being free.

Defining a ‘bad habit’ will always be a challenge. There is an infinite number of attempts to do so: drugs, alcohol, addiction, waking up late in the morning, among others. However, there is one subject that is strictly related to this concept: ‘freedom’. We are free to do whatever we want in our life. Fashion is no exception. Fashion was born from the habit to dress up, covering up our body with something that translates our freedom.

The sixties and the seventies were defined as decades of freedom and, consequently, bad habits. It was a time of emancipation from the conservatism lived in the 40s and 50s. Post-war revolution, rebellions, gender defiance characterized these two decades alongside societal changes that enabled an explosion of art within the fashion industry.

London was the coolest location in the sixties. Its streets were a fashion parade where the younger generation rebelled against the restrictions of a post-war society. They denied the reality their elders lived in and music, fashion was a way of expressing their fight against the system. Designer names such as Mary Quant emerged. She dressed women with miniskirts and ‘showing’ legs was the hit, something that before was completely out of reach. Mary brought color, patterns, a range of options for women to play with. The ‘mod’ style was born and dressing up was fun and women were free, closing a ‘bad habit’ that their mothers lived: being stuck with standard and monochromatic designs.

Also, in the sixties, the ‘hippie’ movement emerged in America. The younger generation refused to accept the postwar prosperity, and engaged on political protests, being active not only through their voice, but also through their clothes. Fashion was made from their beliefs: peace. Considered as a counterculture, this movement took the American streets with colorful patterns, long shirts, flower motives, anything that announced their self-expression and the discovery of a new reality, being an iconic and important era of the (fashion) world.

The seventies were one of the biggest sources of style for the industry. Trends born in that decade remain relevant until today and do not seem to be going anywhere. Do you know those bell sleeves that are on every fast fashion stores? Born in the seventies. High boots? Miniskirts?

Just like today, 1970 had their influences and fashion icons. Jane Birkin, Jackie Kennedy, Twiggy... all names that wore the best styles and that made average woman run to stores to find the same styles as their icons. One of the stores they ran to was Vivienne Westwood’s, one of the fashion queens who opened her first shop in 1971 and who is known as the mother of punk and modern new wave fashion. She actually once resumed the decade in one simple statement - “when in doubt, overdress”.

Fashion in the 60’s/70’s was about making a statement, about standing out. The pop music, political activism, influence and the impact of cinema and TV, societal changes, were clearly a big influence. Fashion became more fearless, different. These were years of experiment, exploration, liberation, becoming better and with more personality, embedding lifestyles, habits that previously were doomed by the society.

Two decades that our grandparents fought so today we could live without (fashion) boundaries and honor the only habit that will never be bad: being free.

Catarina & Ana