consisting of: jeans, boots, and leather jackets.
and trends of the decade being featured. “What
“Preppie” clothes were another style of the times,
They Wore” also gives a brief discussion of the
as were pinafore dresses, tight pants with ballet
prominent designers of the decade. Understand-
shoes, “wicker picker” shoes, Italian jackets, and
ing what designers silhouettes and designs were
even florescent socks.
s t y l e s a n d
who are influenced by fashion, to be able to fully grasp the history of fashion in the past, and how it continues to affect our present and future. Women’s fashion in the 1950s was quite unlike that of the styles worn during the decade
Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent were two of the major designers that truly emerged during the 1950s. Christian Dior is considered to be one of the most influential post-war decade designers. Dior created several, very feminine, looks in the 50s. One look included the two
prior. The silhouettes of the 1940s were boxy and -pieced outfit which consisted of an a-line, or penstiff, which was in large part due to World War II. cil skirt, and a fitted jacket. Corsets and bodices In the 50s, the silhouettes emphasized the female
were elements of Diors designs, as well as the use
body and it did so with a since of fragility. Styles
of hip pads. Because some of Dior’s looks consist-
during this time included: soft shoulders, stiletto
ed of a great amount of fabric yardage, there was a
f a s h i o n
full, billowing skirts, and wrist-length gloves.
6 0 s
heels, pencil-slim skits, hats with embellishments, large number of people who felt opposed to his
penny loafer was the shoe of choice for the fash-
a n d
t r e n d s
and girls could be found wearing similar outfits
section of the issue devoted to the fashion styles
influential during each decade helps us, as people
time, and most men kept their hair short and neat, passed away in 1957, Laurent became successor of
1 9 5 0 s
What They Wore
In each edition of Evolution we have a
Men’s fashion of the 1950s can be described as “clean cut and conservative”. The gray flannel suit was a staple in the closets of men in the 50s and became an archetype for the decade. The
designs, due to the rising rate of post-war poverty. Christian Dior will also be remembered for the great amount of pieces he contributed to the world of haut couture. Yves St. Laurent started his career working under Dior, a large part of which was spent
ionable man. Hats became less popular during this creating pieces for the Spindle Line. When Dior in order to keep up the look of the “conservative
the Dior fashion house. While creating the first
gentleman”.
line, Laurent developed one of his signature piec-
Teenagers began to be targeted by designers for the first time. The main reason for this marketing shift was due to the rising number of teenagers that were purchasing their own clothing. Designers created new fashions and styles for the teenage group, most of which were not exactly accepted by society and were actually considered to be quite radical for the time. Both teenage boys
es, the grey wool boucle coat dress. It is believed that the passing of Dior greatly affected Laurent’s designs, and it wasn’t until the 1960s that the designer regained popularity within the fashion world and the public. By: Jessica Myers