[2 versions]
Sixties passion for fashion rolls back in town
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/history-newcastle-north-east/remember-when/2010/04/28/sixties-passion-for-fashion-rolls-back-in-town-72703-26329713/
TONY HENDERSON on the return of the Sixties.
Apr 28 2010
by Tony Henderson
THE Sixties will swing back into town courtesy of North East fashion
historian Caroline Whitehead.
Caroline, who lives in Ponteland, will lead an event which will
examine the impact the decade had on Newcastle and the North East.
Her free illustrated talk, The Sixties Revisited: Dedicated Followers
of Fashion, at Newcastle City Library, is one of scores of events in
the region during Local History Month, which starts on Saturday.
Sixties gear loaned by Tynesiders, who have fondly kept their best
kit from the decade, will be dusted down and modelled at the event on
May 10 at 6pm.
People who go along are also being urged to wear any Sixties items
they have at home.
The talk follows the success of the book It's My Life: 1960s
Newcastle, released last September by Tyne Bridge Publishing in which
more than 50 contributors provided their memories of the times.
Caroline, who was previously responsible for costume and textiles at
Tyne and Wear Museums, staged an exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery
in Newcastle on the fashions turned out by influential Sixties boutique Biba.
She said: "The Sixties saw a huge expansion in youth culture. There
were a lot of jobs around for young people and they had far more
disposable income.
"It was a whole new world, not only of fashion but also music and
politics. It all felt very fresh and new, and a lot of things were going on.
"In addition, city council leader T Dan Smith was making Newcastle a
very different place to what it had been and the experience was of
living in a place which was going through big changes."
Caroline researched girls' magazines of the time, such as Jackie and Honey.
"Honey came to Newcastle in the Sixties and did a feature on the city
and its young people, and it was fascinating," said Caroline.
"One of the girls who was interviewed complained that the shops were
rotten in Newcastle and that savvy and street fashion clothes by mail
order saved their lives.
"Young people in Newcastle made great efforts to be fashionable and
shops like Marcus Price were very influential .
"After the drabness of the Fifties, patterns and colours were very
new as was experimentation with Op Art and psychedelia.
"Biba and Laura Ashley were fashionable but a bit more sophisticated,
with long, drooping clothes."
Caroline said that the Fifties had been a time of regimented fashion,
with clothing following a spring, summer, autumn and winter regime.
But that changed in the Sixties.
"It was much more free. People felt they could make up their own
fashion, using granny's clothing, or items from jumble sales."
Men also enjoyed the fashion freedom.
"Fashions for men underwent a great explosion. It was the first time
since the dandies of the 18th Century that men could have long hair
and very colourful clothes," said Caroline.
"All in all, it was a very exciting time to be living in Newcastle."
Book for the event on 0191 277 4100.
--------
A fashionable look back at the Sixties
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2010/04/29/a-fashionable-look-back-at-the-sixties-61634-26338545/
Apr 29 2010
by Tony Henderson
IT may not seem like it to those who were there, but the Sixties are
now well and truly history.
Confirmation comes in a Sixties event which features in Local History
Month, which begins on Saturday.
The Sixties Revisited: Dedicated Followers of Fashion, is a free
illustrated talk at Newcastle City Library by fashion historian
Caroline Whitehead.
Caroline, from Ponteland, will look at the sweeping changes in youth
culture, economic prosperity and a fashion revolution which had such
an impact on cities like Newcastle.
The audience at the event will also be invited to play their part by
turning up in any Sixties gear they have kept over the years.
People have already been lending clothes and other items from the
swinging decade to be modelled at the event, which starts at 6pm on May 10.
The talk is linked to the recent book It's My Life: 1960s Newcastle,
by Tyne Bridge Publishing in which more than 50 contributors provided
their memories and photographs.
For some years Caroline was responsible for costume and textiles at
Tyne Wear Museums, and curated an exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery
in Newcastle on the influential Sixties boutique Biba. She said: "The
Sixties saw a huge expansion in youth culture. There were a lot of
jobs around for young people and they had far more disposable income.
"It was a whole new world, not only of fashion but also music and
politics. It all felt very fresh and new, and a lot of things were going on.
"In addition, city council leader T Dan Smith was making Newcastle a
very different place to what it had been and the experience was of
living in a place which was going through big changes."
Caroline came across a Sixties copy of Honey magazine, which included
a feature on Newcastle and its young people.
"One of the girls who was interviewed complained that the shops were
rotten in Newcastle and that savvy and street fashion clothes by mail
order saved their lives," said Caroline.
"Young people in Newcastle made great efforts to be fashionable and
shops like Marcus Price were very influential .
"After the drabness of the Fifties, patterns and colours were very
new as was experimentation with Op Art and psychedelia, while Biba
and Laura Ashley were a bit more sophisticated."
Caroline said the Fifties had been a time of regimented fashion, with
clothing following a spring, summer, autumn and winter rotation.
"The Sixties were much more free. People felt they could make up
their own fashion, using granny's clothing, or items from jumble
sales, " she said.
Book for the event on 0191 277 4100.
.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Sixties-L" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/sixties-l?hl=en.
