Written By: Lily Rothman, Liz Ronk
The clothing of the 1960s and 1970s made their indelible mark on the way American dresses, from big-picture changes (the general move toward more casual dress, for example) to the smallest details (monokinis, which are still a thing).
But, as these covers show, the fashions of the ’60s and ’70s were hardly monolithic. From mod maxi dresses and matching trouser suits to minidresses and 1950s nostalgia, the look of LIFE was ever-changing.
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September 26, 1960 cover of LIFE magazine.
Milton H. Greene LIFE Magazine
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December 1, 1961 cover of LIFE magazine.
Mark Kauffman LIFE Magazine
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August 30, 1963 cover of LIFE magazine.
Carlo Bavagnoli LIFE Magazine
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September 2, 1966 cover of LIFE magazine.
Jean-Claude Sauer LIFE Magazine
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January 27, 1967 cover of LIFE magazine.
Howell Conant LIFE Magazine
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August 18, 1967 cover of LIFE magazine.
Franco Rubartelli LIFE Magazine
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September 27, 1968 cover of LIFE magazine.
Norman Parkinson LIFE Magazine
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January 12, 1968 cover of LIFE magazine.
Greene-Eula LIFE Magazine
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August 22, 1969 cover of LIFE magazine.
Vernon Merritt III LIFE Magazine
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October 17, 1969 cover of LIFE magazine.
Yale Joel LIFE Magazine
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March 13, 1970 cover of LIFE magazine.
Milton H. Greene LIFE Magazine
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July 10, 1970 cover of LIFE magazine.
Co Rentmeester LIFE Magazine
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August 21, 1970 cover of LIFE magazine.
John Dominis LIFE Magazine
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December 10, 1971 cover of LIFE magazine.
Berry Berenson LIFE Magazine
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June 2, 1972 cover of LIFE magazine.
Bill Eppridge LIFE Magazine
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June 18, 1972 cover of LIFE magazine.
Bill Ray LIFE Magazine
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July 28, 1972 cover of LIFE magazine.
Douglas Kirkland LIFE Magazine