Society 1858's Winter Party: Roll Up for the Mystery Tour

Author:

Julie Wheat

February 18, 2015

It is tough to define what was going on in the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, many could agree that it was a wildly expansive time. What would happen on any given day was anyone’s guess. It was prime time for the Civil Rights Movement, experimentation with psychedelic drugs, and the physical and mental expansion of the boundaries of fine art and fashion. In their infamous song released in 1969, the group The 5th Dimension forewarned everyone that "this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius." People already knew and felt that something was going on and that it was a time for change. In 1967, the Beatles had beat them to the punch, already having everyone seated and prepared for this wild ride with the release of Magical Mystery Tour.

This Friday, February 20, the Gibbes Museum's Society 1858 (click link for tickets and details!) is similarly celebrating the changes, expansion, and renovation of the Gibbes Museum in the form of their annual winter party, which that will be held at the Woolfe Street Playhouse. What is the theme this year? You guessed it—Magical Mystery Tour! Here are some guidelines on what to wear for the style trip that started in 1967 and carried us into the early 1970s.

There were two main styles coming out of this transitional era: preppy and hippie. Just remember that style is more than just clothes.

Clothing for Women
Bold prints, flower power, caftans, jumpsuits, mini skirts, shift dresses, both hippie and mod-squad styles:

Womens Fashion Cavortress

Clothing for Men
Skinny suit, skinny tie, skinny collar and/or cardigans for the more conservative gentlemen. For the more wild hippie types, anything goes, but the bell bottoms must be tight and preferably velvet!

Accessories

Crazy sunglasses, matching tie tack and cufflinks, skinny ties that eventually expanded in the late 1970s with the shape of the suit, go-go boots, platforms, Mary Janes, and big belts.

Womens Hairstyles

A head scarf (see Jackie O). Roller set and teased hair, to include beehive (see Brigitte Bardot). Or, if you are going for that au-natural hippie style, part it down the middle with no conditioner and add flowers, feathers, braids, and/or a floppy hat.