Articles tagged with "The Rolling Stones"

The 1960s saw a huge shift in men's fashion, as the standard template of the tailored suit gave way to more flamboyant styles.

Before the 1960s, men's fashion generally followed a conservative template that nobody thought to question: shirt, tie, plain hand-made suit etc. A new, confident youth culture demanded fresh styles and the Mods (short for 'Modernists') ushered in a new style with colourful Italian slimline suits, short jackets.

The 1960s saw the trend gather pace and more colourful and unapologetic patterned shirts made an appearance, popularised by groups like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. New retail opportunities appeared, supporting this new style, bringing it to the masses. High heeled boots replaced shoes as the footwear of choice for men.

By the mid 60s, fashion conscious Londoners were challenging male etiquette, unashamed to wear frills, velvet and other elements, now stereotyped through movie characters like Austin Powers.

New fashion boutiques sprang up along London's Kings Road, 'Mr Fish' in particular sold a range of "Peacock" Styles which were highly individual: wide ties, colourful suits and culturally influenced separates.

Towards the end of the 60s, military style also became popular and once again driven by groups like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, reflecting a new desire for something fresh and new.

The new flamboyance of men’s fashion during the 1960s lead to the name “The Peacock Revolution”.

We now have male music artists, film stars and other people in the public eye who are wearing more flamboyant clothes and occasionally a pair of heeled shoes too. There is a move towards more individuality and self expression.

It does appear that we are heading in a similar direction.

From the MasterClass website's Design & Style section, this is a great piece entirely focused on the origins of the Cuban Heel.

Often feared by many men for the higher heel profile compared to most men's shoes, the Cuban Heel is an easy, risk-free start for anyone who wants to start wearing higher heeled shoes, men and women alike, but don't take our word for it, read the MasterClass article and hear from their style experts.

From the Article:

"You’ll often find Cuban heels on lace-less boots, such as side-zip boots, men’s dress shoes, Chelsea boots, and some styles of cowboy boots. Cuban heels are a staple in flamenco and Latin ballroom dancing, as male dancers wear Cuban heels when dancing the tango, cha-cha, samba, and rumba."

"Early forms of the Cuban heel date to the ninth century, when Persian soldiers wore shoes with a rounded heel for stability while riding horses. The Cuban heel also appeared in men’s fashion during seventeenth-century France. In twentieth-century England, a shorter Cuban heel became what is now the modern Cuban heel style."

Original URL: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cuban-heel