To understand how fashion changed from the 1950s to 1960s, look no further than this article from the May 1961 edition of McCalls women’s magazine.
Summer Fashion from 1961
The magazine featured a fashion article titled “At Ease” showing new looks for summer outfits.
The easiest, breeziest, prettiest playtime clothes to present date.
Note the styling. Their hair and makeup are classic 1960s. For the outfits, the prints are bold and the colors are vivid.
Here is the 2nd part of the article. Note the playful styling and daring shorts which were described as “the briefest of shorts”.
“Easy to move in, lovely to loaf in – new stretch fabrics, knitted or woven, used fittingly in pants and tops and even skirts and dresses. Here, a snowy white stretch terry pullover of Helanca and cotton knit, soft and flexible with a crew neck and long, sunburn foiling sleeves. We show it with the briefest of shorts, about $12. Both by Sylvia de Gay for Robert Sloan.”
McCalls – May 1961
Spring Fashion from 1959
I enjoy flipping through my collection of mid-century fashion magazines. I like to see how the styles changed through the years and decades. McCall’s specialized in fashion for the middle-class. Their looks were accessible and practical with impressive styling and photography.
Here is a look at a fashion article from only 2 years prior. This one is from March 1959.
Although later in the decade of the 1950s, the cinched-waist looks were noticeably fifties.
Also notable is the emphasis on glamour. In 1959, the looks still featured hats, gloves, and a bullet bra silhouette.
Summer Fashion from 1951
Here is a look at a McCalls fashion article from early in the 1950s. Here they discuss cotton for casual cool and comfort. Yet the girdle-requiring silhouette is anything but comfortable.
Clothes you love and live in Cottons – McCalls April 1951
Mid-Century Page 
Pingback: Exploring McCalls Vintage Sewing Patterns from the 1960s – Mid-Century Page