60s Outfits: 11 Mod to Hippie Looks From Normal Clothes

60s fashion changed its mind three times in ten years: neat and ladylike at the start, short and graphic in the middle, loose and printed by the end. That's good news if you're putting together 60s outfits from a normal closet, because each of those three looks rests on one or two ordinary pieces: a knee-length skirt and a cardigan, a plain shift dress and black tights, a pair of flared jeans. Below are eleven 60s outfit ideas grouped by the part of the decade they come from, men's included, then how far to take them for a party versus a normal day.

Early 60s Outfits: Headbands, Pearls and Beatnik Black

Early-decade 1960s outfits for women still followed the 50s rules: skirts at the knee, a defined waist, pieces that match. The rebellion came from the beatniks, in black.

1. Headband, pearls and a cardigan

A knee-length A-line or pleated skirt (or a shirtwaist dress with a belted waist), a fine-knit cardigan buttoned to the top or draped over the shoulders, a short strand of pearls, a wide headband, kitten heels or ballet flats. Most of the look sits in the headband. Push your hair behind it, tease a little height at the crown, and a plain skirt suddenly looks like 1961. Good for a Mad Men-style dinner, a decades day at the office, or a 60s party where you'd rather be comfortable than loud.

2. The boxy jacket and a knee skirt

A short collarless jacket that stops at the hip, a matching or tonal skirt that covers the knee, low pumps, short gloves if you happen to own them. Most closets already have the jacket in the form of a cropped tweed or bouclé one. This is the First Lady look of the early decade, the one Jackie Kennedy wore with a pillbox hat, and the hat is the only piece you'd have to hunt for. Leave it off and you've got a perfectly normal outfit for a lunch or a shower.

3. Beatnik black (anyone)

Black turtleneck, black slim trousers (or a black skirt with black tights), black ballet flats or loafers, dark sunglasses. It's the coffee-house end of the decade, carried over from the late 50s, and it works on any body and any gender. Keep every piece matte. One shiny fabric or a visible logo drags it straight back to 2026. Women can add a heavy cat-eye liner. Men can add a beret, but only if they'll keep it on all night.

Mod Outfits: Short Hems, Tights and Go-Go Boots

The middle of the decade, when London's short, straight, graphic look went everywhere. It's what most people picture when they hear "60s."

4. Shift dress and opaque tights

A plain shift dress that falls straight from the shoulders and stops above the knee, opaque tights, flat Mary Janes or a low block heel. No waist, no belt, no flare: the straight line is the whole mod silhouette. Tights went hand in hand with the short hem then, and they're what make it work at an October party now. If the dress is plain black, pick colored tights (mustard, red, white) or add one graphic detail like a white Peter Pan collar or big round earrings. The V&A's introduction to 1960s fashion calls the mini, popularized by Mary Quant, the decade's most iconic look.

5. Go-go boots with a mini

Knee-high boots with a low, chunky heel, a mini skirt or a short A-line dress, and a fitted top: a skinny-rib knit or a mock neck is ideal. White is the famous version, and it comes from the Space Age side of mod that André Courrèges showed in white and silver with flat boots. You don't need white, though. Any smooth knee boot you own will do as long as the heel stays low and blocky rather than thin and high. The boots are the signal, so let the rest be simple.

6. Pinafore over a skinny turtleneck

A pinafore dress in corduroy, denim or wool over a thin ribbed turtleneck, opaque tights, loafers or Mary Janes. It's the schoolgirl side of mod and also just a good cold-weather outfit, the same layering logic as the mid-season looks in our fall outfit ideas. Of all eleven, this is the one you'll wear again on a random Tuesday.

7. Slim mod suit and Chelsea boots (men)

A slim dark suit with narrow lapels, trousers cut short enough to show the boot with no break at the ankle, a white or pale blue button-down, a skinny tie, Chelsea boots. The Cuban-heeled version the Beatles wore is still sold as the Beatle boot. Fit matters more than any accessory here. A boxy modern suit, or trousers that pool over the shoe, undoes the look faster than a missing tie. No suit? Slim black trousers, a slim navy blazer and a skinny tie get you most of the way.

8. Turtleneck and slim trousers (men)

A fitted roll neck in black, navy or oatmeal, slim flat-front trousers that end at the ankle, suede desert boots or loafers, a sport coat or a short zip jacket over it. The most wearable of the 60s outfits for men, and nobody at work will guess it's a theme. For a mod party, throw a long olive parka over the top. Mods wore them over their suits on scooters, and it's the fastest way to make a plain outfit look deliberate.

Late 60s Hippie Outfits You Can Make With Jeans

From about 1967 the trousers flared, some hems dropped to the ankle, and everything got looser and more printed. It's the easiest part of the decade to pull from a normal closet, because most of it is denim.

9. Flares and a peasant blouse

Flared or wide bootcut jeans, a loose cotton blouse with embroidery or smocking at the neck, a thin band or scarf tied across the forehead, flat sandals or suede boots, round sunglasses. The forehead band is the detail everyone recognizes, and without it the outfit is simply nice jeans and a blouse. It's the most comfortable 60s party outfit on this list, and the straight answer to whether you can do 60s in jeans.

10. One loud print and knee boots

A mini dress, a tunic or a blouse in the loudest swirl, paisley or floral you own, with knee boots, or tights and flats. Psychedelic print was the late-60s answer to mod's black and white: the same short shapes, turned all the way up. Keep it to one print per outfit and let everything else be solid.

11. Paisley shirt, flares and a suede jacket (men)

A printed shirt in paisley, a big floral or a bold stripe, collar open, flared jeans or cords, a suede or fringed jacket, boots. A silk scarf knotted at the neck pushes it further if you have one. The flares and fringe carry straight on into the next decade, and our 70s outfit ideas pick up where this leaves off.

60s Party Outfit or Everyday: How Far to Take It

The step up at each level is rarely another garment.

Every outfit above works at three strengths:

• On a normal day, wear one piece of the decade with ordinary clothes. The pinafore and turtleneck, the black turtleneck and slim trousers, flared jeans with a white blouse. Nobody asks.
• At a themed dinner or a decades day at work, wear the whole outfit plus one accessory: a headband, pearls, round sunglasses or a skinny tie.
• At a 60s party or on Halloween, add the face and the hair, because in the 60s they did half the work. A heavy winged liner with pale lips, and either volume at the crown (early 60s), a sleek bob or high ponytail (mod), or long hair parted in the middle (late 60s). Men: a side parting for early 60s and mod, or hair brushed forward for the Beatles look.

The mistake is mixing the three parts of the decade. Pearls, go-go boots and a tie-dye headband on one person is three different years at once, and that's when a 60s outfit starts to look like a costume-shop bag. Going as a group? Split them up: one early-60s, one mod and one hippie makes a better photo than three people in the same fringe vest. If you're torn between the shift dress and the flares, Klodsy lets you try both on your own photo before you commit.

The shortcut: choose early, mod or hippie, then let one piece and your hair carry it.

For the decades that followed, see our 80s outfit ideas and 90s outfit ideas. If you're working with real vintage pieces, the vintage clothing style guide covers wearing them without looking like you're in a period film, and there are more closet-only looks in easy costumes with normal clothes. Your closet probably already has one of these eleven outfits in it. Try Klodsy to find out which.