During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed on various fields, including in the ‘space race’ which stimulated the space age fashion trends of the 1960s. After World War ΙΙ the conflict between two of the world’s greatest superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, declared a race to explore space . By the early 1960s, the competition revolved around a desire to burnish their national images . Both powers believed the mastery of rocketry, electronics and telecommunications would provide success in space . Additionally, they could both publically keep score by achieving milestones in space . Initially, these milestones were led by the Soviets, which included the robotic Luna 1 probe in January 1959 . Although
This achievement was reflected in society, particularly through women’s fashion, inspiring designers such as Andre Courreges and Pierre Cardin to produce futuristic looking collections . Early collections were modernistic and simple, consisting of limited colour palettes of shimmering white and silver, based around fantasy visions of life . In 1964, the French designer Andre Courreges showcased his Moon Girl collection . The show featured boxy shapes, defined by straight lines and accessorised with oversized goggle sunglasses, in which he called the ‘moon girl’ look . Another designer who strived to create a futuristic look was Louis Feraud with his white mini dresses, displaying silver bead cut-outs and silver combinations . These designs created a futuristic and youthful appearance in the late 1960s. Other space age styles featured plastic detailing, oversized patch pockets, asymmetric cutting and see-through mesh as seen in the collections of other credible designers, such as Yves Saint Laurent and Paco Rabenne . The space race had an undeniable impact on fashion, proven by creations of space-age fabrics and styles in the
The issues of the 1960s infiltrated all aspects of society, hence it is referred to as a counterculture revolution of social norms. The period also presented new ideals and changes that have remained in modern times. Unlike any other decade before, ‘’the young picked up the 1960s and took the decade home as a toy’’ . Contributively, new fashions represented these new values, as designer Mary Quant elaborates, ‘’Fashion is not frivolous. It is part of being alive today’’ . Therefore it can be stated that ‘historic events in society had a great impact on fashion in the 1960s’. This became evident with the feminist movement, the space race and the Vietnam War which all contributed to the destruction of social traditions which dictated fashion trends. To conclude, clothing styles reflected prevailing attitudes of the 1960s and produced new trends expressive of social
The Soviet’s were responsible for putting man on the moon, rovers on Mars, and launching the Hubble Space Telescope. Indeed, it was the United States’ foes that drove the U.S. to accomplish perhaps the greatest feats of the twentieth century. Following the defeat of Germany and Japan in World War II, tensions between former allies, the United States and the Soviet Union, began to grow. In the following decades, the two superpowers would duke it out in competitions and tremendous shows of nationalism. They formed unmatchable rivalries in politics, economics, sciences, and sports. These rivalries would become clear when two countries competed in the space race, a competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union concerning achievements in the field of space exploration. The Soviet’s took the early lead as they put the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space. The launch of Sputnik 1 established a sense of fear into the American Public, resulting in the creation of NASA in the late 1950’s which opened the door for space exploration today and for future generations.
At the end of WWII in 1945, the USA and the Soviet Union emerged as the world’s superpowers. This was a time of great tension, rivalry and distrust between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was a time of political, diplomatic, military and economic rivalry where both nations wanted to emerge as the world’s new superpower. Hence, the Cold War would be of profound significance in the development of the space race as the space race was a key element in the rivalry of political, economic and social dominance.
In the 1960?s, society was changing by the minute and fashion was ?anything goes?. In the early sixties, Jackie Kennedy influenced fashion with her elegant, stylish outfits and her trademark pillbox hat. In the late sixties, the ?mod look? was popularized by go-go boots and mini-skirts, while bellbottom jeans, tie-dye shirts, long skirts and peasant dresses were worn by the hippie culture. Glance through any fashion catalog or magazine in the nineties and you will see models wearing the same fashions popularized in the late sixties. This illustrates how the 60?s contributed to today?s fashions. In the sixties, people in television, film and movies became the new socially elite and their influence had a profound impact on fashion, attitudes, and social values. In the nineties, supermodels and sports figures have joined this group. The fascination the public has with c...
The Space Race is remarkably similar to that of the arms race because of the parallel between the creation of the atomic bomb and the goal of reaching the moon. The United States’ bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively established its place as the technologically superior nation; however, major milestones in space achieved early by the Soviets damaged America’s reputation. In 1957, Soviet scientists shocked the world by successfully launching the Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, beyond the Kármán Line (the boundary of space). This amazing breakthrough “rattled American self-confidence. It cast doubts on America’s vaunted scientific superiority and raised some sobering military questions.” This blow to national pride along with the fear that the Soviets could potentially launch ICBMs from space led to “Rocket fever”. The sudden wave of nationalism and the desire to build a space program worthier to that of the Soviet Union led to the...
Peggy Whitley, dean at Lone Star College, sums up the newfound cosmetic craze in her American Cultural article: “Powder, lipstick, rouge, eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, colored nails. They had it all!” Associated with the distinct new styles of the era, the iconic “flapper girl” is born. This term is often used for women who donned the edgy style of the time, particularly with a defiant and independent outlook on life. Outside the exciting and rebellious life of the flapper girl, everyday clothing also experiences significant change.
The 1970s was a tumultuous time in the United States. In some ways, the decade was a continuation of the 1960s. Women, African Americans, Native Americans, gays and lesbians and other marginalized people continued to fight for their freedom, while many other Americans joined in the demonstration against the ongoing war in Vietnam. Due to these movements, the 1970s saw changes in its national identity, including modifications in social values. These social changes showed up in the fashion industry as well, delivering new outlooks in the arenas of both men’s and women’s clothing.
The Americans took a much more urgent approach after seeing what the U.S.S.R. was truly capable of. The United States would respond with various satellites including those of the Explorer Series and more. However, the Soviet Union would again one-up the United States, and all of their now seemingly feeble satellite launches, by putting the first man into outer space, Yuri Gagarin, in 1961. Now the quest gained an even more competitive drive and the United States soon put Alan B. Shepard into space twenty-three days later. The Space Race was truly a trek for the firsts of history, essentially just exterrestrial one-ups throughout an extended period of time. That very same year, John F. Kennedy founded NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, just for that purpose, to explore the world beyond their own, while maintaining the central aim, to beat the Soviets outright. JFK was a leading power in this race, and “by giving NASA programs top priority, his actions essentially played on American fears of communism and implicitly inferred that the Eisenhower administration had not done enough to meet the Sputnik challenge. Too many Americans were beginning to feel a need to vindicate the ‘long-standing communist boast that theirs was the superior system for galvanizing human productivity’” (Koman 43). Winning this space race was way more than just an extraterrestrial victory, it would hopefully squander the communists’ hopes and assert true American dominance. The United States sought to eliminate any presumption of communist superiority and did so in the near future by winning this Cold War space race, thanks to the execution of a truly unimaginable
The sixties were a time of growing youth culture and youth fashions, which had already begun in the late fifties. In the west, young people were benefiting from the postwar industrial boom, and had no problem finding work. With extra cash in their pockets, they were able to spend more and had begun to refashion themselves accordingly. This higher demand in the fashion business brought out a new generation of designers. The freedom of extra cash meant room for more imagination and creativity, bringing out new and provocative fashion ideas.
On May 25, 1961, just two weeks after the US had successfully got an American into space, John F. Kennedy gave a speech addressing it and exclaimed, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project...will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important...and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish..." (Kruse). The Space Race became an important event for all of humanity during the 20th century because it improved our knowledge of space, improved and inspired new technology, and improved our education. It sparked a mix of both friendly and non friendly competition between the Capitalist United States and the Communist Russia (USSR) from the launch of Sputnik in 1957, all the way to the Apollo-Soyuz project that ended the race in 1975 .
Early on in the race, the USSR was very successful. In 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik, which triggered the start of the space race (John F. Kennedy). The United States began to scramble, trying to catch up with the Soviets. However, soon after, the Soviet Union completed another huge success. They sent the first man to orbit Earth (John F. Kennedy). In 1961 the USSR’s Yuri Gagarin became the first human to ever orbit the Earth (John F. Kennedy). The United States was still unsuccessful and beginning to look weak. After that, America got serious. On May 25, 1961, President Kennedy asked Congress for around eight billion dollars to build up the space program over the next five years (John F. Kennedy). The president declared, “This nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth” (John F. Kennedy).
Space travel was born from the flames of war – or in this case, the refrigerators of war. The Soviet Union and the United States were ready to show up each other in the fields of science and engineering, and with the recent advent of rocketry, it was evident that space was the next goal. Russia held the first few victories: including the first man-made satellite and the first man in space. Following these defeats, America picked itself up, and defeated the Russians on the race to the moon.
The space race was the product of the Cold War. It was an effort to prove technological superiority but on the other hand, it was also feared on both sides that weapons of mass destruction will be placed in orbit. In 1957, the Soviet Union sent the 184 pound Sputnik 1 satellite into Earth’s orbit. It was the first artificial satellite and the first manmade object to be placed into Earth’s orbit. Following that, they also sent the first animal into space, Laika the dog. In 1958, the United Sates also launched their first satellite into orbit, dubbed Explorer 1. The Soviet space program advanced once again in 1959. The Soviet Union launched Luna 2, which was the first space probe to hit the moon. In April 1961, the Soviet Union had the ultimate success, sending the first human into space. The name of the Russian cosmonaut was Yuri Gagarin, who made a 108 minute suborbital flight in a Vostok 1 spacecraft. One month after that, Alan Shepard became the American in space aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft. Continuing from there, each nation step...
It was a difficult moment in the late 1950s in America. The Cold Ward was heating up on a political level. Suddenly, that all ended when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957. This was the world’s first artificial satellite to orbit around Earth (Holland 112). As Todd Gitlin puts it, “When the Russians launched the first intercontinental ballistic missile and Sputnik in 1957, they blasted the national pride and stoked a national panic in America” (112). Politics controlled the race at first, but President Kennedy later shifted it towards a peaceful space exploration (Holland 114).
Rennolds Milbank, Caroline. Couture, The Great Designers. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Inc. Publishers, 1985. Print.
A famous designer called Mary Quant created mini-skirts and they became the most popular fashion style around that decade (Tracy Tolkien, 2002). In second place, this paper would like to compare the dressing style of the 80s with the 60s (Tracy Tolkien, 2002). Finally, it is the discussion about the influences of vintage styles of the 60s and 80s on modern fashion in the UK and this paper would like to demonstrate the new fashionable trends for recent years. This project will analyze the dressing styles for two different eras and discuss their effect on the British vogue. The dressing styles in the 60s The 1960s was a significant decade for the fashion world in the UK.