If someone from the future were to take a peek inside of our wardrobes, they’d have a pretty hard time determining what year it is. This season alone, we’ve got wide-leg denim that looks as if it has come from the ’70s, ’90s accessories like chunky loafers and nylon bags, and statement-making ’80s puff sleeves all thrown together. However, if there’s one decade that quietly overarches them all, it’s the 1960s.
Every season without fail, on and off the runway, some aspect of ’60s fashion is referenced. For example, for the past few winters, we saw loads of fashion people wearing white boots—a classic item from the era—as well as bold floral prints. But that’s not where the influence of ’60s fashion ends. It was a momentous time for fashion and the way we consume it. In the ’50s, Dior set the tone for post-war style with its structured hourglass silhouettes. But come the ’60s, hemlines rose, and waists loosened as the sexual revolution gave way to an onslaught of new fashion possibilities. This makes the ’60s one of the most important decades in fashion history.
