How The Beatles Influenced British Fashion

When the Beatles “hit the scene” in the early ‘60’s, they wore
simple black suits, white shirts, and skinny black neckties.
From there the British boys morphed into Sergeant
Pepper’s costumes wearing yellow and red marching band
jackets replete with epaulets, brass buttons and braid which
morphed into the Nehru jackets and love beads of the
mid-’60’s. Nehru jackets were the thing to wear and probably
the first time that western men wore jackets without pointed
collars and lapels. Like a fad, it didn’t last long, but the Beatles
were the influencers.

Skinny Neck Ties 

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In the late ‘60’s, the Beatles set the trend for jeans,
comfortable loose shirts, and sandals. Today this is a fairly
common look, but then it was unheard of that men and
women would sport this fairly unisex look.
Were all these changes influenced by the Beatles? Yes, but
the change was more informed by the times.
As Bob Dylan
said, “The times they are a’changin” and change they did. But
I think the Beatles were just a very public part of the collective consciousness.

It is undeniable how the Beatles became not only an important historical part of the British music scene but also influenced fashion for a decade. So really at no surprise, when Stella McCartney followed her father’s iconic love of fashion and started creating her own clothes at age 13 Britain knew something big was to follow.

Sue Russell

www.stylishadvisor.com