1960s Fancy Dress Party Ideas
The 1960’s was a decade of huge cultural and political change, the effects
of which still resonate in today’s society. Revolution swept through
Britain and America, changing the attitudes of the people forever. A new
generation had forgotten the post-war austerity, and together, they would
help define the Sixties as a decade of huge cultural significance. Social
taboos were being relaxed, and attitudes towards sexism, racism, sex and
drugs changed dramatically during this period.
Both music and art helped define the ‘Swinging Sixties’ as the era of
Psychedelia, a period heavily influenced by drugs and the newly found ‘free
love’ attitude. Art, particularly Pop Art, really captured the imagination,
with the likes of Andy Warhol producing the iconic images that eventually
helped define the age. The music quickly developed from the already
old-school rock and roll that revolutionised the Fifties, and this saw the
introduction of the many bright stars that would eventually become the
legends we know them as today.
Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, The Beatles, Rolling
Stones, Led Zeppelin, and too many others to mention came to define the
Sixties as a decade of expression and excess. Sex, drugs and rock and roll
inevitably became the mantra of the period!
These, and too many other innovators of the age to mention, both real and
fictitious, provide a gamut of choice for a themed fancy dress party. A few
examples are fleshed out below, but of course, the choice is yours, and you
should let your imagination run riot.
Turn on, tune in and drop out as a hippie for the night. Tye-dye shirts,
coloured sunglasses, beads, and a flower in your hair will help you to get
down and groovy, man. Be slick in a tuxedo, Martini in hand for a James
Bond themed evening. A Rock-star themed party allows you to be a legend of
the age, Hendrix, Elvis, or a group of friends could transform themselves
into those British mop-tops, The Beatles. You could even recreate the
bygone days of children’s TV, Banana Splits, Magic Roundabout, Bill and Ben,
the list goes on. Everyone has a fond memory of one of these, or many other
shows. Who do you remember?
There are a few more ideas you may consider, one of which is decorating the
party environment with details relevant to your chosen theme. It’s easy to
add simple touches that will greatly improve the setting. Another couple of
ideas, almost certainly worth including, are party games (the sillier the
better!), which will encourage people to interact in a much more relaxed and
fun way. Prize-giving is a sure fire way to inspire you and your guests to
really pull the stops out, and you could even have a Hollywood style awards
ceremony, complete with statuettes and party-bags!