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

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By About-The-Home


Tripping Through The Sixties

Hippy Bus
Hippy Bus

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.



Sixties Clothes

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.

Raymond 'Ossie' Clark grew up in the Forties in Lancashire. At art college in Manchester he met Celia Birtwell, the textile designer whose prints became a vital part of his style and whom he married in 1969. He was known as the 'King of the King's Road' in the Sixties and went on to create stagewear for Mick Jagger, the Beatles and Marianne Faithfull. He also designed Bianca Jagger's suit for her marriage to Mick in 1971.


Sixties Hairstyles

Jackie Kennedy's bouffant style.

The beehive look.

The French twist

Twiiggy's short hair cut

The Beatles hair cuts

The Afro


Flower Power Sixties

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!


Francoise Hardy - Oh Yes!

Sixties Women

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!!!


Jacqueline Du Pre

Sixties Music

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

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


Life In The Sixties

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.



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Comments

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Angela Harris profile image

Angela Harris  says:
2 years ago

What a fun hub. I remember Mom's beehive. She had a standing hair appointment every Friday. And Afros- definitely remember those. It's hard to beat 60s music. Thanks for some fun memories.

About-The-Home profile image

About-The-Home  says:
2 years ago

Thanks Angela - It was really fun making it and remembering all those things.

I was trying to give a flavor of what it was like.

Uninvited Writer profile image

Uninvited Writer  says:
2 years ago

What a great hub :)

About-The-Home profile image

About-The-Home  says:
2 years ago

Thanks - glad you enjoyed it!

Bonnie Ramsey profile image

Bonnie Ramsey  says:
2 years ago

LOL I was born in 1962 and I remember all this stuff very well. As you said, it didn't end in 1969! In fact I think it was even more popular in the early 70's than in the sixties! I had those bell bottoms that you could reach down, pick up and stand up straight still holding on to them! Everything was phsycodelic for me as well!

Here's the funniest part! When my kids were younger, they used to laugh and tease me about all this stuff and once they became teens, it was all coming back! Needless to say, I got the last laugh on that one! Thanks for the fun memories!

Bonnie

About-The-Home profile image

About-The-Home  says:
2 years ago

Thanks for dropping by. Glad you enjoyed it.

There just seems to be so much more real development in music and fashion came from the 60s than any other time.

Bonnie Ramsey profile image

Bonnie Ramsey  says:
2 years ago

I couldn't agree more! Of course, I am in my forties now so I have slowed down a bit. I mostly listen to country and have always loved it but I do still enjoy all the old songs now and then, too!

About-The-Home profile image

About-The-Home  says:
2 years ago

If you like country, have you tried line dancing?

I wrote a hub about how enjoyable it is.

http://hubpages.com/_2x19t6k2bnwce/hub/10-Reasons-

Kosmo profile image

Kosmo  says:
2 years ago

Love your Sixties site, man! Far-out, ya know, ya know? The best rock was in the Sixties, of course. I write about artists of that period. Please check out my hubs.

Kosmo

About-The-Home profile image

About-The-Home  says:
2 years ago

Thanks for that man!

The 60s set the scene for music and fashion.

guitarman51 profile image

guitarman51  says:
2 years ago

Thanks for the trip down memory lane! Great music, great clothes and great memories.

About-The-Home profile image

About-The-Home  says:
2 years ago

Thanks for your comments guitarman.

Which do you favor Clapton or Hendrix or some other 60s guitarist?

Sally's Trove profile image

Sally's Trove  says:
2 years ago

Groovy. I have a drawer full of hip-hugging bell bottoms that I can't fit into anymore, but I just can't part with them! Thanks so much for putting all the effort into this very cool hub. :)

marisuewrites profile image

marisuewrites  says:
2 years ago

I remember you were nothing on a Saturday night unless you had circled the Sonic about 25 times and made the loop to the other hang outs....and talk about HAIR. Hair hair everywhere....lol what a sight we all were...but we were THERE and we knew it allllllll Marisue

About-The-Home profile image

About-The-Home  says:
2 years ago

Thanks Sally and Marisue

Groovy is the word and I had a great time reliving the memories...and I hope it brings back the sixties for many others

zdeamon  says:
8 months ago

i wish i could had the chance to see the 60's throught 80's but i was born in the 90's darn any ways ive all ways wanted to wear bell bottoms too bad they cost to much money now.

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