Dressing the Decade - 1963

I spent way to much time this last weekend looking at all the 60s patterns in Etsy, and picked up 3 new pretties to add to my collection. It also reminded me that I need to continue with my series on 60's sewing pattern appreciation...

So here is the next installment of Dressing the Decade - 1963! 

Socially and politically 1963 was a big year - the Vietnam War was building momentum, JFK was assassinated and Martin Luther King delivered his 'I have a dream' speech.

Pop culture wise we get the debut of The Beatles, Bob Dylan's 'Blowin in the wind' and Doctor Who's first broadcast on the BBC! The continuing rise of the youth culture culminated in the recognition of Mods and the development of their signature style - simple lines, tailored suits and the ubiquitous Parker 

For everyday women's fashion, we continue to see a loosening of waistlines on dresses like in 1962 and the idea of the cinched in waist replaced by princess seamed dresses and the shift dress.

Princess seamed dresses are where the dress is shaped through the cut of the fabric and not just through darts. It still offers the feminine shape while not requiring a belt to accentuate the waist. This was quite easy wear for those not ready to move away from the classic look. 

The shift dress, being the most simple of shapes, was normally straight up and down with a few darts for shaping. Patterns for these types of dresses began to become available. The great thing about a shift dress is that you can still add a belt if you wish to give that small waist look. 

Miss Red is looking rather chuffed with her belted shift

Patterns for the fit-and-flare style were still available - but many of these dresses had a more subdued skirt. The petticoat that had helped accentuate this style since the 50's had been slowly going out of style. 

In reality this style hasn't gone completely out of fashion at all, but its popularity has come in and out over the years. This isn't the last we will see of this ol' girl 

The more relaxed skirt for 1963

What is new to the decade is the empire line dress. The higher waist line normally belonged to children's wear and maternity dresses but was becoming more common to see smocks and other clothing inspired by children's wear for young adults and teens.

Empire line cut on the bias created a fuller skirt

The original Maternity smock

For work it was now more common to see ladies in fitted 'wiggle' dresses with matching jackets. A set of Jackie Kennedy style suits and some soft blouses would have made a decent wardrobe for any aspiring copywriter!

1963 featured the new minimalism of fashion right before things started to get creative later on in the decade. But you can see hints of it in the more high-fashion patterns including shorter hem lines

Relaxed shoulders and a drop waist hem. The high neck and low back are also new

A skirt above the knee? Scandalous!

Outerwear was now also a lot more slimmer in silhouette as the larger skirts had gone out of style. Fitted coats were availilbe to make in these patterns

To cap off this rather relaxing year of silhouettes - a few patterns I wish I had in my stash

What 60s space age child wouldn't be happy with a Teletubbie spaceman suit?

So with 1963 we are left with more relaxed shapes, new bust lines and more youth based fashion coming through. The princess style dress being I think the champion of this year helping to make the transition from hourglass to simple shift as the style of choice.

What are your memories or favourite styles from 1963?

Come back soon for 1964 - things surely will start to become more interesting with rise of Carnaby street and the British invasion!

See the past years posts here

1960, 1961, 1962

Cat xo 

All images from the Vintage Pattern Wiki