1960s 'Babydoll fashion' & 'Yvonne Dresses'

60s fashion! What do you actually picture when you imagine fashion in the 60s? The 1960s was the 20th century’s most colorful fashion decade up to that point. The 60s started off in the grip of the 50s, with pencil skirts and the 'New Look' of swing dresses, albeit with a slightly simpler look. It had become more serious and adult; the pastels and festive 50s patterns were replaced by monochrome and abstract so-called 'atomic' prints. 

In the 1950s, all eyes in fashion had been turned towards Paris. Haute Couture, and Christian Dior in particular, had been trendsetting. From 1947–1957, he created wonderfully beautiful clothing for women who didn't mind suffering a little for the elegance and sense of everyday glamour the clothes gave them. With Dior's death in 1957, and the youth rebellion simmering in the background, not just the fashion scene changed, but the fashion city too. From 1963, everyone was looking towards 'Swinging' London.

We might think mostly of miniskirts when we think of the 1960s. However, the 1960s was a decade with a great many different fashion trends, something you can read more about in a previous blog post. The big difference, however, was youth culture. Young people had gained two things: money and (for the girls) pantyhose! 

The first meant that youth were now absolutely trendsetting in what happened on the fashion scene. The second meant the freedom to wear short dresses.

Mary Quant, who is considered the creator of the 'miniskirt', said herself that she was simply inspired by the girls she saw in London's hip neighborhoods, and that was what she recreated in her designs. This, too, was new. The old circle from the catwalk to fashion on the street was turned upside down. Now it was 'street fashion' that was adopted as a trend and ended up on the catwalk of the finest designers; that had not been seen before.

The colors were bold, vibrant shades; it was all about wanting to recreate childhood, with both short dresses and bold colors. The colors could look like something children would draw with.

The style was dresses that were no longer than the knee, even when they weren't miniskirts, and the shape was either straight up and down or A-line-esque.

It was approximately 1964. You didn't just want permission to be young; you wanted to be a child again and didn't want to be forced to be adult and boring. There was a nostalgia associated with childhood and innocence, and the look reflected this. The babydoll look became famous. 

The dresses were dresses with a short bodice, a sort of empire cut, except that the dress itself was short. This made it look like something a child could wear. The makeup reinforced this look. Huge eyes with very large false eyelashes became the style.

The further we get into the 1960s, the more the psychedelic begins to gain ground. Patterns and colors are still bold, but more sweeping in style. At the same time, the style softens a bit as flower power and a flair for the exotic India become fashionable.

The shorter dresses and the babydoll dresses became a permanent part of the fashion landscape, worn by all women, not just the young and hip.

Here at home, we had our very own icon when it came to the brightly colored A-line dresses in the 60s' famous cut: Yvonne! Yvonne was the female protagonist in 13 Olsen Gang films, which she helped film from 1968–1981. Yvonne's dresses were designed by Lotte Dendanell in collaboration with Kirsten Walther, who played Yvonne herself. The dresses are actually more 1960s in style, both in expression, cut, and not least length - which, of course, made them funny even as early as the 70s. Even if the print (Marimekko) was also big in the 70s, the cut was 60s-esque, and not at all romantic enough for the free-spirited 1970s. 

The dresses were typically featuring large patterns, flowers, or solid colors with lots of embellishment, just like the famous daisy dress. Here at home, they are signs of a dress that is very 70s-esque and 'a bit too much', but actually, it's the accessories that make it all too much. Large hats, wigs, and giant platform heels are what we associate more with the fashion sins of the 70s. And even though the worst fashion sin of the 60s and 70s was the extremely synthetic materials used for the dresses, it must be said that many of Yvonne's dresses were made of cotton, including the bold-patterned Marimekko fabric.

Towards the end of the 1960s, the style softens a bit, and the dresses become longer and more flowy again. In line with a fascination for India and the hippie culture, a true chaos of fashion and styles emerges. The minidresses and all the psychedelic patterns have become everyday fashion, perhaps with a touch of Eastern inspiration. It can be hard to see where one stops and the other starts. This should not, however, be confused with the 70s folk- and peasant-romanticism; that is an entirely different matter.

From Heart of Haute, we have just received the wonderful Jenni dresses. They are inspired by 1960s babydoll dresses with the deep round neck, the slightly high empire waist, and beautiful loose bishop sleeves—sleeves that have fullness towards the wrist and are gathered at the cuff. 

The feminine Jenni dress has, however, been updated so that it doesn't just go straight out into an A-shape after the high waist. Our model is slightly tailored and can be adjusted with a tie at the back to exactly the fit you desire, giving you the best of all worlds.

The dress is made in a wonderful lightweight cotton, which makes it perfect for warm days. We have received it in two lovely patterns: the sweet and summery daisy print, and in a more pastel-like floral print kept in soft green and yellow shades with daisies in several sizes and colors.

Also take a look at the 50s-inspired Hilda dresses from Heart of Haute, which can also be styled into a lovely 60s look.

You can choose to highlight the beautiful 60s style with, for example, the Lois sandals or other block-heeled sandals. Or you can wear them with 'Mary Janes' such as Freja, the new shoes from Nordic ShoePeople. 

You can also mix and match the expression, for example with your favorite shoes and a light summer cardigan. 

As always, you are also more than welcome to stop by the shop to get more advice and guidance on how to style your new Jenni dress. 

Summer greetings from

Team Mondo Kaos