The Unique Look of Sixties and Beatle Mania

Abstract

Marked by sweeping social change, the 1960s is a decade that still holds a special significance, seeing traditional hierarchies begin to dissolve and make way for the birth of the modern age. The way people dressed was an obvious sign of shifting attitudes. In the 1960s, many chose, very publicly, to start looking different from the norm. Innovative designers and more informal modes of shopping drew a dividing line between the generations, creating a new market for youth fashion. Our collection tracks the different aspects of this fast-accelerating style revolution, with striking pieces from many of the decade’s most influential designers. Beatles, British rock group that came to personify the counterculture of the 1960s.In 1960 they adopted the name the Beatles. In 1962 they signed a recording contract and replaced Best with Starr (Sutcliffe had left the group in 1961). The release in 1962–63 of such songs as “Please Please Me” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” made them England’s most popular rock group, and in 1964 “Beatlemania” struck the U.S. Beatlemania was the name given to the popular frenzy surrounding the Beatles after the band’s first appearances on British television in 1963. When the Beatles appeared on American television in 1964, Beatlemania also erupted in the United States. Mass media created the conditions for the collective frenzy that was Beatlemania.