by Gwyn Conaway

Although the snowy blanket of winter is still upon us, fashion has already moved on to the vigor of spring! I just received my Vogue for February 1st, 1965 and opened its crisp pages with delight.  With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I was expecting to see flouncy romanticism. What I found instead was fun, youthful, and quirky.

It seems the quirky attitude of the Valentine’s Day cards I plan to send out, featuring Wednesday Addams with a sweet little toy spider on her face, are more appropriate to the mood of the upcoming spring season than I’d anticipated.

Our decade, which has been defined so far with the sleek mod look of the Space Age, is getting a childlike update in 1965. The beautiful cocoons and narrow dresses of the early sixties are starting to blossom, quite literally. The stiff, boxy skirts and bodices are relaxing at the waist and necklines.

Note below (left), the beautiful narrow dress and its soft drape, cinched at the waist with a bold tape bow. All topped with the quizzical tall-domed cap. Beside her (right), sophisticated Town and Travel suedes complete with a sailor’s collar and a box pleat skirt back reminiscent of a school uniform. The effect of these combinations is perfectly summed up by the models’ expressions: curious and beguiling women, regardless of their age, will reign supreme this year.

February 1st, 1965 issue of Vogue

Ingenue, a fashion magazine for sophisticated teens, gives excellent insight for fashion to come. The iconic narrow coat, a staple in every woman’s wardrobe, is starting to soften around the neckline, leaving space for the column of the neck. Paired with slender bows about the jaw and felt hats to match the shoes (but not the coat), this early spring ensemble is at the height of this year’s fashion.

But perhaps most telling are the graphic shapes of flowers, stars, polka dots, and honeycomb in the accessories to the right. These large, simple symbols are what bridge the gap between the sophistication and playfulness I expect we’ll see in the months to come.

If Ingenue’s bold colors and simple motifs aren’t enough to convey the quirk of this year’s fashion, perhaps Vogue’s spotlight on “American Legs – Sweaters to Match” will convince you. These daring sweater and legging sets with contrast skirts and hats are gutsy and imbued with personality. Any woman sporting these fresh styles will certainly draw the eye.

The paillette theatre suit (left) is not only richly detailed, but relaxed by comparison to evening wear of the past couple years. Note the contrasting accessories as well as the slender, gathered waistband. The Trifari pins (right) are also bold, and a refreshing departure from adornment of the last few years.

Both professional women and aspiring girls feel emboldened to share their energetic personalities as a part of their fashion, rather than adorn themselves in chic geometry alone. We are seeing sophistication and youthful wonder coming together as our age defines itself as separate from the fifties. As the decade tips towards the seventies, I can’t wait to see what youthful inspirations we’ll discover. As the editor of Vogue wrote in their letter this issue, "Spring is a state of mind."