Memoir Monday - The Groovy 60s
Fads come and go; often returning under a new guise.
Calling back long-forgotten memories is like tackling a puzzle, searching for pieces that fit, and what a triumph when it all falls into place!
I am way behind with responding to @ericvancewalton's Memoir Monday, and am only now answering the question:
Which fads did you embrace growing up?
I spent my teenage years during the tumultuous and groovy 1960's.
RevolutionThe Beatles
The world was going through a revolution, socially and politically.
Here in South Africa, people from the Anti-Apartheid movement were fighting for racial justice; the same was happening elsewhere in the world.
Feminists were fighting for equal rights
Anti-Vietnam War slogans like 'Make Love, not War' and the Peace symbol were seen on graffiti, on artwork, in our books, and on posters stuck on our bedroom walls, even though the war did not affect us here.
The Twist
I learnt to twist when I first hit the tweens; I was told to pretend I was drying my back with a towel, and using my foot to stub out a cigarette, it was such fun!
Hippies
It was the hippie era, everyone flocked to Woodstock; we had to be content to watch the movie.
Psychedelic Drugs
It was not uncommon to see drug addicts having DT's on the beachfront. It's quite scary now to think just how easy it was to be pulled into the world of drugs back then.
Music Explosion
The music scene was alive with rock and roll, and folk music.
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys (everyone was surfing); Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Leonard Cohen, all part of a music explosion!
I've cheekily thrown in a couple of songs for Three Tunes Tuesday
The Iconic Twiggy
The British teen model Twiggy was a fashion icon, every girl wanted to look like her. I had the same haircut for a while and copied her make-up.
The 'Look'
We all wore bell bottoms, just like Sonny & Cher, and Abba.
In my intro post, I shared the story of how I made a pair of bell bottoms with Mom's leftover psychedelic upholstery fabric, and made a blunder when I invited our dates for the night into the house for a cup of coffee. My pants blended in with the couch;)
Mini skirts became shorter and later went to longer midi skirts.
Hot pants and long white go-go boots were really groovy!
We went through a phase of dressing up like hippies; we had faux leather fringed jackets and fringed suede armbands.
We wanted dead straight hair so we literally ironed our hair between brown paper on our Moms' ironing boards with an iron used for linen; hair irons did not exist back then! Of course, we had to help each other with that task!
I was tie-dyeing my clothes and that of my friends, as my Mom was more lenient than theirs. Everything was tie-dyed for a period.
My bestie Melanie reminded me about my tie-dyeing expertise on bell bottoms .....the circle started bang at the root Chakra ;)
I wore John Lennon glasses, and cut my hair into a shaggy dog style; short on top and long at the back and sides. I was called into the headmaster's office when I arrived at school with that hairstyle. Fortunately, he was more curious and amused, wanted to see what the teachers were talking about, and asked if a lawnmower had walked over my head.
I'd forgotten that I later cut my bestie's hair in the same style using a razor blade, remember the old-fashioned blades?
I can't remember what Melanie's Mom said about it, but before long, most girls in the school had the same hairstyle;)
Forgot to tell you the pic in the middle was taken in my final year at school at the debs (debutante) ball. No hippie outfit for this 'grand' occasion where we were introduced to 'society' and were given a handshake by the mayor:)
As you've read, my fads were all about fashion, something I still have a keen interest in.
I had a good old chuckle with my best friend from school days who I've reconnected with; we were hooked on all those fads;)
Fads no longer worry me like they did back in the sixties, I'm mostly a jeans and sneakers gal in my silver years, comfort now has become the name of the game!
As you've noticed, the common thread throughout my post is 'I forgot', but this is what I appreciate the most about #memoirmonday, as it tickles the brain, and brings back long-forgotten memories. When I share it with friends or family, they often remember other stuff, and we end up chuckling away as we reminisce on times gone by.
This has been my response to fads in my heyday!
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If there is a decade I would like to try on it would be the sixties. The fashion, music and overall life style do seem groovy 😎
It indeed was very exciting being a teen in that era😉
Look at those incredible pictures of the younger Lizelle! I really wish I was around in the 1960's. They were tumultuous times but it sure did seem like the young people had fun. My mom's younger sister has a lot of crazy stories of growing up in that era. There was a short revival of the hippy movement in the US in from 1991 to around the time of the second Woodstock festival in 1994 but it wasn't quite the same and it was very short-lived. There was a spiritual element to that revival though. I remember New Age shops cropping up all over selling crystals, incense, meditation supplies, and books (as well as smoking accessories).
Haha those old photos are very blurry, the middle one is at the debutante ball, I forgot to mention that. No crazy outfit for that🤭 Your aunt and even your Mom will remember those if they had it in the states?
It was a great era to have been a teen. We got up to mischief, for sure had guardian angels watching over us😄
There still are old hippies and their shops around here, and of course the smoking accessories! The use of marijuana has been legalized in South Africa. They always used to say Durban 'poison' is the best😅
Thank you for your awesome prompts Eric, it's really helping me pull out forgotten memories between the cobwebs!
My aunt probably remembers those, for sure. She was super social and the prom queen of her high school. My mom was only a few years older and was more of an introvert. She also caught the end of the Rock and Roll era of the 50's instead of the Hippy Era. Mom and her friends mainly listened to music like -- Elvis, Fats Domino, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Cannabis is legal here too. It's about time, there were a lot of people using it anyway. You're welcome Lizelle! It's been a lot of fun for me and it's been good to have something positive and productive to focus on.
Those were very intense years for the youth, many trends, many prohibitions as well. The Beatles revolutionized the world. But @lizelle you looked very pretty with those glasses and long hair. Nice memory.🥰❤️
Haha, thank you @mamani, those glasses were my pride and joy😉
It was a very exciting era indeed, I loved the music of The Beatles!
How interesting to read your memoir, how you enjoy those times. Seems fun and enjoyable to do those things. Except about the drugs. That one seems scary😬😁.
Yes the drugs scene was bad. Thank goodness none of my friends were pulled into that!
It was very exciting times otherwise.
I couldn't participate in the fashion initiative because I've never really gone for it. I've always liked to be simple, comfortable but pretty.
I think what I change is the colors of the clothes, there are years that I like red and other years black. in the year 2024 I wanted everything in white, I love white, that color gives me peace and tranquility and is synonymous with care and delicacy.
when the fashion of jeans came to my country i hated it, i could never adapt to that fashion. thank god the wide boot jeans came back to the stores. i love it.