I chose the 1960s because it is an interesting and bold age. It interests me to see the beginning of change socially and in fashion, using PVC and more other man made materials in garments. The library is a great resource available to me so I looked for and found a book on the nineteen-sixties, it inspired me because it relates to my current project and my past in fashion and textile design – at college I looked into the sixties and thoroughly enjoyed it. The first image that I chose was from ‘A fresh look at the Decade if Change by Francis Wheen The Sixties’. It shows a normal high street from the time, with various aspects of the decade showing including advertising, fashion and motorcars. I came to my decision on the PVC dress on the basis that there are bold shapes in the original photograph, which are replicated in this image of a garment made in the 1960s. The style of this dress and its manufacture was inspired by the ‘space age’ a popular movement of the time. Furthermore, women and men adopted the ‘wet look’ mainly garments and accessories made from plastic, man-made fabrics and materials. Women in the sixties looked up to celebrities’ style such as Doris Day, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn in the media which was very influential to everyday fashion.

I feel the first image displays the many changes that happened in the sixties, women had more freedom, and different laws were introduced to give people more control of their own bodies, in turn, this was mirrored in fashion with influential characters like Mary Quant who introduced the mini skirt fitting in perfectly with society at this time. PVC seems to be held together with zips that may be a metaphor for how the different components of society fit together in different ways and how it can easily be unraveled at the pull of a string/ zip. Women’s fashion was mainly influenced throughout this time but men also had changes such as ties getting wider and collars longer. Men’s general look was more relaxed because of their long hair influenced by The Beatles. Some men stuck with suits similar to those worn in the fifties, which was older men. There was a major European influence in the sixties for men’s fashion, including tassels, and the hippie movement. Overall, I think my choices in photograph and garment go together well as I can clearly see the connection between the two.

Unkown photographer, The Sixties by Francis Wheen

PVC optical shift dress, Stephen Willats, 1965, UK. Museum no. T.19-1991. Victoria and Albert Museum, London