Matilda Tscherpel
Aaaaaaand we’re time-jumping! Past the less exciting years of the Great Depression and a World War and right into the Swinging Sixties. From Counterculture and Hitchcock to the “British Invasion” and Miniskirts, the '60s were one heck of a time to be alive. Here are the most essential things for you to know…
While the '50s were plagued with conservatism and social conformity, the '60s were the exact opposite. Young people sought to break away from the darkness of the previous decade, countering politicians’ talk of wars and walls with flowers and peace signs, which we now fittingly refer to as Counterculture. This culminated in the second half of the 1960s and marked the start of the Hippie movement, which reached its peak in the 1970s. Hippies were known for their laid-back attitude towards, well, pretty much everything. They introduced the idea of just loving and supporting people, regardless of who they were, inspiring countless minorities to stand up for themselves. The '60s saw the rise of the Civil and Gay Rights Movements, Second-Wave Feminism and the “New Left”, making it one of the most politically diverse decades of the 20th century.
But the '60s weren’t just instrumental in shaping today’s politics; it was also one of the greatest decades for the movie and music industry.
The '60s Music Industry was greatly mourning the “death of Rock and Roll” following Elvis’ enlistment in the army in 1959. However, things were soon looking up, as record producer Phil Spector started producing girl groups, such as The Dixie Cups or The Supremes, creating a new kind of pop music. Also during the early sixties, the surf-rock sub-genre emerged with the creation of The Beach Boys. Meanwhile in the UK, Rock and Roll was still very much alive, most prominently kept alive by a little band called The Beatles (who later transitioned into pop music). The Beatles’ arrival in the US in 1964, and specifically their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, marked the beginning of the “British Invasion," a period in time when the American music scene was largely influenced by British artists, such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Other prominent artists of the '60s include Loretta Lynn, Simon & Garfunkel, the Kinks, Roy Orbinson, Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke.
At the other end of the entertainment industry, the films of the 1960s were dominated mostly by one name and one name only: Sir Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock’s revolutionary thrillers “The Birds” and “Psycho” changed cinema forever and are, to this day, considered to be some of the greatest films ever made. The highest-grossing film of the decade, however, was not a Hitchcock film at all, it was the iconic “The Sound of Music”. Classics like “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, “Funny Girl”, “My Fair Lady” and “West Side Story” were all released in the 1960s as well.
Now, finally, for the most exciting part: 1960s fashion. As mentioned above, the Hippie movement started in the late '60s. And with it came the signature Hippie fashion of bell-bottom jeans, tie-dye shirts, batik fabrics or anything with a paisley pattern on it. All tied together with bandanas, peace sign necklaces and a trusted pair of sunglasses, usually wire-rimmed with a round pink lens.
As for the earlier '60s though, there’s nothing much to say except MINISKIRTS! And maybe a sophisticated headband and a classy red lipstick. Fashion in this decade, and in most other decades, was also heavily influenced by pop culture, and for the 1960s, pop culture was synonymous with The Beatles. The appropriately named Beatle Boots and the collarless Nehru Jacket (in stylish blue-grey became increasingly popular because of John, Paul, George and Ringo. And, unfortunately, so did Mop-Top haircuts.
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