Fifties Dresses

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 dress at left, a summery afternoon floral, has what was called a swing skirt. This very popular style had many forms, including the poodle skirt. At right, 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.

At left, 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.

Again, on the left a luncheon dress in the pencil style and an everyday dress with the swing skirt. At right, an afternoon tea dress with characteristically FIfties soft feminine touches.

Again, dresses very typical of the day. At left, 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.

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 time.

Art and fashion often evolve to display a commonality of attitude of a culture, place or era. I think this was certainly true of 1950s America, which gave rise to rock-n-roll. Much of the music of this time had a fun and carefree air, as exampled by Bobby Darins Splish Splash or Bill Haleys Rock Around the Clock. Fashion styles also evolved to incorporate these themes. Today, I would like to show you two outfits that represent the fun, feminine fashion that was popular at the time. The poodle skirt, often being used for dancing or just hanging out at the local diner, and a flouncy knee length dress, perfect for a movie date at the theater or drivein. Both are from Ivalde, a wonderful store for vintage shoppers. Neferia Abel has selections from the Baroque era to current day styles, much of it sorted into decades for easy shopping. The pink poodle skirt ensemble, pictured left, comes with two skirt and two blouse options, each with or without the poodle, and a prim scarf. The belt is on the jacket layer so its optional or can be replaced by another of your choosing. This outfit is also available with a red, black or yellow skirt. Added to the pictured ensemble are saddle shoes from The 50s Store and Haalsa Hallard lace frill socks with pink ribbon. The jewelry is pink lulu4 bangle bracelets from Artilleri and Kraftika earrings no. 106 also in pink.

On the right is the Selena dress in magenta. The flexi-prim skirt, which moves beautifully, and the prim shoulder straps add to the three-dimensional look. This dress is an excellent example of the nice textures found in Neferias designs and also comes in aqua, white and black. Added to the outfit are Tesla Leather Vixen pumps in liquorice and MM Cherry Charm necklace and earrings. The hair in both pictures is ArtilleriDayna black. If you enjoy vintage clothing as much as I do, I urge you to check out Ivalde. The hardest thing about shopping at them is choosing from amongst the wide range of selections and colors. The 1950s' fashion was one that had certain distinct characteristics about it. There were also certain factors that were associated with these 1950s' clothing. This was one period that was considered to be really expensive due to the effects of war. This period saw the dominance of pink pumps and beehive hairstyles. Brands were launched and designers created new fashion trends. Read on to know more about the 1950 clothing.

1950s' Clothing: Fifties Fashion The 1950s' clothing saw the dominance of designer names such as Christian Dior. Dior's garments gave a more feminine appeal for women in terms of fashion. The voluminous look also added to the femininity of a woman. The Princess Line launched in the year 1953 soon became popular and Dior also popularized the trend of wearing A-line skirts.

Most scenes from the fifties fashion depict men in clothes which were always structured in dark colors. This was the time when materials such as cotton and wool were used. Tweed jackets were seen as well. Hollywood actors such as Gregory Peck wore gray flannel suits which became quite a rage. Flannel pants worn with comfy rolled up shirts was considered to be the 'in thing' in the fifties.

**Click on the images to enlarge Women switched to trendy coats instead of the traditional shawls. One also saw the large use of feathers as a part of the 1950s' fashion. Long knee length coats, which had loose sleeves, caught on really well in the 1950s'. Among the different fabrics, silk was widely used and furs also occupied an important place in the wardrobes of most women. Furs were considered to be a status symbol and purchasing garments of fur was definitely an expensive affair. The 1950s' clothing also saw women go all out to own very expensive fur coats. Since real fur was not affordable by all, imitation fur also became popular amongst those who preferred to wear fake fur coats for less. Leopard prints were also a rage and made an important part of fashion in the fifties.

**Click on the images to enlarge Yet another factor of the 1950s' fashion were the popularity of petticoats. Women wearing stiff and starched petticoats was quite a common sight. Colorful skirts were worn as casual-wear garments. Apart from skirts, the 1950s' clothing also saw the acceptance of pants and jeans in ladies fashion. Elegance was an important factor in the fashion of the fifties. Hollywood also had a major role to play in influencing the 1950s' clothing. These patterns and designs were splashed across glamor magazines such as Vogue and Women's Weekly. Flowers, stripes, spots and abstract shapes all became a part of fifties fashion. Waists became narrow (as is evident from most movies of that period) and garments were fitted at the waist area. Flared skirts and dainty flared dresses were seen as a distinguishing mark of this era. Hollywood actors such as Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly became the style icons for this period.

**Click on the images to enlarge Rock N Roll dictated a lot of terms in the 1950s' clothing scene. Teenagers became slightly rebellious and approached their dressing in rather different ways, becoming more and more experimental. Fifties fashion cannot be complete without the mention of the swimwear worn in this period. Fashion in the fifties may seem odd to readers now, but this was a period when revealing swimsuits had just made an appearance on the scene. Stretch fabrics and strapless swimwear became very popular. Straps were detachable and the overall design was very modest in the fifties fashion. Two-piece bikinis were considered to be wearable only by Hollywood stars. Women would also make it a point to wear bathing caps so that their hair would be protected while swimming.

**Click on the images to enlarge Men were seen wearing polo shirts teamed with sports jackets, cardigan sweaters, wool suits, and shirts with patterns such as stripes, tuxedos, snazzy tropical shirts and cool blue denims. These were often paired with loafer shoes. The 1950s' fashion also saw brand names come up with challenging designs. Dior now faced a challenge when Chanel launched a new design. The Chanel suit was all about a collarless jacket teamed with a skirt that went slightly below the knees. Women loved this elegant and sophisticated look. The Chanel suit therefore created quite a rage. Thus we see the vivid kinds of styles that were a rage in the 1950s' fashion. This was a period that saw a gradual change in the fashion scenario.

American Cultural History 1950 1959

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ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The end of World War II brought thousands of young servicemen back to America to pick up their lives and start new families in new homes with new jobs. With an energy never before experienced, American industry expanded to meet peacetime needs. Americans began buying goods not available during the war, which created corporate expansion and jobs. Growth everywhere. The baby boom was underway...

Facts about this decade --Population: 151,684,000 (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census)* Unemployed: 3,288,000 Life expectancy: Women 71.1, men 65.6 Car Sales: 6,665,800 Average Salary: $2,992 Labor Force male/female: 5/2 Cost of a loaf of bread: $0.14 Bomb shelter plans, like the government pamphlet You Can Survive, become widely available

The purpose of this web and library guide is to help the user gain a broad understanding and appreciation for the culture and history of the fabulous fifties (1950s). In a very small way, this is a bibliographic essay. While there is no way we can link to everything, we have attempted to find areas of special interest and to select information that we hold dear today - movies we watch, songs we sing, events that move us, people we admire. To see the whole picture, we encourage users to browse all the way through this page and then visit the suggested links for more information on the decade. We feel the best way to immerse oneself in a topic is to use both Internet and the library. The real depth of information is best read in books. More photographs, more information, more depth. Then, there is information that will be found only on the Internet; a journal from someone, photographs like those on our pages. We invite you to write. Thanks for the visit. ENJOY

EVENTS AND TECHNOLOGY

Important Historic and Cultural Events

1950 - Pres. Harry Truman ( 'til 1952) approves production of the hydrogen bomb and sends air force and navy to Korea in June. 1951 - Transcontinental television begins with a speech by Pres. Truman. 1953 - 1961 Dwight D. Eisenhower is president. 1952 - The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 removes racial and ethnic barriers to becoming a U.S. citizen. 1953 - Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are electrocuted for their part in W.W.II espionage. 1953 - Fighting ends in Korea. 1954 - U. S. Senator Joseph McCarthy begins televised hearings into alleged Communists in the army. 1954 - Racial segregation is ruled unconstitutional in public schools by the U.S. Supreme Court. 1955 - Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. 1955 - The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merge making the new AFL-CIO an organization with 15 million members. also in 1955 Dr. Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for polio 1956 - The Federal Highway Act is signed, marking the beginning of work on the interstate highway system. 1958 - Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite, successfully orbits the earth. 1958 - The first domestic jet-airline passenger service is begun by National Airlines between New York City and Miami. 1959 - Alaska and Hawaii become the forty-ninth and fiftieth states.

LINKS

PBS website. The Cold War Museum | From the 1940's until the 1990's, the cold war dominated foreign relations.

Historical Atlas of the 20th Century | Collection of maps and stats of the 20th century American History 1860-present | Chronological arrangement of history of this century Biography.com | Biographies of over 15,000 famous persons. Genealogy Guide | Helpful guide for locating past people, places and events. Dwight D. Eisenhower | "Character above all" by Stephen Ambrose, a

BOOKS Library of Congress

areas :

etables of American History Include history and politics, the arts, science and technology, and other info of interest.

2 America in the 20th Century 1950-1959 is covered in volume 6. Typical of Marshall Cavendish, this encyclopedic set is accessible and gi on for this decade. Covers subjects from art to transportation.

Annals of America Volume 17 of this set contains essays and excepts from important writers and on important topics of the time. Great re

tionary of American History From very brief to multi-page signed entries on topics in American History.

um of American History Vols. V and VI - are a great books to give the reader the real flavor of the 1950's because of the many photographs

ctionary of American Portraits Photographs or drawings of important Americans. Brief descriptions of their contribution. Arranged by perso

ART & ARCHITECTURE:

"Painting is a state...self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is." Jackson Pollock There was a fresh artistic outlook after World War II ended and the artistic world reflected this outlook. Abstract expressionism like Jackson Pollock , Barnett Newman , Willem de Kooning , Clyfford Still and Franz Kline received official recognition at the New York Museum of Modern Art. These artists, referred to as the New York School, were generally experimental. Other abstract artists rebelled against the self-absorption of the New York School and delved into existentialism. Mark Rothko used large scale color blocks to create an overpowering material presence. Painters like Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns , also abstract artists, did not want the viewer to rely on what he saw to interpret a painting. African American artists John T. Biggers, Romare Bearden and Henry Clay Anderson presented a different view of American life. Part of the 1950's boom in consumerism included housing. People could afford single family dwellings and suburbia was born. A small suburban community called Levittownwas built by William Levitt for returning servicemen and their families. An influence of Frank Lloyd Wright is seen in the popular Ranch style house. Designers like Bauhaus , who helped create the International style , influenced Ludwig Mies van der Rohe , Philip Johnson , Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen. Louis Kahn, architect of the Salk Institute, was a noted architect during this period. LINKS Rothko Chapel in Houston || Abstract Expressionism || Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History-Abstract Expressionism African Americans in the Visual arts || Great Buildings Collection

Library of Congress browsing areas are: N-NX This area includes all forms of art, art history and architecture.

N 6490 .L792 Visual Arts in the Twentieth Century History of art in the 20th Century including all art forms and archite ND 237 .R725 B74 Mark Rothko A biography with illustrations of his work. ND 237 .P73 S65 Jackson Pollock A biography with illustrations of his work. NA 737 .K32 B73 Kimbell Art Museum Architecture in detail; examines buildings with photos, drawings, discussion.

BOOKS & LITERATURE

America had just begun her recovery from World War II, when suddenly the Korean Conflict developed. The USSR became a major enemy in the Cold War. Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed to know that Communists had infiltrated the United States government at the highest levels. Americans were feeling a sense of national anxiety. Was America the greatest country in the world? Was life in America the best it had ever been? As the decade passed, literature reflected the conflict of self-satisfaction with '50s Happy Days and cultural self-doubt about conformity and the true worth of American values. Authors like Norman Vincent Peale , The Power of Positive Thinking , or Bishop Fulton J. Sheen -Life is Worth Living, indicate power of the individual to control his or her fate. The concern with conformity is reflected in David Riesman's The Lonely Crowd, John Kenneth Galbraith -The Affluent Society, William H. Whyte's The Organization Man, Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged , and Sloan Wilson's The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. A new group of authors appeared on the scene in the form of the Beats, or the beat generation or some called them beatniks. Best known of these are Jack Kerouac - Kerouac's works - On the Road, Dharma Bums, The Town and The City, Mexico City Blues (poetry), Lawrence Ferlinghetti A Coney Island of the Mind , Pictures of a Gone World, and Allen Ginsberg Howl (Poetry). Gregory Corso , Neal Cassady , Michael McClure , Gary Snyder, William S. Burroughs were other beat authors giving voice to the antiestablishment movement. Science Fiction became more popular with the actual possibility of space travel, Ray Bradbury wrote The Martian Chronicles. Isaac Asimov wrote I, Robot, and other books about worlds to be discovered. Established authors continuing to write included Tennessee Williams -The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone; Robert Penn Warren -World Enough and Time; Carl Sandberg Complete Poems; Herman Wouk -The Caine Mutiny; J. D. Salinger-The Catcher in the Rye; Truman Capote The Grass Harp; John Steinbeck- East of Eden; Edna

Ferber -Giant; James Michener -The Bridges of Toko Ri, Hawaii; Thomas Costain-The Silver Chalice; Eudora Welty -The Ponder Heart; William Faulkner -The Town; Lorraine Hansbury - A Raisin in the Sun; Langston Hughes - Laughing to Keep from Crying; James Baldwin - Go Tell It on the Mountain. LINKS 1950s Bestseller Literature and Culture of the 1950s Life Magazine presents Disney Land in the 1950s African American Literature Book Club

Library of Congress browsing areas include: PS - American Literature; Z - books and libraries.

the Time y David Riesman Vonnegut C. Wright Mills

The Bridges at Toko Ri by James Michener The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk The Crucial Decade: America 1945-1955 by Eric F. Goldman Mrs. Bridge by Evan Connell

Books About Books

an Drama 1940-1960 A critical history of American drama

nals of America Vol 17contains essays by the important people of the time, including excerpts from books listed above.

dern American Literature Multi volume work with excerpts from modern American writers showing changes in their work.

erstanding the Beats A survey of the four major Beat writers, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs and Corso.

Children's Book Award winners of the fifties: Newbery Award Winners - Began in 1922 (include the most distinguished children's book published the previous year). 1950 - The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli 1951 - Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates 1952 - Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes 1953 - Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark 1954 - ...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold 1955 - The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong 1956 - Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham 1957 - Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson 1958 - Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith 1959 - The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Caldecot Award Winners - Began in 1938 (include the most distinguished American picture book of the previous year). 1950: Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi 1951: The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous 1952: Finders Keepers, illustrated by Nicolas, pseud. (Nicholas Mordvinoff); text: Will, pseud. [William Lipkind] 1953: The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward 1954: Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans 1955: Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper, illustrated by Marcia Brown; text: translated from Charles Perrault by Marcia Brown 1956: Frog Went A-Courtin', illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky; text: retold by John Langstaff) 1957: A Tree Is Nice, illustrated by Marc Simont; text: Janice Udry 1958: Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey 1959: Chanticleer and the Fox, illustrated by Barbara Cooney; text: adapted from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Barbara Cooney

EDUCATION
During the fifties, American education underwent dramatic and, for some, world shattering changes. Until 1954, an official policy of "separate but equal " educationalopportunities for blacks had been determined to be the correct method to insure that all children in America received an adequate and equal education in the public schools of the nation. In 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren and other members of the Supreme Court wrote in Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas that separate facilities for blacks did not make those facilities equal according to the Constitution. Integration was begun across the nation. In 1956, Autherine J.Lucysuccessfully enrolled in the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. In 1957, Elizabeth Eckford was the first black teenager to enter then all-white Little Rock Central High School , Little Rock, Arkansas. Although integration took place quietly in most towns, the conflict at Central High School in Little Rock was the first of many confrontations in Arkansas which showed that public opinion on this issue was divided. Another crisis in education was uncovered by critics like Rudolph Flesch in his book Why Johnny Can't Read , who claimed that the American educational system was not doing its job. Other voices in the movement to revamp American schools were Arthur Bestor- Educational Wastelands, Albert

Lynd- Quackery in the Public Schools, Robert Hutchins - The Conflict in Education, and Admiral Hyman Rickover- Education and Freedom.

GENERAL LINKS
Developments in Education Use the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the Nation's Report Card to see statistics on progress in Math, Reading and Science. Education Statistics from the Statistical Abstract of the United States, years 1960 to 1995. History of the United States Department of Education

BOOKS

an Education : The Metropolitan Experience 1876-1980 History of education. Other titles by Lawrence A. Cremin may be helpful.

nals of America Vol. 17 p.253 - 258 essay on Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka as well;

p. 371-378 two essays on integration giv

tionary of American History This multi-volume set has a very good entry under "Education" in Volume 2 and an entry on "integration" in Vo lphabetically by title, ex. Brown v. the Board in Volume 1.

n v. Topeka An African American's View of desegregation and miseducation.

ern Educational Heritage The final long chapter contains a history of the American educational system. On page 535, a discussion of "The scription of schools in 1950.

FADS & FASHION - these were a few of our favorite things

Perhaps one of the things which most characterizes the 1950's was the strong element of conservatism and anticommunist feeling which ran throughout much of society. One of the best indicators of the conservative frame of mind was the addition of the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. Religion was seen as an indicator of anti-communism. Fifties clothingwas conservative. Men wore gray flannel suits and women wore dresses with pinched in waists and high heels. French fashion designers such as Dior, Chanel and Givenchy were popular and copied in America. Families worked together, played together and vacationed together at family themed entertainment areas like national parks and the new Disneyland. Gender roles were strongly held, girls played with Barbie dolls and Dale Evans gear, boys with Roy Rogers and Davy Crockett paraphernalia. Drive-in movies became popular for families and teens. Cars were seen as an indicator of prosperity and coolness. Highways were built to take people quickly from one

place to another, by-passing small towns and helping to create central marketing areas or shopping malls such as Sharpstown Mall, Gulfgate Mall and Meyerland Plaza in Houston. Fashion successes were Bill Blass and his blue jeans, poodle skirts made of felt and decorated with sequins and poodle appliques, pony tails for girls, and flat tops and crew cuts for guys. Saddle shoes and blue suede loafers were popular. Teenagers were defined as a separate generation and were represented by James Dean who wore blue jeans in Rebel Without a Cause and created a fashion and attitude sensation. Activities we liked were flying saucer watching , and watching and dancing to Dick Clark's American Bandstand . Fad hits with kids were toys like hula hoops and Hopalong Cassidy guns and western gear, Davy Crockett coon skin hats and silly putty .

LINKS
The Nifty Fifties Links to many Fifties fads and other information. Costumer's Manifesto Links to wide world of fashion . Good ones. Twentieth Century Fashion Women's fashionsof the fifties. Soulmates: A Century in Shoes Shoes throughout the century. Houston growth A history of the city from the Handbook of Texas Online. Fashion Era a British view of fifties fashions. Other decades of fashion are also linked.

BOOKS

REF E169.1.P19 Panati's Parade of Fads, Follies and Manias Arranged by decade, includes fads, dance crazes, radi

E 169.1.R7755 Mass Culture: The Popular Arts in America Important essays analyzing mass culture in American his E169.1.S9733 Culture as History : The Transformation of American Society in the Twentieth Century Excellent political and cultural face of America in this century.

Costumes / Fashion

y of 20th Century Fashion History with photographs of fashion

l History of Costume The Twentieth Century Pages 93-105 show illustrations of fashions in the 1950s

me Since 1945 Chapter 2 focuses on the1950s with line drawings of styles.

MUSIC
When the 1950s are mentioned, the first type of music to come to most people's minds is rock 'n roll. Developed from a blend of Southern blues and gospel music with an added strong back beat, this type of music was popular with

teenagers who were trying to break out of the mainstream, conservative, American middle class mold. Popular artists such as Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis were promoted on radio by just as popular disc-jockeys (DJ's) like Alan Freed and the Big Bopper. The deaths of Lubbock singer Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valensand the Big Bopper is still lamented by fans. The influence of these early rockers has been felt in popular music worldwide. Music in the fifties was more than just rock 'n roll. Crooners like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and Dinah Shore were all popular. Many of these singers were the idols of the rockers who developed the new sounds. Many of their songs are still being played on radios, home stereos, CD players and ipods all over the world.

LINKS
Heavens Gate | top tunes and artists of the fifties, music and lyrics. Banned Music | timeline of events concerning banning rock and roll. Gershwin | timeless music, still popular during the '50s.

BOOKS Library of Congress browse areas: M

Chronicle of American Music 1700-1995 Arranged by year. Historical highlights, world cultural highlights, American art and literature, music

Music Since 1900 Arranged by day. Includes important premiers and musical events.

The Great American Song Thesaurus Arranged by year. Summary of world and musical events, list of important songs.

Show Tunes 1905-1985 Features important composers. Lists their shows and the published music for each show.

TELEVISION
Perhaps the most far reaching change in communications worldwide was the advancement in the area of television broadcasting. During the 1950s, television became the dominant mass media as more people brought television into their homes in greater numbers of hours per week than ever before. In the early fifties, the number of hours young people watched TV steadily increased, a trend which has not changed greatly since that time. What was portrayed on television became accepted as normal. The ideal family, the ideal schools and neighborhoods, the world, were all seen in a way which had only partial basis in reality. People began to accept what was heard and seen on television because they were "eye witnesses" to events as never before. Programs such as You Are There brought historical events into the living rooms

of many Americans. The affect on print news media and entertainment media was felt in lower attendance at movies and greater reliance on TV news sources for information. And then, in 1954, black and white broadcasts became color broadcasts. Shows called "sitcoms " like The Honeymooners , Lassie, Father Knows Best, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet , and I Love Lucy featured popular characters whose lives thousands of viewers watched and copied. Families enjoyed variety shows like Disneyland and The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday evenings. Daytime programs like Guiding Light, a "soap opera" were popular and helped advertisers sell many products to the homemakers of America. News broadcasting changed from newsmen simply reading the news to shows which included videotaped pictures of events which had occurred anywhere in the world, and then to more and more live broadcasts of events happening at the time of viewing. This was made possible in 1951 with the development of coaxial cable and microwave relays coast to coast. When Edward R. Murrow began offering his weekly radio program (called "Hear It Now") on TV as "See It Now," the world of news broadcasting was irrevocably changed (eyewitness recounts the change)

LINKS
Television News Archive Television news history presented by Vanderbilt University. Chronology of TV broadcasting from Jeff Miller, teacher at Gulf High School in New Port Richey, FL The first 75 years of Television from Tom Genova, many links on development of TV including advertising. Includes a timeline.

BOOKS AND VIDEOS

REF PN1992.18 .M874 Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Television - an excellent resource to use to understand the medium of television. E215.4 .Y68 2004 You Are There: The American Revolution prepares. Just one of the You Are There TV broadcasts the Kingwood College Library owns

THEATER, FILM & RADIO

Works by well known dramatists still held audiences and won new admirers. Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman were written in the 40's but were still very popular in the '50s. Eugene O'Neill finished Long Day's Journey into Night in 1957. Williams wrote Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955) and Baby Doll (1956) . Musicals were very well received. Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Joshua Logan won acclaim with South Pacific in 1950. One of the most emotionally charged plays of 1956 was The Diary of Anne Frank. Dance underwent change during this period. Martha Graham's work influenced dancers worldwide. In 1958, Alvin Ailey created the American Dance Theatre which featured all-black casts and dance styles that were culturally based and truly American in style. Radio's influence was still very great as is seen in the rapid growth of Rock 'n Roll . The music of Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney and Nat King Cole among others was listened to by people carrying small transistor radios . Music could be heard in any location because it was now portable.

LINKS

History of Broadway Broadway 101 by Robert Rusie. Historic Films films of the fifties. Alien invasion and creature features Science Fiction in film from Clemson History of Science Fiction Film Science Fiction film since the early twentieth century. Chronology of films Some favorite fifties movies

Anne Frank's Diary The exhibit based on Anne's original writings. Launch the exhibition to hear as well as see the diary. Sci-Fi in the '50s sometimes called the golden age of Science Fiction movies
PN - theater, PR - Acting, SF - producing plays

BOOKS Library of Congress browse area:

REF PN2189.L85 Twentieth CenturyA theater buff's bible This book lists and describes by year premiers, production Great Britain. Theatre

REF PN1993.5.U6H55 The Transformation of Cinema Volumes 1 and 2 are needed to cover this decade. A great sou

The list below are representative of what was happening in the cinema industry. New ground was broken with each new film. Books may be the best means of learning more on this topic.

nd movies made their debut with Bwana Devil; Cinerama, CinemaScope and color were other special effects used to lure audiences Guild adopts a by-law banning Communists from membership

d movies too expensive, so they stay at home to watch TV

SPORTS
People in the Fifties loved sports. More leisure time and greater general prosperity led to greater participation in athletic activities for the average person and added large numbers of fans to all types of sports. Unlike many areas of society in this decade, athletes were a diverse group. Popularity was not based on social status, but on the ability of the individual. All American sports such as baseball and football gave opportunities for the rise of stars like Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Henry (Hank) Aaron, Juan Marichal, Jim Brown, and Frank Gifford. Great women athletes played in the AllAmerican Girls Professional Baseball League. As television became more popular and available, other sports found growing numbers of fans. College football was widely followed. Professional golf became very popular with stars like Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmerhelping to create the idea that to succeed in business, men needed to play golf. Women like Babe Zaharias-Didrikson created the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1950, so women were joining men on golf courses all over America. People watched the Olympics 1952 and 1956 , and in part due to the Cold War, rivalry between countries became very fierce. Track and field athletes like Bob Mathias (decathlon) and Bobby Morrow (relay) were favorites.Sports like tennis, basketball and boxing were also popular in the fifties. Althea Gibson was the first AfricanAmerican to play in the U. S. Lawn Tennis Nationals at Forest Hills, NY. Major names in basketball

were Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson and Dolph Schayes. Another favorite, boxing, gave opportunities to great athletes, Sugar Ray Robinson and Rocky Marciano.

BOOKS Library of Congress browse area: GV

name for a biography on a specific person

- Sports. Also search under an athlete's

19451960 in fashion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (March 2012)

Elizabeth II and Minister for Repatriation Walter Cooper inAustralia, 1954. The Queen's summer suit features a fitted short-sleeved jacket with a peplum and a full skirt. The Minister wears a double-breasted suit.

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 synthetic fabrics 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.
Contents
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o o

1 General trends 1.1 The return of fashion 1.2 Casual clothing and teenage

style

o o o o o o o o o o o o

2 Womenswear 2.1 The New Look 2.2 Clothes for the space age 2.3 Sportswear 2.4 Hats and hairstyles 2.5 Maternity wear 2.6 Style gallery 19451954 2.7 Style gallery 19541960 3 Menswear 3.1 Suits 3.2 Sportswear 3.3 Hats and hairstyles 4 Decline of hats 4.1 Style gallery 19451949 4.2 Style gallery 1950s 5 Children's wear 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links

[edit]General [edit]The

trends

return of fashion

By 1947, the Paris fashion houses had reopened, and once again Paris resumed its position as the arbiter of high fashion. The "orderly, rhythmic evolution of fashion change"[1] had been disrupted by the war, and a new direction was long overdue. A succession of style trends led by Christian Dior and Cristbal Balenciaga defined the changing silhouette of women's clothes through the 1950s.Television joined fashion magazines and movies in disseminating clothing styles.[1][2]

[edit]Casual

clothing and teenage style

One result of the Post-World War II economic expansion was a flood of synthetic fabrics and easy-care processes. "Drip-dry" nylon, orlon and dacron, which could retain heat-set pleats after washing, became immensely popular.
[3]

Acrylic, polyester, triacetate and spandex were all introduced in the 1950s.[4]

Miss America contestant Yolande Betbeze wears the co-ed's uniform of a short-sleeve sweater and pencil skirt, with high heels, 1950.

Social changes went hand-in-hand with new economic realities, and one result was that many young people who would have become wage-earners early in their teens before the war now remained at home and dependent upon their parents through high school and beyond, establishing the notion of the teenage years as a separate stage of development.[4] Teens and college co-eds adopted skirts and sweaters as a virtual uniform, and the American fashion industry began to target teenagers as a specialized market segment in the 1940s.[5] In the United Kingdom, the Teddy boys of the post-war period created the "first truly independent fashions for young people",[4] favouring an exaggerated version of the Edwardian-flavoured British fashion with skinny ties and narrow, tight trousers worn short enough to show off garish socks.[4] In North America,greasers had a similar social position. Previously, teenagers dressed similarly to their parents, but now a rebellious and different youth style was being developed. Young adults returning to college under the G.I. Bill adopted an unpretentious, functional wardrobe, and continued to wear blue jeans with shirts and pullovers for general informal wear after leaving school.[6] Jack Kerouac introduced the phrase "Beat Generation" in 1948, generalizing from his social circle to characterize the underground, anti-conformist youth gathering in New York at that time. The term "beatnik" was coined by Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle in 1958,[7] and the stereotypical "beat" look of sunglasses, berets, black turtlenecks, and unadorned dark clothing provided another fashion alternative for youths of both sexes, encouraged by the marketing specialists of Madison Avenue.

[edit]Womenswear [edit]The

New Look

Tailored suit features a long pencil skirt and a fitted jacket with peplum. Photograph for Harper's Bazaar, London, 1951

Evening gown by Dior, silk taffeta, 1954. Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Natalie Wood (center, with Tab Hunter) and Louella Parsons wear ballerina-length gowns at the Academy Awards, 1956.

On February 12, 1947, Christian Dior launched the first collection of the House of Dior. The new collection went down in fashion history as the "New Look". The signature shape was characterized by a below-mid-calf length, full-skirt, pointed bust, small waist, and rounded shoulder line.[8] Resisted at first, especially in America, where fashion magazines showed padded shoulders until 1950,[1] the radical new silhouette soon became immensely popular, influencing fashion and other designers for many years to come. The "softness" of the New Look was deceptive; the curved jacket peplum shaped over a high, rounded, curved shoulders, and full skirt of Dior's clothes relied on an inner construction of new interlining materials to shape the silhouette.[9][10] Throughout the post-war period, a tailored, feminine look was prized and accessories such as gloves and pearls were popular. Tailored suits had fitted jackets with peplums, usually worn with a long, narrow pencil skirt. Day dresses had fitted bodices and full skirts, with jewel or low-cut necklines or Peter Pan collars. Shirtdresses, with a shirt-like bodice, were popular, as were halter-top sundresses. Skirts were narrow or very full, held out with petticoats; poodle skirts were a brief fad. Evening gowns were often the same length as day dresses (called "ballerina length"), with full, frothy skirts. Cocktail dresses, "smarter than a day dress but not as formal as a dinner or evening dress"[11] were worn for early-evening parties. Short shrugs and bolero jackets, often made to match lowcut dresses, were worn.[12][13]

[edit]Clothes

for the space age

From the mid-1950s, a new unfitted style of clothing appeared as an alternative to the tight waist and full skirt associated with the New Look. Spanish designer Balenciaga had shown unfitted suits in Paris as early as 1951 and unfitted dresses from 1954, and Dior showed an A-line dress in 1955, but these styles only slowly gained acceptance by the wider public.[14][15] Coco Chanel made a comeback in 1954 and an important look of the latter 1950s was theChanel suit, with a braid-trimmed cardigan-style jacket and A-line skirt. By 1957, most suits featured

lightly fitted jackets reaching just below the waist and shorter, narrower skirts. Balenciaga's clothes featured few seams and plain necklines, and following his lead chemise dresses without waist seams, either straight and unfitted or in a princess style with a slight A-line, became popular. The sleeveless, princess-line dress was called a skimmer.
[14][16]

A more fitted version was called a sheath dress.

[edit]Sportswear
New York had become an American design center during the war, and remained so, especially for sportswear, in the post-war period.[17] Women who had worn trousers on war service refused to abandon these practical garments which suited the informal aspects of the post-war lifestyle. Casual sportswear was an increasingly large component of women's wardrobes. Casual skirts were narrow or very full. In the 1950s, pants became very narrow, and were worn ankle-length. Pants cropped to mid-calf were houseboy pants; shorter pants, to below the knee, were called pedal-pushers. Shorts were very short in the early '50s, and mid-thigh length Bermuda shorts appeared around 1954 and remained fashionable through the remainder of the decade. Loose printed or knit tops were fashionable with pants or shorts. They also wore bikinis to sport training.[18] Swimsuits were one- or two-piece; some had loose bottoms like shorts with short skirts. Bikinis appeared in Europe but were not worn in America in the 1950s.[18]

[edit]Hats

and hairstyles

Hair was worn short and curled with the New Look, and hats were essential for all but the most casual occasions.
[12]

Wide-brimmed saucer hats were shown with the earliest New Look suits, but smaller hats soon predominated.

Very short cropped hairstyles were fashionable in the early '50s. By mid-decade hats were worn less frequently, especially as fuller hairstyles like the short, curly poodle cut and later bouffant and beehive became fashionable.[14]
[19]

"Beat" girls wore their hair long and straight, and teenagers adopted the ponytail, short or long.

[edit]Maternity

wear

In the 1950s, Lucille Ball was the first woman to show her pregnancy on TV.[20] [21] The television show I Love Lucy brought new attention to maternity wear. Most of the maternity dresses were two pieces with loose tops and narrow skirts. Stretch panels accommodated for the woman's growing figure. The baby boom of the 1940s to the 1950s also caused focus on maternity wear. Even international designers such as Givenchy and Norman Hartnell created maternity wear clothing lines. Despite the new emphasis on maternity wear in the 1950s maternity wear fashions were still being photographed on non-pregnant women for advertisements.[22] On September 29, 1959, the maternity panty [1] was patented which provided expansion in the vertical direction of the abdomen. The front panel of this maternity undergarment was composed of a high degree of elasticity so in extreme stretched conditions, the woman could still feel comfortable.[23]

[edit]Style

gallery 19451954

1948

1952

1952

1953

1953

1953

1953

1954

1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Actress Joan Crawford in 1948, wearing the new, longer skirts which

characterised post-war feminine fashions. Wide-legged trousers with cuffs (turn-ups) are shown with a short-sleeved,

fitted sweater, Germany, 1952. Two-piece swimsuit, 1952. Actress Lucille Ball in cropped houseboy pants at a press conference, Los

Angeles, 1953. Fashion illustration of a "corselette", showing the pointed bust and curvy

hipline of 1953. Actresses Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell wear halter-top summer dresses,

Hollywood, 1953. Actress Martha Hyer's hair is worn in a short and curly poodle cut in this

publicity photo for Sabrina, 1954.

[edit]Style

gallery 19541960

1954

Poodle skirt

1955

c. 1957

1958

1958

1958

1959

1. 2. 3.
1955.

First Lady Mamie Eisenhower in bright blue day dress, 1954. Poodle skirts were a teenage fad of the mid-1950s; this one is worn with a

cardigan sweater, saddle shoes and bobby socks. Actress Diahann Carroll wears a full-skirted dress with a small Peter Pan collar,

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Actress Marilyn Monroe in The Prince and the Showgirl wears a fitted sheath

dress with a sweetheart neckline, 1957. Short hair style, 1958 Summer dresses of 1958 are sleeveless with high, wide "boat" necklines,

Dresden. Singer Anita O'Day performing in 1958 wearing a tight-fitting sheath dress. Newspaper photo of "Miss Beatnik" contestants in Venice, California, 1959.

[edit]Menswear

Writer Truman Capote wears a pullover sweater, casual shirt, and cuffed trousers, 1959.

Elvis Presley's look especially his pompadour hairstyle was very influential in the mid-1950s. Jailhouse Rock, 1957.

[edit]Suits
Immediately after the war, men's suits were broad-shouldered and often double-breasted. As wartime restrictions on fabric eased, trousers became fuller, and were usually style with cuffs (turn-ups). In America, Esquire introduced the "Bold Look", with wide shoulders, broad lapels, and an emphasis on bold, coordinated accessories.[24][25] In Britain, clothing rationing remained in place until 1949. Demobilised soldiers were provided with a suit by the government, usually in blue or grey chalkstripes. Savile Row, the traditional home of bespoke or custom tailoring, had been heavily damaged in the Blitz and was slow to recover.[24] In 1950, Harper's Bazaar proclaimed the "Return of the Beau". Savile Row introduced the "New Edwardian Look", featuring a slightly flared jacket, natural shoulders, and an overall narrower cut, worn with a curly-brimmed bowler hat and a long slender overcoat with velvet collar and cuffs.[25][26][27] This was the style commandeered by the Teddy Boys, who added bright socks and a bootlace necktie, achieving a "dizzy combination of Edwardian dandy and American gangster."[26] The horrified tailors of Savile Row dropped the overtly Edwardian touches, but the style of business suits continued to move away from the broad English drape cut, and single-breasted two-piece suits with narrower lines and less padding in the shoulders became fashionable everywhere. Dark charcoal gray was the usual color, and the era of the gray flannel suit was born. By the later 1950s, a new Continental style of suit appeared from the fashion houses of Italy, with sharper shoulders, lighter fabrics, shorter, fitted jackets and narrower lapels.[25][28]

[edit]Sportswear
Sport coats generally followed the lines of suit coats. Tartan plaids were fashionable in the early 1950s, and later plaids and checks of all types were worn, as were corduroy jackets with leather buttons. Khaki-colored pants,

called chinos, were worn for casual occasions. Bermuda shorts, often in madras plaid, appeared in mid-decade and were worn with knee socks. Knit shirts and sweaters of various kinds were popular throughout the period.[25] Some young men wore tight trousers or jeans, leather jackets, and white tee shirts.

[edit]Hats

and hairstyles

Men's hair fashion favored the wet look, achieved by the use of products such as Brylcreem. Young men often grew their hair out and, with pomade or other hair treatments, coiffed their hair into pompadours.

[edit]Decline

of hats

In the 1960s the use of wearing hats declined.

This section requires expansion.

[edit]Style

gallery 19451949

Frank Sinatra wearing the pleated trousers fashionable in 1947.

Taking delivery of a new car, 1947.

Single-breasted summer suit with cuffed trousers and matching hat, Hot Springs National Park, 1948.

Men's and boys' casual sports clothes for 1948.

Insurance salesmen wear suits, hats, and patterned ties, Minneapolis, 1949.

[edit]Style

gallery 1950s

Double-breasted suit, New Orleans, early 1950s

Formal wear remained essentially unchanged from previous periods, but was worn less frequently.Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in formalmorning dress, 1951

Emil-Edwin Reinert, Joan Camden, and Francis Lederer in a production ofStolen Identity, Vienna, 1952. Reinert wears a broad-shouldered overcoat and scarf

Walt Disney and Werner von Braun in single-breasted two piece suits, 1954.

Belgian singers Jacques Brel and Bobbejaan Schoepen wear modified pompadour hairstyles, suits with sharply peaked lapels, and patterned ties, 1955.

Actor Chet Allen wears "wet look" hair parted on the side, 1957.

Jack Benny, former U.S. President Harry Truman, and Hans Schweiger in overcoats, 1958.

"Continental" style suits of 1959: Cary Grant in North by Northwest.

[edit]Children's

wear

Due to the baby boom, there was a high demand for clothing for children. Children's clothing began to be made to a higher quality, and some even adopted trends popular with teenagers; many boys started wearing jeans to Elementary school. Many girls' and young women's dresses were styled after those of the older women.

Child's dress, 1947

Girl's dress, 1953

Knit shirt, 1959

[edit]See

also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 1940s fashion Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 1950s fashion

Teddy boy Ducktail Dior Cristbal Balenciaga Hubert de Givenchy Jean Desses Guy Laroche Roger Vivier Norman Hartnell Charles James (designer) Hardy Amies Audrey Hepburn Grace Kelly Babe Paley

[edit]Notes

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.
Panty.

a b c

Brockman (1965), p. 54

^ Tortora & Eubank (1994), p. 414. ^ Brockman (1965), p. 75. ^

a b c d

Tortora & Eubank (1994), p. 413.

^ Tortora & Eubank (1994) p. 406 ^ Brockman (1965), p. 76. ^ Caen, Herb. San Francisco Chronicle, April 2, 1958. ^ Tortora & Eubank (2005), pp. 415420. ^ Brockman (1965), p. 53. ^ See "New Look" jacket by Dior, "New Look" suit by Hardie Amies, V&A

Museum. ^ Cumming (2010), p. 51 ^

a b

Tortora & Eubank (2005), pp. 420426.

^ See Cocktail dress by Dior with matching shrug or bolero, V&A Museum ^
a b c

Tortora & Eubank (1994), p. 427

^ See Balenciaga suit, 1954/55, V&A Museum ^ Brockman (1965), pp. 39, 50 ^ Tortora & Eubank (1994), pp. 41518 ^
a b

Tortora & Eubank (1994), pp. 42123

^ Cumming (2010), p. 163 ^ Tortora & Eubank (1994), p. 414 ^ Scholarly Article. "Celebrate Women's History Month" Rochester Democrat and

Chronicle. copyright 2008. ^ Tortora & Eubank (2005), pp. 432, 439 ^ D. L. Rosenburg. September 29, 1959. United States Patent Office. Maternity

24. 25. 26. 27. 28.

^ ^ ^

a b

Walker (1988), p. 106 Tortora & Eubank (1994), pp. 43233

a b c d

a b

Walker (1988), pp. 108109

^ See "New Edwardian"-style suit, at the V&A. ^ Walker (1988), p. 116

[edit]References
Brockman, Helen. The Theory of Fashion Design, New York: John Wiley and Sons,

1965, ISBN 0471105864,

Cumming, Valerie, C. W. Cunnington and P. E. Cunnington. The Dictionary of Fashion

History, Berg, 2010, ISBN 9781847885335

Samek, Susan M. "Uniformly Feminine: the "Working Chic" of Mainbocher." Dress 20

(1993): p. 3341.

Tortora, Phyllis G. and Keith Eubank. Survey of Historic Costume. 2nd Edition, 1994.

Fairchild Publications. ISBN 0563670038

Tortora, Phyllis G. and Keith Eubank. Survey of Historic Costume. 4th Edition, 2005.

Fairchild Publications.

Walker, Richard: The Savile Row Story, Prion, 1988, ISBN 185375000X

[edit]External

links

Patent to the Maternity Panty "The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 194757, museum exhibition". Victoria

and Albert Museum. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2008.

Dresses by Christian Dior, Indianapolis Museum of Art Children's clothing from the 1950s Examples of French fashion illustration "1940s 20th Century Fashion Drawing and Illustration". Fashion, Jewellery &

Accessories. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 2011-04-03.

"1950s 20th Century Fashion Drawing and Illustration". Fashion, Jewellery &

Accessories. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 2011-04-03.

[hide]

History of Western fashion

Ancient World

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