The so called ‘Stepford Housewives’ look has made it to vintage magazines, pin ups and hundreds of tv commercials. The all time classic American girl can never really make a comeback in today’s world. Women are a lot more evolved and goal oriented to associate themselves with household chores and duties. This Satirical look has been an enlightening moment for many filmmakers and writers. It is something to discuss- from vintage dresses all the way to blazers and flared pants with big feline Glasses.
Media is what inspired many women to break away from their roles as wives and mothers and turn to a more professional look. Even Barbie dolls were taking up on roles like Air Hostesses, Secretaries, movie stars etc…
While some Women loved to be home and read their books, others liked to turn to entrepreneurship. This was reflected in their Fashion which quickly turned from delicate cotton dresses to understated Suites and blazers.
Beautiful Jumper Dresses at the workplaces and cute Shift Dresses on Casual days. You couldn’t beat the Modernday Women’s style. Soon the ‘all American Girl’ was being replaced with more French and European Influences of Fashion and clothing.
Color block dresses and vibrant skirts and sweater cardigans were making hits. ‘Color’ is one thing in Fashion that really makes a statement when you want express yourself and put yourself out there in the world, and that’s exactly what women were doing at the time.
The concept of the Submissive Housewife was becoming only but a Myth in the American world.
A popular name that comes a lot when we talk about the Feminist movement in the 1960’s is Gloria Steinem. During The American feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Steinem was a columnist for New York magazine, and a co-founder of Ms. magazine as well as a Fashion icon in today’s world. Which came to be an inspirational story for many young Women and Housewives.
Gloria Steinem has recently been championed by the fashion world–receiving accolades from the DVF Awards in 2014 and the CFDA in 2017—not to mention being one of designer Prabal Gurung’s inspirations for his collection last spring. It’s hard not to make the immediate connection that an industry largely comprised of (and mostly serving) women would want to celebrate a lauded feminist.
Actress Rose Byrne in FX’s captivating new series, Mrs. America. Byrne nails her performance as Steinem, everything from the way the icon wears her enormous glasses to her 70’s hairstyle. We love the look!
Walk a block or so on any big city street, you’d see women wearing Indian block-print bedspread dresses, tight tie-dye T-shirts and hip hugger jeans, afros, boots that hooked up the front, long calico dresses, rose-printed black-challis dirndl skirts, maxi coats, and micro minis.” – What We Wore
The 1960s fashion style was still in effect with rebellious hippies and unconventional mods fighting it out in department stores. Short skirts paired with long coats and long skirts paired with short vests. The decade couldn’t decide what direction to take or what past decade to emulate. However women were rebelling all over America and taking on a more bold approach on Fashion as well as in their fields of Work.
The era of women’s pantsuits, although not known, exploded on the market. Man-tailored blazers were worn over a vest and pussy bow tie blouse with wide trousers and pointy toe boots. Add to it men’s style button down dress shirts, matching suit vests, big hats, flat shoes and glasses the look became a new style for intelligent yet trendy women everywhere. Women wanted to be seen as equivalent to men in the workforce and in life and they represented this through their style which was both Feminine and bold.