1960s Costume Ideas

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Posted on 15th September, 2013 by Adele

1960s Costume Ideas

Because ‘decades’ do not sit in nice ten-year segments, many of the costumes and accessories that work for the 1960s, can also feature in the early 1970s. Of course, rising trends of the late 1950s developed and/or evolved during the 1960s.

The early part of the decade saw the continued influence of American music styles based on Rock n Roll and Jazz. Equally strong, however were the UK ‘home-grown’ genres such as Skiffle. Britain’s own take on rock ‘n’ roll would later evolve into the unique sound often known as ‘Mersey Beat’ but in fact featuring musicians from many other cities, each with an individual style.

The late 1950s had seen the growth of social rebellion amongst the young, fuelled by young adults with a disposable income and disinclination to dress like their parents. As the 1960s progressed fashion became both colourful and daring as skirts became shorter to reveal the existence of legs and males embraced a more unconventional style of dress, from pseudo militaria to flower-power.

The evolution of television, with more channels (and in colour) and the outbreak of pirate radio, following the lead of Radio Luxembourg and breaking the BBC stranglehold on listening habits, also helped promote the social upheavals of the Sixties.

We have tried to split the 60s down into different sections (see list on the left navigation) to provide you with lots of Sixties costume inspiration…

1960s Television

Posted on 15th September, 2013 by Adele

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Morticia Addams

£39.90

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Fred Flintstone Costume - Tunic

£28.50

TELEVISION OF THE 1960s

Television continued to evolve during the 1960s, with more channels and the general introduction of colour programmes. In our digital age, it is difficult to realise that some shows (particularly American ones) sometimes never made it across the Atlantic (such as Blue Angels, Green Hornet), whilst others did.

Addams Family – Both the Addams’ and The Munsters brought comedy horror to the TV screens during the Sixties, but Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday and Uncle Fester have stood the test of time. We stock a range of Addams Family costumes to purchase or to hire.

Avengers – Bowler-hatted Steed and his several female assistants (notably Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) and Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), who did much to popularize the ‘action jumpsuit’) save Britain from quirky villains.

Batman & Robin – In their early TV incarnation, the Dynamic Duo took on a rather comic-book look (‘Zap’ and ‘Pow’ captions during the fight sequences), but many famous people flocked to play villains, notably. Catwoman – Such a popular villainess, she was portrayed by four difference actresses, including Eartha Kitt. For the TV series, the Catwoman outfit was a simple black cat-suit (naturally) with a black eye-mask. We stock Batman & Robin costumes to hire as well as purchase.

Coronation Street – Long running and possibly most famous British soap opera, ‘official’ costumes for several of the best-loved characters are available. We stock Coronation Street Masks

Flintstones – ‘The modern stone-age family’ – Fred, Wilma and Pebbles (with neighbours Barney, Betty and Bam-bam Rubble) were (and still are) popular with both adults and children. We stock Flintstones Costumes

Hawaii Five-O – More generally associated with the 1970s, Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett is the cop in this US drama series, which ran from 1968-1980. Time to leave off the suit and break out the Hawaiian Shirt?

Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie) – An astronaut finds a bottle on a beach and behold, it houses a female genie who makes her master’s life chaotic. Good excuse for an exotic Arabian belly-dance outfit (although an official costume (and bottle!) have been available in the past).

Jetsons, The – Hanna-Barbera sitcom about a space age family. Some costumes are available.

Lost in Space – Silver spacesuits are just one of the looks from this cult US show about the Robinson Family who were ‘Lost in Space’.

Lucy Show & I Love Lucy – Groundbreaking shows from an innovative redhead comedienne, Lucille Ball.

Prisoner, The – The Italian-style village of Portmeirion in Wales, was the setting for this cult TV series starring Patrick McGoohan. Blue Prisoner blazer with white trim and suitable badges such as ‘I am not a number, I am a free man’ or ‘The Prisoner’ and a ‘Penny Farthing’, defines the look.

Scooby Doo – Just making it into the 1960s (first series aired in 1969) official Scooby Doo costumes for the Great Dane Scooby Doo, Shaggy, and the rest of the Mystery team (Velma, Fred and Daphne) are all stocked.

Star Trek Characters – Boldly going where no sci-fi had gone before, Star Trek’s innovative approach to space exploration and contact with alien species/civilizations created a cult franchise. Due to licensing restrictions, outfits from the ‘original’ series are hard to find, but with recent films, alternatives can be found. Props & Frocks stocks Star Trek Costumes to hire, or purchase.

Thunderbirds – Popular puppet-based series by Gerry Anderson (also responsible for Four Feather Falls, Supercar, Fireball XL5 and Stingray). Official costumes for International Rescue, plus British agent Lady Penelope and her chauffeur Parker are available. We also stock a range of Thunderbird masks for an easy costume option

Beatles Fancy Dress Ideas

Posted on 15th September, 2013 by Adele

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Aviator - Top Gun Male Costume

£28.80

Beatles Themed Costume Party

We have positioned this as a sub category of 1960s Music, but can easily stand on its own 2 feet as a costume theme in itself.

Here are just a few Beatle Song Titles that you may be able to use…

A Taste Of Honey – Wear a Bumble Bee outfit or Winnie The Pooh style costume
Act Naturally – Wear a nude suit – if you dare to bare!
Back In the USSR – Russian outfits
Chains – cover yourself in chains, look at these great jumbo chains, very lightweight
Carol – Wear a Victorian Carole Singer’s costume
Devil In Her Heart – Wear a Devil Costume with a heart
Doctor Robert – Doctors Costume with Robert as a name
Drive My Car – wear a chauffeur’s Costume – just a hat with a suit will do
Flying – any costume related to flying including Top Gun & RAF costumes. Look at our pilot costumes
Her Majesty – Wear a Queen costume
Lady Madonna – Wear a Madonna Costume
Mr Moonlight – Possibly a Vampire or Werewolf costume
Penny Lane – decorate a top with pennies
All You Need Is Love – Prostitute style costume?
And Your Bird Can Sing – Dress up as a bird, or maybe a female pop star!
Girl or Woman– Great for a male to dress up as a girl!
Here comes The Sun – Wear a sun costume
Teddy Boy – Teddy Boy costume
Ticket To ride –Just make up a ticket that goes to Ride!
When I’m Sixty-four – dress up as an ‘old’ person, our Groping Granny costume is a laugh!
While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Purchase an inflatable guitar and stick some false tears to it and give it a sad face.
Yesterday – cut out a dairy page with yesterday’s date on it!

Well, here is just some more ideas to give you costume inspiration…

Hippy Costume – John & Yoko Ono
Sergeant Pepper Costumes
Collarless Grey Suits – These were the iconic stage outfits which gave the early Beatles their distinctive image (along with ‘mop top’ hairstyles). Although specially designed for them, the style was similar to the Nehru suit.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Album Images include:

Mae West – Actress
Hindu Guru – Sri Yukteswar Giri
WC Fields – Actor
Fred Astaire – Dancer
Bob Dylan – Singer
Sir Robert Peel – 19^th Century British Prime Minister
Dylan thomas
Marilyn Monroe – Actress
Tony Curtis – Actor
Stan Laurel / Oliver Hardy – Actors
HG Wells
Marlon Brando – Actor
Oscar Wilde
Dr David Livingstone
TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia)
Albert Einstein
Shirley Temple – Child actress
Diana Dors – Actress
Marlene Dietrich – Actress
Stone figure of Snow White
Garden Gnome

1960s Music

Posted on 15th September, 2013 by Adele

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1960's Pop Star Costume

£18.00

1960s Music & Pop Stars

Beatles (Early Years) – The ‘early-years’ Beatles are typified by the collarless Nehru-style grey suits. These were specially designed for the group, to give them a distinctive look. (Most other Mersey-beat groups wore black lounge suits). Our 1960’s Pop Star costume is ideal to use as a Beatles costume

Beatles (Sgt Peppers-style) – The Fab Four’s colourful military-style outfits as featured on the ‘Sgt. Pepper’ album cover, were as innovative as the music on the record. John Lennon is in yellow and carries a French Horn; Ringo Starr, in pink, carries a trumpet; Paul McCartney, in blue, has a cor anglais and George Harrison, wearing red, has a piccolo. Only Ringo and George have hats.

Dusty Springfield – Initially with The Springfields, Dusty cultivated a successful solo career with a distinctive look, involving a blonde beehive hairdo and black ‘panda’ eye-make-up. Black eyelashes are a must!

Elvis – After his military service, Elvis spent much of the Sixties making movies which showcased his songs, and allowed him to play some interesting professionals: These included GI Blues (1960) – a soldier; Blue Hawaii (1961) – a tourist (wear our Hawaiian shirt with an Elvis wig); Viva Las Vegas (1964) – a mechanic; Speedway(1968) – a racing driver and A Change of Habit (1969) – doctor falling for a nun (wear a Doctor’s costume).

Jimi Hendrix – American guitarist who found greater fame in the UK and, with his afro and military-style jackets, had a unique image.

Marc Bolan – Pioneer of the Glam Rock look well before the 1970s. Trademarks were black corkscrew curl hairstyle and use of glitter, furs and boas as part of his stage-wear.

Sandie Shaw – A female singer from Dagenham, whose trademark look was not wearing any shoes. She did, however, marry fashion designer Jeff Banks and hence had her own fashion boutique.

Sonny & Cher – Husband and wife (then) pop music duo who had several hits and successfully integrated a hippy-style look (He: Afghan waistcoat & jeans. She: Loose blouse and pre-70s flares) into their image without going overtly flower-power.

1960s Films

Posted on 15th September, 2013 by Adele

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Gangster Man Costume

£34.80

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Cruella Style Costume

£34.15

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Egyptian Collar

£9.85

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Juliet - Medieval Costume

£21.35

1960s Movies

Wanting to wear something a little bit different to your 60s fancy dress party? Why not get your costume inspiration from movies released during the decade?

When it came to movies the 1960s was the era of the ‘kitchen-sink’ drama, with films such as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Billy Liar and A Taste of Honey.

There are some classic 1960s films which you will not find mentioned below as they can be rather limited when it comes to costumes. These include The Graduate, Alfie, The Odd Couple, The Thomas Crown Affair, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. If you have ideas as to how you could dress for these films please let us know and we will add it to the list below…

1960s MOVIE GENRES – ACTION MOVIES

Bonnie & Clyde (1967) – Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway starred in this classic film about 1930s legendary bank-robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, who met their death on 23^rd May 1934. Gangster costumes and flapper dresses (although not strictly correct) work very well for this famous couple.

Great Escape, The (1963) – Paul Newman is one of the stars in this classic film, about Allied POWs escaping from their German prison camp. Wear Military uniform

Guns of Navarone, The (1961) – This explosive WW2 film was based on Alistair MacLean’s novel about Allied Commando’s plotting to destroy German Guns. Uniforms can sometimes be difficult to obtain, but why not check out our 1940s costume range?

1960s MOVIE GENRES – CARTOON & ANIMATION

101 Dalmatians (1962) – Cruella de Vil is still a very popular cartoon villainess and there are several versions of a Cruella costume available.

The Pink Panther (1963) – Originally a cartoon character featuring in the credits of the films of the same name, the Pink Panther built his part and starred in his own cartoon show, also featuring an animated Inspector Clouseau. We hire Pink Panther costumes.

Yellow Submarine (1968) – A psychedelic fantasy animation based on music from the Beatles.

1960s MOVIE GENRES – CHICK FLICKS/ROMANCE

Breakfast at Tiffanys (1961) – Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly image of black evening gown, beehive, black eyelashes and cigarette holder is iconic.

1960s MOVIE GENRES – COMEDY MOVIES

Bedazzled (1967) – Peter Cook and Dudley Moore star in this comedy fantasy film, about a young man selling his soul to the devil, all in the name of love.

Casino Royale (1967) – Spoof James Bond film with David Niven, Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress.

1960s MOVIE GENRES – FANTASY MOVIES

Prior to the moon landings in 1969, there were a number of space orientated films.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – Stanley Kubrick’s epic saga about man and machine set in space.

Barbarella (1968) – Jane Fonda’s (then) husband cast her as an intergalactic space heroine, with a penchant for revealing outfits and vinyl boots.

Planet of the Apes (1968) – Space crew find themselves on a planet, where apes are masters and humans are slaves.We have gorilla outfits to hire

1960s MOVIE GENRES – HEROES OF 1960s MOVIES

Cleopatra (1963) – Elizabeth Taylor set the benchmark for Egyptian-style and Richard Burton provided love interest both on (as Mark Anthony) and off screen.

Eliza Dolittle (Ascot Races) (My Fair Lady) (1964) – Elegant Edwardian-style black/white gown, worn with a large hat.

James Bond (1962 onwards) – The spy played by Sean Connery throughout the Sixties, who started numerous spin-offs from The Man From UNCLE and Get Smart, to I Spy and Austin Powers.- see our main section on James Bond for plenty more James Bond costume ideas

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – Peter O’Toole’s breakthrough role as the English-born leader of Arabian rebels. Wear one of our Arab Costumes

1960s MOVIE GENRES – HISTORICAL

El Cid (1961) – Just one of the films during the 1960s featuring Italian actress Sophia Loren. This one is set in 11^th Century Spain. An interesting challenge for costumes.

Fall of the Roman Empire, The (1964) – The title says it all, in this film starring Sophia Loren, James Mason, Alec Guinness and Christopher Plummer. Time to break out those ancient times Roman costumes.

Man for all Seasons, A (1966) – Robert Bolt’s play about Sir Thomas More’s stance against King Henry VIII. A wide range of Tudor costumes are available to hire or purchase.

Romeo and Juliet (1968) – Franco Zeffirelli’s take on William Shakespeare’s classic tale about two star crossed lovers, set during medieval times, in Verona, Italy. Medieval costumes available to purchase and we stock a huge range of costumes to hire

Spartacus (1960) – Epic saga about slaves bid for freedom in Ancient Rome. Chariots are probably beyond our remit, but Roman costumes are not.

Tom Jones (1963) – Henry Fielding’s novel about an 18^th Century youth and his bawdy adventures was turned into a film starring Albert Finney. Costumes from the Georgian period are available in our hire department.

1960s MOVIE GENRES – HORROR

Birds,The (1963) – Just one of Alfred Hitchcock’s thrillers released in the 1960s. This one has more mileage as far as costumes are concerned, as there are various bird costumes on the market. There is even a niche market yellow outfit decorated with black birds! Perhaps, something a little off-the-wall for a group going to a 1960s or movies event?

Brides of Dracula (1960) – First of the Hammer horror series, popular in the 1960s starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula. Vampire Costume variations on Dracula and his bride are available.

The Masque of the Red Death (1964) – Vincent Price in a classic Edgar Allan Poe story in which the rich party whilst plague ravages the countryside outside. Film directed by Roger Corman.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) – George A Romero’s first horror film about flesh eating Zombies. Zombie Costumes are available to hire and purchase and we stock some fantastic Zombie Make-up and special effects.

Psycho (1960) – A shower curtain, a knife, and a man who dresses as a woman. What more can be said?

1960s MOVIE GENRES – MUSICALS

Camelot (1967) – Musical take on the Arthurian legend, starring Richard Harris as Arthur and Vanessa Redgrave as Guinevere. We have a large collection of Medieval costumes including Knight outfits.

Funny Girl (1968) – Barbara Streisand and Omar Sharif in musical about the life of comedienne Fannie Brice, who became part of Ziegfeld’s Follies. Showgirl costumes are available.

Mary Poppins & Bert the Sweep (1966) – Disney made Mary Poppins much sweeter than the original book character, but the film has become a popular children’s favourite.

My Fair Lady (1964) – Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison in the story of a down-and-dirty ragamuffin cockney girl, who was turned into an elegant Edwardian Lady.

Sound of Music, The (1965) – Still very popular on the sing-along-a circuit, the traditional Nun costume worn by Julie Andrews stands the test of time.

West Side Story (1961) – Film adaptation of the Broadway musical set in New York in the mid-1950s and 1960s. The Jets and the Sharks are the two teenage ethnic gangs in this ‘Romeo and Juliet’ musical. 1950s & 1960s costumes available.

1960s MOVIE GENRES – WESTERNS

Not as popular as earlier decades, the Western did have a resurgence of interest in the 1960s thanks to the advent of the Italian ‘Spaghetti Western’. Sergio Leone was the benchmark for a number of directors who adopted this sub-genre of Western movies. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Burt Reynolds, Yul Brynner and Charles Bronson were probably some of the more famous actors who went down this route.

When it comes to costumes most Western films have a very standard format and we have a fantastic array of Wild West costumes and accessories, including ponchos for the ‘Spaghetti Western’.

Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969) – Cowboy films had fallen from favour since the 1950s, but the lighter tone of this film with its heartthrob stars, Robert Redford and Paul Newman, proved popular.

Once upon a Time in the West (1969) – Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson in a Sergio Leone film.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – One of the popular Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960s, which saw Clint Eastwood make the poncho and flat cowboy hat his own.
*If you really want to do something really different, why not get 2 friends, 1 dresses as an angel (or something equally ‘good’, one dresses as a Devil, or something equally ‘bad’ and one dresses up as Ugly as they can. A great laugh!

The Magnificent Seven (1960) – Always a good one for those trivia quizzes – Can you name them? A great choice for a group of seven men, just all dress up in cowboy costumes.

The Unforgiven (1960) – Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn and Audie Murphy in this Western tale of distrust and revenge.

The Wild Bunch (1969) – Aging outlaws look for their last big heist as the traditional American West disappears around them.

1960s Fashion

Posted on 15th September, 2013 by Adele

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Teddy Boy Red Jacket

£26.40

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Black and White A-line 1960s Costume

£38.85

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Hippy Man Budget Costume

£20.25

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50s Bopper Costume

£17.75

FASHION OF THE 1960s

When it comes to fashion, ‘Decades’ do not tend to fit in nice ten-year segments. Costumes from the late 1950s such as Teddy Boys and Girls, were also seen in the early 1960s. At the other end of the decade, many costumes and accessories which work for the late 1960s can also feature for a 1970s themes.

The 1960s was all about youth culture. The baby boom generation meant there were more young people with disposable incomes and increasingly these people were choosing not to ‘dress like their parents’ but find their own style. Fashion was one of the major influences on the decade. The main looks to come out of the 1960s were:-

Beatnik – Black berets, slacks, dark glasses & sandals.

Dolly Bird – Mixing influences from several sources, the typical dolly bird wore a mini-skirt & blouse (or mini-dress) with coloured/patterned tights and boots. If not going for the short cropped ‘Twiggy’ hairstyle, a ‘bubble-curl’ look was popular. Heavy and sometimes colourful make-up accentuated the eyes. Black eyelashes are a must and if you didn’t have the lashes yourself, false lashes for both top and bottom of the eye were becoming popular!

Hippy – Although the hippy ‘flower power’ movement supposedly started in San Francisco, the alternative lifestyle options also found favour over here. Props & Frocks stocks a wide range of Hippy costumes

Mini-dress – If the clothing designer Mary Quant did not invent the mini-dress/skirt, she certainly helped popularise it, particularly with the addition of matching opaque coloured tights, to protect the wearer’s modesty. She was also noted for her geometric-design ‘mod’ wear and helped popularise the shorter ‘bobbed’ hairstyle created by hairdresser Vidal Sassoon.

Mods – Italian Suits became ‘the thing’ for the fashionable male to wear during the early to mid-1960s.

Op-Art – Op-art was all about the print, optical illusion and distortion of various geometric images. Black & white patterned clothing were popular examples.

Pop Art – Clothing became an art form during the 1960s, with a mixture of various factions coming together, such as fashion, op-art, music, film, etc.. Iconic images of the time were reflected in works by designers such as Yves Saint Lauren, whose ‘Mondrian’ day dress featured on the cover of Vogue and artists such as Andy Warhol.

Pseudo-Militaria – Dedicated male followers of fashion discarded the ‘Mod’ fashions of earlier years to don pseudo-military jackets, coloured and ruffled shirts and wide ‘kipper’ ties in the latter part of the decade. Longer hair also became fashionable.

Rockers – The antithesis of the scooter loving ‘Mod’, the rocker wore black leather clothing and rode a motorbike. Have a look at our Biker Costume

Teddy Boy – Smart-dressed youth gang rebels of the late 50s/early 60s. Teddy Boy outfits were based on Edwardian-style (hence ‘Teddy’ – shortened form of Edward) long jackets faced with velvet, skinny ‘drainpipe’ trousers and bootlace ties. A flick-comb was also essential to maintenance the quiff or duck-tail hair-style.

Teddy Girl – Teddy girls derived their style from the rock n rock full skirts with petticoats also seen in America, although some erred towards the ‘beatnik’ look of blouse and skirt or Capri pants. Props & Frocks stock a wide range of Teddy Girl costumes to buy or hire

FASHION HEROES OF THE 1960s

Andy Warhol – The shock of blonde hair, dark clothing and large glasses says it all. Amongst his popart images, costumes are available for Marilyn Monroe and Campbell’s Soup Can.

Austin Powers – A spoof fashion hero. A 1960s-style stereotype based on a secret agent, whose ‘cover’ was a fashion photographer. Mike Myers’ 1997 creation mixed elements of the James Bond spy trend with the David Hemmings character in the Swinging Sixties film ‘Blow-up’ (1966). We stock Austin Powers costumes to hire & purchase

David Bailey – Key photographer in 1960s Britain, capturing images of the ‘stars’ of the period, particularly with regard to fashion. Many think he was the inspiration for the David Hemmings character in ‘Blow-up’.

Jean Shrimpton – ‘The Shrimp’ epitomised the gamine style of the era.

Twiggy – So called because of her thin, waif-like look, the model Twiggy was a leading style icon of the Sixties. Her short, ‘gamine’ hairstyle (echoing a style popularised by Audrey Hepburn in the 50s), eye make-up based around heavy use of false lashes, and androgynous dress-style was copied by many.

Bunny Girl – The Playboy Club with its costumed ‘bunny’ waitresses arrived in 1962. The Bunny Girl outfit involved a strapless bodice, so a special manoeuvre, the ‘bunny dip’, was necessary when serving drinks.

England Footballer – England footballers of the 1960s wore a red & white strip. The team’s World Cup win in 1966 helped boost the game’s popularity.