1960s Fashion Twiggy

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The fashion of the 1960s was a drastic departure from that of the 1950s. Slim, girlish figures were popular in favor of the curvy silhouette of decades past. Fashion in general became focused on a more youthful, slender, and generally a gamine look. The models in the fashion industry too began to reflect this general switch in aesthetic. There were several lanky, girlish models who exemplified the new 60s look. British based women Jean Shrimpton and Colleen Corby were among the most idolized models. But no models were more prolific or successful than Twiggy.

Twiggy was born Lesley Hornby on September 19, 1949. She was brought up in London by working-class parents who strived to provide opportunities for their aspiring young daughter. Twiggy's mother Lydia was an expert seamstress, and passed her knowledge of sewing and fashion design on to her daughter. Twiggy was recognized in school as the beautiful, fashionable girl who sewed her own clothes.

Lesley went to get her hair short and colored blonde in January of 1966. The stylist took headshots of her and used them as advertisements for his salon. A model scout and professional photographer saw the photos and sought out the young Lesley who was only 16 and still living with her parents. She was featured in a local magazine modeling clothing, and her modeling career took off quickly. Managed by her hairdresser boyfriend, the 91 pound, 5'6, diminutive girl became a cultural sensation.

Twiggy, called "Twigs" as a child after her slim, boyish figure, hated how she looked, but in that opinion she seemed to be alone. Within a month of her appearing in the local magazine, she had over a dozen editorials in Vogue. She was covered by several high-profile newspapers and magazines including the New Yorker. Twiggy was referred to as a "phenomenon." She modeled in the U.S., France, and Japan. Twiggy was on the cover of Paris Vogue, British Vogue, and even American Vogue, which she graced three times with her presence.

Twiggy's thin and boyish figure gained criticism for promoting an excessively thin and arguably unhealthy episode. Today, girls go to extreme lengths to acquire and maintain a slim figure, similar to Twiggy's. Today, Twiggy has denounced exceptionally thin models, and claims that her own petit physique was genetic. Her family had a history of skinny people, and she ate responsibly. The slim look that was popularized in the 1960s has not regressed just yet.

Twiggy quit modeling in 1970, preferring to focus on other aspects of her life. She won awards for her singing and acting, and her stage acting was particularly lauded. Twiggy won two Golden Globes for her performance in the musical The Boy Friend. She also became a television host; her show was called simply Twiggy. Today, Twiggy makes appearances on various television programs, recently as a judge on America's Next Top Model.

It has become something of a cliché, but there is truth in the quip that the sixties didn't start until 1963. It's as though the decade didn't realise it was a thing until it was a third of the way through, and then set about inventing itself with a gusto of unparalleled social and creative change. But if there are three things that spring to the western mind at the mention of the word "sixties", they are probably music, politics and fashion.

Women's fashion took some interesting steps from a glamorous 1950s vibe to the full-blown flower-power look, even though the latter was by no means adopted by everyone. In fact, the sixties was a bit of a fashion watershed, before which people tended to dress the more or less the same as each other, but which signalled the birth of the fractured subcultures we see today, when people can wear a wide range of clothing (preferably not at the same time) but still be seen as fashionable.