How to dress in 1950s American style

Video: THE ULTIMATE FASHION HISTORY: The 1950s

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 2: Women's Styles
Method 2 of 2: Men's Fashion
Tips
What do you need
A small excursion into the fashion of the 50s

After the Second World War, great changes took place in the world of fashion. The fashion of the 40s featured wide shoulders and short skirts, while the style of the 50s assumed the ubiquitous use of the hourglass shape (tight silhouettes with small shoulders, narrow waist, wide skirts and high heels). Although clothing styles have changed a lot over the past decade, some of them have not undergone any modifications. If you are attracted to the style of the 50s, here are some ideas to ponder.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Women's Styles

1 Look for a tight-fitting blouse. Three-quarter sleeves were popular during this period. The shoulders were most often tight, and not lush. But sleeveless blouses were in high demand as well. Small collars, also known as Peter Pan collars, were often rounded.
2 Look for tight-fitting blazers with rounded shoulders. In length, this type of clothing reached the thighs, emphasizing the woman's waist. The collars on jackets were often small and rounded in the style of Peter Pan like blouses. Also widespread in the 50s were decorative pockets and large buttons on jackets.
3 Choose a skirt. There are several types of skirts that were popular in the 50s. Some of the more typical styles are described below:
- Bouffant skirts. They use more fabric and often consist of multiple layers of petticoats for puffiness. These skirts are sewn in different ways, so they can be circular, gathered, wedge-shaped or pleated.
- Pencil skirts. Such skirts in those days were narrowed and straight. and emphasized a narrow female waist, which was a very important factor in the 50s
- Bell skirts. These are knee-length skirts; This style is sometimes called a poodle skirt. But the poodle is not the only animal that can be seen on the prints of these skirts. Almost all kinds of animals, insects and flowers are often depicted on skirts of this style.
4 Try looking for a shirt dress. Shirt dresses were very popular in the 50s. The upper part was made in the form of a shirt with a loose fit. Most often, such a dress was worn with a thin belt.
5 Remember that by the middle of the last decade, styles in fashion had changed. Here is a list of the styles that have become widespread since 1955:
- The cone shape (narrow shoulders and wide bottom) was very popular.
- Loose dresses were also common in the middle of the decade.
- Sack dresses have become commonplace; these are loose and slightly baggy dresses.
- During this time period, most skirts and dresses were knee-length.
- Jackets purchased square shape and match the style Chanel Chanel.
6 Look for matching pants / trousers. Several different styles of trousers were popular in the 50s. Trousers have been getting more and more for over a decade, while trousers as such were in high demand at that time, and they were worn both at home and on the street.
- Capri pants reached mid-ankles; leggings were long shorts; Bermuda shorts were knee-length. All this was worn with flat shoes, ballet flats and regular sneakers (for example, Keds). You didn't have to put on your socks.
7 Wear a hat! Small fitted hats were very popular in the early 50s, but in the following years, shaped hats became more common. flower pot. These hats sat loosely on their heads and were large in size.
8 Find out more about women's hairstyles of the time. Hair styles in the early 50s included a short haircut similar to Audrey Hepburn's, with short bangs in the front and short, straight locks on the sides and back.
- Later, women's hairstyles became more lush in the style of Elizabeth Taylor. These hairstyles assumed shoulder-length hair with lush, rounded curls at the front and sides, akin to page-style hairstyles.
9 Choose shoes and gloves that are appropriate for the period. In those days, gloves of all colors were worn under the dress. Longer (above the elbow) gloves were worn for formal evening events along with bracelets, while shorter (wrist-length) gloves were worn during the daytime. Often at that time they wore shoes with pointed toes and thin low heels.
10 Walk with your bag. By the 50s, bags had gotten smaller and more often had the shape of an envelope. Bag "Kelly" was called a regular bag with a handle. Wicker fabric and gold-tone fabric for evening wear were most commonly used in handbags.
- Most of the bags had short handles (no long straps).

Method 2 of 2: Men's Fashion

1 Wear a fitted suit. In those days, the suits became narrower - the trousers were tapered, and the upper part of the suit was baggy (like the Brooks Brother's suits). Charcoal gray prevailed among the popular shades. Note: A white shirt was usually worn under a gray suit, along with a simple narrow tie.
2 Discard the hat. Before the war, all men wore hats. But closer to the 50s, hats lost their popularity. Why? Because more and more men began to ride cars, and in this case, wearing a hat is uncomfortable.
3 Pay attention to the fashion for shirts. As for men's fashion, it all depended on the situation, so shirts were worn by certain categories of people at certain times.
- Khaki shirts and plaid shirts, or those with buttons on the collar and sewn from cotton printed shirts, were often worn by students. T-shirts were rarely worn without anything, as they were considered underwear. Hawaiian shirts and more classic versions were worn in the summer.
4 Learn about the trendy trousers of the day. During this period, tapered trousers were popular among men. Jeans were often worn as day wear, but many teenagers wore them as casual wear. Bermuda shorts were most often worn in the summer.
5 Find the right shoes. In the 1950s, most men wore oxford shoes (often two-tone), shoes with colored vamp, or chukka boots. Colored vamp shoes are two-tone (usually black and white) low-cut leather shoes. Usually these were white shoes with a black decorative "notch" in the middle. Chukka boots are high ankle-length leather boots with 2-3 pairs of lace holes.
6 Find out more about men's hairstyles. As a rule, men wore short hair, combed in a post-war style. By the end of the decade, men began to wear longer hair, but their ears still remained open.
- Some men wore long, slicked-down hair in a pompadour style. Thanks to Elvis Presley, this style became especially popular in the 50s.

Tips

Sewing patterns are perfect for creating a fashionable 50s style, and you can find all the accessories to complement your clothes in them. What's more, you will find various hairstyles there.
Use a spray to add volume and brushed hair; it will help you stand out from the crowd.
Inquiry: Look for Vogue, Bazaar, Ladies Home Journal, and McCall’s Magazine in your local library. Weekly magazines such as Life and Look also contain useful advice from the world of fashion, especially men's.
Wear "tapering" corsets or a waist belt.

What do you need

A small excursion into the fashion of the 50s

It's hard to find a store that sells 50s style clothing. You will not find a department that specializes in such clothing, so you have to do a good search. Here's what clothes to look for women: