Catalogs from the time show how much variety existed even within a single silhouette. The shift dress, for example, might be belted at the waist, loose at the hips or molded in soft knits. Tent dresses offered movement without structure. You could find tailored styles in solid tones right next to florals, paisleys and loud geometric patterns. Polyester knits, Dacron blends and bonded fabrics were everywhere, promising easy care and structure that held its shape.
While the influence of figures like Jackie Kennedy lingered in the more refined styles, many of these dresses also leaned into color. There were turquoise coatdresses, petal pink skimmers, and two-tone ensembles with contrast bands and textured fabrics. Some pieces were made for travel, some for the office, others clearly for weekends. A dress could come with a matching jacket, a coordinating kerchief, or a bit of ric-rac trim. All of it was part of what made everyday fashion in 1968 feel accessible, even when it looked a little fancy.
Below, we’ve gathered a big collection of these original looks as they appeared in the pages of the Montgomery Ward catalog and others from the time.
Retro little black dresses for fancy evening events in the late ’60s
Flared dress with sparkly rhinestone straps, crepe skimmer with lacy sleeves, and a crepe shift with sheer sleeves
Cocktail and evening dresses from 1968
Little black dresses – ’60s style! Here’s how they used to do the LBD
Fashions of 1968: Lace empire bodice dress and ball gown
The gown is of white Chantilly lace over taffeta — plus there’s a short yellow wedding dress
1968 cocktail dresses
Sophisticated coat and skimmer dress ensemble in tone-on-tone geometric pattern
Fashions of 1968: Textured year-round knits of Arnel
Though the emphasis is on the waistline, the skimmer is still a popular style this spring. They are found in a variety of fabrics with knits leading the list. Shown here: Skirts and skimmers and jacket dresses in pink, green and blue.
Darling vintage 1968 dresses
Travel ensembles with Wyndmoor bonded knits. These old outfits were dry clean only.
Classic ’60s dresses to wear while going around town
Stylish dresses with woven stripes, cotton gingham checks, paisley prints and geometric prints
Fashion favorites – the versatile ensembles
Glowing color in Dacron double knits – apple green, pink, turquoise blue
Retro 60s dresses to wear around town
Retro 1968 dresses, with matching patent shoes
Groovy dresses in green, blue and white print and white with black edging
Simple and stunning 60s skirts & dresses
Arnel jersey dresses – coatdresses, fitted dresses with box-pleated skirts, smart jacket costumes
Couturier knit jersey in luxurious floral prints, coatdress
Awesome retro prints on dacron dresses
Patterns included sundrenched paisley, abstract print overblouse and skirts, flower patterns and classic polka dots
Italian wool double-knit dress and jacket ensembles with 3/4 sleeves
Seersucker dresses with jackets from the sixties, in checks and stripes
Linen-look vintage 1968 dresses
A-line skimmers, classic skimmers and trim tailored dresses with front pleat
Flattering, slimming shift dresses, tri-color shifts, A-line jacket dresses
Casual everyday dresses from the 60s
Crinkle shift shirts, Tattersall plaid dresses and culottes with pockets
1960s fashion: Abstract floral pattern maxi dress from 1968
Retro fashions for women
Above-the-knee short-sleeve and sleeveless dresses from 1968
Vintage daytime dresses – skimmers, sundresses and more
Simple ’60s dresses for around the house and errands
Front-zip dresses, stripey step-in dresses, flock-dotted dresses, blue seersucker culottes, flattering coat-style shift dresses
Casual everyday womenswear from 1968
Belting makes the skimmer true 1968 fashion. On the skimmer, a belt may it loosely at the waistline or hips or under the bustline. It may not belt anything but simply be a detail of the front or back. The unbelted skimmer is also still popular. Shown here: No-iron zip skimmers, step-in dresses and no-iron coatdress from the sixties
Casual everyday dresses from the 60s
Classically trim shirt shifts, basic A-line zip-front skimmers, petal pretty cool dress of openwork cotton
Sixties-style dresses for ladies going to the office or to the store
You’ll have a new fashion adventure in these dramatic two-tone dresses
Sixties-style dresses for working women
Spirited moderns in patterned non-cling knit jersey dresses
Pink sixties-style dresses for busy women
The 5-way wardrobe: Jacket plus skirt, blouse and skimmer that you can mix and match
Stylish dresses from the 1968 Wards catalog
Bright and bold patterns on these super sixties-style dresses
Silky, flattering acetate jersey casual dresses in geometric prints and stripes
Double-knit dresses with special touches
Pretty print no-iron dresses from the 60s
Sassy ’60s double-knit dresses
A-line dress, roll collar skimmer and print dress with jacket
Cocktail and evening dresses from the sixties
Silk-look A-line dress with silvery trim and flecked with glitter
Colorfully with-it ’60s dresses
Ribbed-knit retro dresses
Floral sheath dress, contrast bands on a bonded jersey zip-front shift
Office dresses from 1968
Sleek simmer with front pleats, long torso dress and slanted stripe shift dress
Ensembles – coats and dresses with roll collars shifts and zipper-back blouses
Dacron dresses: Styles from 1968
Shirt shift with buttons, power-packed print shift, charmingly feminine flower-print dress
The gadabout zip-ups
A-line dresses with zippers, pantdresses, zippy skimmes with ric-rac trim and matching kerchief
Zesty zippered A-line skimmer dresses with two pockets
Carefree casual ’60s dresses – embroidered flowers, monograms, piping accents
Woven geometric patterns on vintage shirtdresses and flare dresses
Crinkle tent dresses in solids or floral prints
Plus dotted skimmers and floaty batiste dresses with patch pockets
Classic dresses to wear around town
Sheer voiles stay crisp from dawn to dusk
Retro 60s dresses to wear around town
Arnel knit dresses – jersey dresses with back sipper, slimming shift dresses and seersucker textured stripe dress and jacket ensembles
Whipped Cream dresses of lightly-textured polyester
Dresses and jackets in luxurious blend of linen-weave rayon silk
Fashions of 1968: Jerseys and seersucker dresses – plus sleeveless jackets
1968 dresses plus skirts and jackets: Newsy young shapes in eye-catching colors
Cocktail and evening dresses from 1968
Glamorous shiny taffeta dresses for a fun dinner party
Vintage floral patterned dresses from 1968
Left: Blazing sunflowers come on cool for an airy sundress with a deep pleat in back. Of Soptra’s light-as-air dotted swiss.
Right: Brilliant wildflowers — a wild and wonderful look for a shoulder-baring dress, skimming from two small straps. Pockets in seams.
Shifts and other 1968 dresses
One of the most popular looks in the shirt dress is the shift silhouette. With the overall fashion emphasis on the waistline and figure, the shift is often gently molded, especially in knits, or loosely belted at the waist, hips or empire levels.
Many shirt shifts especially popular on campus look like a man’s shirt stretched. Found in solid colors and pinstripes and made of cotton oxford cloth. they have long sleeves, ivy-league collars and plackets extending below the waistline. A variation on these turns the skirt into a culotte.
Waistlines and belts, collars and cuffs, ruffles and plackets — these are the by-words for spring 1968 casual fashions.
