1950's Fashion

Top Left Photograph:

unknown, _Grandmother and Friends_, photograph, 1951, Greta Kenney Collection, Tucker, Georgia.

 

Top Right Photograph:

unknown, _Grandmother and Grandfather_, photograph, 1951, Greta Kenney Collection, Tucker, Georgia.

 

Bottom Left Photograph:

unknown, _Girl with Bike_, photograph, Greta Kenney Collection, Tucker, Georgia.

 

Middle Photograph:

unknown, _Grandmother and Friends in Bathsuits_, photograph, 1954, Greta Kenney Collection, Tucker, Georgia.

 

Bottom Middle Photograph:

unknown, _Girls Outside of House_, photograph, 1956, Greta Kenney Collection, Tucker, Georgia.

 

Bottom Right Photograph:

unknown, _Girls Day Out_, photograph, Greta Kenney Collection, Tucker Georgia.

 

 

The 1950’s woman could be described by using one word: perfection. Women in the 1950’s were expected to keep a flawless appearance while maintaining a home and a job. Fashion was very prominent and Paris became one of the largest fashion capitals during this time. World War II was over, and women began to become homemakers, although they did not altogether desert their new strength in the workforce. Women began to have a much more influential role in society. The ideal woman of the 1950’s would wear a beautiful dress, high heels, red lipstick, perfectly combed hair, and a smile on her face as she worked, cleaned, and cooked for her husband. It was a common trend for women to match their lipstick color to the color of their nail polish. A new trend in make-up was to wear harsh black eyeliner paired with a very light, pale lip-gloss. Pearls were a common jewelry choice. Women started to embrace their curves, rather than adopt a straight boyish figure that was common in the 1940’s. Family was the focus of the 1950’s, and the housewife became a major symbol in the media because of their consuming power. New technologies that were developed during the war benefitted the consumer and the level of the comfort of living was increased. Another new ideal that greatly influenced the market place was the invention of the teenager. The teenagers of the 1950’s did not follow the trends of their parents and the Paris fashion craze, rather they wore skirts and nice cardigans or if they were daring, oversized sweaters with tight black pants and flats. Rock and Roll influenced the use of leather pants and jackets for men. This was the first time in history that teenagers were defined as consumers and therefore the marketplace began to tailor products specifically for teens. Hairstyles changed frequently. Women began to visit hairstylists more often, although home dye kits were still very popular and hair color that only lasted for a day or week was invented. The hairstyles of famous movie stars such as Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn, and Marilyn Monroe created new trends in hair that were copied by women all over the world. The strapless bra became incredibly popular in the 50’s due to the ability of women to wear strapless dresses. Long petticoats were also very popular. Swim wear was another trend of the 1950’s and was displayed in the media, the beach, and in magazines. Even though the bikini was invented in the 1940’s, its popularity grew immensely in the 1950’s.

 

 

Brookes, Rosetta, and Teal Triggs. Chic Thrills. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1992.

 

Clancy, Deirdre. Costume Since 1945- Couture, Street Style, and Anti-Fashion. New York: Drama Publishers, 1996.

 

Keyes, Jean. A History of Women's Hairstyles 1500-1965. London: Methuen and Co. Ltd, 1968.

 

Mulvey, Kate. Decades of Beauty. New York: Reed Consumer Books Limited, 1998.

 

Winick, Charles. "The Beige Epoch: Depolarization of Sex Roles in America." Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (1968): 1-7. JSTOR. [Database Online.]

 

 

For more information on fashion, as well as culture of the 1950's, go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950's#Fashion

 

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