50s fashion

Let's travel back in time to talk about the fashions of the 50s. What clothes did men wear to work or in their free time? What style was in fashion among young people?

Discover what 1950's clothes looked like, both formal and informal, as well as its enormous influence on many of the garments we wear today.

Wide suits

For the manufacture of the costumes of the 50s, abundant fabric was used. Generous jackets and baggy pants with stripes and turns formed very squared and masculine silhouettes. Under the jacket he wore a white cotton shirt and tie. The most conservative used suits and double-breasted jackets. They destroyed the pinstripe and the gray color in all its tones.

As the decade progressed, more informal suits appeared. The trousers narrowed towards the ankles and the blazers appeared, which were shorter and followed the natural line of the shoulder. All this allowed to create more stylized silhouettes. Some used contrasting pants instead of matching to avoid the uniform effect.

The handkerchiefs (placed in the upper pocket), leather gloves and hats were the key accessories of the time. Favorite hat styles were Homburg, Fedora, bowler hat, and porkpie. Oxford and Brogue shoes and loafers were used as footwear. Young people wore suede shoes as an alternative to leather.

He had to dress formally to go to work. Y if they had an afternoon or evening engagement, the men traded their work suits for a variety of evening wear, which also radiated a lot of sobriety. There were different styles depending on the occasion. Shawl collar tuxedos were an important part of those nightwear.

The short-sleeved shirt

Outside of the work environment, men could afford to shed their suits and slip into more comfortable garments. Suits were replaced by cool short-sleeved shirts during the holidays. Many of the free-time shirts from the 50s were Hawaiian in style (they had open collars and quirky, tropical-inspired prints). They were often made with matching swimsuits.

Youth fashion

Rockers

In 1951, the term rock and roll became popular on American radio. Elvis Presley becomes the most famous representative of this new musical genre. The looks and movements of this musician and actor, both on stage and in films such as 'Prison Rock' (Richard Thorpe, 1957), make him a youth symbol and style icon.

Admired ever since by legions of fans around the world, Elvis marks the decade, as well as the entire second half of the XNUMXth century.

In the 50s, youthful styles linked to music, cinema and literature were born.. The teddy boys were precisely lovers of American rock who took the Edwardian style as the basis for their wardrobe.

The teddy boys wore long jackets (sometimes with velvet collars) They ordered from local tailors or bought second-hand. Vests, bow ties and pleated trousers were also part of the clothing of this urban tribe born in the working-class neighborhoods of London. His favorite shoes were thick-soled leather Derby shoes and suede creepers.

Bikers and rebels

Advertising and consumerism were on the rise when the premiere of 'Salvaje' (Laslo Benedek, 1953), a film in which Marlon Brando plays the leader of a motorcycle gang. The disenchanted character of Johnny Strabler becomes a symbol for postwar youth, who don their tight jeans and black leather jacket in rebellion.

Nominated for three Academy Awards, 'Rebel Without a Cause' (Nicholas Ray, 1955) is another key title for understanding youth culture at the time. The look of James Dean (who passed away prematurely before the release of the film) had many points in common with that of Marlon Brando. Dean's wardrobe - white T-shirt, distressed jeans, red Harrington jacket, and biker boots - had a huge impact on fashion. And it was stylish but at the same time affordable. Many people could afford it.

The fashion of the 50s on the catwalks

The fashion of the 50s is still very much in force. Today's designers look back to shape their creations, and 1950 is one of their favorite sources of inspiration for obvious reasons. Brando's legacy is biker jackets, a classic on the runways and in men's and women's wardrobes. On the other hand, work clothes such as jeans, which promoted social equality, have not abandoned us since then.

For some time now, other typical garments of the decade are also becoming fashionable again. Baggy dress pants and relaxed open-necked shirts are back on the catwalks, both plain and adorned with all kinds of patterns.