Beginnings in the U.K.
The Origins
The peacock revolution has its origins on the London streets of the mid 1960s, starting in small boutique shops. The now famous Carnaby Street was home to a small number of boutiques that were carrying a new and unique type of fashion. These pieces were clothing for men in fabrics like velvet, satin, and chiffon, typically used in feminine clothing, and they had new cuts and patterns like bell bottom silhouette and floral and abstract prints.
“As the 1960s gathered pace, the standard template for a man's suit began to accommodate subtly daring new elements: the collarless jacket (a look popularized by The Beatles in 1963, the year they launched their first album) and slim-fitting trousers, matched with heeled boots rather than shoes. Boutiques selling off-the-peg menswear spread across London, while traditional tailors and shirtmakers began to embrace society's increasingly informal new mood. Flamboyant elements such as embroidery and vividly printed shirts became acceptable parts of the everyday male dress code – in London at least” (Victoria and Albert Museum,1960s UK Menswear).
So many small boutiques like ‘Granny takes a trip’, ‘Take 6’ or ‘Mr. Fish’ were just a few of the new stores to bring in what was deemed dandy fashions. These clothes were heavily inspired by queer and multi-cultural fashions that were smaller subcultures. This new style of dress quickly became mainstream though famous musicians like the Beatles and Elton John, who sported the clothes from those very boutiques. With their growth in popularity in America, the Beatles also brought their new fashion to the U.S. scene, where a youthquake was soon to follow.