After researching on the few early time periods after World War II, I have decided to write my essay based on the 1960's Female Fashion.
This is because I found that time period the most interesting and also it consisted of several different styles and changes that were quite significant and influential to the world of fashion and also the attitudes towards the body image in society.
This film showed an idea of how an average street of London looks like
& most importantly, how women dressed back then.
By 1970 women chose who they wanted to be and if they felt like wearing a short mini skirt one day and a maxi dress, midi skirt or hot pants the next day - that's what they did.
For eveningwear women often wore full length maxi dresses, evening trousers or glamorous halter neck catsuits. Some of the dresses oozed Motown glamour, others less so.
One frequently worn style was the Granny dress with a high neck.
Consider some recent changes in the US. In the 1960s and 70s, beauty ideals for women shifted from the mature curvaceous body of stars such as Marilyn Monroe to the stick-thin, flat-chested figure epitomized by supermodels such as Twiggy or Kate Moss.
Ever since the 70s, body image has always influenced teens. Trying to fit in and look skinny has always been a problem. Media has played a big part in this by showing what they think being beautiful means. The majority of fashion models are size zero, or double zero.
1960s fashion for men was not as revolutionary as it was for women.
Changes took place. Ties, belts and lapels got wider, collars got longer and wider.
Modified version of the bell bottom called "flared" became popular.
The conserative men's suit took on some geometric design along with the flare in the pants leg and wider lapels.
Sport shirts were the norm for causal wear with the polo style being the most popular.
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/mens-fashion.htm
One of the biggest influences in 60's males were the Beatles.
Their image were inspiration to others from their hairstyle to their fashion.
Another icon would be John Lennon.
In this video shows his infamous round glasses and style.
Apparently, the preferred body type has gone from the voluptuous endomorphic look of the 1950`s and 1960`s, to the lanky ectomorphic look, which is very hard to obtain for most women. Men, too, have felt the change of time as washboard abs, silky skin, and massive muscles have emerged as the forerunner in body shape distinction.
Many of the advertisements revolve around the idea of ‘living a good life’ with the alcoholic beverage promoted Miller High Life and Budweiser which always showcase men engaging in various activities such as golf and gambling. These two kinds of advertisements can be said to play on the ‘hegemonic masculine’ persona. Not only do the advertisements reiterate the existing ideal of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ at that time, but they also shape and adapt the dominant male values and ideals in the society
1967: British fashion model Twiggy arrives in America weighing 91 pounds on a 5-foot-7-inch frame, triggering a shift in average sizes for fashion models.
1968: Feminists burn bras, make up and high heels to protest the Miss America beauty pageant.
http://nm-server.jrn.columbia.edu/projects/masters/bodyimage/history/1960s.html
Slimness in Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn
Reference Text :
http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/etext/llilas/ilassa/2010/ssl.pdf
http://www.healingthehumanspirit.com/pages/body_img2.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAV29Vv9hY
This video showed a better idea of how women were with their bodies back in 1960s. and also the bikini trends at that time.
Some examples of women in the 1960s. These iconic women were the ones who influenced the ideas of body image.
Yves Saint Laurent's shift dresses and pea coats became popular in the 60s.
Yves Saint-Laurent opened his fashion house in 1961 with partner Pierre Berge as his financial backer.
<http://stylecartel.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/the-code-of-yves-saint-laurent/>
Twiggy
Twiggy was the most popular fashion model of the era, she was known for her "pixie look", which included shift dresses, ballet flats, cigarette pants and an extremely cropped haircut.
http://womens-fashion.lovetoknow.com/1960s_Women_Fashion
