The post war baby boom was at it's height during this time. The decade's fashion was heavily influenced by the birth of rock and roll and the abundance of teenagers in the later half of the decade.
Teens
In America grease made a very big impact on the clothing for young adults and teenagers.
The 1950's stereotype and style.
1. The cashmere sweater.
2. Poodle skirt.
3. Rolled up t-shirt sleeve (black or white t-shirt good).
4. Pedal pushers (gold is good).
5. Black leather jacket--the collar must be turned up to be "hep."
6. The scarf.
7. 1950's gym wear.
Flamboyant and Feminine - Women's Fashions of the 1950s
Silhouette Soft but wide shoulders, corseted waist, and full hips were hallmarks of 50s wear, but silhouettes were more varied. On these outlines, women wore a trim bodice and very full knee-length skirt, or a fitted short, boxy jacket or blouse with a pencil-straight skirt. One style that hid all the rest, literally, was the cocoon-like sacque dress and coat, which fitted the shoulders and bloomed at the waist and hips.
Common Designs
One- and two-piece dresses with small-collared, fitted blouses and full, pleated knee-length skirts
More casual dresses with tied shoulder straps or halter straps, boned bodices and the quintessential circle skirt
Similarly fitted eveningwear that had a heart-shaped opaque strapless bodice with a sheer silk or nylon over bodice, usually sleeveless or long-sleeved
Prom night evening gowns of pastel nylon tulle, usually bedecked with yards of tulle trims, ruffles, and velvet bows
Long-sleeved button-up sweaters with a plain, ribbed neck, often beaded or appliquéd
Fabrics Available Natural fibres (linen, cotton, wool, silk), rayon, acetate, nylon, modacrylic, acrylic, polyester, and spandex. For daytime, the most common fabrics were in naturals, rayon, nylon, poly-cotton blends, and sometimes acrylic and acetate; sweaters were wool (cashmere for status) or acrylic knit. Brocades, satin, velveteen, taffeta, nylon net, tulle, and chiffon in both natural and synthetic fabrics were reserved for evening. Materials were usually light- to medium weight, and sheer fabrics were common, but not usually as the main material of a garment (except in tulle evening gowns and some day dresses).
Popular Colours and Prints Day and casual wear saw neutral solids and floral prints, along with dazzling western and peasant-styled clothing, sometimes hand-painted onto circle skirts or scarves. Futuristic prints of all types appeared in bright, abstract designs apropos of the atomic era. Also, dark tone-on-tone abstracts in brown, grey or navy were popular winter prints.
For evening, both solids and classic floral brocades were common; the effect of overlaying contrasting sheer chiffon or net on a flesh-coloured under dress was daringly popular. Colours in the evening were now both subtle and bold, as peacock blues and hot pinks became acceptable.
Trims and Detailing The most obvious trim of daywear is the beading of sweaters and occasional extravagance on detailing circle skirts. Circle skirts and novelty garments were sometimes incredibly ornate, with appliqué, rickrack, screen-printing, sequins, or glitter. A very common feature on 50s dolman-sleeved dresses is the small, non-functional, diamond-shaped underarm panel. Flutter hems, which were curved evenly up and down, and scalloped edges appeared occasionally in full-skirted day and evening dress. Most evening detail appeared in sculpted pleats and necklines, or toned-down rhinestones and cord`, which added style without being cumbersome or uncomfortable.
Hemlines Day and Night Daywear hems fell to the knee or a little below it. Evening gowns could be floor-length, but the cocktail dress also flourished at knee and upper-calf length.
The full skirts needed support to look good and nylon was used extensively to create bouffant net petticoats or paper nylon petticoats. Several petticoats often of varying styles were worn to get just the right look. Each petticoat was stiffened in some way either by conventional starch or a strong sugar solution. Eventually a hoop crinoline petticoat was developed and it had channelled tapes which were threaded with nylon boning in imitation of whale bone petticoats. A single net petticoat worn over it softened the look of the rigid boning
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