1960s : Fashions of a Tradition-Changing Decade

[seanutbutter]

Norman Norell wool coat, c.1965-1970
Norman Norell was the master of ready-to-wear fashion that could pass for couture. He consistently produced luxurious garments distinguished for their cutting edge style. From 1940-1970, Norell was at the top of his profession, producing collections often copied in Paris. In the 1960s, The New Yorker wrote that Norell's influence was rivaled only by that of Balenciaga.

With its strong color and pure lines, this knockout bubblegum pink wool coat, minimally accented with black buttons, showcases Norell's artful simplicity. The knee-length, belted coat features a wide flat collar and patch pockets. The coat is lined with matching pink taffeta.

Norell showed that great design could also be simple design. He avoided extraneous detail, which detracted from the main design idea. As Vogue wrote in 1966, "One coat is all he believes in, and one coat is all he shows—and it's enough."

vintagetextile.com

 

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Pedro Rodriguez beaded mini dress, c.1960
This exceptional satin dress was designed by the talented Spanish designer Pedro Rodriguez, admired for his beautiful, elaborately beaded eveningwear. Like his friend Cristobal Balenciaga, Rodriguez favored luxurious textiles and sculptural cuts. Rodriguez' designs sometimes turn up in the wardrobes of wealthy Americans who traveled in Spain from 1950 to 1970.

The dress is fashioned from substantial-weight ivory silk satin and is lined with matching silk. The dress closes on the side with a metal zipper. The beading is a work of art! The densely packed clusters of pastel flowers have a delightful three-dimensional quality. The Robert bracelet is for sale in the Jewelry section.

The flowers are rendered in shades of pink, pale blue, yellow, and silver/gray seed beads—see the detail picture below. The abstract floral motif in delicate, feminine hues seductively entwines itself around the wearer's body—subtle, yet alluring!

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Norell wool double knit dress, 1960s
The great American master Norell learned his craft from Hattie Carnegie, where he worked as head designer for 12 years before going out on his own. He learned perfectionism from her. The night before an opening in the late 1930s, Carnegie had Norell take a sleeve out and reset it seven times until it was just right.

Fashioned from bubblegum-pink wool double knit, the dress is comfortable and easy to wear. The scooped neckline is cut low in front, and even lower in back, adding pizzazz to an otherwise tailored design. This is precise and assured minimalism, and sexy to boot.

In this fetching wool dress, we can see how Norell combined the American invention of "day-to-evening" dressing with the subtlety and simplicity of French early evening clothing.

The dress is totally lined with matching silk crepe. The patch pockets and wide belt are casually relaxed. The hand stitched zipper, hand finishing, and self-bound buttonholes are details expected on a couture garment.

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[DosViolines]

Henry Clarke journeyed to Palermo, Italy, to snap this image, which appeared in the December 1, 1967, Vogue. Model Barbara Bach wears a turquoise high-waist dress with a matching drawstring by Leslie Fay. Her matching wide brimmed hat is by Till. Oversize fuchsia earrings break up the otherwise monochrome look. She stands at the fountain of the baroque Villa Trabia, at Sant Mari di Gesù in Sicily. The antiquity of the surroundings is an inspired contrast to the modernity of the fashions.

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[DosViolines]

Five models and one simple five-button dress made of lightweight wool. Each wears a different shade with a corresponding matching pillbox hat. They pose among matching cutouts in geometric shapes. William Bell's photograph appeared in the February 16, 1963, Vogue.

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[DosViolines]

Istanbul, Turkey, is the setting for this Henry Clarke photograph, which appeared in the December 1, 1966, Vogue. A barefoot model walks on a rooftop as spires loom in the background. She wears a full-length red crepe tunic dress with flared sleeves and a white rolled neckline by Christian Dior New York. A single dramatic pendant nods to the exotic setting.

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[DosViolines]

Pauline Trigère Evening Dress

A boulder-strewn plain in Cappadocia, Turkey, is the setting for this stunning Henry Clarke photograph, which appeared in the December 1, 1966, Vogue. A model wears an orange-and-blue print evening dress with matching toga scarf by Pauline Trigère, both of which are rendered nearly transparent by the bright light emanating from the top right corner. Her dancelike pose conveys a sense of energy and movement, while the antiquated statue head next to her looks on stoically. The overall effect allows the excitement of the fashion to confront the viewer almost viscerally.

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[DosViolines]

Red Geoffrey Beene Dress

Göreme, Turkey, is the location of this fashion photograph, which appeared in the December 1, 1966, Vogue. Perched atop a treacherous cliff, a model sports a deep- red linen dress by Geoffrey Beene. With an A-line shape and criss-crossed bodice, this style is a classic example of the celebrated mid-sixties shift dress. Photographer Henry Clarke makes inspired use of the location, using the brightly-adorned model as a focal point in an otherwise monochrome, rocky landscape. In doing so he enlivens the atmosphere while making the fashion especially dramatic.

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[DosViolines]

Robert Sloan Silver Swimsuit

Henry Clarke snaps a model in an unusual, sculptural space in this photograph, which appeared in the January 15, 1966, Vogue. She wears a simple silver maillot by Sylvia de Gay for Robert Sloan. The futuristic quality of the swimsuit is undermined by the natural space where she resides, capturing a moment in fashion when progressive styles needed to be tempered with historical context.

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[DosViolines]

Having worked in fashion photography since 1948, Henry Clarke bore witness to the evolution from a composed elegance to a energetic bohemia. This image, from the June 1, 1967, Vogue, falls into the latter camp as French model Simone D'Aillencourt, on location in Udaipur, India, poses like a temple statue in a green linen dress by Jacques Tiffeau for Tiffeau & Busch.

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[DosViolines]

Two models lounge stylishly on a beach in this Louise Dahl-Wolfe photograph, which appeared in the January 16, 1963, Vogue. They sit on a wicker basket, wearing red bathing suits—one with crisscross straps, the other with a shock of pink running from back to front. Salmon-pink parasols and fuchsia straw hats support the color scheme.

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[DosViolines]

Tiziani Striped Silk Evening Gown

Model Susan Murray poses for Henry Clarke on an empty beach in this photograph, which appeared in the June 1, 1966, Vogue. She wears a long-sleeve, full-skirted striped silk evening dress by Tiziani. The juxtaposition of nature, in the form of the sand, and civilization, represented by the elaborate gown, lends this piece a feeling of high drama.

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[DosViolines]

Originally appearing in the March 15, 1967, Vogue, this Bert Stern minimal and clean image features '60s It girl Twiggy in a swingy, pleated metallic Pierre Cardin dress, Hattie Carnegie earrings, and gold Rene Mancini pumps. Cardin was well known for this type of space-age look that characterized the decade.

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[seanutbutter]

Pink & White Dress
C.1960 Pink and white cotton sheath dress is an open basket weave fabric. The standing collar and front bodice are cut in white with accent pink covered buttons. Center back zipper to close.

woodlandfarmsantiques.com

 

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Aqua Lace Ensemble
C.1960 A sweet aqua lace dress and matching coat set on an under structure of aqua silk crepe. The dress is scooped neck and has a high empire waistline. There are a few breaks in the lace on the left side near between the waist and hip area. The matching coat has a single frog closure and glove length sleeves.

woodlandfarmsantiques.com

 

[seanutbutter]

C.1964-ish A great multi-colored jumpsuit in silk crepe. The colors are bright and vibrant in keeping with the times, lime green, purple, hot pink, teal, orange and white. The top drapes freely from the seams along the open neckline and the armholes. Below the top is a camisole of white cotton. The very wide palazzo trousers are attached to the camisole.

woodlandfarmsantiques.com

 

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Paper Swim Suit
C.1960 funny little blue and white paper swim suit. The paper is in perfect condition but the elastic is shot in the waistband of the trunks.

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Forest Green Knit Dress
C.1960 Forest green knit dress with matching fabric belt and a striped scarf. The dress has a scooped v-neckline in front and high at the back and 3/4 length sleeves and moderately full flirty short skirt. The belt has a large simple silver buckle. The scarf is striped in white, forest green and French Military blue.

woodlandfarmsantiques.com

 

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Beaded Shirtwaist
C.1960 White lace shirtwaist shift set over an under-dress of white rayon. The lace is covered in clear sequins, pearls and beads. The collar and cuffs are totally encrusted with beads as are the dome buttons. The long narrow sleeves are sheer and have beaded cuffs. The dress buttons from the throat to the waist.

woodlandfarmsantiques.com

 

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Beige Knit Set
C.1960 Light beige wool knit tunic and trousers. The tunic is trimmed in white mink. I think this looks great worn as a mini dress without the trousers. The tunic has a wide waist yoke and an inverted pleat in the skirt of the tunic. Center back zipper. The trousers have a side seam zipper.

woodlandfarmsantiques.com