The 1960s were a decade where society changed in all aspects and represented a period of radical change; influencing our culture, music and fashion. The pace of change was immense, with fashions coming and going at a rapid rate. 1960s clothes styles broke all the rules and reflected the social movement of the time.

America's First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy presented a refined and ladylike style that was a major influence over women in the early part of the 1960s. Capri pants were the choice for informal where while women in business would chose pastel coloured short jackets with large buttons. A full flare skirt from a with a low neckline

Women of the early 1960s could not get enough of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and her refined, ladylike style. Pastel suits with short jackets and large buttons were especially popular with the ladies for business and for playtime they wore Capri pants. The typical ball gown featured a full skirt that flared out from a narrow tapered waist with the upper gown featuring a low neck.

In contrast, Men were wearing brightly coloured suits with wide ties that had wild prints or stripes. Suspenders were the fashion accessory for the trousers and the jackets were usually without collars.

From the followers of modern jazz music, the London Modernists emerged. They became more commonly known as the Mods and set a classy style for young men in the 1960s; based on Italian and French high fashion designers. Suits were tailored, trousers fitted and the shirts featured button down collars and a slim tailored fit. Levi jeans were the main brand choice. The bell bottom jeans that featured in later hippie styles were based on an early trend for flared trousers set in this era. The Mohair suit was popular with the Mods as it was great for dancing, being shiny under the lights and yet comfortable and lightweight

The miniskirt, introduced by Mary Quant in 1964 was a significant addition to the Mod fashion and women started to become part of the Mod movement with styles that would reflect the style of the men.

The latter 1960s clothes fashions were heavily influenced by the hippies and the skinheads. The skinheads' style was based on the Mods but the mohair suit was replaced with the Tonic suit that would change colour under the lights due to the different coloured threads used in the design. Trousers were narrow to reflect the narrow lapel style of the jackets. Their boots or brogues were highly shined and shirts from Ben Sherman were the predominant style with checks and an Oxford cotton fabric.
The Hippie style was more casual and reflected a general movement which rebelled against authority. Tie-dies and large floral patterns with bright colours dominated the fashion scene. Wide leather belts appeared on hip hugging jeans which opened out to the bell bottom style below the knee. Lightweight fabric skirts often contained a tiering and would be beyond knee length. Accessories included beads and other various additions for both men and women.

The 1960s clothes styles were a reflection of a rapidly changing and diverse society which saw a major change in the fashion industry.

Boating Blazers

A black and grey striped boating blazer is worn by Jimmy the Mod (Phil Daniels) in the film Quadrophenia. The boating blazer was made of cotton or sometimes mohair or silk and had a fitted look with small lapels and three buttons. It was common to have a ticket pocket sewn above the right hand pocket. The Boating Blazer has become part of the Mod fashion and is a smart look for any self respecting Mod who wants to stand out; whether it is during the day or night.

Pork Pie n Trilby Hats

Purdy, the black Mod in the film Quadrophenia wore a trilby hat. It provided a great place to store his supply of French blues (speed pills). Many Mods would use speed or some other form of amphetamines which would help to keep them going through the night with their dancing and partying lifestyle. Before the crash helmets became compulsory on scooters, the 1960s Mods would wear Pork Pie n Trilby hats because they looked cool but also kept their heads warm on the scooters! The hats tended to be in dark colours like chocolate brown, charcoal and black. Normally made from felt, they had a flat top, a short crown and an indentation all round. The hats usually have a band of silky material in the same colour about an inch in diameter fitted around the width of the hat.

Fred Perry Polo Shirt

The Parka

In the Who film ‘Quadrophenia', Jimmy the mod, along with several other characters, is seen wearing a Parka. One of the reasons the M51 Parka became so popular with the Mods was that it offered great protection from the extreme cold weather when riding their Vespa or Lambretta. It also meant that they could keep any oil or grease from the scooter off their best Mod clothes beneath the Parka. A feature of Parkas would often be a painting of a favourite band like the Kinks, Small Faces or of course, The Who. It was also common to see the name of the area that a Mod came from written on the Parka. By the 1980s, it had become popular for the Mods to have patches from scooter rallies sewn on to the Parka. While you can get a M65 Parka (similar to M51) for between £80 and £100, the M51 itself can cost around £400 to buy.

Enrights Vintage Clothing provide the 1960s clothes for those who want the authenticity of the originals.

Stay Press Trousers

Levi stay press trousers came in a variety of colours, were of a high quality and had the button fly rather than a zip front fly. Whilst they were worn by the 1960s Mods, the skinheads also adopted them in the late 1960s and would keep them smart by having a pleat sewn into the front of the trousers. Typical colours would be black, Prince of Wales, dogtooth check, burgundy and sometimes Tonic. You can get a good pair of Stay Press trousers for around £35-£40.

Mohair and Tonic Suits

Mohair Suits were popular with Mods in the 1960s as they were just right for dancing; being light weight and cool while still having a smart look. The Mohair suits had a natural shine to them which was later replicated by the cheaper made Tonic Suit also known as the Sharkskin suit in America. By weaving two or three different colours together in perfect symmetry, an iridescent light was created and created a different colour in direct light. The Tonic suit, originally created by Dormeuil, became popular with the skinheads in the late 1960s and early 70s, as well as the second generation Mods, Skins and Rudeboys. The Ace Face Clothing has made the best Tonic suits in recent years.

Desert Boots

Desert Boots became a fashion item in the 50s and early 1960s with the Beatnik Culture; having originated from the army desert boot. Normally made of a light brown or beige suede with 2, 3, or sometimes 4 holes, they became popular with Mods as they went well with either jeans or suits. The Mods that were prepared to shop around could pick up a cheap non branded version but the branded version was to be found in Clarks. The Desert Boot made a comeback as part of their classic range just a few years ago.

Bowling Shoes

Mods started wearing bowling shoes as a comfortable and lightweight shoe for dancing. This was a long time before there were any bowling alleys in England. They were usually made of coloured leather or sometimes suede. They have become adopted footwear for first, second and now third generation of Mods. The black and white colours were the most popular but they came in all colours including red white and blue.

Cycling Shirts

The shirts were made of lightweight cotton, usually with stripes around a high zip up round collar. They have long been part of the Mod wardrobe since Mods started wearing them back in the 1960s. In much the same style as football shirts today, cycling shirts would have sponsor names across the chest. As with some of the other clothes mentioned above, these lightweight shirts were great for dancing because they helped to keep you cool. A brightly coloured cycling shirt with a pair of Levis and a Harrington jacket would make for a fairly classic Mod look.

Ben Sherman Shirts

Ben Sherman shirts are a very good quality, very smart and proved very popular with the later Mods who fashioned styles together to create a new subculture, the Skinhead! 1960s Mods mainly wore button down collars and sometimes a high button down collar with a button on the back of the collar too. The shirts had a fitted look with usually a full or half pleat down the back. Ben Sherman shirts are priced from around £40 in a variety of colours with variations in check, stripes or just plain. There is a Ben Sherman shop in Carnaby Street in the west end of London where Mod and Skinhead fashions are always on sale.