THE Swinging Sixties were a turning point for so many facets of society, and it was all reflected in the fashions of the day.

The early 1960s were conservative, restrained and classic, before the psychedelic design exploded onto the scene.

In fact, you can divide 60s vintage fashion into three distinct segments: the Jackie Kennedy suburban look of the early 1960s; the Mod look of the mid-60s; and the anything-goes anti-designer ethic of the late 1960s.

Today, fashion designers emulate all three of these styles in many of the collections we see on the catwalks and high street shops.

The early 60s were characterised by the matchy-matchy syndrome.

Fashion designers took the “complete look” to its ultimate conclusion, creating entire ensembles that matched, from head to toe.

It was the era of the perfectly coifed suburban housewife in her pillbox hat, boxy jacket and straight skirt, accessorized with matching gloves, shoes, belt and bag.

The wide, swing skirts of 1950s dresses was passé – sophistication, as characterized by slim silhouettes, tweeds and leather, were all the rage.

Of course, fashion could only stand that kind of restriction for a few years before revolution would necessarily break out.

By 1964, the fashion industry insisted that women were demanding a return to the “feminine,” and designers were happy to provide it.

The swingy skirts of fifties dresses were back, though they featured both less fabric and less swing.

As hemlines climbed to the knee and above, textured stockings became more and more popular.

And in an effort to give femininity a real workout, Coco Chanel brought back the hair bow and the perfect outfit topper.

The fashion pendulum swung back and forth several times in the mid sixties but it was in 1966 that the real fashion revolution happened as the London Mod designers took over the pages of the fashion magazines.

Miniskirts, mod tights, Carnaby jackets and fishnet stockings all characterise 60s vintage fashion more than any other style of the long decade.

In 1968, fashion icon Twiggy hit the scene and the world would never be the same.

Mary Quant took the Holly Golightly look, shortened it, brightened it and added hardware to turn the whole fashion world on its head.

If London designers had declared a revolution against traditional fashion in ’65, though, consumers declared their independence of fashion designers as the decade came to a close.

When it came to style, it was all about self-expression. Men and women alike mixed and matched fabrics, patterns, colours and designers with abandon.

They dug into grandma’s attic and created their own individual style, something I would encourage anyone to do today.

• You can find a whole host of 1960s vintage fashion at My Vintage. Online at www.myvintage.co.uk and in-store at 2 The Circus, Darwen.