Monumental change is in the air, and you’re a part of it,” says Laura Dern’s character, Linda, to that of Kristen Wiig’s Maxine in Palm Royale. The new AppleTV miniseries is set in 1969, in the posh Palm Beach area of Florida. Maxine, dressed like an orange creamsicle in a printed sheath dress, silk headscarf, and white-rimmed cat-eye glasses, exemplifies post-World War II upward mobility as she plots and schemes her way into the exclusive Palm Royale Club. She represents the cultural state preceding the ‘monumental change’ Linda refers to: The countercultural movement that burst into the mainstream at the height of the Vietnam War and gave hippies a permanent place in the American lexicon.
OF DOE EYES AND DISCO
The release of Palm Royale in 2024 coincides with other products of pop culture that carry a distinctive 1960s aesthetic. In a bridal campaign for SKIMS, podcaster Alex Cooper was glammed with bouffant hair and cut-crease eyes, which are instantly recognisable as 60s beauty signatures. Sofia Coppola’s 2023 release Priscilla directed our attention back towards the voluminous hair and flower power clothing preferred by the rockstar’s wife. The runways are awash with nostalgia too. Marc Jacobs’ ‘Valley Of Dolls’ presentation for Spring/Summer 2024 was all towering wigs, and spidery lashes reminiscent of 60s icon Twiggy. Pinterest predicts, “Beauty and baubles will get bigger, bolder, and bouncier in 2024. Millennials and Gen Z will opt for oversized opulence, shopping for styles that match their ‘fluffy hair’ aesthetic.” Even Celine’s creative director Hedi Slimane reflected on the irreverent and youthful spirit of the 60s and drew on It-Girls such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton for the house’s Fall 2024 collection. Dior’s Fall 2024 collection is perhaps the most outright throwback to the decade, with trenches and skirts splashed with the words ‘Miss Dior’ – Maria Grazia Chiuri’s homage to the Miss Dior boutique launched in 1967 – which ushered in a new era of women’s ready-to-wear in Paris. Boutiques emerged in the 1960s as alternatives to designer ateliers and department stores, and were places for cool young people to not just shop, but also to see and be seen. Granny Takes A Trip, the cult King’s Road boutique that opened to London’s bright young things in 1966, was relaunched online in March.
APPETITE FOR NOSTALGIA
Does this indicate that a 60s revival is in full swing? While the aesthetic markers of fashion and beauty from the decade are enjoying renewed popularity, the trends varied widely from year to year, much like today. Four major umbrellas can be identified here.
The modest, ladylike styles of the early 60s were exemplified by First Lady Jackie Kennedy, whose prim image popularised jacket-skirt sets worn with matching pillbox hats. Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2024 collection was a rehash of this very look, featuring many tailored skirt suits in bright solids, paired with Mary Janes.
The Swinging Sixties were also marked by the introduction of more colour into people’s everyday wardrobes and a wider acceptance of casual fashion. The Mod look most associated with the decade and its young muses saw playful printed dresses in shift and A-line silhouettes that were cut above the knee, as well cropped pixie haircuts. This relaxed look that downplayed femininity was in stark contrast to the voluptuous bombshells and pin-up beauties of the previous decades. While high hems invited the ire of conservatives, the mini dresses and miniskirts introduced by British designer Mary Quant charged onto the scene to become the decade-defining look for young women in the West. We were definitely reminded of this era when Versace’s Spring 2024 runway sent down girly shift dresses in damier-patterned pastels. Other 60s styles linked to the youth (and aspirational images of leisure) included capri pants. Worn by the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot, the not-quite-trousers originated from the fashions of the Beatniks, and went on to achieve mass popularity in the United States through The Dick Van Dyke Show. Teenagers and housewives alike showed a certain fondness for capris, which have made it back to the mood boards this year and for good reason; brands like Coperni and 3.1 Phillip Lim are putting them on the runways, and streetwise fashionistas are digging out their capris from the last time they were trending in the noughties.
The aforementioned Pinterest trend report also states that cool silver tones and bold chrome are resonating right now. There’s a clear parallel here with the bold space-age looks pioneered by 60s designers such as Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin, with the latter showing kooky space suits and metallic clothing in its Spring 2024 collection as well. Others such as Coperni, Dion Lee, and Rick Owens also ran with the futuristic theme for Fall 2024.
Finally, with the rise of the anti-establishment movement in the late 60s at the hands of the love-and-peace-loving free-thinkers, loose, flowy skirts, psychedelic prints and peasant blouses in natural fibres became staples. Chemena Kamali’s debut collection for Chloe was hailed by many as a signal of updated boho chic, which borrows majorly from the styles worn by hippies in the 60s.
COMMON GROUNDS
What is it about our current times that makes them particularly apropos for a 1960s revival? While we’re long past the days when popular trends were pulled from just one decade from the past, the wide range of sartorial as well as political sensibilities encompassed within the 60s gives us a spectrum to work with in the uncertain environment of 2024. Both have been times of great social and political upheaval.
While the second wave of feminism in the West made significant strides towards reproductive rights, financial independence, and workplace equality, today we’re reckoning with a regression in women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights.
As seen in the rise of the tradwife (or traditional wife) on social media, women are once more grappling with the roles ordained upon them by society and the value of their labour in a patriarchal world. In a now viral video, 20-something model Nara Smith captivated and appalled millions as she made cereal for her toddler from scratch, while looking impossibly put-together. This new brand of upper-class femininity and motherhood finds liberation in submitting to their husbands and taking on a traditional role as a full-time caregiver to children. On the other hand, the attributes associated with femininity have slowly shed their baggage (at least on certain parts of the internet), and being a girl’s girl, a babygirl or Mother is desirable. The rise of coquette aesthetics also places increased value on girlhood, and explores it through a narrow aesthetic defined by bows, pink, and lace.
Right now, we’re having pretty much the same conversations that we did all those decades ago, and we’re keeping our eyes peeled to find out how contemporary bones of contention this year lead to creative choices that look not just to the past but also to the future.