Friday, February 26, 2010

Prom Through the Ages: 1960s


The 60s contributed some fashion edits and Rock n Roll to the Prom cause. They weren't really a milestone decade like the 50s. They just kept Prom going.

Dresses moved from the 50s cupcake, A-line, tulle variety to more simple, baby doll creations. These designs often had empire waists and basic design. However, they were still extremely feminine. Think early Barbie Doll dresses. At this time, they were often still handmaid like Nannie's (including the one pictured at left).

The major activity of Prom is dancing. The 60s gave birth to Rock N Roll music and provided the Beatles to us. That would not be enough to power through the Troubled Decade.

The 60s were fraught with turmoil. They were mid-Civil Rights, mid-Vietnam War and mid-Cold War. By the late 60s, Prom almost died as youth rebelled against "the Man" and the establishment. Prom, formally an institution of the Elite, was seen that way and the working class abandoned it until later in the reaction decade, the 7os.

1963:
- Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech
- President John F. Kennedy assassinated

1964:
- The Beatles appear and become WAY popular. We still love them today

1965:
- War in Vietnam begins in earnest when President Lyndon Johnson orders bombing raids on the North Vietnamese.

1968:
- Martin Luther King assassinated
- Robert Kennedy assassinated
- Richard Nixon elected; first Republican to take Southern states in AGES

1969:
- Woodstock concert: Anti-Vietnam doves fight the establishment in earnest.
- Apollo 11 puts man on the moon


Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Museum.


Historical Background on the decade courtesy of APUSH last year and

1 comment:


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