Why is everything from the 60s and 70s so ugly? (ancient, Egypt)

[allenk893]

So I'm pretty young (19) but I would not say I'm your average young adult. Ever since I could remember I've had a profound interest in history and nostalgia. I love looking at the different styles of past generations regarding fashion, music, architecture, customs, what have you. I've found that most generations have fashions and styles that are wearable today or any time period. They call this "classic" clothing.

But the ONE time period I have to say that I completely consistently flawed by and can't say the same for is the 60s and 70s. Particularly the 70s. I've researched and seen how the early 60s had a very clean cut look like the 50s but progressed into crap on towards the 70s. Everything about that time period simply registers to me as ugly and hideous. Any other decade or time period, I can easily see things anybody from this time could wear. I rarely see timeless fashions for that period. I don't understand where those fashions came from after the clean cut 40s and 50s. Bell bottoms, platform shoes, psychedelic themed shirts, wide use of colors like yellow, brown and burnt orange and in stripes too (barf!). From the hairstyles to the architecture, is just appalling. I remember when I was a child in the 90s, some of my older family members lived in houses that were still in 70s fashioned with the mustard yellow flower-pattern wall paper and tile. Even at my young age, I found it unsightly then too. Why were things so ugly back then?

[D217]

I sincerely disagree.

[greatblueheron]

Cultural changes from 50s to 60s/70s were enormous. Post Viet Nam, focus moved to new ideas:

Of world peace...and the realization we were depleting natural resources that led to major conservation efforts; new ideas in music/art/poetry...

the flowered wallpaper at the time was very fresh/fun and not stuffy/staid. As were fashions.

I remember thinking the 50s styles were horrible when I was young, though now I appreciate each decade of style.

Guess you had to be there!

[90sman]

I agree with you OP. But the only thing I can think of is that during the 60s and 70s, people, particularly younger people were reacting against the conformity of the 40s and 50s era. Anything considered "different", "funky, "fresh", "cool", "hip" and "wild" were in style. I guess people thought peculiar looking things were cool. People were looking "within" and wanting to show off a sense of self-expression. Noting by how quickly the country changed in only a few years during the 1960s, things were changing at a very rapid pace and was affecting everyone in different ways. I don't think people cared as much about looking or making things look nice, but were experimenting.

I remember reading somewhere that there was a saying from the 60s that went "good taste is death, vulgarity is life" or something in that manner.

But even still, people wore some God-awful ugly clothes back then. Everything looked wrong and awkward. The colors, patterns, prints, size and fitting of the clothes, the styles, shoes and hair styles, etc. People looked ridiculous. I hope those don't ever come back in style.

Personally, the 40s and 50s were the best time periods regarding clothing fashion, interior designing, the style of cars, hairstyles, etc.

[Grandstander]

What wasn't ugly back then...British actresses. These days Great Britain seems to be pioneering in lowering the bar for how good looking an actress needs to be in order to have a film career, a trend which began with Glenda Jackson and has gotten worse and worse since.

In the sixties they had an army of fantastic looking women in the movies...Julie Christie, Susan George, Charlotte Rampling, Jenny Agutter, Jacqueline Bisset, Sarah Miles, Susannah York,
Joanna Pettet, Judy Geeson, Marianne Faithfull...


These days it does not seem to matter if you are dumpy, frumpy or square headed...we get Kate Winslet, Brenda Blethyn, Judi Dench, the chipmonk cheaked Minnie Driver....

You can sort of track it via the companions on the Doctor Who series..a steady decline through the years.

[Green Onions]

Your question should be:
"Why do I find everything from the 60s and 70s so ugly?"

And only you can answer that.

The 60s and 70s aren't inherently ugly -- you just find them that way. Others find them visually pleasing compared to other decades. The same is naturally true of every decade.

There are objective attributes and subjective opinions. The fact that you find the 60s and 70s ugly is clearly the latter, not the former.

Of course, some people have trouble accepting that their tastes are not, in fact, absolute truths of some sort. Hopefully, you are not such a person.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by Green Onions

Your question should be:
"Why do I find everything from the 60s and 70s so ugly?"

And only you can answer that.

The 60s and 70s aren't inherently ugly -- you just find them that way. Others find them visually pleasing compared to other decades. The same is naturally true of every decade.

Yes, in fact, they are. I just told you that I or anyone else for that matter can go back in ANY time period - even Ancient Egypt for heaven's sake - and find something that I could probably wear today. 70s clothes and fashion look completely hideous compared to the other decades. I don't know what about that decade anyone could consider timeless. Like 90s man mentioned, I think it may have something to do with that whole drug hippy culture from the 60s. But I wonder how on Earth did they manage to influence fashion trends for a whole decade? In the early 60s people considered them weirdos. Even now, they are still looked upon as weirdos. How did that drug culture influence fashion, architecture, and culture across the world is what I will never understand. Looking at their style from any decade prior to that - they were appalling.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by 90sman

I agree with you OP. But the only thing I can think of is that during the 60s and 70s, people, particularly younger people were reacting against the conformity of the 40s and 50s era. Anything considered "different", "funky, "fresh", "cool", "hip" and "wild" were in style. I guess people thought peculiar looking things were cool. People were looking "within" and wanting to show off a sense of self-expression. Noting by how quickly the country changed in only a few years during the 1960s, things were changing at a very rapid pace and was affecting everyone in different ways. I don't think people cared as much about looking or making things look nice, but were experimenting.

I remember reading somewhere that there was a saying from the 60s that went "good taste is death, vulgarity is life" or something in that manner.

But even still, people wore some God-awful ugly clothes back then. Everything looked wrong and awkward. The colors, patterns, prints, size and fitting of the clothes, the styles, shoes and hair styles, etc. People looked ridiculous. I hope those don't ever come back in style.

Personally, the 40s and 50s were the best time periods regarding clothing fashion, interior designing, the style of cars, hairstyles, etc.

+ I wish I could give you a rep! But I guess I have given you too many! But I completely agree with this. And not as a bias. I honestly believe that the 70s fashions are revolting compared to every other decade and time prior. It's just odd from the colors to the prints to the architecture and furniture and everything in between.

[theoldnorthstate]

the music was beautiful, the dancing was fun, and the English models and stars were lovely -

i will give you that I prefer the dress of the 50s and early 60s.

[PullMyFinger]

I suppose you wear your pants around your knees with your boxers hanging out and walk like a woodpecker right?

Ok yeah, today's kids are so hip

And watch those fountains and glass doors while you are walking and texting.