Another week has passed, and here arrives another throwback Thursday – the day of the week that social media has designated to unapologetic nostalgic reflection, and the day we all relish taking part in. On this particular Thursday I am musing over the past fashion choices of The Ronettes – the sensational pop trio that comprised of the sisters Ronnie Spector (née Bennett) and Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley.
Image: Giles Petard/Getty Images
Finding their musical success at the start of the swinging 60s, The Ronettes fully embraced the decade’s birth of the mini-skirt, and always paired their ever-ascending hemlines with heavy winged-eyeliner. Their gravity-defying barnets were a huge influence on making the beehive popular at the time, and immortalising it as the most iconic hairstyle of the 1960s.
The Ronettes in 1964 posing for some photos in California. Images: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images.
The most impressive thing about The Ronettes’ style is that they somehow managed to make matching squad outfits look extremely cool, and not like the naff get-ups parents sadistically co-ordinate their children in. Despite being a family band, they managed to avoid a Von Trapp-like twee-ness through asserting their individuality whilst maintaining an over-arching style. Their success lay in the subtle differences between the flicks of their eyeliner, and the alternating arrangements of their fringes that sat below their uniform bee-hives.
Images: (left) RB/Getty Images, (right) Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The Ronettes are mostly known for their hit Be My Baby, but I suggest that if you don’t already know their music, you should also check out their equally brilliant song Too Young (which is incidentally covered in the soundtrack to the 1990 cult musical Cry Baby starring a young and beautiful Johnny Depp, another thing you must check out if you haven’t already)!
Image: Ray Avery/Getty Images
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