Do you dream of being a hippie? Or looking like Jackie-O? It sounds like the 60s are right up your alley. Perhaps you’ve been invited to a costume party or want to be an icon of the era for Halloween. Here are some tips for your 60s costumes to make you stand out.
The 60s was a decade for the legs. Mini skirts, babydoll dresses, and go-go boots emphasized women’s legs as her most attractive assets. For men, bell-bottom jeans were starting to come into fashion, as well as everything paisley and psychedelic-printed. Colors came into clothing like they hadn’t in decades. Women had bouffants, and men had long mop-tops. And it wasn’t just the women wearing the bright colors – men’s suits were also available in jewel tones, with loud, wide ties.
For many in their 20s and 30s now, all you might have to do is look to your parents’ closet or storage, and you won’t even have to shell out any money for a costume. Chances are some of them have kept their fringe jackets, shift dresses, and micro-mini skirts. For those who don’t have this available in a closet nearby, thrift and consignment stores often have a plethora of these items for just a few dollars.
Two of the main styles for your 60s costumes were the Mods and the Rockers. Mods wore short shift dresses in bright colors, go-go boots, and short hair. Rockers wore a lot of leather, wore their hair greased and in pompadours, and often rode motorcycles. Later on, hippies took over and created a more gender-neutral look. Bell-bottoms grew in popularity, and wide, flowing “peasant” tops were the norm. Any of these can be found in a thrift store by the dozen.
Maybe you want your 60s costume to resemble Twiggy, the biggest model in the industry. Just put on a shift dress and some tall boots or cute mary janes, and then go all-out on the mascara and eyeliner. Maybe men might want to resemble some of the biggest icons of the time – The Beatles. If you wanted to go as John Lennon, you could just put on your “New York City” cutoff shirt, a jean vest and some tight pants, and of course the iconic round sunglasses.
Women can be Audrey Hepburn in a flash. All you need is a classy black shift dress, a pearl necklace, some round sunglasses, and perhaps a cigarette holder. Then, put your hair up into a classy bun and call it a day! Men can go as the great James Bond. If you have a tux available to you, then there’s not much more to it than that! Perhaps you can create a golden Walter PPK with some cardboard and spray paint to add to the effect, and don’t forget to grease your hair!
This is just a small sampling of 60s costumes. There is a breadth of pop culture and media imagery; all you have to do is perform an internet search and you can see all the glamor you could become for a night!
Recent Comments