After the end of the Second World War in September 1945, many changes took place in war-torn countries, and the change in the fashion industry is one of them. In this article, we would like to review fashion in the 50s.
A brief transition to the last five years of the 1940s
Fashion historians consider the first years after World War II as a “period of transformation.” In this period, fashion developments continued for a decade and includes the years 1945 to 1955. After that, the important elements of fashion were registered in the 1950s and they still have their durability.
If we want to talk about developments in more detail, we should say that after the end of the difficult period of World War II, many countries were trying to stand up again. The men shed their war uniforms and were glad to be able to wear normal clothes again. Women no longer had to wear their forced labor clothes. A large number of women like to be housewives and wear whatever clothes they like. For this reason, the designers of the fashion industry tried to meet people’s clothing according to the needs of the day. But in the meantime, only two years had passed since the end of World War II, when two important events changed the history of the fashion industry:
1. The design of the history-making New Look collection by Christian Dior
In February 1947, Christian Dior was the first designer to present his new collection at the height of the fabric shortage, creating a major change in the history of the post-World War II fashion industry. The most famous clothes of his collection included a special coat and skirt for women. The model of the coats was in such a way that it was completely tight at the waist, and the skirt that completed the dress, the length of which reached below the knee, was pleated and pleated. Dior named this collection Corolla. (Corolla in French means the petals of a beautiful flower)
It should be noted that in this Dior collection, after several years of fabric rationing, he used a significant amount of luxurious fabrics for his clothes for the first time, which was a bold move and drew the attention of the fashion industry. But on the other hand, many believed that using this amount of fabric in this era is not right and Christian Dior made a big mistake. Even many women were resisting to buy pieces, but finally, with the beginning of the 1950s, this resistance gradually decreased and finally the news-making collection of Dior was able to establish its position in the industry of women’s day and night clothes. This style from Dior was also a leader in the fashion industry for nearly ten years and had many fans.
PS: Since people had to live with food, clothes and clothing rationing for several years, even after the end of the war and the elimination of rationing, they still lived in stress and worry for a long time. The reason for protesting the Christian Dior collection was the same.
2. The wedding dress of Princess Elizabeth (the late Queen of Great Britain)
Despite the fabric rationing after the end of World War II, Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress is also one of the important symbols of evolution in the history of fashion. This dress was designed by court designer Norman Hartnell. The material of the dress was made of Chinese silk, the tail of which was 4 meters long, and star patterns were seen on it. The designer inspired the dress model from the Primavera painting. The dress was decorated with crystals and 10,000 pearls imported from the United States.
A diamond crown was also attached to the dress. In order to prevent fashion houses from copying the dress model, the royal family kept this dress a secret until the wedding day, and just one day before the wedding, the dress was moved to the palace. Since the mentioned cases created the fields of fashion evolution in the 1950s, it was necessary to examine them. Now we can review the fashion of the given decade together.
Review of fashion in the 50s
When we look at the films and photos from the decade, we realize that excitement, innovation and diversity are at the forefront in all dimensions. But the most basic features of fashion in this decade are glamour, femininity and masculinity, comfort and freedom in choice. Also, the fashion of the 50s is so popular that fashion designers are still inspired by its elements. Many factors influenced the trend of the fashion industry in this decade, including the following.
Factors influencing the fashion of the 50s
1. Improving economic conditions
In the 1950s, economic gains increased the amount of consumerism in societies, making it possible for families to live comfortably on just one person’s income, and since other people were tired of living in harsh conditions. They willingly accepted the new trend of their society.
As we said, since women had to work in factories and hard jobs during the war, housekeeping and tending to it had become an ideal for some women at that time. Even in television and magazines, advertisements and programs depicted housewives in a life that we call luxury.
2. The possibility of increasing fabric production
Also, the geographical diversity meant that there were more styles to choose from because the rationing of cloth had ended in many war-torn countries and the unlimited use of cloth was available to clothing designers. In addition, the possibility of producing synthetic fabrics also had an impact on this process.
3. The media
Throughout history, the media is one of the most important factors affecting the fashion industry. In a way, it can even be said that fashion starts from the media. For example, movie stars and modeling agencies introduce the new era of fashion to the public with trendy advertisements. In the 1950s, the media and television created another revolution with their new and diverse advertisements. But for a more detailed explanation, we examine three important things:
1. Cinema
In the 1950s, movies on the screen introduced the fashionable full body to the public with the help of famous actors. For example, clothes, clothes, accessories and even hairstyles were not excluded from this rule.
2. Music
Rock and roll music artists had a great impact on the fashion of the mentioned decade. For example, the Teddy Boy style from the beginning of this decade until the middle of the next decade, when it became fashionable, was derived from the clothing style of rock and roll artists. This style was originally the style of Edwardian fashionistas. Since after the Second World War, Paris was considered as the capital of fashion, by reintroducing this type of clothing, young people wanted to turn the attention of the fashion industry to England, so that fashion would start from England, but this attempt in the early The next decade came to an end. The name Teddy Boy was used in the Edwardian period to refer to members of the army of a land. Hence, the Daily newspaper shortened the name to Teddy on September 23, 1953.
3. Television
In addition to introducing a new lifestyle, TV programs and advertisements depict the ideal conditions of women and men in the society, which was highly regarded. For example, housekeeping was the ideal job for women in the 50’s society and this job was advertised in the most attractive way possible on TV.
Investigating the characteristics of women’s and men’s clothes in the 50s
In the early years of the decade, there was a wide gap between men’s and women’s clothing. That is, the clothes were completely demarcated in terms of gender, and the gender difference was the most important difference between women’s and men’s clothes. But in general, the fashion style in this decade was unique in many ways. For example, colorful clothes were designed and produced in all kinds and there were many options to choose from. In a way, we can say that people celebrated the freedom after the war by wearing different colors.
Of course, this issue can be investigated until the first half of the decade. Because from the beginning of the second half to the last years of the decade, this demarcation gradually became weaker. To the extent that women also started wearing pants. Whereas before that women were not seen wearing pants and this dress was only for men. Even in 1958 to 1960, clothes called genderless clothes appeared and became very popular among people in a short period of time. After the color, the printing of different designs on the fabric was the first word. Horizontal and vertical striped lines, geometric shapes, elements of nature, such as wild flowers, were among the most popular fabrics of the mentioned decade.
Investigating the dimensions of women’s fashion in the 50s
First part: Clothes
1. Dresses and shirts with belts
Since the popular silhouette of the 50s did not have a natural shape and made the waist look narrower, belted dresses were the women’s style of the day. This outfit could be a shirt, a coat and a skirt or a woolen jacket.
2. Types of blazers
Blazers are also an important part of the fashionable style of the 50s. As we said, wearing all kinds of blazers, whether with simple sleeves, sleeveless or short sleeves, which women generally matched with skirts and belts, was a fashionable style.
3. Pencil skirt and pleated skirt
Pairing these types of skirts with Christian Dior silhouettes was an attractive combination for women in the 50s. Of course, the pencil skirt was considered a formal style and most women preferred the combination of slim-waisted jackets with pencil skirts in formal events, but the pleated skirt was also popular.
4. Pants
In contemporary fashion, the wearing of pants by women began during World War II. Women who worked in factories wore pants to make it easier to work. This caused them to discover a new type of freedom and comfort. But since this dress was a reminder of the hard times of war for most women, they were not very willing to wear it in the first half of the 50s. until various types of trousers such as capri trousers were introduced to people in the media and cinema. Women of the 50s considered wearing pants more suitable for informal situations such as going downtown, shopping, or friendly meetings outside the home.
The second part: clothing and accessories
1. Hat and gloves
One of the most popular accessories for women’s formal wear in the 1950s was the hat. Small and minimal hats that created an attractive harmony in combination with the popular Christian Dior collection. These hats often fit the dress model and were mostly available in pastel colors. Similarly, stylish women never left the house without wearing gloves. These gloves were of different types, some of them were very long and reached up to the elbow and were attached to formal dresses. Others were short and placed on the wrist, which was suitable for both daily use and formal occasions.
2. Shoes
High-heeled shoes suitable for formal occasions and even medium and sporty heels were also available for people to wear in the relevant situations. Sports shoes that women wore with short socks called bobbies were more popular among the younger generation and were worn when going for a walk or doing sports.
4. Smoked glasses
As you know, glasses have always been and are complementing the style. Smoked glasses were fashionable in the 1950s in new styles such as cat eyes, which were available in a wide variety of colors.
5. Jewelry and ornaments
The jewelry that we now refer to as classic was more fashionable in the 50s. Jewels that were decorated with diamonds and pearls and the wealthy class of society could afford them. It is interesting to know that in the 50s, the simplest and most delicate types of jewelry were still popular along with the most glamorous ones.
The third part: hair styles and face makeup
The face makeup in the 1950s is considered one of the most symbolic makeups in contemporary history. If we take a closer look, the eyebrows were only slightly adjusted to make their arch more visible. Eye make-up was a little lighter compared to previous decades. The use of multiple layers of mascara and a less dramatic use of eyeliner, while the lines were slanted upwards and close to the eyelid, were the most popular eye makeup in the 50s.
Pastel pink blush was applied to the cheeks and did not extend beyond the tip of the nose to highlight the cheekbones. In general, the purpose of makeup in this decade was to increase the natural beauty of women.
When it came to lipstick, whether it was dark or not was up to one’s choice. But if they wanted to use lipstick like popular stars, they should go for dark colors. Regarding the most prominent feature of hair styles in the 50s, we must say that most of the hair styles were trendy. If someone’s hair was not styled, he would try different ways to style his hair. Also, mostly short hair was in fashion.
Examining women’s trendy clothes in the fashion of the 1950s
1. Combination of woolen jacket + blazer + poodle skirt + oxford shoes
This combination quickly became popular among young women. Obviously, they wore wool when it was cold. In the case of blazers, there was always freedom of choice, but the colors of the clothes had to be harmonious. Poodle skirts were originally a large, loose skirt with a picture of a shaggy dog printed on it. Of course, later other designs were also printed on these skirts. Finally, white or cream ankle socks and oxford shoes completed this popular style.
2. High crotch pants + all kinds of blazers + simple flat shoes
Women chose this combination when attending informal situations such as a friendly meeting or casual gathering or walking. Also, due to the informality of the situation and if the sleeves of their clothes were long, they could roll up the sleeves and have a belt attached to their pants.
3. Gingham shirt + medium heel shoes
This dress is always sewn with printed fabrics from the past, it was like this in the 50s and it was very popular. It was also tight from the upper body to the waist and then it was loose until below the knees.
4. Short pants + types of blazers + flat shoes
This style was introduced by Audrey Hepburn and was popular among young women. The length of the pants reached the middle of the leg and the end of it was folded outwards. Of course, if it is capri, there is no need to fold it anymore. Blazers suitable for this style were short sleeve and open collar blazers. This style was finally completed with a pair of flat shoes of any kind. We can also refer to short and blow-dried hair outwards.
5. Style of housewives
The look of housewives was very popular in the 50s. They usually wore a one-piece dress with a full skirt. The collar part of the dress was clear at the neck line and if their dress had buttons, they usually closed them completely. When they were going to cook or clean, they wore an apron. Finally, they would also collect their hair.
Introducing female fashion icons in the 50s
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn was one of the most influential and popular fashion icons in the history of the fashion industry, whose clothes and style are still discussed today. Most of her outfits, both in public and in her films, had a tremendous impact on the fashion industry. Merlin is a symbol of charm and femininity in 50s fashion.
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn’s doll and natural face along with her elegant, simple and at the same time pleasant style made her become one of the successful fashion icons of her time. She is still admired and praised for her beauty and elegance and is very popular.
Sophia Loren
She was one of the most inspiring fashion icons of the 50s, who was very influential and popular with her special style in choosing clothes, makeup and hair styles.
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly’s classic styles in public and films such as Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” and the combination of this style with natural beauty made her highly noticed. Also, the iconic bag of the Hermes brand, which was designed for Grace, introduced her style to the audience as a fashion icon.
Doris D
He was a famous actor and singer of the 50’s who was noticed by the fashion industry and people with his informal clothes in movies and fashion magazines and became popular.
Elizabeth Taylor
The popular purple-eyed actor, who started his artistic activity since childhood, showed a new face by playing adult roles in the 50s, and became popular with his clothes, hair, and especially the color of his eyes, which had pigments close to purple.
Investigating the dimensions of men’s fashion in the 1950s
First part: clothes
1. Coat and pants
As we discussed about women’s fashion, men’s fashion was accompanied by many changes at the beginning of the 50s. Although the men had also become liberal in wearing clothes, they still wore simple clothes. For example, they could wear different types of jackets and pants in different colors and in different situations. But they usually did not wear formal suits when they were not at work. Most of them preferred to wear the jackets and pants that were common during the war. But this did not last long because the combination of jacket and pants and shirt with vest gradually lost its popularity. Also, the Zoot suit went out of fashion.
2. Casual jacket and pants
In this decade, men mostly turned to casual jackets and pants. For example, there was a style of suit that men wore for informal occasions that was slightly different from formal suits. These dresses were called Ivy League. They were larger and looser in size and were paired with pants that were not pleated.
3. Casual clothes
Other informal clothes included velvet pants, button-down shirts in mustard, light blue, tan, emerald green, and wine colors. Also, men’s clothes with large and small checkered prints in different colors, horizontal and vertical striped prints were available. We can also mention the following about this range of clothes:
Bowling shirt: This style of shirt, which was available in different colors and styles, became very popular among the younger generation in the 50s.
– Polo shirts: Men wore these clothes in all seasons of the year, they chose light cotton and linen for warm seasons and often rolled up their sleeves. They also don’t close the buttons all the way.
Greaser T-shirt: This style of t-shirt is also popular in today’s society. T-shirts whose collar is in the shape of a Persian number and an English letter. In the 50s, men paired these t-shirts with jeans and tight fabric pants.
4. Types of pants
Common trousers in 50s fashion were available in every color and material. The purpose of wearing pants was to create a contrasting style, which means that most men paired straight fabric pants with sports jackets. Also, the purpose of some men to wear contrasting clothes was that they didn’t want to match the components of their clothes in informal situations. These pants were usually made of gabardine, artificial silk, cotton and wool.
The jeans worn by men in the 50s were inspired by Elvis Presley, the popular rock and roll singer of the time. He rolled up his pants and so did his fans. It should be noted that this choice was common among men who wanted to protest the formal style in order to wear whatever they liked.
The second part: clothes and accessories
1. Shoes
Oxford shoes were also available for men. These shoes were popular among men because they were matched with any outfit. Among other popular shoes, we can also mention sneakers.
2. Hat
In the 1950s, men wore hats when they went to work or when they wanted to do business. Also, they used to match all kinds of hats with their fancy clothes in the summer season.
Three very popular types of hats in the 1950s were the Panama hat, the bucket hat, and the hiking hat with a slanted brim. At the end of the decade, a thin strip of leather or felt was sewn on some hats.
3. Accessory
About the accessoryMen used ties, bow ties, glasses, wrist and pocket watches. The model accessories were also very simple.
The third part: hair styles
Elvis Presley’s hairstyles were one of the most popular hairstyles in the mentioned decade. Her hair was normally very thick and voluminous and most of the time she styled a section of her hair with gel to the left or right side. Also, from time to time, she would throw a piece of her hair on her forehead. Of course, still in a stately way and smeared with gel. This type of hairstyle was very popular among men and young people of Elvis Presley’s age. And for this reason, men kept their hair somewhat long in the 50s. The front part of their hair is usually combed either to the sides or upwards to be fashionable. Also, they were not interested in beards and stubble and always trimmed their facial hair.
Review of men’s trendy clothes in the fashion of the 1950s
1. Colored shirt + pants + sport coat
This style was a trend in the early 50’s and usually men chose a neutral color on one end of the clothes and a color on the other to create a balance in the color of the clothes. For example, the color of the pants was always neutral, and the shirt was worn in bright colors. The color of the coat was also neutral.
2. Hawaiian shirt + shorts
One of the most casual styles of the trend in the 50s was the combination of a Hawaiian shirt with shorts that reached the knees. They could wear flat shoes with this combination or choose a pair of simple sandals.
3. Bowling shirt + pants
Although men initially paired bowling shirts with simple pants, over time, the desire for casual styles made men pair bowling shirts with printed pants as well. Although these components were completely opposite to each other, it still gained popularity.
4. Rockabilly style
It was a very popular music movement, but when the fashion industry got involved, the popularity of the movement increased. Rockabilly style outfits include a white button-down shirt, baggy black pants, a tuxedo-style jacket in bright colors, and finally, shiny oxford shoes with a pair of fashionable sunglasses to complete the look.
Introducing the fashion icons of men in the 50s
Elvis Presley
He was one of the most influential artists of rock and roll music and his albums were world record sellers for many years, so he was very popular and in addition to his music, he was also highly regarded. In simpler words, Elvis Presley was a fashion icon and his style had a great influence on men’s clothing in the 1950s.
Marlon Brando
He was definitely one of the leading artists of cinema. When his films were released in the mid-50s, his clothes and styles had many changes on the fashion industry and fashion designers. For example, her style in the movie “Darberaz” made genderless fashion fields appear. Also, the combination of underwear with his underwear created a new direction in men’s clothing.
James Dean
It was James Dean’s casual and simple style that, along with his remarkable acting, made him famous as a fashion icon in the mid-50s. A pair of skinny jeans with a simple t-shirt or a checkered shirt with a leather zippered jacket made James Dean stand out.
The best fashion designers in the 50s
1. Christian Dior
He was a clothing designer and the founder of the famous Christian Dior brand, whose history-making collection we talked about at the beginning of the article
2. Herbert de Givenchy
He was the designer and founder of the famous Givenchy brand. The clothes that Givenchy designed in the mentioned decade were neither too tight nor too loose. But nevertheless they were structured and popular. He designed clothes that people could pair with whatever pieces they liked, regardless of the match. He was also the designer of Audrey Hepburn’s clothes.
3. Balenciaga
Cristobal Balenciaga was a Spanish fashion designer who resided in Paris. One of his most important actions was the design of slash and loose clothes, which were presented in protest against tight styles and irregular silhouettes. In 1953, he designed and introduced a coat called the balloon coat, which was very popular.
4. Hardy Amiz
At first, he was just a tailor, after completing tailoring courses, he designed Queen Elizabeth’s clothes for her appearance in Canada in 1950. He also opened a fashion salon for those who were interested in his designs.
5. Norman Hantel
The designer of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress that we talked about at the beginning of the article. As a court costume designer for several years, he designed important costumes and routinely drew inspiration from museums.
6. William Bill Travilla
He was the designer of Marilyn Monroe’s most talked-about clothes and her personal clothing line. Travila’s style was creating hand pleats in fabrics. He did this skillfully and beautifully. Some of the clothes he designed for Marilyn Monroe are still the leaders of the 1950s fashion industry.
final word
Examining fashion in the 1950s is very important in the sense that it is a new beginning for the fashion industry after World War II. In this article, we tried to examine the most detailed aspects related to the fashion of the mentioned decade. Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section.
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