You Say You Want an Evolution?—A Deep Dive into The Beatles’ Changing Fashion
Written By Alyssa Roney & Abby Woodfin
Photographed By Britney Spangenberg
Modeled By Hadley Berry, Madi Brady, Koli Vaughn, & Cole Vest
Widely recognized as the greatest band of all time, The Beatles have been a fixture in music circles for decades. When thinking of The Beatles, an image that comes to many minds is four feminine-looking men with shaggy hair who sing jangly guitar tunes. In an age that expects dynamism, The Beatles are often viewed as icons frozen in time, static in both image and sound. However, this is simply not the case. Their fashion and music drew upon and influenced 60s culture, which would have a lasting impact on decades to come. The Beatles were among many celebrities who took inspiration from youth culture and made it more palatable to the general public. From one album to the next, they were the same great band, merely taking on other identities over the years.
‘63 - ’64:
The Beatles entered the rock ‘n’ roll scene when the public did not see rockers as respectable artists. A clean image was typical of artists at the time, and the rock artist look was far outside the acceptable mainstream image. While inspired by the music and stage presence of Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry, The Beatles began their career with a clean-cut rocker look pushed onto them by George Martin, their producer at EMI Records. Before their rise to fame, they had an edgier, beatnik-adjacent appearance. Their cleaned up appearance, though, maintained subtle references to the counterculture movement they took inspiration from. Touting matching collarless suits, The Beatles appeared uniform and professional in their early public appearances. After the release of their debut studio album, “Please Please Me,” their look began to change even further when German Artist Astrid Kircherr brought the “mop top” hairstyle to The Beatles. The band’s trademark long, shaggy hairstyle was only popular among those in the German art scene and was abnormal in England. Their “mop tops” were often ridiculed, putting their masculinity into question. Even in their “clean” era, The Beatles’ appearance pushed boundaries of what was acceptable for male self-expression.
‘65 - ’66:
In 1965, folk rock entered the music scene as an upcycled sonic experience: Bob Dylan set his traditionally-inspired folk tunes to the sound of electric guitars and drums. As a result, many of his contemporaries, including The Beatles, followed suit. Their lyrics became richer and their melodies more complex. This was exacerbated by their dramatic exit from live music in 1966 due to hostile and noisy audiences. What resulted was the album “Revolver,” their first real dive into experimental music. As their music changed, so did their fashion, which took a more rustic look. This consisted of earth tones, turtlenecks, and colorful sunglasses. The cover of “Rubber Soul,” released in 1965, demonstrates this best. On the cover, John Lennon wryly stares into the camera, challenging listeners to question their perceptions of music. Their fashion demonstrated that they were the same Beatles, only more mature. As such, their audience trusted the weirder waters the band waded in.
‘67 - ’68:
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” released in May of 1967, shocked the music world. It was the first concept album, telling the story of the fictional “Lonely Hearts Club Band.” They syncretized their increasingly electric rock sound with Indian sitar and Indian musical elements, all the while telling a cohesive story. This album came during a time when The Beatles were violently controversial, having lost much of their global respect in 1966. Lennon proclaimed that they were “bigger than Jesus,” and Christian groups began mass burnings of their albums. In the mid-60s, the Western world was more conservative, and The Beatles were now seen as an anti-Christian group. They began manipulating their music and working outside the style they were previously known for. They had nothing to lose. They not only revolutionized their music style, they changed their attire. Their matching, clean-cut image was no longer, and they began to show their individual styles. Lennon grew mutton chops, Paul McCartney wore colorful sweater vests, George Harrison utilized Indian textiles and traditional wear, and Ringo Starr wore plenty of statement jewelry. Though The Beatles’ outfits matched on the cover of “Sgt. Pepper,” they each wore different colored suits, distancing themselves from their “boy band” image. At the end of 1967, they released “Magical Mystery Tour,” alongside an entirely self-produced movie with the same name. This was an era of authentic and unapologetic self expression, both as a group and as individuals. Their unusual fashion pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable for men to wear, but for the first time, they dressed for themselves. The most famous band of the time proudly going against the grain was a bold statement heard around the world: Who cares what people think?
‘69 - ’70:
After the high of The Beatles’ psychedelic era, the group fell into collective disarray. Lennon grew disinterested in the group in light of newer personal affairs (infamously, his new girlfriend, Yoko Ono); Harrison resented the others for not allowing his songs’ inclusion on albums; Starr felt caught in the middle of the conflict; and McCartney acted as the band’s regulator, shoulder against a dam about to burst. This time allowed for introspection, each member melting into the textures and colors of the time. At the turn of the decade, fashion took a more androgynous form. Men and women both wore their hair long, and the masculine silhouette of blouses, boots, and bell bottoms took over. When the band united for its final sessions, the only thing they seemingly had in common was their fashion sense. In some of their last photoshoots as a group, the band dons varying jewel tones, mesh fabrics, and bushy beards. For a final few months, The Beatles proudly held onto what had so largely impacted their initial rise to fame: fashion.
