Paraphernalia was a boutique and clothing line that was started in 1965 by Puritan, a conservative dress manufacturer that wanted to cash in on the exploding youth market of the mid-1960s. Paraphernalia employed some of the most innovative designers of the 1960s — Betsey Johnson, Deanna Littell, and Diana Dew. They imported from England the designs of Mary Quant and Foale and Tuffin.
The store was very successful, so they began to franchise. Within three years there were 44 Paraphernalia stores in the US. The chain eventually went public and by the early 1970s it was just another clothing store.
The mid-1960s clothing with labels featuring the name of the designer is very collectible. The bottom label is found on clothing from the 1970s and 1980s, which are not as important.
See also: Youthquake
Written by fuzzylizzie
from a mid/late 1960s dress
Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com
from a late 1960s minidress
Courtesy of emmapeelpants
from a mid/late 1960s hippie princess dress
Courtesy of novafashions
from a 1980s garment
Courtesy of ikonicvintage
