Sex n Drugs n Rock n Roll - Tripping Through The Sixties

Let's make clear what we mean by the sixties. No it definitely wasn't 1960 to 1969! Give or take a year my sixties went from 1964 to 1974. Fashions, music, and events don't respect calendars and nearly everything that I think of as 60s happened late 60s early 70s.

For those who missed the sixties, here is a taste of what you missed.

For those who were teens in the sixties, this is a reminder of what you probably missed!

It's a sobering thought that many who grew up in the sixties are either approaching or already in their sixties.

It's certainly a colorful "trip" and pure self indulgence on my part!!

So join me in the magic carpet ride that is the sixties.

The Beautiful People wearing flowery dresses kaftans and beads.The jingle of bells worn around the neck or on bellbottom jeans. Patches on jeans declaring love and peace and ban the bomb. Skirt lengths getting shorter and shorter as the mini shrunk to the micro. Sixties fashion is all about expressing your personality.

Twiggy and The Shrimp(Jean Shrimpton) were the icons of the modelling world. Even fashion photographers became stars.

The hub of the universe as far as fashion was concerned was London and in particular Chelsea. The designers Mary Quant and Ossie Clark were as well known as pop stars. Sixties fashion was intrinsically linked to the music scene and designers wanted Mick Jagger or Paul McCartney to wear their clothes.

Among Mary Quant's numerous designs were vinyl boots (she's credited with creating white "go-go boots", but maybe she only helped to popularize them, dresses with strong colors and striking geometric designs, the "wet" look, the extremely short micro-mini (Men everywhere give thanks to Mary Quant!), plastic raincoats, white, knee-high, lace-up boots, tight, skinny sweaters in stripes and bold checks.

In June of 1966, Quant received an OBE (Order of the British Empire medal) from Queen Elizabeth II for her outstanding contributions to the fashion industry (She attended the ceremony wearing a mini and cut-away gloves!).

She will always be known for her innovative, designing style that helped define the 1960s.

Jackie Kennedy's bouffant style.

The beehive look.

The French twist

Twiiggy's short hair cut

The Beatles hair cuts

The Afro

If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

Flower Power was the weapon of the hippies. It was about peace and not confrontation, making love and not war. Hippies sticking flowers into the barrels of soldiers' guns. Hippy Wagons (VW campers) decorated with huge flowers. They're still cruising around the country -- some of them still with the original hippies from the Sixties and some with new age hippies!

Twiggy, Mary Quant, Jean Shrimpton,Francoise Hardy, Marianne Faithfull,Mama Cass,Janis Joplin

Jacqueline Du Pre introduced me to classical music, for all the wrong reasons!!!

The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, |Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Simon and Garfunkel, Peter Paul and Mary, Mamas and Papas, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, The Beachboys, Sonny and Cher, The Doors,the list is endless.

Just saying these names conjures up for me a wealth of memories and feelings and I hope it does the same for you.

Click Here For The 50 Greatest Albums of the 60s.

The Sixties generated an enormous amount of music. Rock & Roll, anti-war and political songs. You're bound to have heard of Woodstock even if you weren't alive in the Sixties.

This music was so much different from anything that had gone before.

To get a feel for it, you have to listen. Browse some of the videos alongside and you will find a smattering of 60s music.

The Swinging Sixties

Sixties art for me was psychedelia. Colors, shapes, bright and strong, posters and street art, record covers, pop art, Andy Warhol, the Underground,

Young people crying out for connection, no one had heard of the internet, mobile phones, ipods.

The only information was from TV pop programs, music magazines, good record shops, and word of mouth.

If your mates were in a bar, the only way to talk to them was to go to the bar. No texting, no cellphones.

People still wrote letters home, people in offices sent stiff memos.