money Beehives, bouffants and bangs: See SLO students model hair styles of 1960s
The 1960s were an era of rapidly evolving fashion, as sock hop styles gave way to mod and hippie looks.
At the time the Telegram-Tribune often published local and national stories that tracked trends.
Coverage was driven by reader interest. With so much changing, it was a good bet that readers were curious about what might be a fad and what had more staying power.
Frequently stories focused on women’s groups in San Luis Obispo County raising money through fashion shows, often affiliated with local clothing merchants.
The Telegram-Tribune ran pictures of local students modeling bouffants, beehives, bangs and cat eye glasses on Sept. 15, 1966, in a photo feature titled “New hair styles help set fashion.”
“Noleen Caselman, left, a junior at San Luis Obispo High School, displays her hair piece, which she wears attached at the top of her head,” the caption reads. “The hair piece which is blended to match the natural hair color almost perfectly, has become a popular and convenient accessory to a girl’s wardrobe.”
“Maryann Boyle, San Luis Obispo senior likes a traditional one-length, short hair style which she has to set only once a week. Linda King, a junior at Arroyo Grande High wears one of the new short styles, which features eyebrow-length bangs. Judie Masten, Arroyo Grande senior, also wears a hair piece, but blends it with her natural hair to create a high, smoothly curled style. Judy Rosa, a senior at San Luis Obispo, pulls her front hair back and ties it with a ribbon, creating an effect that makes her already long hair appear longer.”
Advertisements in that edition showcased the direction fashion trends were taking in the ’60s.
A Magnavox solid-state stereo console — no tubes! — could be picked up at Riley’s department store starting at $149.
Appliance store Holser and Bailey advertising the arrival of avocado green Magic Chef gas ranges.
Jost Floor Co. offered gold shag carpet for $8.49 a square yard.
Mar Mac Beauty Salon had a special on fall hair styles with a permanent costing $12.50.
Bello’s Ladies Sport Shop had gym clothes for $4.60.
Even fashion-adjacent businesses such as Brown’s Music Store advertised in the paper, with a list of the local top 20 hit singles sold that week.
The No. 1 song that week was “Black is Black” by the one-hit wonder group Los Bravos, from Spain.
