s Saint Laurent and Coco Chanel. Girls at this time were still wearing clothing identical to their mothers, especially in Europe. Many copied Doris Day’s “girl next door”, but still glamorous, film star image. Dances like the twist and mashed potato and magazines that mapped the steps, Elvis Priestly, Gene Pitney, and Helen Schapiro continued their influence in fashion from the fifties on into the early sixties.Youth cults in the UK had their share of prestige in style. Greasers, rockers, and Teddy-Boys were seen as juvenile delinquents, and their image came over to teens in America. There were also the Mod’s (moderns) in Britain, a gang of wealthy boys who rode motor scooters, wore expensive clothes, and listened to R&B. Clothes had a rebellious look, with some military influence seeping over from the wars. In 1962 there was the Cold War and USA was also at war with Vietnam. There was a lot of peace talk in politics however, there were more wars in South East Asia, the Middle East, and Indian Subcontinent. Riots were going on in Las Angeles, Chicago, and Berlin. Crime and lawlessness was creeping in everywhere, especially with assassinations to JFK, Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.The postwar era also influenced mother and wife roles and new gadgets were made to make life easier. There was a revolution in relationships between men and women with contraceptives more easily attainable. This gave women more control, however this was still not very evident in politics or business. Clothing styles portrayed women as being vulnerable and passive (eg, the mini skirt), and there was the image of the “dumb blonde”. More at-home gadgets were being developed (colour TV, record players, better cars & washing machines) and scientific progress seemed unstoppable. Designers caught on quick to futuristic trends, and developed space-age fashions. Advanced technology in space travel and Apollo’s la...
