Pop Stars of the 1950s & 1960s Costume Ideas

Black and White A-line 1960s Costumeview

Black and White A-line 1960s Costume

£38.85
1960's Pop Star Costumeview

1960's Pop Star Costume

£18.00
Flick Under Bob Wigview

Flick Under Bob Wig

£15.00
Beehive Wig Blondeview

Beehive Wig Blonde

£20.80

Back in the fifties and sixties the pop charts were still in their infancy, so there was not such a great opportunity to dress up as your favourite star. This is particularly because many of the male stars and groups of the time could often be seen dressing similarly in standard black or coloured suits. So, finding costumes for a particular star or group may be more about the look of the period, which was primarily focused on the rock and roll images of the teen and beat generation, rather than specific outfits.

However, there were some performers who did start to cultivate a distinctive image. This included the Beatles, who had their grey Nehru suits specifically designed for them during the early years of their popularity.

For some stars of this era it may be more about the hair. The classic pudding basin shape was very much ‘in’ with groups such as the Beatles, whilst singer Dusty Springfield was very much about the blonde beehive and Cilla Black sported a bright red bob.

Here are a few suggestions for 1950s and 1960 characters you can choose from, or if you have your own ideas why not see if we can help?

The Beatles - Classic popular choice. For the early years, the grey Nehru suits and Beatles wig is all that’s required.  Our 1960′s Pop Star costume is ideal to use as a Beatles costume. Alternatively, the fab four’s colourful military style outfits for the Sergeant Pepper look from later years. The props may be a bit difficult to come by but John Lennon is in yellow and carries a French Horn; Ringo Starr, who is in pink, carries a trumpet; Paul McCartney, in blue, has a cor anglais whilst George Harrison, wearing red, has a piccolo. There are only two Beatles that have hats, these are Ringo and George. For other ideas from the Sgt Pepper album cover check out our 1960s decades pages.

Bill Haley and his comets – Either wore plain coloured or check jackets of the era.

Buddy Holly – Trademark black rim glasses (Austin Powers style); skinny black tie and loud check ‘Teddy Boy’ style jacket.

Cilla Black – 1960s A-line shift dresses & red bob wig.

Dusty Springfield – Initially with The Springfields, Dusty cultivated a successful solo career with a distinctive look, involving a blonde beehive hairdo and black ‘panda’ eye-make-up. Black eyelashes are a must!

Elvis Presley – During the 1960s, the GI look or Gold Lamé Jacket was popular.  Elvis spent much of the time making movies which showcased his songs, and allowed him to play some interesting professionals: These included:-

  • GI Blues (1960) – a soldier
  • Blue Hawaii (1961) – a tourist (wear our Hawaiian shirt with an Elvis wig)
  • Viva Las Vegas (1964) – a mechanic
  • Speedway(1968) – a racing driver
  • A Change of Habit (1969) – doctor falling for a nun (wear a Doctor’s costume).

Jimi Hendrix American guitarist who found greater fame in the UK and, with his afro and military-style jackets, had a unique image.

Lulu – Sixties Dress or Hot pants with knee length lace up white boots and sixties beehive or flick out wig.

The Monkees – Was originally a TV series about an American group who wanted to be like the Beatles, but they became a popular group in their own right in the mid to late 1960s. Lead singer was Englishman Davy Jones. Other members of the group were Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork. Coloured mid-late sixties style shirts. Michael Nesmith also sported a knitted bobble or beanie hat. Or for a play on words, why not go in Monkey costumes!

Rolling Stones Formed in the 1960s and still going strong.  Wear sixties style shirts and tight trousers. 

Sandie Shaw – Married fashion designer Jeff Banks. Mainly short or long sixties ‘fashionable’ dress, dark cheerleader wig. Most famous for going barefoot whilst singing.

Sonny & Cher – At the time a husband and wife duo who successfully integrated a hippy-style look into their act, without going overtly flower-power.

  • Sonny wear an afghan waistcoat and jeans, plus a Beatles style wig.
  • Cher – Loose blouse, pre-70s flared trousers and a long black wig.

Supremes – The ultimate 1960s all girl group.  Showcased Diana Ross who went on to a successful solo career, other two members were Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. Cindy Birdsong was later to replace Florence Ballard when it became Diana Ross and the Supremes.  The main look was all the same 1960s costume, with black short beehive wig.

Tom Jones – Tight trousers, open shirt, trademark black short curly hair (in the sixties).

1960s Television

Morticia Addamsview

Morticia Addams

£39.90
Fred Flintstone Costume - Tunicview

Fred Flintstone Costume - Tunic

£28.50

TELEVISION OF THE 1960s

Television continued to evolve during the 1960s, with more channels and the general introduction of colour programmes.  In our digital age, it is difficult to realise that some shows (particularly American ones) sometimes never made it across the Atlantic (such as Blue Angels, Green Hornet), whilst others did.

Addams Family Both the Addams’ and The Munsters brought comedy horror to the TV screens during the Sixties, but Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday and Uncle Fester have stood the test of time. We stock a range of Addams Family costumes to purchase or to hire.

Avengers Bowler-hatted Steed and his several female assistants (notably Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) and Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), who did much to popularize the ‘action jumpsuit’) save Britain from quirky villains.

Batman & Robin In their early TV incarnation, the Dynamic Duo took on a rather comic-book look (‘Zap’ and ‘Pow’ captions during the fight sequences), but many famous people flocked to play villains, notably. Catwoman – Such a popular villainess, she was portrayed by four difference actresses, including Eartha Kitt. For the TV series, the Catwoman outfit was a simple black cat-suit (naturally) with a black eye-mask. We stock Batman & Robin costumes to hire as well as purchase.

Coronation Street – Long running and possibly most famous British soap opera, ‘official’ costumes for several of the best-loved characters are available. We stock Coronation Street Masks

Flintstones ‘The modern stone-age family’ – Fred, Wilma and Pebbles (with neighbours Barney, Betty and Bam-bam Rubble) were (and still are) popular with both adults and children. We stock Flintstones Costumes

Hawaii Five-O More generally associated with the 1970s, Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett is the cop in this US drama series, which ran from 1968-1980. Time to leave off the suit and break out the Hawaiian Shirt?

Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie) – An astronaut finds a bottle on a beach and behold, it houses a female genie who makes her master’s life chaotic. Good excuse for an exotic Arabian belly-dance outfit (although an official costume (and bottle!) have been available in the past).

Jetsons, The Hanna-Barbera sitcom about a space age family. Some costumes are available.

Lost in Space Silver spacesuits are just one of the looks from this cult US show about the Robinson Family who were ‘Lost in Space’.

Lucy Show & I Love Lucy Groundbreaking shows from an innovative redhead comedienne, Lucille Ball.

Prisoner, The The Italian-style village of Portmeirion in Wales, was the setting for this cult TV series starring Patrick McGoohan.  Blue Prisoner blazer with white trim and suitable badges such as ‘I am not a number, I am a free man’ or ‘The Prisoner’ and a ‘Penny Farthing’, defines the look.

Scooby Doo Just making it into the 1960s (first series aired in 1969) official Scooby Doo costumes for the Great Dane Scooby Doo, Shaggy, and the rest of the Mystery team (Velma, Fred and Daphne) are all stocked.

Star Trek Characters Boldly going where no sci-fi had gone before, Star Trek’s innovative approach to space exploration and contact with alien species/civilizations created a cult franchise. Due to licensing restrictions, outfits from the ‘original’ series are hard to find, but with recent films, alternatives can be found. Props & Frocks stocks Star Trek Costumes to hire, or purchase.

Thunderbirds Popular puppet-based series by Gerry Anderson (also responsible for Four Feather Falls, Supercar, Fireball XL5 and Stingray). Official costumes for International Rescue, plus British agent Lady Penelope and her chauffeur Parker are available. We also stock a range of Thunderbird masks for an easy costume option

1960s Films

Gangster Man Costumeview

Gangster Man Costume

£34.80
Cruella Style Costumeview

Cruella Style Costume

£34.15
Egyptian Collarview

Egyptian Collar

£9.85
Juliet - Medieval Costumeview

Juliet - Medieval Costume

£21.35

1960s Movies

Wanting to wear something a little bit different to your 60s fancy dress party? Why not get your costume inspiration from movies released during the decade?

When it came to movies the 1960s was the era of the ‘kitchen-sink’ drama, with films such as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Billy Liar and A Taste of Honey.

There are some classic 1960s films which you will not find mentioned below as they can be rather limited when it comes to costumes. These include The Graduate, Alfie, The Odd Couple, The Thomas Crown Affair, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. If you have ideas as to how you could dress for these films please let us know and we will add it to the list below…

1960s MOVIE GENRES – ACTION MOVIES

Bonnie & Clyde (1967) – Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway starred in this classic film about 1930s legendary bank-robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, who met their death on 23rd May 1934.  Gangster costumes and flapper dresses (although not strictly correct) work very well for this famous couple.

Great Escape, The (1963) – Paul Newman is one of the stars in this classic film, about Allied POWs escaping from their German prison camp. Wear Military uniform

Guns of Navarone, The (1961) – This explosive WW2 film was based on Alistair MacLean’s novel about  Allied Commando’s plotting to destroy German Guns. Uniforms can sometimes be difficult to obtain, but why not check out our 1940s costume range?

1960s MOVIE GENRES – CARTOON & ANIMATION

101 Dalmatians (1962) – Cruella de Vil is still a very popular cartoon villainess and there are several versions of a Cruella costume available.

The Pink Panther (1963) – Originally a cartoon character featuring in the credits of the films of the same name, the Pink Panther built his part and starred in his own cartoon show, also featuring an animated Inspector Clouseau. We hire Pink Panther costumes.

Yellow Submarine (1968) – A psychedelic fantasy animation based on music from the Beatles.

1960s MOVIE GENRES – CHICK FLICKS/ROMANCE

Breakfast at Tiffanys (1961) – Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly image of black evening gown, beehive, black eyelashes and cigarette holder is iconic.

1960s MOVIE GENRES – COMEDY MOVIES

Bedazzled (1967) – Peter Cook and Dudley Moore star in this comedy fantasy film, about a young man selling his soul to the devil, all in the name of love.

Casino Royale (1967) – Spoof James Bond film with David Niven, Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress.

1960s MOVIE GENRES – FANTASY MOVIES

Prior to the moon landings in 1969, there were a number of space orientated films.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – Stanley Kubrick’s epic saga about man and machine set in space.

Barbarella (1968) – Jane Fonda’s (then) husband cast her as an intergalactic space heroine, with a penchant for revealing outfits and vinyl boots.

Planet of the Apes (1968) – Space crew find themselves on a planet, where apes are masters and humans are slaves.We have gorilla outfits to hire

1960s MOVIE GENRES – HEROES OF 1960s MOVIES

Cleopatra (1963) – Elizabeth Taylor set the benchmark for Egyptian-style and Richard Burton provided love interest both on (as Mark Anthony) and off screen.

Eliza Dolittle (Ascot Races) (My Fair Lady) (1964) –  Elegant Edwardian-style black/white gown, worn with a large hat.

James Bond (1962 onwards) – The spy played by Sean Connery throughout the Sixties, who started numerous spin-offs from The Man From UNCLE and Get Smart, to I Spy and Austin Powers.- see our main section on James Bond for plenty more James Bond costume ideas

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – Peter O’Toole’s breakthrough role as the English-born leader of Arabian rebels. Wear one of our Arab Costumes

1960s MOVIE GENRES – HISTORICAL

El Cid (1961) – Just one of the films during the 1960s featuring Italian actress Sophia Loren. This one is set in 11th Century Spain. An interesting challenge for costumes.

Fall of the Roman Empire, The (1964) – The title says it all, in this film starring Sophia Loren, James Mason, Alec Guinness and Christopher Plummer. Time to break out those ancient times Roman costumes.

Man for all Seasons, A (1966) – Robert Bolt’s play about Sir Thomas More’s stance against King Henry VIII. A wide range of Tudor costumes are available to hire or purchase.

Romeo and Juliet (1968) – Franco Zeffirelli’s take on William Shakespeare’s classic tale about two star crossed lovers, set during medieval times, in Verona, Italy. Medieval costumes available to purchase and we stock a huge range of costumes to hire

Spartacus (1960) – Epic saga about slaves bid for freedom in Ancient Rome. Chariots are probably beyond our remit, but Roman costumes are not.

Tom Jones (1963) Henry Fielding’s novel about an 18th Century youth and his bawdy adventures was turned into a film starring Albert Finney. Costumes from the Georgian period are available in our hire department.

1960s MOVIE GENRES – HORROR

Birds,The (1963) – Just one of Alfred Hitchcock’s thrillers released in the 1960s. This one has more mileage as far as costumes are concerned, as there are various bird costumes on the market. There is even a niche market yellow outfit decorated with black birds!  Perhaps, something a little off-the-wall for a group going to a 1960s or movies event?

Brides of Dracula (1960) –  First of the Hammer horror series, popular in the 1960s starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula.  Vampire Costume variations on Dracula and his bride are available.

The Masque of the Red Death (1964) Vincent Price in a classic Edgar Allan Poe story in which the rich party whilst plague ravages the countryside outside. Film directed by Roger Corman.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) – George A Romero’s first horror film about flesh eating Zombies.  Zombie Costumes are available to hire and purchase and we stock some fantastic Zombie Make-up and special effects.

Psycho (1960) – A shower curtain, a knife, and a man who dresses as a woman. What more can be said?

1960s MOVIE GENRES – MUSICALS

Camelot (1967) – Musical take on the Arthurian legend, starring Richard Harris as Arthur and Vanessa Redgrave as Guinevere. We have a large collection of Medieval costumes including Knight outfits.

Funny Girl (1968) – Barbara Streisand and Omar Sharif in musical about the life of comedienne Fannie Brice, who became part of Ziegfeld’s Follies.  Showgirl costumes are available.

Mary Poppins & Bert the Sweep (1966) – Disney made Mary Poppins much sweeter than the original book character, but the film has become a popular children’s favourite.

My Fair Lady (1964) – Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison in the story of a down-and-dirty ragamuffin cockney girl, who was turned into an elegant Edwardian Lady.

Sound of Music, The (1965) Still very popular on the sing-along-a circuit, the traditional Nun costume worn by Julie Andrews stands the test of time.

West Side Story (1961) – Film adaptation of the Broadway musical set in New York in the mid-1950s and 1960s.  The Jets and the Sharks are the two teenage ethnic gangs in this ‘Romeo and Juliet’ musical. 1950s & 1960s costumes available.

1960s MOVIE GENRES – WESTERNS

Not as popular as earlier decades, the Western did have a resurgence of interest in the 1960s thanks to the advent of the Italian ‘Spaghetti Western’.  Sergio Leone was the benchmark for a number of directors who adopted this sub-genre of Western movies.  Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Burt Reynolds, Yul Brynner and Charles Bronson were probably some of the more famous actors who went down this route.

When it comes to costumes most Western films have a very standard format and we have a fantastic array of Wild West costumes and accessories, including ponchos for the ‘Spaghetti Western’.

Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969) – Cowboy films had fallen from favour since the 1950s, but the lighter tone of this film with its heartthrob stars, Robert Redford and Paul Newman, proved popular.

Once upon a Time in the West (1969) – Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson in a Sergio Leone film.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – One of the popular Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960s, which saw Clint Eastwood make the poncho and flat cowboy hat his own.
*If you really want to do something really different, why not get 2 friends, 1 dresses as an angel (or something equally ‘good’, one dresses as a Devil, or something equally ‘bad’ and one dresses up as Ugly as they can. A great laugh!

The Magnificent Seven (1960) – Always a good one for those trivia quizzes – Can you name them? A great choice for a group of seven men, just all dress up in cowboy costumes.

The Unforgiven (1960) – Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn and Audie Murphy in this Western tale of distrust and revenge.

The Wild Bunch (1969) – Aging outlaws look for their last big heist as the traditional American West disappears around them.

1960s Costume Ideas

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1960s Costume Ideas

Because ‘decades’ do not sit in nice ten-year segments, many of the costumes and accessories that work for the 1960s, can also feature in the early 1970s. Of course, rising trends of the late 1950s developed and/or evolved during the 1960s.

The early part of the decade saw the continued influence of American music styles based on Rock n Roll and Jazz. Equally strong, however were the UK ‘home-grown’ genres such as Skiffle. Britain’s own take on rock ‘n’ roll would later evolve into the unique sound often known as ‘Mersey Beat’ but in fact featuring musicians from many other cities, each with an individual style.

The late 1950s had seen the growth of social rebellion amongst the young, fuelled by young adults with a disposable income and disinclination to dress like their parents. As the 1960s progressed fashion became both colourful and daring as skirts became shorter to reveal the existence of legs and males embraced a more unconventional style of dress, from pseudo militaria to flower-power.

The evolution of television, with more channels (and in colour) and the outbreak of pirate radio, following the lead of Radio Luxembourg and breaking the BBC stranglehold on listening habits, also helped promote the social upheavals of the Sixties.

We have tried to split the 60s down into different sections (see list on the left navigation) to provide you with lots of Sixties costume inspiration…