Fashion Tide of the 1950S
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FASHION TIDE OF THE 1950S “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different” Coco Chanel Brand of 1950s Fashion Chanel Dior Balenciaga Givenchy Men’s Fashion In The Nineteen Fifties Hats Suit Leisure wear Preppy Clothing Counter Culture Image Source 02 Content 03 Brand of 1950s 04 Items of 1950s 06 Man Fashion 10 Why Audrey Hep- burn’s Timeless Style Still Influ- Content ences What We “from the comparatively early days of the ‘New Look,’ when the square shoulders and masculine details of the 1940s still lingered, through Wear Today the ultra-feminine and luxurious styles of the mid-1950s – clothes with gently softened shoulderlines, tiny corseted waists, roundly padded hips and long, swirling skirts only eleven inches above the ground”. 23 1950s Fashion Icons & Moments 30 1950s Era Cultural Studies 35 Lifestyles And Social Trends 43 Fashion Is Not What You Think 2 3 Actually unveiled in 1947, but without doubt the defining sil- Like Dior, houette of the decade ahead, Balenciaga’s Dior’s New Look redefined wom- influence on en’s wardrobes in the 1950s. the 1950s silhouette is now leg- endary. Chanel Givenchy Balenciaga Coco Chanel was already making big waves in the 1920s and 1930s Dior fashion industry before the war, but she had another major trick Actually unveiled in 1947, but up her (stylish) sleeves when it without doubt the defining sil- came to the 1950s. houette of the decade ahead, Source: https://www.marieclaire. Dior’s New Look redefined wom- co.uk/fashion/1950s-fashion- en’s wardrobes in the 1950s. icons-fifties-style-moments-in- pictures-81397 4 5 1. 50s Rockabilly Fashion 2. 50s Pin Up Fashion 3. 50s Accessories 4. 50s Greaser Fashion 5. 50s Fashion Icons 6. 50s Hair and Makeup 7. 50s Dresses 8. 50s Poodle Skirts 9. 50s Pencil Skirts 10. 50s Sweaters/Cardigans Fashion in the 1950s was exciting and diverse. There were new colors, 11. 50s Shoes fresh silhouettes, and different style options for different personalities. Today, the iconic decade is still heavily referenced in the fashion world. It is especially beloved for its chic retro style and playful looks, including those of the pin-up and rockabilly subcultures. Key designs for the decade included dresses with cinched waists, pencil skirts, poodle skirts, gingham and polka dot garments, cropped sweaters and cardigans, and much more. The key shape for the decade was a feminine, exaggerated hour- glass silhouette. Additionally, as this decade saw the birth of the teenage culture, a distinction between youth fashion and more mature styles also developed. Source: https://www.revivalvintage. co.uk/blog/post/guide-to-vintage- 1950s/ 6 7 4 There were two countercul- PREPPY ture movements during this Men’s Fashion In The era that had a notable influ- ence on men’s fashion: the CLOTHING beatniks and the greasers. Nineteen Fifties 2 These looks, however, were SUIT The 1950s were a fairly pros- The preppy clothing look was very much counterculture Men’s clothing during perous era, which allowed popular with younger men. looks that were not typical of the 1950s was generally Men’s suits during the 1950s were for leisure time, which This youthful, more casual the time. very conservative and very clean and simple. The shoul- necessitated leisure wear. look was typified by cardigans, fairly traditional, with a ders were not as wide as they Because all things Western sport coats and letterman The beatnik movement, few exceptions. The Cold were in the Forties, but there were popular during this jackets, which were proudly which originated in New War and McCarthyism was still some fullness in the era, many leisure shirts were worn by student athletes. York’s West Village, was encouraged traditional pant legs. Suits were generally cowboy-inspired. Hawaiian Young men of this era occa- inspired by the French artists American values and drab, traditional colors like black, print shirts were popular due sionally omitted ties and wore and intellectuals, and was dampened countercul- brown and gray, and they were to the nation’s fascination their collars open. typified by predominantly ture movements and constructed from traditional with the culture of its newest black clothing, slim trousers self-expression. This fabrics like wool and flannel. Ties state. Loafers became the and sweaters. cultural shift caused were simple and thin. Men during leisure shoe of choice. Polo men to conform both this era were expected to wear a shirts also became increas- The greasers, or stereotypi- politically and sartori- suit most of the time, especially ingly popular. Jeans, however, 5 COUNTER ally. This was especially if they worked in an office, had were still considered an item cal “bad boys” of the true of the beginning of a social engagement or simply of clothing only appropriate times, wore white or black the era, but as the 1960s wanted to put their best foot for outdoor work. Slacks, CULTURE t-shirts, work shirts, jeans, approached, clothing forward. Of course, no man in instead, were the leisure pant leather jackets and slicked- styles slowly became a suit was completely dressed of choice. Collared shirts back hair. less rigid and somewhat unless he was wearing a hat. were the norm, even for more expressive. In sum, leisure wear; t-shirts were still this era in men’s fash- considered an undergarment ion is typified by plain not fit to be worn in public. colors, simple lines, clas- sic suits, hats, preppy clothing, leisurewear 3 and a small but notable LEISURE counterculture influ- ence by the beatniks. WEAR 1 HATS Men of this era wore hats. Typically, men wore fedoras, derby hats or some variation, but a man’s outfit was not considered complete without one, especially in formal or business dress. Source: https://oureverydaylife.com/mens-fashion-in-the- 1890s-12485051.html 8 9 Though she was already an Oscar Why Audrey winner and a muse to Givenchy, Hepburn had a down-to-earth fashion sense in her daily life that Hepburn’s Time- was still quite unusual at that time. In the Fifties, women rarely left the house without a low heel less Style Still on, and more often than not would be wearing a full skirted Influences What dress with stockings. But in Rome, where Hepburn lived for more than 20 years, she was rarely seen We Wear Today out of her ubiquitous ballet flats, which she infinitely preferred to The release of a new documentary reminds us heels, and her colourful gingham all of the impact she had on modern style or navy cropped trousers, which she wore with oversized jumpers or shirts. Her poise, her understated elegance, her beau- tifully clothed characters running through the In fact many of the staples we streets of Rome and Paris, and her enduring wear today - the ones that are relationship with Hubert de Givenchy are a few that wonderful mix of comfort of the many reasons why Hepburn became the Coan’s documentary was produced by the same and style - were pioneered by emblem of 20th century fashion. But there is also team that made McQueen – that fascinating dive Hepburn. Her simple pale-pink an indefinable quality about her – something in into Lee McQueen’s life – and so it should come as no wedding dress from her second the way she looks and dresses that draws people surprise that clothes feature heavily in Audrey. Partly marriage was a precursor to the of all ages to her. because it is nigh on impossible to chart Hepburn’s one Lily Allen wore to wed David life without touching upon the enormous impact Harbour in Las Vegas. It is this essence of her that 26-year-old London- she had on fashion, and the way her style would later based director Helena Coan has tried to capture became emblematic of an entire era. Hepburn’s love of black polo necks in Audrey – a documentary released on Monday has been regularly copied over the on Amazon and iTunes. In it, she follows the The problem with icons is that after a while we stop years – although none of us can behind-the-scenes story of Hepburn, the twice seeing them clearly. Hepburn’s images have become quite emulate the way she looked divorced, professionally restless woman so often so ubiquitous, that I am not alone in being almost in Funny Face when her character trying to escape from the voracious demands of numb to them. Whether it is a little black dress in transforms from studious librarian her own fame. Breakfast at Tiffany’s or a little white dress in Sabrina, to fashion icon by wearing a black I knew her most famous outfits so well that I have polo neck, black trousers and The documentary itself strikes a sad note at many stopped appreciating just how beautiful they were. black penny loafers out to dinner points in a journey that spans the major events Which is why it took this documentary to remind in the French capital. of the 20th century from the Second World War me of her immaculately tailored clothes – and how in Holland – where Hepburn grew up as the child quietly revolutionary they must have been. Source: https://www.tele- of divorced Dutch aristocrats and volunteered graph.co.uk/fashion/people/ for the Resistance – to her heyday as one of the audrey-hepburns-timeless-style- screen’s most recognisable icons, and her later still-influences-wear-today/ work with Unicef in the 1980s. 10 11 Fashion Film Girl Should Watch Fashion and film have always gone hand in hand, whether it’s a designer taking inspiration from a movie’s wardrobe or a leading lady sporting the latest couture.