The 1960s were a decade of revolution. Not just in politics or music, but in fashion, beauty, and identity. everything was shifting, fast. Gone were the rules of the 1950s. In their place was expression, experimentation, and extremes.
From the streets of London to the campuses of California, women redefined how they dressed, looked, and lived. Let’s explore the subcultures that shaped a generation, and what they wore while doing it.
The Mods
Modernists. Cool, clean, and completely obsessed with style. The Mod girl was sharp, chic, and totally London.
Style: Mini skirts. Shift dresses. Go-go boots. Bold geometric prints and monochrome palettes. Tailored jackets and androgynous touches. It was all about looking current, looking sharp, and looking now.
Makeup: Statement eyes were everything. Think heavy black eyeliner, pastel eyeshadow, drawn-on lower lashes (à la Twiggy), and pale lips. The goal? Doll-like but daring.
Hair: Short crops or sleek bobs. Vidal Sassoon was the go-to. Hair was graphic, architectural, and often with a heavy fringe.
Why it Happened
British youth culture exploded in the early ‘60s. Music, fashion, art – it all collided in swinging London. Mod girls embraced modernity, rejecting old fashion ideals for sharp, futuristic flair.
The Hippies
Free spirits, dreamers, and rule-breakers. Hippie girls weren’t dressing to impress, they were dressing to express.
Style: Maxi skirts, bell-bottom jeans, tie-dye shirts, ethnic prints, fringe, suede, and lots of embroidery. Layers of beads and bangles. Everything was loose, flowing and unstructured. It was more about vibes than trends.
Makeup: Natural or none. Some wore flower-painted faces or glitter for festivals, but most skipped foundation and lipstick altogether. They let their skin breathe.
Hair: Long, loose, and untouched. Braids, flowers, or headbands. Hair was sacred, spiritual, and political. The more natural, the better.
Why it Happened
The counterculture movement rose out of protest. Against war, racism, and capitalism. It was about peace, love, and rejecting consumerism. Fashion followed suit, free, flowing, and deeply symbolic.
The Dolly Birds
Pretty, playful, and unapologetically feminine. Dolly birds were the pin-up girls of the Mod scene, cute, cheeky, and utterly fashionable.
Style: Mini everything. Babydoll dresses, Peter Pan collars, pastel colours, knee-high socks, oversized bows. It was girlish, exaggerated, almost cartoon-like.
Makeup: Bug lashes, thick liner, pastel eyeshadow, and perfectly nude or peachy lips. Think Twiggy with exaggeration and eyes that took centre-stage.
Hair: Bouffants, beehives, flipped bobs and teased crowns. Often topped with hairbands or ribbons.
Why it Happened
In the youth-obsessed world of swinging London, cuteness became currency. Fashion had become fun, flirty, and less serious with women taking charge of how they wanted to be seen.
The Beat Chicks
A quieter rebellion. Think coffee houses, black turtlenecks, and poetry readings. The Beat girl was the bridge between 50s Bohemian and 60s introspection.
Style: Dark colours and simple silhouettes. Long skirts, slim pants, and oversized sweaters. Lots of black. Accessories were minimal, maybe a beret, neck scarf or long necklace.
Makeup: Almost none. Pale face, bare lips, a flick of mascara at most. These women weren’t trying to look pretty, they were trying to be taken seriously.
Hair: Long and parted in the middle. Often worn down and straight or pulled back in a simple knot.
Why it Happened
The Beat movement gave women a space to step outside the mainstream. To write, to speak, and to question. Fashion wasn’t the point, but it still made a quiet statement.
The Space Age Girls
Fashion met the future. Shiny, strange, and totally new. These were the women that looked like they came from the moon.
Style: Metallic fabrics, PVC coats, plastic accessories, helmet hats. Courrèges, Paco Rabanne, and Cardin were the designers of the moment. Mini skirts and structured dresses in bold, simple cuts. Think sci-fi meets catwalk.
Makeup: Chrome shadows, graphic liner, frosted lips. Eyes were spacey and skin was flawless. Alien chic.
Hair: Short, sharp futuristic styles. Or sleek ponytails with sculptural details. Some even wore silver wigs or geometric hairpieces.
Why it Happened
The Space Race, sci-fi films, and futuristic optimism collided with a fashion industry ready for innovation. These women wore the future. Literally.
Final Thoughts
The 1960s gave women freedom. Not just politically or sexually, but sartorially. Each subculture carved out a new version of femininity – mod, wild, playful, radical. The rules had changed. And with hemlines rising, voices growing louder, and colours getting bolder, the decade became a runway for revolution.
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