How to be a 60's Girl.

You've always been love-struck by the sixties and wish you could be more like those sixties girls with the perfect hair, sweet smiles and nights out at the drive-in theatre... Well with a little help to get started, you may find the sixties girl within you blossom!

Part 1

60s Clothing

1. 
   1
   Get the clothes. The sorts of clothes appropriate to the 1960s include:

   • Small scarves around your neck over a cardigan sweater.
     
   • Tight black skirts with slits up the back or sides, just above the knees.
     
   • Plain or black nylons with garter belts and flat black shoes or penny loafers.
     
   • Blazers and plaid skirts, pleated skirts, gathered skirts with crinolines.
     
   • White blouses.
     
   • Plain polo necks (in colours such as black or white, or maybe even something very vibrant!)
     
   • Wear mini skirts.
     
   • Wear A-line dresses with wild flower patterns. Remember flower power was "in" in the late sixties.
     
   • Tunics and shift dresses.
   • Skinny trousers.
   • Paper dresses.
     
2. 2
   Choose the clothing style you like the most, or mix it up for different times. Some choices include:

   • For the sophisticated 'work-look', try a nice, pastel polo-neck with light-colored skinny trousers and vintage-looking heels or flats.
   • For a normal couldn't-be-bothered everyday look, choose skinny trousers and a cool tunic over the top, with pin-heeled shoes.
   • For a fun, cute look, choose bright mini-dresses and mini-skirts teamed with frilly blouses and pin-heeled boots! Also, use high-waisted shorts - either plain or print - with bright opaque tights and a frilly blouse tucked in, along with flats. For accessories, choose bright tights, lots of bangles and Alice bands.

Part 2

DIY clothing improvements

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   Embroider jeans or vests. Wear them. The peace symbol was very popular.
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   2
   Letter sweaters from your "jock" boyfriend and always a "friendship" or class ring around your neck hanging on a gold chain.

Part 3

Accessories

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   Wear peace and/or love necklaces, earrings, etc. The sixties was the peace and love decade.
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   2
   Purchase or make love beads. Wear them with a pair of bell bottoms and sandals for the hippie look which was fashionable until the mid seventies.
3. 
   3
   Wear headbands.

Part 4

Looking like a 60s girl

1. 
   1
   Get the hairstyle. Bouffants were quite popular among the older women, while teens girls preferred sleek straight hair and headbands.

   • The bouffant is much easier to tackle with shorter hair (shoulder length). See How to Tease Your Hair for help on achieving the bouffant.
     
   • For headbands: Go for a relaxed, well-combed loose look, with an added neon thin headband worn like a hippy would, not on top of the head, but surrounding the head. Try out some pretty fabric-covered thick headbands too.
2. 
   2
   Do an elegant hairstyle. Many women imitated Jackie Kennedy's hairstyle with her hair softly brushing her shoulders and flipping up at the end under a pillbox hat. Use a straightening or curling iron to flip up the ends of your hair if you do choose this look.
3. 3
   Try out a beehive for swinging 60s style. Back-comb the crown and leaving the front natural.
4. 
   4
   Use makeup:

   • For eyes: These will be your most accented asset. Apply a white translucent base as eyeshadow, filling the crease with a dark shade eye-shadow. Line the top lash line with black liquid liner, make it slightly thicker on the outer corner and finish with thick mascara or false lashes.
     
   • Use liquid foundation and powder to achieve perfect skin with little or very light pink blush.
     
   • Try nude lips for something basic and true to the time.
     
   • Or, add makeup for a pretty pout. All you need is lipstick (optional), Vaseline, lip balm and lip-gloss. Apply the Vaseline and leave for a couple of minutes, so that it soaks in. Now your lips will be softer. Add some flavoured lip balm, just to make sure, and let that sink in too. If you're going to a party, apply some ruby-red lipstick, or if not, miss this out. On top, use some sparkly or clear lip-gloss with a flavour.

Part 5

Immersing yourself in 60s culture

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   Listen to The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Doors, Kinks, Byrds, Monkees, Animals, Who, Manfred Mann, Small Faces etc etc etc. Choose your favourite 60s band or singer and purchase ALL the memorabilia and fan items you can.
2. 
   2
   Know popular terms used in the sixties such as:

   • "a gas"- A blast or a good time.
   • "bag"- Often referred to stealing.
   • "fab" describing something that is very good and 'cool', shortened version of fabulous.
   • "ape"- Going ballistic or becoming irate over a situation.
   • "Far out"- Excellent, cool, great.
   • "Hacked"- Mad, furious, upset.
   • "Heat"- Cops/police.
   • "Bookin'"- Going very fast, as in a car.
   • "Cat"- A guy.
   • "Square"- An uncool type of person.
   • "Bouffant" (any pouffe hairstyle).
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   Listen to popular music of the sixties. "The Beatles," "The Monkees," "The Rolling Stones," "The Who," "Lowrider Oldies," "The Mamas & the Papas" and "The Archies" will get you going in the right direction!
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   4
   Familiarize yourself with sixties-inspired films. Some examples include: Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Pink Panther, etc.

   • Find out more about the mods, the northern soul and the rockers by watching films like Quadrophenia and Soulboy.