Ladies Trousers 1960s

Ladies Trousers 1960s. The 1960s were an age of fashion innovation for women. The early 1960s gave birth to drainpipe jeans and capri pants, which were worn by Audrey Hepburn. Casual dress became more unisex and often consisted of plaid button down shirts worn with slim blue jeans, comfortable slacks, or skirts. Traditionally, trousers had been viewed by western society as masculine, but by the early 1960s, it had become acceptable for women to wear them everyday. These included Levi Strauss jeans, which had previously been considered blue collar wear, and “stretch” drainpipe jeans with elastane. Women’s trousers came in a variety of styles: narrow, wide, below the knee, above the ankle, and eventually mid thigh. Mid-thigh cut trousers, also known as shorts, evolved around 1969. By adapting men’s style and wearing trousers, women voiced their equality to men.

In the 1960s, André Courrèges introduced jeans for women, leading to the era of designer jeans. And in 1966, Yves Saint Laurent introduced Le Smoking, a woman’s tuxedo intended for formal occasions, famously photographed by Helmut Newton in a manner emphasizing the wearer’s androgyny and suggesting lesbian overtones.

In 1969 Rep. Charlotte Reid (R-Ill.) became the first woman to wear trousers in the U.S. Congress.

Also in 1969, Barbra Streisand became the first woman to attend the Oscars in pants, accepting an award for her role in Funny Girl dressed in an outfit designed by Arnold Scaasi. Reference: Wikipedia

Psychedelic prints, neon colors, and mismatched patterns were in style. In the late 1960s, The hippie movement also exerted a strong influence on women’s clothing styles, including bell-bottom jeans, tie-dye and batik fabrics, as well as paisley prints.