2 Apr 2012

The Sixties - Girls and Boys





Mary Quant My Autobiography
mary quant biography at amazon (click)
 The late 1960's was a very special time.  It is burned on my memory - I can remember names of politicians, sports men and women, events in history and what I was doing.


twiggy wearing a quant dress

quant and vidal sassoon
My ambition was to be able to afford to have my hair done by Vidal Sassoon, which was obviously out of the question on my typists salary - the best I could do was go to a hairdressers that had trainee days, but a girl could still hope.

My friends and I made a pilgrimage to London to stand outside the Quant shop 'Bazaar' on the Kings Road, Chelsea and just look in the window, then on to Biba and the Post Office Tower.  It didn't take much to make us happy in those days!



Mary was instrumental in the mod fashion movement and took credit for inventing the mini-skirt and hotpants, she showed a generation how to dress to please themselves.  The 1960's were the right time for Quant - the decade was characterized by the rise of youth culture in Britain.  Her clothes became part of the London look.
 Two or three films stood out for me that were  typical of their time  - I had teenage crushes on girls as well as boys - as you do! 
 I loved the fashions in the film 'Two for the Road' with Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney (Audrey was stunning).

Judy Geeson was my 'crush' in 'Here we go round the Mulbery bush'

Hwyell Bennett and Hayley Mills - crushes on both in The Family Way
Sidney Poitier and Judy Geeson in To Sir With Love


Michael Caine in Alfie (did you know that Cher sang the title song) no neither did I!
These were some of my favourite films - looking back on them now - they were pretty awful - but I wouldn't have missed any of it.

3 comments:

  1. Jennytc2 April 2012 at 15:19

    Yes, it's a time that sticks in my mind too and I still love the fashions of those years. Didn't know that about Cher either!

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  2. Rosie3 April 2012 at 09:16

    Gosh, so many memories flooding back! Of mini skirts and maxi coats and stretchy knee high boots! Little dresses with hardly any fabric to make them! The looks I admired where those of Jean Shrimpton, Julie Christie, Jane Birkin and Francoise Hardy but I really wanted to look like Kathy Mcgowan or Sandie Shaw who seemed more like the girls next door than the glamorous models. I remember all those films and also remember watching a TV soap that had Judy Geeson in it as well:)

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  3. bright star3 April 2012 at 10:36

    Absolutely love this post. It does take you back and we were all rather a lovely bunch of girls in those days. I was always protesting about the bomb and womens rights as well as falling in love with art students and hanging out at EEl Pie Island.I hope I have retained some of the feeling of love, hoped for peace and freedom of spirit as I approach 65! lol Angela

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