How to Get the 60s Geometric Mod Look

In the 1960s, what was chic? Fads from straight bell-bottoms to poodle haircuts rocked the fashion world, in a decade of social change in America.

There will be quite a few different trends coming your way, and some are definitely more appealing than others. It’s time to say bye-bye to the fussy, furry clothing of lockdown, and hello to strongly structured tailoring inspired by the 1960s mod era.

Paris Fashion Week 2021

Runway look in chartreuse: boxy jacket with patch pockets, matching skirt, small yellow handbag and black boots

Model in a navy halterneck dress with a blue and orange hem and black boots, against a red and blue runway backdrop

Sleeveless black shift dress with an orange hem band and knee-high black boots, with a model in pink skirt behind

The one below was a few years ago.

Collage of geometric and floral mini dresses with Mondrian-style colour-block platform court shoes

What is the mod style?

Mod style can be fun and frivolous or straight and serious, depending on which items you choose. If you want to keep it simple, straight drainpipe cropped trousers, worn with a top or dress with colour-block stripes, will make a powerful statement when paired with beehive hair and a pair of flat pumps.

Geometric dress

Those who are more daring might like to try strong geometric prints on crisp, strong lines, such as A-line mini dresses or tunic tops.

Woman on an Amsterdam street in an oversized black blazer worn backless, with white ankle boots and a blue shopping bag

Two women walking past a shop window in Amsterdam, one in a dark blazer and white ankle boots with a small tan shoulder bag

The photographs above were taken in Amsterdam in July 2021.

Mini skirt

1960s fashion was also about the mini skirt, which was trending in London.

At Paris Fashion Week 2021, we are loving Kermit the Frog green.

Model in a bright green jacket and mini skirt with sunglasses and strappy black sandals on a Paris Fashion Week 2021 runway

Kermit-green two-piece on the runway, with other models in pink and navy walking behind

Beehive hairstyle

You can wear these with opaque tights, or with bare legs and kinky boots, to finish off the retro look. Again, the beehive hairstyle is a must with this look.

Young woman with long red hair and a flower headband, in a lace-print top beside a vintage camera on a shelf

Miss Piggy hair

What is Miss Piggy’s hair, and how do you achieve the look?

Think of The Ronettes, with their signature beehive hairstyles. Women’s hairstyles ranged from beehive hairdos in the early part of the decade, to the very short styles popularised by Twiggy and Mia Farrow just five years later, to the very long, straight style popularised by the hippies in the late 1960s.

Blonde woman with a flower in her curled hair sipping tea from a pink cup, in a yellow daisy-print top

What to look for

When searching for 60s geometric prints, try to find strong lines, overlapping patterns, squares, circles or any other shape that has a distinctly retro feel. For retro shapes, look for A-line skirts and dresses, tunics, turtlenecks, shifts or slash necks. Think retro-futurism. In other words, those futuristic, geometric shapes that were worn in 60s science fiction films.

Mod fashion and vintage clothing trends were all about pop art, and about quality fabric to get the look.

Close-up of a dark paisley print in orange, red and cream with small dotted swirls

Audrey Hepburn

Audrey was a fashion icon who was part of social movements. Take a look at what she wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Yves Saint Laurent played his part as well. Alongside him, Jacqueline Kennedy took fashion traditions to a whole new level. She took bright colours and short skirts and transformed evening wear.

Woman with a tall beehive hairstyle, sunglasses pushed into her hair, a pearl choker and a yellow sleeveless top

Films and the Single Girl

Films played a part too, with sandals and with short styles such as those of Mia Farrow and Jane Birkin. The model Jean Shrimpton reflected the ideal of the Single Girl. The book behind that idea, Helen Gurley Brown’s Sex and the Single Girl, from 1962, was revolutionary, since it encouraged sex before marriage, something that was historically looked down upon.

Think of Barbarella, Twiggy and even Austin Powers for inspiration. If you favour a more serious mod look, then you must watch Brighton Rock for true mod inspiration.

Space age fashion

Then there were Pierre Cardin and Paco Rabanne. Italian-born Pierre Cardin introduced helmets, short tunics and goggles. Paco Rabanne is known for his 1966 collection “12 Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials”, which used chain mail, aluminium and plastic.

Accessories

The singer Maria Muldaur, in 1968, wore a gypsy-style kerchief and hoop earrings, and teamed them with bright colours.

Go-go boots

The French actress Brigitte Bardot wore a transparent top and a feather boa. In 1968, footwear for women included low-heeled sandals and kitten-heeled pumps. And the white go-go boots, ever so popular even today.

The mod 60s look is a brave style that requires confidence. In theory, big, bold geometric prints should be enough to make a statement on their own. Wear a wide-collar shirt, show off your knee, and buy an outfit that the young people of today want to adopt.

Black-and-white photograph of a row of women in pleated mini skirts and white go-go boots on wet pavement

Makeup

We feel you should go as far as you can with this look, and team it with heavy eyeliner, huge eyelashes, a nude glossed lip and an elegant beehive hairdo.

Trend the hippie-style jacket at any time of the year.

The designer Mary Quant popularised the mini skirt, and Jackie Kennedy wore the pillbox hat. False eyelashes were worn by women throughout the 1960s. This is all about creating your own look in style, with psychedelic prints, neon colours and mismatched patterns.

In this world of pandemic, colour is the mental health regime many women should adopt.