[caption id="attachment_9465" align="alignleft" width="236"]
Cilla Black was an icon of sixties fashion.[/caption]
Recently, we have bid a sad farewell to local legend and television icon Cilla Black. Over recent Dressmaking Fabrics of what is widely remembered as one of the most exciting decades in our home town of Liverpool. Despite the industrial decline and social deprivation which blighted the city during this decade, the sixties in Merseyside is without doubt defined by the Merseybeat music scene. Taking their inspiration from American rock n roll groups, homegrown musicians such as Gerry and The Pacemakers broke onto the music scene by fusing doo wop, rock n roll and rhythm and blues to form the distinctive, upbeat sound of Merseybeat and with the meteoric rise of the Beatles in 1963 Liverpool was firmly on the map.
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The mod subculture rose to prominence during the mid sixties.[/caption]
As in any defining moment of history, where music leads fashion will invariably follow. During the meteoric rise of the Beatles all over the globe, for the first time in decades all eyes of the fashion world were on London. The distinctive fashions and Dressmaking Fabrics of the sixties reflected a new sense of hope and community spirit which had dragged Liverpool and the rest of the country through some very difficult times in the preceding years. Known as the swinging sixties, this was a decade which brought us some of the most famous British fashion icons of all time, most notably Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton. The influence of such idols saw some of the most illustrious fashion changes in history with hemlines becoming progressively shorter as the decade advanced. Perhaps the most radical fashion movement of the decade was the rise of 'the mod'. Emerging in London during the latter part of the fifties, the mod subculture raced towards it's peak during the mid sixties. Aimed towards presenting a smart, neat and ultra-hip appearance, the movement saw women embracing a more androgynous style of dress. However, by the time this movement had reached mainstream fashion it had been watered down and was largely characterised by heavy eyeliner, long lashes and mini skirts sewn from Dressmaking Fabrics featuring the boldest and brightest graphic prints. Where Britain led, America followed with the decades ' it girls' including Goldie Hawn and Edie Sedgwick soon becoming famous for their quintessential sixties haircuts and a style of make up which appears almost cartoonish now.
The sixties is fondly remembered as a decade which broke away from fashion tradition and of course the item most synonymous with sixties style is the mini skirt. Largely credited to famous British designer Mary Quant, the mini skirt quickly took of with members of the younger generation who no longer felt the need to follow the strict etiquette of decades gone by and were more than willing to try out this controversial new style of dress. Mini skirts were mostly hand crafted at home on a sewing machine and would be created from a bright and bold Dressmaking Fabric and paired with a clashing colour of tights. With the explosion of the mini skirt, gone was the uptight, matronly style of previous decades and along came the opportunity for women to explore a more risqué and above all, exciting, style of dress. Not only were young ladies making changes in their wardrobe choices but this period also saw a huge increase in the number of girls attending university and entering the workforce. The younger generation of women had access to more disposable income than ever before and were becoming important and influential customers, demanding a more daring and adventurous style of dress in direct correlation to their newfound spirit and passion for life.
In the world of fashion, the sixties continues to be one of the most enduring decades of all time with more designers and consumers alike still emulating the unique style of what is considered to be one of the most important decades in fashion history. We carry a wide range of printed Dressmaking Fabrics which are ideal for injecting some sixties influence into your modern wardrobe pieces.
Cilla Black was an icon of sixties fashion.[/caption]
Recently, we have bid a sad farewell to local legend and television icon Cilla Black. Over recent Dressmaking Fabrics of what is widely remembered as one of the most exciting decades in our home town of Liverpool. Despite the industrial decline and social deprivation which blighted the city during this decade, the sixties in Merseyside is without doubt defined by the Merseybeat music scene. Taking their inspiration from American rock n roll groups, homegrown musicians such as Gerry and The Pacemakers broke onto the music scene by fusing doo wop, rock n roll and rhythm and blues to form the distinctive, upbeat sound of Merseybeat and with the meteoric rise of the Beatles in 1963 Liverpool was firmly on the map.
[caption id="attachment_9466" align="alignright" width="204"] The mod subculture rose to prominence during the mid sixties.[/caption]
As in any defining moment of history, where music leads fashion will invariably follow. During the meteoric rise of the Beatles all over the globe, for the first time in decades all eyes of the fashion world were on London. The distinctive fashions and Dressmaking Fabrics of the sixties reflected a new sense of hope and community spirit which had dragged Liverpool and the rest of the country through some very difficult times in the preceding years. Known as the swinging sixties, this was a decade which brought us some of the most famous British fashion icons of all time, most notably Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton. The influence of such idols saw some of the most illustrious fashion changes in history with hemlines becoming progressively shorter as the decade advanced. Perhaps the most radical fashion movement of the decade was the rise of 'the mod'. Emerging in London during the latter part of the fifties, the mod subculture raced towards it's peak during the mid sixties. Aimed towards presenting a smart, neat and ultra-hip appearance, the movement saw women embracing a more androgynous style of dress. However, by the time this movement had reached mainstream fashion it had been watered down and was largely characterised by heavy eyeliner, long lashes and mini skirts sewn from Dressmaking Fabrics featuring the boldest and brightest graphic prints. Where Britain led, America followed with the decades ' it girls' including Goldie Hawn and Edie Sedgwick soon becoming famous for their quintessential sixties haircuts and a style of make up which appears almost cartoonish now.
The sixties is fondly remembered as a decade which broke away from fashion tradition and of course the item most synonymous with sixties style is the mini skirt. Largely credited to famous British designer Mary Quant, the mini skirt quickly took of with members of the younger generation who no longer felt the need to follow the strict etiquette of decades gone by and were more than willing to try out this controversial new style of dress. Mini skirts were mostly hand crafted at home on a sewing machine and would be created from a bright and bold Dressmaking Fabric and paired with a clashing colour of tights. With the explosion of the mini skirt, gone was the uptight, matronly style of previous decades and along came the opportunity for women to explore a more risqué and above all, exciting, style of dress. Not only were young ladies making changes in their wardrobe choices but this period also saw a huge increase in the number of girls attending university and entering the workforce. The younger generation of women had access to more disposable income than ever before and were becoming important and influential customers, demanding a more daring and adventurous style of dress in direct correlation to their newfound spirit and passion for life.
In the world of fashion, the sixties continues to be one of the most enduring decades of all time with more designers and consumers alike still emulating the unique style of what is considered to be one of the most important decades in fashion history. We carry a wide range of printed Dressmaking Fabrics which are ideal for injecting some sixties influence into your modern wardrobe pieces.