Here are some costume ideas for a 60s costume for Halloween, a theme party or any other time. As always, both fashion and popular culture, such as music and films, of the Sixties are good placed to start to look for ideas. Here are some suggestions as to notable examples from the decade.
Films
There are a few iconic films from the 1960s. Perhaps one of the best known today is The Italian Job, but the most recognisable part of that film is the Mini Cooper, which does not really qualify as a costume! That doesn’t mean that a costume couldn’t be designed around a car, but such would be more likely to suggest the modern animated Cars film series than a Sixties classic.
A notable, low-budget American film of the decade, which has had a huge influence since, was the late George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, which essentially kick-started the whole modern zombie trope (even though the Smurfs actually had a comic book, The Black Smurfs, that had similarities to the modern zombie prior to the film). Of course, zombies are not immediately associated with the Sixties, so for a Sixties costume it would be necessary to pair the zombie look with something else, such as a hippie. The characters from the film were ordinary people, so lacked a distinctive appearance.
Spartacus is another major film from the Sixties, featuring Roman gladiators. This costume idea, although it is distinctive, is another that doesn’t really narrow down the era, as there have been popular gladiator films and television programmes since and it could be thought to be a historical costume.
In many ways, films from the Sixties are poor choices for truly distinctive costumes.
Television
Television is another source of costume ideas and two notable science fiction series, Star Trek and Doctor Who, both kicked off in this decade. Science fiction has an advantage when it comes to costume ideas; the costumes are more readily recognisable than other sources. The uniforms from Star Trek are still readily available and the Doctor and his companions frequently had distinctive costumes.
Hippies
The hippy is an outfit suitable for men, women, couples and groups. Originated from the term ‘hipster’, which was itself originally used as a term for a beatnik, the hippy became part of the counterculture movement of the latter half of the decade, a movement which became intimately associated with drugs (although such is certainly not recommended for a costume! Or indeed at all!).
Hippie wore items featuring flowers and bright, psychedelic colours. the clothing itself was tie-dyed shirts and other items, bell bottomed jeans and long, full skirts for women, the latter usually decorated with flowers and other bold patterns. Long hair, which tended to be a protest against the short, U.S. Army cuts associated with the Vietnam War that the hippies were against, was popular and is definitely associated with hippies. Men, and sometimes women, would often have this tied back in a ponytail, but colourful bands were worn as well. Sunglasses and beads are a couple of popular accessories.
The Mod
Mods were a British subculture from the 1960s who were most famous, or perhaps infamous, for their clashes with rockers, primarily in the seaside towns in southern England. The term “Mod” is an abbreviation of “Modernist,” a term used to describe jazz music of the 50s, which was different from traditional, or “trad,” jazz music. Mods were influenced by the dress of the Teddy Boys of the Fifties.
Mods would wear tailor made suits with thin lapels, over a button-down shirt, thin tie and a crew or V-neck cashmere sweater.
The most notable accessory for the mod was the scooter; another accessory that is a bit on the large, and perhaps expensive, side to be used as part of a costume.
Fashion
One of the most popular items of women’s clothing during the Sixties was the miniskirt, defined as a skirt that has a hemline generally between 6 and 7 inches about the knees. The mini skirt was named after British fashion designer Mary Quant’s favourite car, the Mini.
Originating in the late Fifties and continuing into the Sixties was space age fashion. Space age fashion was influenced by a number of things; the Cold War, the Space Race and popular science fiction films, books and television series. These fashions used a lot of synthetic materials, which were gaining in popularity, boxy shapes and plastic textures. Plastic raincoats, colourful swing coats and dyed fake furs were popular with women. Sandals and pumps were popular footwear for women, as were white go-go boots which became an integral part of go-go girl fashion.
The Nehru jacket, named after Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, is a hip-length tailored coat with a high collar worn by both men and women. The jacket is perhaps made most famous for the James Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld as portrayed by Donald Pleasance in You Only Live Twice, although he was neither the first nor the only Bond villain to wear it. (Later, in the 70s, the Master from Doctor Who also wore one.)
Music – The Beatles
The British group the Beatles had a significant influence on the culture of the Sixties and later. Earlier in their career, they has a clean-cut image, wearing a suit and tie with a signature mop-top haircut which created a general appearance very similar to Mods; unsurprising, as they were one of the groups coming from the Mod subculture. Dressing as the Beatles would be suitable as a group costume idea for four people. Later on, the Beatles reflected the hippie period of the decade rather more.
Take a look at more detailed costume ideas:
For Men, Women and Couples – Hippies