#60s space fashion series

Much like movies were a source of escapism for 1940s America, during the horrible affects of the Second World War, series like Star Trek had a similar role in 1960s America. Especially in terms of the original series, yes the action may be bad and set may be low budget, but you need to think of the context. It creates a vision of the future where brains, ethics and words are more important than brawn and manpower.

I love Star Trek, especially the original series. You know when I said that I’d just talk about the fashion of Star Trek to keep it relevant? Well for this part I’m just going to disregard what I said earlier. Addressing cultural issues of the 1960s by using a multi-racial cast, focusing on gender equality and other social issues created a vision of future that wasn’t just visual. In general, Star Trek’s cultural impact shouldn’t be ignored. Creator Gene Roddenberry believed that clothing in the future would have no visible fastening, so the zips were concealed in the shoulder. Even the fact that the actor’s sideburns were cut into points to create a streamline look, combining avant-garde 1960s hairstyles in overall sleeker looks.Įven the pants that the officers wore, with a small flare above the boot, was a futuristic version of the bell-bottoms, which were popular at the time. Styles from the past were integrated into a vision of the future, creating a cross contamination of past, present and future. Unusual cuts and silhouettes broke the mould for feminine clothing, and femininity overall was pushed and revolutionised. The touches of mod, fur trims and psychedelic prints keeps the series stuck in time, but the futurist features create a look into the future. The red, yellow and blue pop-art inspired velour uniforms are easily identifiable by viewers (especially on the small screens of the 60s) and easy to achieve on the original series’ small budget. This article is really like a love letter to the original series, but to keep it relevant, I’ll just talk about the fashion. My main point of inspiration for this article is the original Star Trek series.

Fabric became more artificial and man-made, creating a feel of the future. The popularity of go-go boots began in 1964, with their fluorescent colours and shiny material reference futuristic trends. In addition, the use of new materials lead to the creation of major 60s fashion trends. Even designing costumes for the 1968 cult classic Barbarella, Rabanne was one of pioneering designers for 60s space-age fashion. The minidress a-line silhouette directly contrasted from the hourglass shape of Dior’s new look.ĭesigners like Paco Rabanne were experimenting with new materials, using metal and plastic to create dresses reminiscent of chainmail and armour. Fashion became more functional and affordable (compared to visual focus of the fashion in the 50s), leading to garments made from jersey, tweed and flannel. In terms of the fashion of the 60s, the aftermath of the war created a breakdown of the old British social order, leading the way for the rise of the middle class.

In terms of progression, fashion has always moved towards form-fitting garments and absence of fabric to show skin, which is typically why all futuristic works of art lean towards liberation of the body through fashion. Inspired by the works of Mary Quant, Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin, the overall style of 1960s sci-fi fashion combines a futuristic look towards the future as well as the natural progression of fashion.

60s space fashion