Fifties Fashion

Fashion in the years following World War II is characterized by the resurgence of haute couture after the austerity of the war years. Square shoulders and short skirts were replaced by the soft femininity of Christian Dior’s “New Look” silhouette, with its sweeping longer skirts, fitted waist, and rounded shoulders, which in turn gave way to an unfitted, structural look in the later 1950s.

Innovations in textile technology following the war resulted in new fabrics such as spandex, volleyball shorts and easy-care fabric finishes that fitted the suburban lifestyle of the 1950s with its emphasis on casual sportswear for both men and women. For the first time, teenagers became a force in fashion.

1950s era , women wanted to look tailored and put together. Young women usually wore dresses which had a swing skirt, one type being a poodle skirt, and older women usually wore dresses which had a pencil skirt and bolero sleeves. In addition, gloves and heels were popular accessories. Men preferred to wear five button jackets, white socks with white buckskin shoes, and trousers with top waist pleats and turn ups.

In general, popular fifties attire included cashmere sweaters, pedal pushers, black and white t-shirts with rolled up sleeves, black leather jackets, and scarves.

Givenchy, December 1959

Bobby Soxers: “Bobby Soxers” was a term used to describe teens during the 1940s and 1950s. They were given this name because of the ankle socks they were always seen wearing. These socks were typically only worn during sporting events, but these teens begin to wear them for all occasions.