Fashion+of+the+Fifties+Period+One

=Fashion of the 1950s by Lauren=

Fashion for Women
In the 1950s fashions were changing rapidly especially for women. Hemlines on skirts were raised several inches which eventually led to the mini skirt in the 1960s. The normal wedding dress for the 1950s women had the "princess for a day look" or a long white dress with a tiara. Tiaras were not uncommon during this time and would be seen regularly on the heads of women and teenagers at dances and important events. It wasn't just tiaras that gave outfits a regal feel. White gloves were worn with pearls at the end used as buttons. This was inspired by the coronation of Queen Elizabeth the Second in 1953.

Evening gowns were romantic and strapless dresses were acceptable. Clothing was made of rich materials such as satin, chiffon and taffeta. Colors varied but pastels and bright colors were big hits. Suits were not only for men but for woman too, for cocktail hours woman opted for velvet suits. Suits were also used for the working woman. Pinstriped and plaid suits that had a modern fit were considered chic. Suits as well came in different color choices. If you didn't favor suits for work there was always blouses and tweed skirts. Fur coats made a come-back after 20 years since they had not been popular since the 1930s. Fur was dyed in bright colors and came in various animal prints (These furs were mostly fake of course).

Every day outfits for the house wife were not pants and sweaters but feminine dress and spike heels. If one found her self cleaning or cooking a meal, women just simply put on an apron with hearts and patterns on it. Dior and Prada were extremely popular as was French fashion as an influence for American fashion. Bobby Sockers was the stereotypical fashion choice of teenage girls in the 1950's. The normal outfit was jeans rolled up and white tube socks and a men's shirt with their hair in a pony tail. Normally these girls wore poodle skirts as well.

Women's hair was short and wavy usually permed slightly. Younger girls chose to wear their hair in pony tails with scrunchies. (These were usually of course bobby sockers and poodle skirt girls). Some women actually had some what shorter hair then most like Audrey Hepburn whose brown hair was considerable short but very girly all the same.

This picture is of a 1950s bride, see how romantic the look is?

Extra Focus: 1950s Fashion Icons
During the 1950s there were many people that inspired the fashion world with their sense of style. Most of these women happened to be actresses or perhaps singers. Actresses such as Audrey Hepburn who when she starred in the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" made "the little black dress" that Holly Golightly wore a fashion hit. Marilyn Monroe another famous actress made extremely blonde hair a hit since she had platinum blonde hair herself. Grace Kelley, yet another famous actress, was a huge style icon. The cool blonde had an air of sophistication and in 1956 she married the Prince of Monaco, yet another reason for the regal feel for clothes in the 1950s.

Fashion for Men
Men's fashion was some what similar to the 1940s but there were some striking differences. Some teenage boys wore the "Rebel Without a Cause" look. Inspired by the movie starring Marlon Brando called none other than "Rebel Without a Cause". This look featured leather jackets, jeans and tee-shirts. Films that also inspired this look were "Wild One" starring James Dean. This is the stereotypical 1950s high school look in movies today along with of course the extremely preppy jock that was normally paired with the bobby sockers.

Besides this slightly "Grease" look for teen agers, older men liked suits better. Like women's suits men's suits had a lot to choose from for colors and fabric. Tweeds and plaids for patterns and browns and blacks with maybe once and a while navy were popular. Hats were almost always worn with outfits. Slim ties and suits for formal occasions were also fashionable. Camel hair over coats were used to keep warm in cold weather. For vacations men usually wore baggy tee shirts with bright patterns and colors along with baggy tan slacks. These Hawaiian shirts were inspired by Hawaii joining the Union in the 1950s. The 1950s was all about glamor but it also introduced a new sense of casual style for people.

From the 1940s to the 1950s clothing went from formal to informal, mens styles were flexible and able to go from work to a fancy event quite easily. Rock Hudson sported this look in a lot of his movies and was a popular male fashion icon. The polo shirt and the cardigan sweater were huge hits together giving each a sense of still formal but casual attire. The wool jacket with the hankie was quite huge, leaving the collar of the shirt unbuttoned gave this look a sophisticated casual look too, what most men in the 1950s were aiming for. Hair was usually slicked back but not so much as to look up tight, just enough to look put together.

Importance of My Topic
My topic is important because if you know the fashion of the past you can tell what the fashion of the future is going to be. The 1950s paved the way for not only a more casual style but shorter skirts. Dresses could be strapless and not scandalous. More women were entering the work force and there for the working women's outfit was born as well.

Sources:
Baker, Patricia. Fashion of a Decade: the 1950s. Facts on File, 1991.

"Fashion of the 1950s." 5 Feb. 2007 <[|http://www.worldbookonline.com.ezproxy.cooklib.org:2048/wb/media?id=bt151155&st=1950=fashion>.]

"Biography." 1997. 13 Feb. 2007 <[|http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/studio/8255/biograph.html>.]

Porter, Amanda. "Planning Your Vintage Wedding - Part 1." __Planning Your Vintage Wedding__. 13 Feb. 2007 <[|http://www.return2style.de/duesenberg/artikel/50s.jpg>.]

Passalaqua, Carolyn. "1950's Men's Clothing." __Boomer's Fifties Teen Idol Magazine__. 1999. 13 Feb. 2007 <[|http://home.att.net/~movie.stars.1950/1950s_mens_clothing.html>.]

"1950s." __1950s__. 13 Feb. 2007 <[|http://www.lphouse.com/hairstyles-1950s.htm>.]

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