yr13_ees_2007_macphail


 * To what extent did Women’s fashion reflect and contribute to Women’s emancipation in the 1960’s in Britain?**


 * [Start by providing an abstract of 300 words which summarises the main points you will be making in the essay (it's basically like a conclusion in advance!)]**


 * [Then provide an introduction which outlines how you will be tacking the question rather than going "straight into it" as you do here]**

The 1960’s was a decade full of changes for women across the world. Even when the 60’s are mentioned today, it still stirs up emotion, even for women who were perhaps older, and less involved in the political and social issues that were present. I chose to look at the 1960’s from a different angle - focusing on how fashion reflected and contributed to women’s emancipation in Britain in the 1960’s. Fashion changed drastically through this particular decade. Women’s clothing became a lot looser, shorter, and generally more risqué. Women had previously been restricted in corsets and long skirts that restricted a lot of movement. The corsets also often gave women great trouble breathing, and many would often pass out after wearing one during the day. As changes began to occur around the world, fashion styles changed, particularly in Britain. Women began to wear mini skirts, and heels that were kitten heel, instead of stiletto. They also began to wear clothes that did not hug every part of their body. The styles became more masculine, and much more comfortable for women to wear. I therefore decided to look at whether these changes in fashion truly reflected the changes in women’s general lifestyles. Traditionally, in earlier years, fashion had dictated exactly what women should be wearing for each event. There was casual day wear, which was very different to the formal strict evening wear that women and men were obligated to wear when out at night. Similarly, the materials and fabrics that were used to make each piece of clothing were often only applied to the specific sections of clothing. However, the 1960’s was a very different decade. The rules that had previously applied to everyone, suddenly were bent, and it suddenly became practical and normal to wear to the same outfit that had been worn during the day out at night. New, more unusual materials were introduced, and fashion was no longer what it had been known to be. The 1960’s saw the “Baby Boom” generation coming of age within society. Teenagers and young adults were seen to be much more rebellious and more determined to enjoy life the way they wanted to, rather than in the way that their parents (who had fought in World War One and Two) had. But is it really true that **...????**

In the 1960’s, women’s rights changed dramatically. As the war had ended several years previously, in 1945, women suddenly able to do things that ten years previously would have been ridiculous. Women in Britain had received the right to vote in 1928, after much protesting by the suffragettes. During the 1960’s as Britain slowly recovered from the Second World War, women were able to get more rights in their country. One event that spurred the fight for women’s rights, was Barbara Castle becoming the New Cabinet Minister for Overseas Development in 1964. Stating, after gaining her position “It is hard for anyone, male or female, to fulfill themselves if they are poor, ill-housed, ill-educated and struggling with ill health.”[|[1]] It therefore became her plan to deal with the needs of women, in general society. Having a woman finally in place as a cabinet minister gave women more reason than ever to believe that they could one day have the same opportunities as men did, be it in politics, or at work.

During the 1960’s women finally began to have an impact, particularly in politics. A good example of this is the Profumo Affair. John Profumo, the Secretary of State for war in 1963[|[2]] shared a very short relationship with a showgirl, Christine Keeler. After the scandal was revealed, Profumo lied about it in the House of Commons, which eventually caused the current Prime Minister, Harold MacMillan’s government to lose much of its reputation. At the centre of the whole affair, was Christine Keeler, especially as it was later discovered that Keeler had also had an affair with a senior naval attaché at the Soviet Embassy in London. It was quickly becoming clear to politicians and the general public alike, that women were more and more quickly having an impact on the country where “the public first saw sex colliding with politics and where everyone – politicians, newspapers and a society in the throes of enormous changes – realized what a thrilling and dangerous combination they could be[|[3]].”

In terms of fashion in the 1960’s, it can be said that there was a growing trend towards androgyny with men and women. The “Twiggy” look was fast growing popular. Labeled the “face of 1966” in the Daily Express, she was the worlds very first supermodel, whos daring looks took the world by storm. Sporting a skinny, waif like, androgynous figure, as well as a boyish hair cut and long eyelashes, as seen in the photo below, (which incidentally later became known as Twiggy’s), she changed the way women dressed, and wore their hair, forever.

She became an idol for teenage girls, as well as a household name. (The icons of the 1960’s are remembered as being youthful. This was not a decade of older icons, but rather, young, youthful looking actors, actresses and models.) Top photographers shot images of Twiggy, and she was soon worth millions. An idol for females, and a sex icon for males, Twiggy helped to create the trend of androgyny for men and women in the 1960’s. She represented that change that Britain underwent during the 1960’s, as people came to appreciate her look that helped to epitomize an era.

Socially, fashion also began to reflect a major social change in the 1960’s. The 1960’s were the age of “the Pill.” Introduced at the very beginning of the decade, following much controversy, this form of birth control became the way in which women were able to become much more sexually liberated, and essentially, more equal to men. Despite this, it was only available to married women in the UK, until 1967. Having the ability to be able to have sex without worrying about becoming pregnant was a major breakthrough for all women. Finally, in charge of their own bodies, women were able to engage in “free love” etc. Following the legalization of the pill, came a change in the divorce law. In 1969, divorce could be obtained, providing that the couple had been separated for two years, and it was clear that there was no chance of a reconciliation.[|[4]] Again, being able to divorce was another advancement for women. Previously, it could be said that women may have been trapped in a violent marriage, and, following the change in the divorce law, they were able to be liberated.

However, the result in fashion stemming from the introduction of the pill and the change in the divorce law could be perhaps said to have been unexpected. The 1960’s did not begin immediately with colorful clothes, and shorter skirts and more daring fashion designs. The decade began with women still wearing sensible clothing that they had been wearing in the 50’s i.e. the “bouffant” look. The typical design of this look was when the top of the dress hugged the body, and the bottom of the dress was looser, and did not hug the body as much. Women piled their hair on top of their head, into a ‘beehive’ style. Flat shoes were mostly worn. However, very quickly younger women began to influence the fashion world, and fashions began to change. Small boutiques began to open up selling colorful, cheap clothing for young women. Mary Quant, although not responsible for the invention if the mini skirt, played a huge part in making the design popular. By 1963 she was starting to export her fashion ideas to the United States, and owing to the massive demand by American women for her clothes, she started a mass production company. Soon after, by 1966 she was creating mini dresses and skirts that were over 5 inches above the knee, which had never been popular in the past. She found that her designs were most popular in young women living in London, and her style quickly became known as the ‘Chelsea Look.’ Another important invention during the 60’s was the pantyhose. Finally, women could do away with garter belts, girdles, and roll-ons, and wear pantyhose with a short dress or skirt. In the 1960’s, a new television show came about, that was watched by over half the nation. It was called ‘That was the Week That Was,’ and was a program that invariably had a huge influence on what women were wearing during this time. On one particular broadcast, a model appeared on the program, wearing a dress with a belt that enabled her to change the length of the dress. At the time, the length of the dress shocked viewers, but soon enough, less than a year later, many women all across Britain were wearing very similar pieces of clothing. This perhaps shows us just how influenced Britain really was during this decade of change. This particular example demonstrates how the attitude in the 60’s in Britain was one of looking to the future, which suggests the reason why the decade moved so fast in terms of fashion, culture, and lifestyle. It can perhaps be said that the mini skirt, or mini dress symbolize this attitude.

All of these major changes in fashion could be said to have been the result of changes in other areas of women’s lives. However, we should not overstate these developments and their reflections in fashion. - **THIS IS A GOOD SECTION**. Women were still not equal in several ways, particularly in the area of industry. An example of this is the Ford Sewing machine event of the summer of 1968. The sewing machinists went on strike, in a fight to get the same rights as men, including the same pay checks. The spokeswoman for the strikers, Rose Boaland said “When we go to the Ford Company, we have to pass a test on three machines. If we don’t pass that test, then we don’t get a job. So why shouldn’t they recognize us as skilled workers?” [|[5]] Although the workers never gained the equality that they had asked for, they did receive a pay rise. This therefore shows that, although they were able to perhaps gain a small amount of power, they still were not treated as equals in comparison to men. This was often blamed on the attitudes of the men working in industry and trade, as well as the low expectations of women, owing to the fact that they had never before even considered standing up for their rights.

Moreover, the fashions that became popular in the 1960’s were also not necessarily worn by the majority of the population. As I said before, the 1960’s were not a decade for older looking icons, but rather those the likes of Twiggy were more popular, as their looks were much more youthful. Kitchen Sink Dramas such as “Cathy Come Home”[|[6]] and “Alfie”[|[7]] were part of a genre of British cinema that depicted the British way of life, that could often be perceived as being quite sordid. Women in the dramas were depicted wearing clothes like that that their mothers had worn, and they were shown as still being dominated by men and seeing it as their duty to bear their husbands children, despite the recent drastic changes in medical areas etc. Seen in the photograph above is a seen from “Cathy Come Home.” It is important to notice that the woman is depicted in clothes that are very practical. Her dress and coat cover her knees and she isn’t wearing anything as risqué as heels or a mini skirt, which was the fashion during the time the drama was made. Films such as “Cathy Come Home” and “Alfie” showed the British public of the 1960s just how much of life in Britain was still a male creation, despite efforts by women, to change it. In 1967, the “Hippie” movement appeared in California, and soon after, it spread to other countries around the world, including Britain. The “Hippie” style was a form of fashion where any kind of clothing was permissible, as long as the materials used were natural, not man made like the favorite of that time – PVC. A very distinct style worn by the hippies quickly emerged, with ethnic Indian clothing being a favorite. The psychedelic designs worn by the hippies were often a result of hallucinogenic drugs used. These obviously greatly affected the design of the outfits that they wore, causing them to become more extravagant, with bright colours, and exaggerated patterns. The idea behind the “Hippie” phase was to spread peace and love around the world. Phrases such as “make love, not war” were common, something that would never have been considered appropriate ten years before. It is therefore important to note that it was not just designs such as those by Mary Quant that influenced the British population, and that of the rest of the world, but there was also the “Hippie” style, worn by many in the last few years of the 1960’s. It is also important to note, that it was perhaps the “Hippie” style that brought a more unisex look. (as seen in the photo below).

The divide between the fashions of men and women was gone, as both sexes wore their hair long, and often, exactly the same clothing. It could therefore be said that, despite there still being many divides between men and women elsewhere, in politics and social circumstances, the “Hippie” idea was clear – that men and women were considered to be much more equal than they had ever been before.

Although it can be said that there was still a lot of difference between men and women, women had gained more respect and more rights during the 1960’s, than their mothers and grandmothers before them ever had experienced. Legal abortion and contraception that was available freely in 1969, meant that, sexually, women were much more free than they had been before. They no longer had to worry about getting pregnant. Legislation on divorce as well as equal pay was also impending, and was introduced in 1970 in Britain. To be able to say that fashion had influenced the changes in women’s lives would be difficult of justify, but I think that it is certain that the important changes that occurred for women during the 1960’s could have been reflected in fashions that were present and evolving during the decade, such as the sexual changes like the introduction of contraception could be said to have been reflected in the creation of the mini skirt. [Not sure what to write here]

[|[1]] A century of Women by Sheila Rowbotham, page 340 [|[2]] Philip Larkin wrote in Annus Mirabilis that 1963 was the year that “sexual intercourse began.” [|[3]] Ros Taylor, Gaurdian Unlimited. Friday March 10, 2006 [|[4]] A Century of Women, by Sheila Rowbotham, page 340 [|[5]] Socialist Worker Interview, A Century of Women by Sheila Rowbotham. [|[6]] Screened in December of 1966. It is filmed in a “gritty realistic drama documentary style.”It follows the story of two people called Cathy and Reg who fall in love. They have a home together, and she bears two children. However, Reg is injured in an accident, and loses his job. The family is forced to live a life of poverty and unemployment, living in shelters and squats. Eventually, the children are taken away by the social services. [|[7]] Alfie was released in August of 1966. It follows the story of a man who thinks that the only real life he can have is a sex life. He doesn’t mind not having a high paid job, as long as he has plenty of women to choose from. However, he finally settles down with a woman named Ruby. He falls in love with her, but at the end of the movie, she leaves him for someone younger, who treats her better.


 * List of Sources**

[|www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/cool-clothes.htm]

[|www.loti.com/sixties_fashion/Mary_Quant_sixties_fashion.htm]

[|www.fashion-era.com/the-1960s_mini.htm]

[|www.twiggylawson.co.uk]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/5/newsid_2660000/2660375.stm

A Century of Women by Sheila Rowbotham

Anatomy of a Scandal by Ros Taylor, Gaurdian Unlimited. Friday March 10, 2006

The Sixties, by Arthur Marwick