It was a decade in history when minimum wage was a buck an hour, political protests were on the rise, and the youth of America thrived on personal expression. During the 1960’s, Americans mourned several losses, including Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. The Vietnam War also weighed heavy on their minds. Times were often uncertain, and people came up with raves as an outlet for tension and stress. They were also effective ways for the youth to assert themselves. Here are some of the most unforgettable, craziest fads of the 1960’s!
No-Lenses Eyeglasses
One of the witty remarks of poet Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was, “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.” The younger generation must not have believed that comment. Because, one of the most unforgettable, craziest fads of the 1960’s was wearing eyeglasses with no lenses in them. Girls and guys did it alike. It was an innocent way to mock the “mature” adults who copied the spectacled “Clark Kent” look.
Afterwards, the fashion turned to wearing “Ben Franklin” or “Granny” eyeglasses. These eyeglasses framed the eyes in small, round metallic circles.
Amazing Sea Monkeys”
This craziest fad of the 1960’s got its beginning in 1957 when inventor/marketer Harold Nathan Braunhut (aka Harold von Braunhut) discovered that tiny brine shrimp acted lifeless when they were removed from their aquatic environment. When they were placed back into water, the shrimp seemed to come back to life! Harold von Braunhut started advertising in comic books to sell his “Amazing Sea Monkeys.” His ads were sensationalized to make it look like the shrimp lived like humans in their watery homes. Von Braunhut sold a countless number of these brine shrimp.
The Mood Ring
Entrepreneur Marvin Wernick invented the Mood Ring, another one of the most unforgettable fads of the 1960’s. Basically, the main body of these rings was oval-shaped, and were covered with a dome of clear, thin glass. Inside the oval was a piece of thermotropic material that changed colors according to the temperatures it was subjected to.
Mood Rings were marketed with the awesome explanation they could tell what the wearer’s mood is just by looking at the color of the inside oval. If the material was dark blue or purple, for example, then the ring wearer was supposedly in a good mood, or they’re in love. Blue means “relaxed”, gray means “stressed” and black means the wearer is in a bad mood.
In reality, though, the Mood Ring simply changed colors according to the temperatures it was subjected to. But still, consumers were wild about the idea of finding out about their moods by watching the ring change colors, and they snapped them up like crazy!
Platform Boots
You simply can’t disagree that one of the most unforgettable, craziest fads of the 1960’s were Platform Boots. They started out being a reasonable couple inches high. But, obviously, the designers felt they didn’t make enough of a fashion statement. Platform Boots then got a “raise” until they ended up being several inches high!
Besides their “far out” look, Platform Boots will always be remembered as the footwear that sent countless wearers to the hospital for treatment of their sprained and broken ankles when they fell off their shoes!
Beehive Hairdos
True to its name, a Beehive Hairdo looks like the perfect home for bees! If you watch “The Simpsons”, you’ll see Marge’s blue, two-foot high hairdo, and you’ll get an idea of what this hair style looks like. A Beehive stands up way above a woman’s head.
This “big hair” style took a lot of time, patience, mousse and hair spray to achieve. And, since it took so long to mold into shape, shampooing one’s hair and ruining the style got put off to being a weekly- or even monthly!- task so the hairdo would last longer. This lack of hygiene prompted a story to circulate that claims a woman who had a Beehive Hairdo actually died from it. Supposedly, a spider began living in her hairdo, reproduced, and the woman died from spider bites to her head. The Snopes.com website dispels this story. But, still Beehive Hairdos are one of the most unforgettable, craziest fads of the 1960’s!
