During the sixties, the 70 million babies from the baby boom were growing up into teenagers. Fads were created every day. Art was affected by the desire to be modern and new styles of drawing became popular.
Books like Lee Harper's To Kill a Mocking Bird became popular during the sixties. This book described the tension between races. Another popular book was Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. This book was about a military regulation that didn't make any sense. Crazy men could not fight the war, but anyone who thought they were crazy must be sane because they don't want to fight in the war.
There were many fads in the sixties. In California, skateboards became popular. People used them to keep in shape. Barbie dolls, though invented in the late fifties, were popular throughout the sixties. A competing toy company introduced G.I. Joe's, which were also a huge success. Also, slot cars became more popular than toy trains.
Fashion in the sixties was very different than the fashion of today. Men often wore casual plaid shirts and women wore knee length dresses. By the middle of the decade, these short dresses were replaced with miniskirts and short shorts. Men's hair became longer and wider and beards and mustaches became popular. African Americans often had afros. Clothing was sometimes bought at surplus stores as boutiques. Women wore go-go boots and chunky shoes while men wore Nehru jackets and turtlenecks. Bellbottoms also came into style and were worn by both genders.
