By Savannah Maher
Fashion was used as a tool for social and political change in the 1960s. Many of these fashions that started in the 60s are still worn today such as the mini skirt, unisex clothing, hairstyles, and denim.
It is important to understand the historical significance of these trends because these fashions were not worn with ease in the 1960s, the youth went through harsh judgments by the conservatives and wore clothes with political purpose. These bold fashionistas consequently created a more equal America for us today.
Fashion in the 1960s liberated oppressed groups because people would recognize shared trends and that created a safe community for activists to identify with allies. Even today, people tend to migrate to others with a similar fashion taste. Wearing certain clothing or designers speak volumes without the person ever having to open their mouths.
Mini Skirt
Mary Quant invented the miniskirt in 1964, this was a skirt with a hemline several inches above the knee. The images above from Getty Images showcase that the innovation of the mini skirt allowed women to feel comfortable expressing their bodies instead of always having to cover their legs with long skirts. This holds great political significance because before this women had to be careful with how much leg they showed, the mini skirt empowered women of all body types to rock their femininity and curves.
Unisex Clothing
During the 1960s New Left activists started to challenge strict dress codes of shopping by your biological gender and wearing only clothes that emphasized the natural curves of your proclaimed gender. Unisex clothing was also used by hippies, who were known for wearing flowers and bright colors as showing appreciation to nature and free love.
Gender was recognized as a social construct during the mid-60s, this meant that women no longer built their wardrobe around society’s expectations. Women could now shop in the men’s section and vice versa. With both the LGBTQ, feminists and the hippie community all utilizing unisex clothing this created societal gender anxieties from conservatives.
Political Hair
Feminists cut their hair to discard gender expectations of looking pretty for a man in efforts to be treated equally. African American women used afros to promote natural African beauty instead of the oppressive straight long hairstyle that was romanticized in the beauty industry.
Hippie women grew out their hair to portray a carefree way of living and hippie men grew long hair in efforts to revolt against the war because all soldiers had crew cuts in the Vietnam War and were seen as the ultimate masculine archetype.
Denim
Denim was originally used for its high durability, however, in the 1960s denim became a political statement. Denim was a symbol of college students forming a unity with the working middle class and rebelling against the strict conservative dress of the 1950s.
Historically, African American slaves wore denim because it was easy to work in. The color of blue jeans also holds African roots, the color Indigofera tinctoria is a dye native to West Africa that was brought to America during the traveling back and forth between white men during the slave trade.
Euphoric Funk 