Fashion in the 1950s
Fashion in the 1950s was very influencial and very sophisticated but then as teenagers became more of a scene and more influencial towards the fashion, it turned out to be a huge industry and the demand for it became a huge priority for industries that were producing clothes for the youth. The adults also had an industry, just a bit smaller. Accessories was a huge thing for women, hats, hats, hats and hats was the thing of the 1950s for women and the men were more into movie stars as the fashion was picked from them.
Fashion for the YouthAs the youth began to have more buying power, teenagers especially seeked out the latest fashion when they got their pocket money instead of using it for other things more useful such as food. The teenage fasion industry became huge as "rock 'n' roll" started to sweep the nation and began to rub off on the youth.
One famous rock 'n' roll icon young men especially took eyes to was Elvis Presley with his "bad boy" looks and his cow-lick, young men took to his style with leather jackets, leather boots, white t-shirt and denim. But some young teenagers/boys didn't adopt this style of clothing but instead adopted a British influenced style called the "Teddy Boy" style. Teddy Boy had some assiciation with the Edwardian times and then became associated with rock 'n' roll. Clothing included high-waisted, narrow "drain piped" trousers, long jacket, slim ties and large shiny pointed shoes called winklepickers. |
Mens Fashion in the 1950s
There was a huge age gap between younger and older men in the 1950s as the fashion was completely different to what the younger generation was wearing to what the older generation was wearing. WIth the older generation, they would wear such clothing as plain fabrics in dark colours such as blue, brown and grey. If a man was working, this was a completely different story as they would wear the usual suits to work. Even if they weren't going to work, they would still wear a suit. In the summer time they would wear flannels even if it was hot and had variation to what they were wearing with the little variety they had to wear.
The men's fashion are also influenced by movies such as "Rebel Without a Cause" which was made in 1955and "Wild One" produced in 1953. As the years went by, the "white t-shirt" became some what of a rebellious new look that everyone would follow.
The men's fashion are also influenced by movies such as "Rebel Without a Cause" which was made in 1955and "Wild One" produced in 1953. As the years went by, the "white t-shirt" became some what of a rebellious new look that everyone would follow.
Women's FashionWomen's fashion was more or so similar to the Men's fashion with the influence of Rock N Roll being in full swing. With skirts in all different colours that were popular for dancing and parties and skirts and pants pinched to the waists showing off women's waist and bust especially worn for younger women particularly in their teens. Tight-fitted blouses were also part of the attire in the 1950s tucked into slim-line trousers called "Capri" pants or "pedal pushers". The dress code of the 1950s was more so to do with accessability and flexibility as they wanted to dance the night away while being as comfortable as possible while looking glamorous which made that style popular and even today people dress in that particular style. 1950's style roller blade waitresses wore that exact same attire minus the roller blades. Short ankle socks, scarves tied around their necks and cropped cardigans also the rage in the 1950s.
With the more older women that were sophisticated yet still had their inner child had "goddesses" such as Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly who inspired those tiny waistlines and full skirts and busts. Stilletos were the upcoming shoes of the 1950s being able to be bought in all different colours to match any kind of outfit for that semi-formal look. Movie stars also played a huge roll in the fashion trends of women such as Elvis Presley and Brigitte Bardot. British influences also came along during the time of WWII as that sophisticated, office look became an everday attire for some women wearing brands such as Chanel and Christian Dior but then an American craze swept in and took the spotlight and this made its ground. Suits were more apart of the classy women's look with slim, boxy jackets and slim skirts made for those fancy days out. Hats of all sizes, colour, material and especially ones with flowers on them were popular with women Floral was a new look that just caught the attention of women with bouquets or even single flowers on top of a woven hat that they would wear out to the shops, the races or even on an afternoon tea date with their girlfriends. The pillowbox hat as it was called created by Balenciaga but then made famous by Jackie Kennedy. Those hats would usually have a veil infront of them to add that feeling of suspicion between the man and the woman. Popular hats also included the beret and also different variations of the beret with pompom's on them. The bikini was very revolutionary as it pushed the boundaries of social attire but was a huge success since women still wear them now. It was named after the South Pacific Island of Bikini Atoll where the american's did bomb tests. Thought i would let you know because i found that funny. Decency leagues forced Hollywood to keep them out of their movies but it got so popular that they just had to and replaced clothing with bikinis for actresses such as Brigitte Bardot. They were banned from Miss Universe Contests in 1951 but Brigitte Bardot created a bikini-buying craze after her "And God Created Polka Dot Bikini" stunt in 1957. It then was shown in a lot of famous tv shows and movies such as Barbara Eden in "I Dream of Genie", Shelly Farbares and Barbara Eden in "Ride the Wild Surf", Raquel Welch in "One Million Years B.C", Jayne Mansfield and Natalie Wood. It as well struck a new sexy appeal of apparel which brought "new life" to some people. |
PINK PINK PINKPink was the biggest trend back in the 1950s which was the 'in' colour with cars to vinyl being in pink. It showed a side of a man that steered away from being the "manly man". Elvis Presley inspired this trend with his Cadillac and wasn't afraid to show it off. Shirts, ties, bow ties, sports cars or just about anything men wore was pink because it was such a trend.
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