Formal Dresses in the Sixties

The 1960s typically call to mind bright colors and short miniskirts, but formal dresses during the decade generally stayed away from those chic fashion trends, opting instead to portray an elegant, feminine appearance only achievable by using longer hemlines and luxurious materials. Most formal dresses of the era had high necklines and knee- to floor-length skirts.

During the 60s, hemlines generally grew increasingly shorter, ultimately culminating in the mini-skirt of 1965. Many formal gowns still had longer skirts reminiscent of dresses from the 1950s. Formal dresses for women and girls, including prom dresses and wedding gowns, often swept down to the floor during the first half of the decade, with few hemlines reaching as short as the knee. During the second half of the decade, many formal dresses still touched down to the ankle, but knee-length formal dresses gained more popularity.

Most dresses featured an A-line shape or empire waist cut meant to flatter most figures without drawing excess attention to a woman's curves. Women in formal fashion strove for elegance, not sexiness. Most dresses had a high neck line and a standard, A-line cut with a flowing skirt. Some women preferred frilly, ruffled frock skirts for attending parties, especially in the earlier part of the decade. Women gravitated towards straight, formless dresses and baby doll cuts during the latter portion of the 60s.
Formal dresses had varying sleeve lengths, but very few dresses sported strapless designs, as these usually exposed too much skin. When women did wear strapless dresses, they also wore large shawls that covered most of the exposed shoulder.
green christmas dress with high neck lines appeared throughout the entire decade, and short, cap sleeves maintained steady popularity throughout the decade, as well. Fashion introduced the three-quarter length sleeve around 1962. These sleeves, along with long sleeves, often remained fitted during the early part of the decade, but some flared out at the mid-arm or wrist during later years.
Many dresses during the 60s, including formal dresses, came in bright colors and pastels. Hues of pinks, yellows and blues appeared most frequently, with the brightest variations appearing around 1968 and after. Throughout the decade, however, black and white dresses also remained popular formal and evening choices. Most dresses used either black or white, but several dresses came in two-tone, using one color on top and the other on the bottom.
Dressmakers used a wide range of materials to create feminine, flowing looks for evening dresses. Many dresses had bodices made of velvet. Dressmakers also used cotton, polyester, brocade, taffeta, chiffon and rayon to create either the entire dress or, otherwise, the flowing skirt of the dress. Colorful dresses often made use of brocade and taffeta, in particular. Satin ribbons, elegant lace and glistening sequins also adorned dresses during this era.