“You should have visited your chiropodist at least a week ago for a beauty treatment to your feet. And a manicurist for your hands,” wrote Paula the Times of Malta fashion correspondent on the eve of Independence Day in 1964.

She went on to dictate to Maltese women the sort of make-up they should be putting on for the celebrations: “For such an important occasion use silver eye shadow, apart from eyeliner and mascara.”

Oh, and “hair must be in shining folds”. Paula recommended a new hairstyle to do away with the tedious backcombing: “It should be cropped short at the back of the neck with longer hair on the crown, swept back to form soft fronds of hair at the nape.”

But beware, she said: “This hairstyle demands a perfect-shaped head with no flatness at the back of the crown.”

‘Paula’ and other fashion correspondents, wrote week in, week out in the newspapers, giving detailed fashion tips to their readers, including how to use tropical oil of Ulan for a fresh, smooth complexion; pageboy haircuts and beehive up-styles.

Hair spray, hair rollers and heated rollers were all suggested. But most of the time, more homemade versions were taken up.

“I remember ironing my hair. We would put a damp cloth over our long hair and iron it, to straighten it,” Maria Aquilina, now in her 70s, recalls.

Fashion 50 years ago was not quite what it is today. Hairdryers were still not manufactured for consumer use, and clothes outlets were a luxurious commodity. Most had their outfits done at tailors or seamstresses.

What was, however, purchased were undergarments. Cotton underwear was still unthought-of and panties – of the variety which reached right up the waist – were made of nylon, and worn under a nylon lace petticoat. The undergarments were compulsory, even though fabric was not in the least transparent.

“A well-groomed woman of 60s would certainly never go out without a petticoat,” Ms Aquilina said.

Bras were rather pointy – Madonna style; an upgraded version of corsets. In fact, several dresses still came with fitted bodices. Like panties, bras and bodices were made of nylon or acrylic or knitwear.

If you are reading this, please take a moment to thank the universe for the invention Lycra and Spandex – which in 1964 were still in the laboratory, and would hit mass manufacture later on in the decade.

And here’s another aside: in 1964 there were no sanitary towels and no tampons. Women often used a variety of homemade pads which they crafted from various fabrics, leftover cloth scraps.

“It felt rather bulky – not quite unlike wearing a nappy. But because of all the layers of clothing, it was not noticeable,” said Ms Aquilina. The cloth pieces were then most often boiled in huge cauldrons, and recycled.

What did people wear in 1964?

Fashion in Malta still resembled that of the 1950s: conservative, proper. No short skirts. Gloves for evening and social occasions. Gloves and hats for Sunday Mass. Women wore dresses or skirts for all but the most casual activity. Trousers were for sport or play and never worn to school.

However, somewhere round about the time of independence in Malta came the rise of women’s trousers. “Slowly slowly, it became acceptable for women to wear trousers as well. However, my sisters, my friends and I, still viewed them as very masculine,” Ms Aquilina said, who till today only wears trousers for staying home.

For evening parties, full-skirted evening gowns were worn; these often had a low décolletage and close-fitting waists. Stiletto heel shoes were widely popular.

Mary Quant, the British designer, invented the mini-skirt in 1964, but it would take quite a few more years before it reached the islands.

What about men?

In 1964 fashion for men was pretty straightforward. Shirt and shorts until puberty and shirt and trousers once they were past the early teens. Suit and tie was de rigueur for Mass.

There was a slight movement when it came to facial hair. The younger generation had started experimenting with longer sideburns, moustaches and full-grown beards. It paved the way to the hippy 1970s, when fashion in Malta took a totally different twist.