Capri Pants

• The basic style of capri slacks has changed little since the early 1960s.Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images
  
  In the early 1960s, women rarely wore slacks in public unless in a casual setting. Capri pants were an acceptable style at the time. The capris were form-fitting, narrow-legged pants made of cotton, linen or a stretchy manmade fabric blend. Capri pants are cut either right above the ankle or at the leg's mid-point. Actress Mary Tyler Moore cemented their popularity during the 1960s by wearing them on TV when co-starring on "The Dick Van Dyke Show."
  
  

The Little Black Dress

• While the little black dress was first unveiled by Coco Chanel in 1926, Audrey Hepburn made it a necessity for stylish women by wearing one in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Worn with pearls, the dress was acceptable attire at dinner parties, restaurants, the theater or night clubs. More formal occasions called for a longer version of the dress, accompanied by real or costume jewelry, gold or diamonds. Dress materials were silk shantung, chiffon, satin and polyester knits.
  
  

Stoles

• The mink stole was affordable and stylish in the '60s.Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
  
  Stoles, preferably mink, were a must in women's fashion in the early 1960s. All about style and glamour, mink stoles finished an evening outfit. Stoles topped off an evening outfit and were affordable to women who could not manage the price of a full-length mink coat or jacket. Also made of velvet, satin and silk, textile stoles were often embroidered or had fringed ends. Brightly colored satin linings were frequently used as a contrast or embellishment.
  
  

Tailored Suits

• Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy influenced early 1960s fashion.George De Sota/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
  
  While all the clothing styles worn by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy were widely admired and copied by average American women during the early 1960s, the tailored suits she often wore during public appearances set the bar for women's ensembles. Copies of the original Chanel-designed suit, with a boxy jacket, oversize buttons and three-quarter-length sleeves was available in lightweight fabrics such as seersucker or linen or in heavier woolens and knits. Slim, shorter skirts completed tailored suits.
  
  

Shirtwaist Dress

• The shirtwaist dress, popular in the early 1960s, is still in style.Digital Vision/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  The shirtwaist dress, a style popularized during the late 1950s, continued through the '60s. The dress was originally designed to be form-fitting above the waist, with a matching belt and a bouffant skirt. Stripes, pastel solids and prints were featured on the shirtwaist, made of lightweight cotton or polyester. First worn below the knee, hemlines eventually rose and skirts narrowed. Collars, at first like those of a classic tailored shirt, also became larger.
  
  

Bikinis

• Although it was invented in 1946, the bikini became a swimsuit style with the release of the movie Beach Party, starring Annette Funicello. The bikini brief of the early 1960s had a straight waistline cut just below the navel and a slightly rising leg line along the outside. The bra was sturdily constructed, with underwire support and padding to enhance cleavage. The straps were narrow and detachable or fastened behind the neck as a halter.
  
  

Beatnik Looks

• Beatniks of the early 1960s completed their outfits with a French beret.Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  The beatnik fashion, another holdover from the late 1950s, was severe and monochromatic. Black dominated as a color choice, and women wore simply-cut slacks and slim pencil skirts with black leotards. Capri and stirrup slacks, turtleneck tops or thin sweaters with small scarves tied around the neck were the predominant clothing choices, accompanied by simple, flat shoes and a black French beret. Jewelry was either minimalistic or large and chunky in subdued colors.