Retro Fashion: Tide of The 1950s by kerina jiang

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

Content

“from the comparatively early days of the ‘New Look,’ when the square shoulders and masculine details of the 1940s still lingered, through 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”.

02 Content 03 Brand of 1950s 04 Items of 1950s 06 Man Fashion 10 Why Audrey Hepburn’s Timeless Style Still Influences What We Wear Today 23 1950s Fashion Icons & Moments 30 1950s Era Cultural Studies 35 Lifestyles And Social Trends 43 Fashion Is Not What You Think

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Chanel

Coco Ch a nel was already mak ing b i g waves in the 1920s and 1930s fa s h i on i ndustr y befo re the wa r , b ut s h e h ad ano ther majo r tri ck up h er ( s t ylish) sleeves when i t ca m e to t he 1950 s. Sour ce: h t tps://www.marieclair e . co. uk/ fa shio n/1950 s-fashio ni con s- fi f t i e s-style-mo ments-in p i c t ur es- 81397

Dior

L i ke Di or , Ba len c i a g a’s i nf luen ce o n t h e 1 95 0s s i lh ouet te i s now legen da r y.

B a l enci ag a

Givenchy

Fashion in the 1950s was exciting and diverse. There were new colors, fresh silhouettes, and different style options for different personalities. Today , t h e ico nic decade is sti l l heav i ly referenced in the fashion world. It i s especially beloved for it s ch i c retro style and playf ul l ooks, i n c l uding tho se of the p in- up an d r ocka billy subcultures. K ey des i g n s for the decade include d dr ess es w ith cinched waists, pe ncil ski r t s , p oodle skirts, gingham an d p olka do t garments, cro pp e d swea ter s and cardigans, and m uch mor e. Th e key shape fo r the de cad e wa s a fem inine, exaggerated h ourgla s s si lh o uette. Additio nally, as th i s deca de saw the birth of th e teena g e c ulture, a distinctio n bet ween yo uth fashio n and mor e ma t ur e s t yles also develo ped. S ou rce: h ttps://www.revivalvin t age . co. uk/ blog/po st/guide-to -vintage 1950s/

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 11. 50s Shoes

Men’s Fashion In The Nineteen Fifties Men’s clothing during the 1950s was generally very conservative and fairly traditional, with a few exceptions. The Cold War and McCarthyism encouraged traditional American values and dampened counterculture movements and self-expression. This cultural shift caused men to conform both politically and sartorially. This was especially true of the beginning of the era, but as the 1960s approached, clothing styles slowly became less rigid and somewhat more expressive. In sum, this era in men’s fashion is typified by plain colors, simple lines, classic suits, hats, preppy clothing, leisurewear and a small but notable counterculture influence by the beatniks.

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-the1890s-12485051.html

SUIT

Men’s suits during the 1950s were very clean and simple. The shoulders were not as wide as they were in the Forties, but there was still some fullness in the pant legs. Suits were generally drab, traditional colors like black, brown and gray, and they were constructed from traditional fabrics like wool and flannel. Ties were simple and thin. Men during this era were expected to wear a suit most of the time, especially if they worked in an office, had a social engagement or simply wanted to put their best foot forward. Of course, no man in a suit was completely dressed unless he was wearing a hat.

The 1950s were a fairly prosperous era, which allowed for leisure time, which necessitated leisure wear. Because all things Western were popular during this era, many leisure shirts were cowboy-inspired. Hawaiian print shirts were popular due to the nation’s fascination with the culture of its newest state. Loafers became the leisure shoe of choice. Polo shirts also became increasingly popular. Jeans, however, were still considered an item of clothing only appropriate for outdoor work. Slacks, instead, were the leisure pant of choice. Collared shirts were the norm, even for leisure wear; t-shirts were still considered an undergarment not fit to be worn in public.

PREPPY CLOTHING

The preppy clothing look was popular with younger men. This youthful, more casual look was typified by cardigans, sport coats and letterman jackets, which were proudly worn by student athletes. Young men of this era occasionally omitted ties and wore their collars open.

COUNTER CULTURE

There were two counterculture movements during this era that had a notable influence on men’s fashion: the beatniks and the greasers. These looks, however, were very much counterculture looks that were not typical of the time. The beatnik movement, which originated in New York’s West Village, was inspired by the French artists and intellectuals, and was typified by predominantly black clothing, slim trousers and sweaters. The greasers, or stereotypi-

“bad boys”

cal of the times, wore white or black t-shirts, work shirts, jeans, leather jackets and slickedback hair.

LEISURE WEAR

Why Audrey Hepburn’s Timeless Style Still Influences What We Wear Today The release of a new documentary reminds us all of the impact she had on modern style Her poise, her understated elegance, her beautifully clothed characters running through the streets of Rome and Paris, and her enduring relationship with Hubert de Givenchy are a few of the many reasons why Hepburn became the emblem of 20th century fashion. But there is also an indefinable quality about her – something in the way she looks and dresses that draws people of all ages to her. It is this essence of her that 26-year-old Londonbased director Helena Coan has tried to capture in Audrey – a documentary released on Monday on Amazon and iTunes. In it, she follows the behind-the-scenes story of Hepburn, the twice divorced, professionally restless woman so often trying to escape from the voracious demands of her own fame. The documentary itself strikes a sad note at many points in a journey that spans the major events of the 20th century from the Second World War in Holland – where Hepburn grew up as the child of divorced Dutch aristocrats and volunteered for the Resistance – to her heyday as one of the screen’s most recognisable icons, and her later work with Unicef in the 1980s.

Coan’s documentary was produced by the same team that made McQueen – that fascinating dive into Lee McQueen’s life – and so it should come as no surprise that clothes feature heavily in Audrey. Partly because it is nigh on impossible to chart Hepburn’s life without touching upon the enormous impact she had on fashion, and the way her style would later became emblematic of an entire era. The problem with icons is that after a while we stop seeing them clearly. Hepburn’s images have become so ubiquitous, that I am not alone in being almost numb to them. Whether it is a little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or a little white dress in Sabrina, I knew her most famous outfits so well that I have stopped appreciating just how beautiful they were. Which is why it took this documentary to remind me of her immaculately tailored clothes – and how quietly revolutionary they must have been.

Though she was already an Oscar winner and a muse to Givenchy, Hepburn had a down-to-earth fashion sense in her daily life that was still quite unusual at that time. In the Fifties, women rarely left the house without a low heel on, and more often than not would be wearing a full skirted dress with stockings. But in Rome, where Hepburn lived for more than 20 years, she was rarely seen out of her ubiquitous ballet flats, which she infinitely preferred to heels, and her colourful gingham or navy cropped trousers, which she wore with oversized jumpers or shirts. In fact many of the staples we wear today - the ones that are that wonderful mix of comfort and style - were pioneered by Hepburn. Her simple pale-pink wedding dress from her second marriage was a precursor to the one Lily Allen wore to wed David Harbour in Las Vegas. Hepburn’s love of black polo necks has been regularly copied over the years – although none of us can quite emulate the way she looked in Funny Face when her character transforms from studious librarian to fashion icon by wearing a black polo neck, black trousers and black penny loafers out to dinner in the French capital. Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/ audrey-hepburns-timeless-stylestill-influences-wear-today/

Fa sh io n Fil m G i r l S h o u ld W a t ch

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. We’re rounding up the most important movies by decade—from the 1950s to today—that every fashion lover should see. From Audrey to Grace to Marilyn, these are the leading ladies and films that helped define the fashion of the ‘50s. Source: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a5379/fashion-films-from-the-1950s/

1950

All About Eve 12

1953 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

1954 Sabrina

1955 Rebel Without A Cause

1956

1957 Funny Face

And God Created Woman

Christian Dior “ The New Look ”

Christian Dior is one of the most important couturiers of the 20th century 1. How Did Christian Dior revolutionize fashion in the 1950s? 1950s Ball Gown DressesAfter adopting utilitarian clothing and implementing austerity policies during the war, perhaps nothing is more novel than Dior’s vision. His first series rejected the modern dressing process established in the 1920s and 1930s, which was designed to free women from the restrictive sculptures and corsets of the early 20th century. Instead, he showed a very feminine image, which was achieved by a tight jacket with padded hips, a small waist, and an A-line skirt. 2. The change of 1950s fashion under Dior’s ‘New Look’. 1950s Ball Gown DressesChristian Dior (Christian Dior) launched NewLook in 1947. NewLook has a tight waist, a flowing skirt, and an obvious bust line, which recalls the historical style of the mid-19th century and laid the tone for the next decade. Huge skirts require the support of petticoats made of nylon mesh. Retrieved the 1850s relic hoop (or paper clip cage). Sometimes, the petticoat under the skirt has a beautiful color. By the early 1950s, fashion and style had really moved forward and were greatly influenced by Dior’s “New Look”. For women, the new design and the austerity and restraint of the 1940s form a refreshing contrast. They are now wearing a sleeker, fuller skirt, a high-waisted silhouette and a smooth silhouette, and a lot of fabrics and embellishments, which contrasts with the practical and economic appearance of the 1940s dress. Detail Link Images Link

Retro Fashion: Tide of The 1950s magazine is VOGUE’s brand extension. This extension magazine will exhibition the history and culture of 1950s fashion. Because many fashions from that period are still very popular today, people can also learn a lot about dressing styles in this magazine. After experiencing the initial wave of “returning to the family” in the 1950s, women began to focus on independence. Umbrella skirt is recognized as a classic style in the 1950s. Women were favored by intellectual and capable professional wear in the workplace. The classic plaid suit, plaid shirt, plaid skirt, pants, and square splicing plaid had become the symbol of fashion at that time. Interestingly, pop art was also appeared at this time. Hence, this magazine combined the elements of pop art and fashionable women in the 50s to design it.