The 1960s Are the Most Influential Decade in 2025 Fashion, Especially These 8 Trends

Each season, without fail, there is always one past decade that defines what cool style looks like at that moment. Everyone’s talking about the ’70s boho resurgence and the continuation of ’90s minimalism right now, but quite frankly, neither of those decades is having nearly as strong an influence on 2025 fashion as the 1960s is. Instead of a single trend, it’s the decade's overall retro and elegant mood that designers, stylists, and tastemakers are tapping into.

The decade was a breeding ground for revolutionary style, caught between Dior’s structured hourglass silhouettes in the postwar ’50s and the rising hemlines and loosened waists that came from the sexual revolution of the late ’60s. It was a time when the forefront of new fashion possibilities was endless. Instead of fashion houses leading the way, it was the signature style of key It girls like Audrey Hepburn and her chic minimalism, Jackie Kennedy’s ladylike elegance, Twiggy’s colorful minis, and the high glamour of The Supremes and Cher.

Despite the many facets of 1960s style, there are several through lines that feel just as strong today as they did then. In 2025, the most stylish women are reaching for pillbox hats, court shoes, and kiss-lock bags just as they did in the ’60s, and here we’re outlining each piece from the era that is having a major moment today.

Style Notes: Jackie O’s style was unfalteringly elegant, and it made her a fashion pinup for women worldwide. Her boxy suits, big sunglasses, and pillbox hats were her signatures.

Style Notes: While floral may be the motif most associated with the era, leopard print was just as popular. Worn by celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor, its “rock star” association ensured its cult style status.

Style Notes: Big, round sunnies were vital in the ’60s. From John Lennon’s classic glasses to Jane Fonda’s cat-eye hybrids and Jackie O’s signature oversize shades, we’re still wearing these today.

Style Notes: You can’t talk ’60s fashion without mentioning the miniskirt, but while shorter silhouettes were still revolutionary at the time, much of the decade’s fashion was still skirt lengths that ended right at the knee. The prevailing skirt suit shape at the time involved one of these pencil skirts with a coordinating jacket that usually featured three-quarter length sleeves, and that was more or less the uniform of the time.

Style Notes: Kiss-lock bags, which were directly inspired by the prim-and-proper top-handle styles of the 1960s, are returning en masse right now, and their retro appeal feels as nostalgic as it does modern.

Style Notes: Beatnik fashion started back in the 1940s, but it was still going strong in the ’60s. It was mostly identified by a love of black with pedal pushers that hit well above the ankle.

Style Notes: The 1960s were the era of practical elegance, so there weren’t many tall heels, and instead, the fashionable choice in shoes was court shoes with their low block heels and ballet flat-like silhouettes that were both easy to wear and always looked polished. They’re still prevailing today for largely the same reasons.

Style Notes: Audrey Hepburn’s wardrobe is perhaps most famous for its abundance of boat necklines on taffeta A-line dresses and casual tops alike, a trend that’s equally pervasive across the chicest tops and dresses today.