey Tights. Shop here.

There was also a trend of earth tone colors, especially as the decade moved toward the hippie movement. Moss green, earthy browns, mustard yellow, and burnt orange were common colors  year-round. See more examples of vintage 1960s dresses here.

1969 dresses in earth tones, chevron stripes and paisley prints

Hippie outfits are popular 60s party costumes. Learn more about who the real 1960s hippies were and what they wore. Shop more 70s style hippie dresses too.

1960s Cocktail, Prom, and Evening Dresses

For swanky cocktail parties, the party look of the ’60s was the same short shift, tent, and skimmer dress styles in luxury fabrics, mostly in black … or white. The two-piece jacket dress was a classic with mature ladies. For the young, dressy shell tops and cigarette pants were a welcome change from dresses. In the late ’60s, wide-leg jumpsuits became a type of hostess dress, acceptable for evening house parties.

The Velvelettes Wear Red Chiffon Dresses, Late 1960s

Pleated 60s party dress- Shop here. 

Pastels were worn in the summer and rich jewel tones in fall. Lace was a popular fabric as well as velvet or a classic light crepe. Most were undecorated, but some had braid and metallic mesh trim around the necks and hems. “Minimal” was the look to achieve.

1964 Black Formal Party Dresses

For evenings and prom, the choice was between short or long empire waist dresses. Usually sleeveless, the longer dresses were shaped like a column with pleats at the back. The top was often a contrasting lace or damask material cinched in with a bow on the front or back.  Short evening dresses looked the same, just shorter. Many were tent shaped or A-line instead of the slim column shape. Learn more about 1960s cocktail party/evening wear/wedding party attire here.

1962 Evening Dress and Hostess Gown (Pants Underneath Skirt)

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Shop 60s Style Cocktail, Party, and Evening Dresses

1960s Tops, Sweaters, Coats

Tops, shirts, blouses, and sweaters all took direction from casual clothing in the 1950s. The primary change was that shirts and sweaters now fit straight on the body, with no emphasis on the bust or waist.

1965 Boxy and Modest Button-Up or Slip-Over Tops boxy and modest button up or slip over tops

Tops could also be worn untucked. Gasp! They hung out over pants and skirts and grew longer as the decade advanced. Necklines also grew higher, back to the modest look of the 1930s.

The mock neck blouse or knit shirt was a classic. Sleeveless in summer and typically called shells, the fit was always boxy. They were casual solid tops worn with pants and shorts.  Long sleeve black turtlenecks were a uniform of the Beatniks in London, but in the USA horizontal stripes were worn by every young person.

Big roll collars, round Peter Pan collars (often in contrasting white), big bows, and pointed shirt collars called attention to a thin neck and short hair. Button up shirts took on the look of menswear with round or straight hems, oversized collars, and bold prints.  Bright colors and big prints made colorful statements when paired with a solid color matching pant. Learn more about 1960s blouses, tops, and shirts.

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Knitted sweaters were usually solid colored pullovers or in the boxy cardigan style. ’60s knitwear designs favored texture — thick textured cable knits and wide rib knits were very popular. Many had large fold-out collars and oversized roll necks. Cardigans were usually collarless with some unique print in the early to mid-’60s such as small argyle, checks, chevron, or florals. Read more about 1960s knitwear and sweaters

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For winter wear, a good wool coat was still necessary. 1960s women’s coats narrowed down and shortened up to fit over new, thinner, clothes. Round collars with big buttons, flap pockets, geometric prints, and maybe a belt kept them looking cute and fun. They came down to just above the knee so that long, lean legs would continue to be the focal point.

The Temptations and The Supremes with Fabulous 1960s Coats

Short jackets, especially those made of suede and leather, were popular options for the young and casual.  Shiny plastic-like vinyl was even more trendy with the space-age loving mod set. Most women, however, chose a blazer-type jacket that was dressy enough to be worn with dresses, but also casual enough to be worn with pants on the weekends.

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1960s Skirts

1960s skirts came in knee lengths with classic circle skirts/swing skirts, straight pencil skirts, and box-pleated A-line skirts (school girl style) in the early to mid 60s. Plaid patterns were very popular in the fall and winter, and solid pastels in spring and summer.

The late ’60s saw the first shocker – the mini skirt – enter fashion. Mini skirts were 4-6 inches above the knee in box pleats or A-line button front shapes. Plaids, pleats, corduroy, and heavy knits were perfect for minis. They were worn with tights and tall go go boots by teens and trendy college-age girls.

Turtleneck Top, Plaid Miniskirt, and Lace-Up Go Go Boots

Mature women didn’t wear minis. They went the opposite direction – longer! Button front knee-length skirts, knee-length skorts, and at-the-knee denim skirts were all newer options for women.

The maxi skirt came about at the end of the decade too. Women and girls of all ages loved them. They were gathered at the waist, sometimes with a tie bow, and hung down in a column shape. They took inspiration from prairie dresses and were made in hippie loving calico prints or swirly psychedelic eye poppers. In the evenings, they were quilted or made with shiny taffeta fabrics.

The 1960s style skirt has returned to fashion this year.

Shop mini skirts, A-line skirts, long maxi skirts, denim skirts, and more.

1960s Pants

Jax pants with a very high waist, shaped hip, and slender leg continued to be favorites from the 1950s.  They were usually lined, with side zippers and no waistband. They could be worn with blouses tucked in, but more often had longer tops untucked. Crop tops were a favorite in summer — never too short, but occasionally long enough to overlap the pants’ waistband.

The stretch pant and stirrup pant took advantage of a new kind of knit fabric. Easy to sew and wear, the elastic stirrup under the foot kept pants smooth and straight. It didn’t matter that the stirrup was visible. When ankle boots came into fashion, suddenly visible stirrups were taboo. Boots must be worn!

1968 Stretch Pants

All pants / trousers came down to just above the ankle until the late ’60s, when longer pants became the new trend. They also still zipped up the back or side for most of the decade, but moved to the front for trousers and jean styles.

Pants were high waisted (circling the belly button) except for the youthful hip hugger styles that appeared in the mid ’60s. They were more popular in Europe than America, and very trendy with the Mods and Beatniks.

Denim jeans followed the fit and style of slim pants: high waist, tapered leg, ankle crop, and in many more colors than just blue. White was especially trendy. Blue jeans were not as common as you might expect. They somewhat disappeared in the 1960s, only to return with a vengeance in 1969 with a flared boot cut.

Flare jeans and pants may have started in the 1960s, but didn’t go mainstream until 1969 and into the 1970s. There were a few casual flared leg pants designed as early as 1967, but for the most part, flared jeans and bell-bottom pants were not part of the 1960s. Even the hippies wore straight-leg pants in the 1960s. Learn more about 1960s pants, capris,  jeans and culottes.

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1960s Suits

Women’s suits, like the ’50s, were dresses (or skirt and top separates) worn with a matching short jacket. They were the most professional choice for looking polished and lady-like. Mature women liked the tailored suits with pencil skirts and cropped jackets, while young women embraced the knit suit with an open cardigan style jacket or light blazer.

1965 Suits

1968 Dress Suits and Pantsuits

As shocking as a mini skirt was to society, there was an equal confusion over the new pantsuit. It was a look directly copied from men’s suits, but tailored down to feminine proportions. Some work offices and establishments forbade women from wearing pantsuits. There was confusion over whether they were an insult to femininity or empowerment for women (which “disrespected men”). While 1960s fashion magazines debated, women flocked to the stores to buy them. They were already wearing casual pants everywhere else, so wearing dressy pants seemed only natural.

Jumpsuits were another outfit that emerged in the late 1960s. These ultra wide leg one piece top and bottom overalls came in dramatic prints with big belts to match. Many were sleeveless but could be worn over a blouse.  They could be worn for lounging around the house or hosting an elegant house party. They differed from the 1970s jumpsuit with a straight, wide palazzo leg.

Two peice jumpsuits looking sets were a matching tunic top and palazzo pant. Shop 60s and 70s jumpsuits. 

1960s Shoes and Stockings

With legs now fully exposed by short hemlines and the youthful girl look on-trend, shoes took a drastic turn from high fashion with high heels to street fashion with low to no heels. Flats were in. Cheap was in. Color was in. Sophistication was out.

Thanks to new materials, notably PVC (Vinyl), shoes could be mass-produced for cheap and come in a lot of bright colors to match dresses. The low heel made them easy to walk and live life in. All the designs of the earlier decades– loafers, Mary Janes, T-straps, monk straps, ballet, saddle shoes, and Oxfords — were designed into a low heeled shoe for the ’60s.

1968 Colorful PVC Shoes

Tall and skinny stiletto heels were still an option for evenings. The single strap Mary Jane came back in fashion, as did the slingback with cutouts on the sides.

1968 Heeled Shoes

Even boots had flat heels. Thanks to an interest in all things futuristic looking, tall boots in white or silver became the new black. Everyone wore them. They looked great with short dresses and skirts. The tall white boots were called go-go boots, named after night club dancers in LA who wore them.  Teens loved them and wore them with mini skirts to school (if they were allowed).

The Supremes Wear Heels and Tall Boots

In the late ’60s, suede boots in natural colors dominated fall and winter fashions. Both tall and short styles were worn with short shift dresses. Booties could be worn with long pants too.

1960s Boots

In the summer, it was the sandal heel, flip flop, and mule that had women feeling cool in the heat. Colors were bright and the straps were either very wide or very skinny. Sandal heels had a closed square toe, whereas casual sandals had a large open toe. Sandals were every woman’s new favorite shoe.  They could be worn with almost any outfit at any time of day, and not look out of place.

1968 Sandals

Casual shoes were canvas flat sneakers that we often refer as the brand name “Keds” today. They were either slip-on loafers or lace-up sneakers in bright, happy colors, chosen to coordinate with an outfit. They were cheap, so women could afford to have one in every color. In the spring and summer, they were worn without socks.

1968 Jeepers Sneakers

Read more about ALL the 1960s shoe styles here.

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Colored tights were worn with short skirts and dresses in a variety of colors and textures: white, black, purple, yellow, green, orange, fishnet, herringbone, ribbed, and lace. Tights covered up ugly knees and didn’t cause garter gaps like sheer stockings did.

1968 Colored Tights

Once pantyhose were perfected, they were the savior of women’s legs anywhere. They camouflaged hair, bumps, bruises, and wide kneecaps. Even skin tone tights were thick and dark. To go bare-legged with dresses in the ’60s was still too immodest. Ironic? Shop colorful tights and socks inspired by the 1960s.

Tall socks could be worn instead of tights. Chunky rib knits with a fold-down cuff were a mainstay for teens and young adults. All primary colors were worn.

1960s, Knee High Socks and Tights were Equally Popular

1960s Jewelry

Colorful 1960s clothing needed equally colorful jewelry. In the early years, traditional jewelry continued to favor textured gold, white pastel, and colored pearls. These pretty and safe designs complemented the feminine 1950s style clothing. The one change was the length. Longer pearls and tassel tip necklaces were preferred over the older short styles.  They hung down low on plain front shift dresses but were usually of a matching color so as not to distract from the dress. Round button earrings or small chandelier earrings matched necklaces.

1962 Long Pearl and Tassel Necklaces

The new youth with their obsession with fake plastics, vinyl, and bold colors favored jewelry inspired by Pop Art. Geometric shapes made their way onto over-sized dangling earrings. Large chunky bangles or stacks of thin bracelets jingled up and down bare arms. Novelty shapes were still popular, but they embraced brighter colors and more comical themes.

1967 Trifari Colorful Jewelry

The same went for flowers, now made from plastic resins. They were cheerful pastel or primary-colored clusters hanging from necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.

Learn more about 1960s jewelry styles here.

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Shop 1960s Style Jewelry in Bold Colors – Perfect Accessories for your Mod Outfit

1960s Hairstyles

Without a hat to call attention to a woman’s head, hairstyles became a new focus for women. The bouffant look teased hair to new heights… literally. Guiche curls kissed her cheeks (made possible by a bit of nail polish to keep them pointed to a crisp). All that volume made faces appear smaller and more doll-like. Hair length rose from shoulder to chin to cropped above the ears as the decade progressed, only to come crashing down again in the ’70s.

Headbands were a trendy hair accessory. Simple, wide satin headbands swept hair away from the face. Hair scarves/bandannas were also trendy in the later half of the decade. Cloche hats experienced a revival with the mod look.  Pillbox hats and flower pot hats were in style with the early 60s looks.  See more examples of 1960s hairstyles here.

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Early 60s Bouffant Hairstyles with Bows Worn by The Marvelettes

Mid ’60s Hairstyles

Short Mid ’60s Hairstyles- Curls or Bob

1968 Long Hairstyles- Long and Short

1969 Long Hairstyles and a Short Bob

1960s Makeup

The early 60s saw the exaggerated cat eye and full red lip continue.  Eyebrows were shaped into subtle peak instead of a high curve. Pink blush was subtle and almost non-existent.   There were also makeup styles for the mod look (AKA babydoll face), specialty products for black women, looks for eveningwear, and others. Learn more about 1960s makeup and buy vintage makeup colors.

• Powder – Flesh tone.
• Blush – Soft rose pink.
• Eye Shadow – White-pink, purple, light blue, aqua.
• Eye Liner – Dark brown or black, top and bottom lined and extended outwards.
• Lipstick – Deep pink, orange-red.
• Eyebrows – Shaped into a soft peak.

1963 Babydoll Makeup. Learn More about 1960s Makeup Here

Late 1960s Fashion: The Hippie Look

The late ’60s saw a movement of anti-fashion, a political statement that grew so popular it became a mainstream fashion style. Real hippie clothing and hippie fashion were completely different.  Early on, festival going hippies wore mainstream fashions such as the shift dress in psychedelic colors of 1966-68.  Tye-die was popular in 1968, taking plain white men’s undershirts and dyeing them with multiple colors.  The more color, the better — and the gaudier the colors, the better!

1967 Festival Outfit – Mod Shift Dress with Handmade Headband and Fingerless Gloves

In 1968-69, the fashion shifted to earth tones, faded denim jeans, embroidered tops and tunics, and handmade accessories such as headbands, friendship bracelets, and hair wraps.  The flower child decoration of patches, embroidery, painting, and peace signs were added by many hippies to make their jeans feel less commercial or to make an anti-war statement.

Hippie fashion influenced mainstream designers who turned back to the down to earth, homemade, ethnic arts and crafts styles. Forest green with brown suede, and sunshine yellow with denim blue were signature colors of the ethnic-hippie ’60s. Crochet pieces, suede vests, wood beads, headbands, sandals, and embroidered trim decorated shift dresses or flared jeans. It was a blend of current silhouettes and folk art decoration.

Learn more about 60s hippie fashion influences, history of 60s hippie clothes and check out these 10 hippie outfit ideas.

1967 Folk Designs for Emerging Hippies

The 1970s continued the hippie trend into mainstream fashion. The youth-oriented looks turned to the complete opposite — granny style. Romanticized granny clothes from several generations ago, like pioneer women, returned fashion back to long dresses and sleeves, ruffles, lace trim, small cotton prints, and long hair (worn down this time, not up). The age of the mini skirt “grew up” and turned into adults, not like their parents but instead like those of generations before, which seemed to have a simple life that hippies idolized. Continue learning about 1970s fashion here.

Late 60’s “Peasant” Style Hippie Clothes

More 60s History and Outfit Ideas

• 10 Hippie Outfit Ideas for Women
• 1960s Women’s Outfit Inspiration
• 60s Costumes: Hippie, Go Go Dancer, Flower Child, Mod Style
• How to Make a 1960s Mod Dress
• 1960s Sleepwear, Pajamas, Robes History
• 1960s Black Fashion, African American Clothing Photos | Gallery
• 1960s Colors and Fabrics & Women’s Fashion
• 1960s Wedding History: Brides, Bridesmaids, Mothers
• Even more about 1960s fashion, read up here.

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