Back to School Fashions: A Nod to the 1960s, A Quieter Revolution

Fashion, like the economy and the weather are certainly cyclical, and this fall, designers have turned back the dial to the 1960s – or at least have been strongly influenced by the fun, free and flowing styles of the generation that challenged the status quo at every turn and stood for love, peace, and revolution – all at the same time.

“This fall the fashions are nostalgic and definitely reminiscent of the 1960s hippie look,” said Lori Stern, a Berkeley Heights resident who, along with her 10 year old daughter Gabrielle, enjoy shopping and experimenting with new looks.

Maxi coats and dresses, fur vests, poncho sweaters, bangle bracelets, collar necklaces, high boots, loafer shoes with tassels – are all the rage this season according to the Sterns.

“My daughter has a great interest in fashion and designing and I love to encourage her creativity,” said Stern.

In addition to shopping at Nordstrom’s, and Justice, Stern said she and her daughter decided to experiment by taking her son’s old Abercrombie & Fitch tee shirts, which she said are of a very high quality, and redesigning them for her daughter.  

“We decided to play with the idea, and we took it to our local tailor Marco, at Tailoring by Marco in Berkeley Heights, and he was able to create exactly what we had in mind,” said Stern.

“These tee shirts are durable and somewhat pricey, so it made sense to continue to make use out of them after my son had outgrown them,” said Stern.

Gabrielle Stern said she loves the look this year which is very flowing, with lots of layering, feather earrings, bell bottoms and either Ugg boots or western style boots.

She also said that she is gravitating toward the bold colors of this season – red and orange.

And what about fashions for guys? According to Lori Stern, “Well, you know, the boys – if they could, they would wear shorts all year long.”

Some are referring to the style as “hipster” because it is similar to the apparel of hippies or flower children, but it still has a more modern, pared down look.

Some of the favorite stores include: Justice -- located at the Short Hills Mall, as well as Love Culture, Wet Seal, and Aeropostale®, located at the Bridgewater Mall. 

From the pages of Teen Vogue to a glance at what kids are wearing at the mall, it appears that the main ingredient for young fashion -- is comfort.

For both girls and guys, the fabrics are soft, and the styles are fluid and relaxed – no stiff shirts, collars or vests for this crowd.

There was a time when there was a clear demarcation between what one wore to school and what was appropriate for relaxation and play – now, it seems that if it’s fun and it feels good to wear – there are no restrictions.

And after all, freedom to be who you are and fully express yourself – is what we fought for in the 1960s.