1961 music & fashion

Upon looking into the classic film breakfast at tiffanys, i am going to research into the surrounding topics so i can fully understand and am aware of what was going on in New York in 1961 when the film was released.

Artists like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Frank Sinatra, Bill Haley&his Comets,Brenda Lee and Ella Fitzgerald (all iconic and rememorable artists) were chart topping and releasing music in this year!

The big hit selling single 'stand by me' by Ben E King was released in 196; it was also the year when The Beach Boys formed as a band!

Already from that little passage of information 1961 was infamous for it's music, and due to the war and depression being over, music was an act of celebration!

New Yorks Fashion.

Following the 1940s and the end of the world war; also symbolised the end of the square shoulders and short skirts. Christian Dior held the torch for the 'new look' fashion of longer sweeping skirts and softer shoulders...

Not only did new styles of fashion evolve but newer materials became popular such as "drip dry" nylon, & acrylic,polyester, triacetate and spandex.

It was February 12th 1947 when Christian Dior offically exibited their new collections that would go down in history at New Yorks "New Look"

This statement and signature clothing was of a full skirt that fitted high and small fitted on the waist and came just below the mid calf length. At first this wasn't hugely popular until the 1950's began, people were quite happy with their squared and padded shoulders...

1947.

Obviously people did start to follow suit and every women became a slight more feminine teaming their clothes with pretty accessories such as hats,gloves, and pearls. Pearls became hugely popular amongst women in the 1950s. It was the era where peplums were heavily used within dresses and fitted jackets and everything was quite tight fitting around the waist. Halterneck and shirt like sundress were the 'day dresses' featuring low necklines or in contrast peter pan collars, and very full skirts (with multiple layers of petticoats) or they were very narrow fitting.

Bolero jackets,shrugs and cocktail dresses also began within Christian Diors 'new look'.

However it wasn't long before rival fashion houses competed within fashion stakes and therefore made the full fitted skirts short lived due to Balenciago designing the 'unfitted' suits as early as 1951 and then the 'unfitted' dresses were brought out in Paris in 1954. However it failed to dominate the public, Chanel in the other hand had a comeback also in 1954 with 'the Chanel suit'.

Balenciago unfitted jacket, 1954.

The Chanel Suit.
This was typically an A-line skirt and a braid trimmed cardigan style jacket. By 1957 the chanel suit was so popular that nearly all suits were designed to have light loose jackets that fitted just below the waist teamed with narrow skirts.