Back to 50's

One day, i found these pictures from 50's on the internet

 

and i was like omigod its gorgeous. Why dont i post it on my blog and share some with you.
Then i start looking for more pictures from 50's era... and let's see what i got!



Here is a fashion spread from a 1957 issue of McCall’s magazine that shows the cutest summer dresses and playsuits inspired by the 1930s. Just goes to show that no matter what the era, designers always look back for inspiration.

I think women from The 50's are look expensive, elegant and yet effortless. If you wanna look standout then give it a shot!

Women dressed "smartly' in the Fifties. Good grooming and a tailored look were prized. Acting and looking "every inch the lady" was taught virtually from the cradle and wearing a dress was a given. Notice our first ladies have heels and gloves. This was required to complete the look. The first dress , a summery afternoon floral, has what was called a swing skirt. This very popular style had many forms, including the poodle skirt. and the 2nd dress, the skirt part of the dress is in the pencil style. The object here is to attain an hourglass, or figure eight, body shape. This type of dress or skirt was not worn by young girls or teens. Too provacative. In this illustration, the dress also boasts bolero sleeves, which were popular. Although not seen, a girdle was a necessary part of all ensembles.

two ladies perhaps off to shop or to lunch. One wears the pencil style and the other a swing.

The blue suit dress on the right features a short cropped jacket, accentuating the hourglass shape.

a luncheon dress in the pencil style and an everyday dress with the swing skirt. an afternoon tea dress with characteristically fifties soft feminine touches

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Again, dresses very typical of the day. with or without a short jacket, a breezy look. Note the wide collars at right which soften the neckline. "Peter Pan" or broad collars were a fixture of the 50s

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Contrary to whatever impression you may have gathered from watching Donna Reed or Harriett Nelson, real wives and mothers did not go around doing housework in dresses accessorized by pearls and heels. Mother might, however, wear a wrap dress as pictured at left. Or the simple everyday dress at right.The key here is the word "dress". It was the most common item worn by women at the

what about the make up and hairstyles?




If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the ladies above say it all. Fifties hairstyles were soft and curly. Straight hair was out. Short hair was in.



50s shoes

Nothing characterizes the Fifties quite as well as the saddle shoe. We all had them. We all wore them. And I'd be lying if I said I missed them. These things are heavy and rather stiff. And you couldn't just throw them in the washer when they got dirty! Give me my modern athletic shoe anyday.

The spike or stiletto heel was a fashion fixture. Designed to draw attention to the leg and calf, it was a chiropractor's dream device. Ferragamo is credited with creating the steel support in a synthetic heel which allowed for a very small heel tip. Gee, thanks. This phenomena impacted in more ways than one. Hoteliers and other managers of public facilities had to find ways to protect their floors from all those indentations!

These shoes are the type a woman might wear shopping or to lunch. (Much more reasonable)

Flats were appropriate for slacks and was what we wore to school.

The "ballet" slipper was a popular choice and was often worn with little white socks. Really.

Lest the gentleman feel left out... This was as good as it got for the guys, not only did you have to polish them every week but there were things called shoe trees that lived inside of them when they weren't on your feet.

50's coat, suits and jacket

A well-tailored suit was as much a staple of the Fifties as it is today. As in these pictures, the 3/4 length sleeve was popular. Women found suits practical as they were appropriate for a wide variety of occasions. Note that these are skirt and coat suits NOT pant suits, they wouldn't be acceptable until the 1960's.

Big, loose coats were featured in the Fifties. Remembering that women were expected to dress smartly at all times, choice of coat completed an ensemble. Also if for some reason a woman didn't have her coat the man was obligated to give her his. At right, a European styled suit with radiating tucks on the jacket.

Capes and stoles abounded. Including the dressy (real fur) mink stole. At right, these batwing jackets are reminiscent of the battle jacket (American) or bomber jacket (British) worn during the just recently concluded World War II.

50's Pants, short and swimwear The Basics. Represented on either side are everday casual pants and shorts. However, women did not go about dressed casually very often. The Fifties were a more formal time. These outfits would probably be worn at a barbecue or picnic. Girls had a bit more latitude, but not much. You did not pop over to the market in shorts like those at right. Let alone show up in a sweat suit, or tee shirt. Yes, young women wore jeans, only we called them dungarees. And we wore them to play outside. In the Fifties, no one ever went anywhere looking sloppy. Period. The sailor look at left was popular. Although culottes would gain wider appeal in the Sixties, you could have worn the blue outfit anywhere. The capri outfit at right conforms to what many people now associate with a Fifties look, my Mother wore them alot. But me, I wouldn't have been let out of the house in that get-up. The sailor suits at left, sure, but nothing as sexy as the pink would ever grace my body under Mom's watchful eye. This is me. Either the coveralls or shorts and blouse at left or the very preppy look at right. The sleek sets at left features a very tapered leg. Like the pencil skirt, this accentuated the hourglass figure. Play or beach clothes at right. Please note, even with a halter top - no belly buttons visible! Swimwear was tame. And very ladylike. And again, even the skimpiest two piece suit covered the belly button. The wild floral at right reflects America's 50s fascination with Hawaii, which would become a state in 1959. DID YOU KNOW? Technically, any two piece suit is a bikini. But do you know where the name comes from? Originally created by Parisian designer Louis Reard in 1946, he named it after the Bikini Atoll, where the atomic bomb was tested! 50's skirts Yes, young women wore them. And had we known they would be immortalized as the symbol of an era, more of us would have saved ours. A poodle skirt is a wide swing skirt with a poodle appliqued or transferred onto the fabric. Poodles were not the only items used to adorn these skirts, they are just the best remembered. But it was by no means all women wore. Pleated skirts complimented the tailored look favored in the 50s. Whether as at left with a broader front panel or at right with the slightly larger flare to the skirt. Hemlines were to the knee or just below it.
No wardrobe was complete without at least one pencil skirt, shown at left. The pencil skirt was glamorous and accented a womanly figure. Remember that women didn't wear pants except for the most casual activities, so you needed a couple of practical skirts. At right, a variation of the swing skirt, modified to make a peasant style of flare.

50's Blouses

These two at left and the one pictured above, are very basic Fifties blouses. Above and at top left, note the soft draping. The blouse left and below is simple and timeless. The rolled sleeve was popular, as was mongramming.

At left, we see essentially the same shirt, one with short sleeves, and one with the kimono sleeve. Both have a soft collar. The soft feminine look of the puff sleeve blouses at right is in keeping with the Fifties idea of womanhood.

Variations on a theme. At left, the yellow blouse has a shawl collar to soften and flatter. The other three could be worn alone or under a suit jacket. Fabrics tended to be natural so ironing was required.

Left - A young woman might wear a halter top in summer. The look was still very discreet and unlike today, no belly buttons are showing. Notice the high waist line on the shorts. Right - Showing the many possible sleeve variations of the Fifties.

50's accesories


GLOVES


A lady wore gloves in the Fifties. She was not seen as properly dressed without them. They came in many lengths and all colors. Short white gloves were most commonly worn and women always had several pairs. Why? Because they were the very devil to keep clean!

SCARVES


Much can be done with a scarf. Drape it as a belt; wrap it as a halter top; tie it about your head, babushka style. The later also served well on bad hair days or between trips to the beauty palor. Scarves were a useful and convenient accessory in the Fifties.

Most popularly, a short, brightly colored chiffon scarf secured many a ponytail!

SWIM CAPS


No discussion of the Fifties Fashions would be complete without a look at the wild bathing caps of the day. The louder the cap, the better.

Let it never be said the Fifties were dull!

Another type of cap which was worn but never seen was the shower cap. Let's face it, your hair took overnight to dry and set you certainly weren't going to get it wet again.