1950 in the United States Fashion

Poodle skirts and ponytails, jeans and slick-backed hair—that'due south what many people consider iconic 1950s fashions. These looks were popular for teens, just what did everyone else wear? Style in the 1950s offered both men and women a new range of options. The people in your mid-century family photos may have worn lots of styles, but at that place were some common themes. Here's what you may see and why.

The Stories behind 1950s Styles

Every bit the 1950s dawned, many state of war-torn countries were all the same rebuilding. Appurtenances were bachelor once more in many places that had seen shortages. In many cases, returning soldiers had married and started families, and women had left the workplace to get stay-at-home wives and mothers. Some countries, including the United States, encouraged consumerism as a manner of strengthening the economy.

During and afterwards the war, designers came to prominence from places other than Paris, French republic (the longtime fashion majuscule of the West). In the 1950s, the greater geographic diversity in designers meant more than styles from which to choose. Furthermore, new constructed fabrics offered fresh possibilities for mass-produced article of clothing. Strong consumer spending led to even more than demand for clothing—and accessories to accompany every fashion. Moving-picture show stars and fashion magazines promoted new looks and showed how to wearable new styles of habiliment well.

Women's 1950s Styles

Women'south Dresses

In 1947, French designer Christian Dior launched his elegant, opulent "New Look" for women, and information technology remained popular in the 1950s. Dresses had rounded shoulders, cinched-in waistlines, exaggerated hips, and full skirts. The New Look celebrated an end to wartime thrift and embraced an ideal of decorative femininity. The shape was echoed in many 1950s styles, from everyday shirtwaists and sundresses to crinoline-covered circle skirt ensembles, coatdresses, and formalwear.

Dior'south New Await wasn't the just popular silhouette for women. Pencil dresses sheathed a woman's torso from bodice to to mid-calf hemline. Pencil skirts could exist paired with tailored, tucked-in blouses for a similar look. Other clothes designs of the decade loosened or moved the waistline, such as the sack clothes, the A-line dress, and bell-shaped skirts.

Women around the Western world (and beyond) embraced these new styles. The New Look was especially popular in West Frg. Australian women loved both the New Expect and pencil silhouettes. Moving picture footage of a 1950s Japanese style show reveals dresses inspired by all these Western trends.

Women'southward Casual Wearable

Women's trousers and coincidental wearable became increasingly mutual. Female style designers in the United States were especially known for creating practical, casual vesture—such as playsuits, pants, and designer sportswear—that could serve the versatile needs of agile women. Actress Audrey Hepburn helped popularize a casual, chic look, pairing night, slim pants with simple boat-necked tops and flat pumps.

The Beatnik style pared down a women'southward appearance even further. Beatnik styles (both dresses and slacks) were crisp and fitted. Colors were mostly night neutrals, unembellished except for ethnic or maverick flourishes.

Women'southward Shoes and Accessories

"A pair of shoes for every occasion"—this idea sums up the 1950s mentality perfectly. An countless multifariousness of new styles of women'due south shoes proved hard to resistible; shoes were more comfortable, sturdy, lightweight, and beautiful than ever. Closed-toed pumps, stiletto heels, flats, wedges, sandals, moccasins, and other kinds of shoes could be purchased in a variety of solid or print colors.

Hats continued to be fashionable, if optional, with choices such as iconic pillboxes, veiled fascinators, nice Juliette caps, flat pancake hats, and large-brimmed straw hats for summertime. Some women tied colorful scarves over their pilus instead of wearing hats. A consummate ladies' outfit may have included coordinated costume jewelry, gloves, and boxy, brusque-handled handbags or clutch purses.

Men'due south 1950s Fashions

Thank you in role to United States influence, men's fashions became decidedly more coincidental. In the early 1950s, many men wore conservatively-colored, baggy suits with narrow ties. Equally the decade progressed, men's wardrobes became more than textured, colorful, and casual. For leisure, men often donned lightweight sports coats and colored shirts paired with trousers. Hawaiian-fashion shirts and knee-length shorts became summertime staples.

Men's shoes offered less variety than women's, only the shoes were a lot more than practical. Wingtip oxfords or other leather apparel shoes in blackness or dark-brown accompanied a suit. For more coincidental times, men might slip on penny loafers or saddle shoes.

Youth and Teens Fashions in the 1950s

Young men of the 1950s found alternatives to dressing similar their parents. The Teddy Boy way was based on retro-Edwardian (Teddy) suits made on London's Savile Row. Direct stovepipe trousers, velvet-collar jackets, white shirts, colorful socks, suede creeper shoes, and carefully combed-back hair completed the look. In the United states of america, film stars Marlon Brando and James Dean popularized jeans, white shirts, leather jackets, and greased-back hair.

Teen girls frequently chose more youthful interpretations of their mothers' styles. A mutual look was a fitted blouse with a Peter Pan collar tucked into a wide, rubberband cinch belt with a round circle skirt or a pencil skirt. (The now-iconic "poodle skirt" was but a round, total circle skirt with a poodle ornament on it, simply other decorations were at least as popular.) Fitted sweaters, including cardigans, were sometimes worn solitary or over a blouse. Teenage girls may have finished the look with scarves knotted around the cervix, white bobby socks, and saddle shoes.

1950s Styles in Family Photos

Expect through your family photos from the 1950s to see which styles your relatives favored. Consider sharing these photos on the FamilySearch Memories and tagging the moving-picture show with "1950s manner" so others tin can savour them also!

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