The Peacock Revolution as Described in 'Gender Bending Fashion' at MFA Boston

David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World album cover, 1970. David Bowie extended the Peacock Revolution into the 1980s. Photo courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.   The Peacock Revolution of the 1960s forever altered men's fashion. The Museum of Fine Arts Boston continues offering an in-depth look at the interaction between gender identity and fashion in their Gender Bending Fashion exhibition. The exhibition remains on view until August 2019. Divided into three sections, Disrupt, Blur, and Transcend, the exhibition highlights the Peacock Revolution in the section titled Blur.  

Blurring Gender Distinctions

During the 1960s, shifts occurred for both men's and women's fashions. For women, the shift truly began as far back as the 1930s. At that time, actresses like Marlene Dietrich introduced pant suits to women's clothing. However, this more masculine style really only caught on for somewhat isolated sports and motoring wear. However, in the 1960s, women truly began to embrace pants, particularly harem pants and bell bottoms paired primarily with colorful tunics. The flower child came into full swing, and women's fashion would forever shift toward a more unisex approach. For men, the shift emerged as male musicians began experimenting with their styles. Leading up to the 1960s, menswear consisted primarily of the sober uniformity of the business suit, with a slight modification in the form of slacks and button up shirt without a tie on the weekends. In contrast to the flair of centuries past (think 1800s England), this was quite possibly the most mundane and impersonal period in men's fashion in all of history. Thankfully, with the free-swinging entertainment industry of the 1960s, vivacity and individuality returned to men's fashion.  

The Peacock Revolution

Historians cite the beginning of the Peacock Revolution with The Beatles. In 1963, with the release of their first album, The Beatles introduced the collarless jacket. Soon after, collarless jackets, slim-fit trousers, and heeled boots became the rage. Over the next few years, they also introduced paisley shirts and candy-hued suits. Given that John, Paul, George, and Ringo were THE male sex symbols of the time, their colorful clothing never feminized them. Instead, they successfully blurred the lines of fashionable gender identification, challenging outdated notions of dull conformity as the only expression of true masculinity. In 1967, with the release of his first album, Jimi Hendrix carried the colorful shifts light years further. On the cover of his album Get that Feeling, Jimi wore a feathered jacket created by Dandie Fashions. Dandie (or Dandy) Fashions launched their clothing line in Britain in 1966. Supported by The Beatles, Dandie Fashions took its place on Kings Road among other Peacock outfitters, such as Apple Boutique, Granny Takes a Trip, and Hung on You. Although it never turned a profit and closed its doors in shortly after its debut, its name stuck. Thanks to Jimi Hendrix, who pioneered the most outrageous version of the style, the 'modern dandy' emerged. These very masculine men courageously wore frills, lace, and feathers. They chose the softer feel of velvet, silk, and chiffon. Men's silhouettes shifted to slimmer, more feminine lines. In addition, flashy prints reminiscent of tribal African wear grew popular. All of a sudden, a whole generation of men abandoned the stuffy work wear. Instead, they wore silk kimonos, Arabian caftans, and African dashikis. A new age of self-expression for men opened up, and society shifted as the lines continued to blur into the 1970s and 1980s.  

The 70s and 80s

Bell bottoms worn by both men and women in the 1970s continued, as did colorful tunics and shirts for both genders. Though unisex fashions began in the 1960s, the 1970s may offer the most uniform unisex clothing for men and women to this point. Though the lines of women's shirts were cut slightly differently, the styles were nearly interchangeable between the genders. However, by the 1980s, gender identity in clothing began to shift back to more dichotomous fashions. Once again, the entertainers of the day pushed the boundaries, attempting once again to blur the lines. David Bowie stands out as the most iconic of these boundary pushers. Makeup, dresses, heeled boots, and an overall androgynous presentation. These remain the signature fashion statements made by Bowie throughout his illustrious career. Though few dressed as flamboyantly as Bowie, muted versions of his style caught on with a select set of urban outfitters catering to the youth of the day. While the overall look failed to catch on, aspects eventually filtered into mainstream fashion. Each decade this blurring of the lines continued. Male musicians continued to dress in non-traditional clothing on their tours and album covers. Strong male sex symbols, including Prince, Mick Jagger, and Kurt Cobain, donned everything from dresses to feather boas. They also popularized tight slim pants in outrageous colors. Lipstick, eye makeup, and more became the norm. Thanks to these courageous artists, we continue to enjoy ever-increasing opportunities to express ourselves with clothing beyond the dichotomy of male and female. The Museum of Fine Arts Boston exhibits exciting outfits worn by many of the Peacock Revolution icons. These include the Dandie Fashions jacket worn by Jimi Hendrix in 1967. As well as a suit and platform shoes worn by David Bowie, designed by Freddie Burretti during the Ziggy Stardust period in the 1970s. To see these and other gender-busting fashions, visit Gender Bending Fashion at the MFA. ~Angela Magnotti Andrews