Fabulous 1950s pat-

terns; elegance with

full flattering skirt

dresses and the

vavavoom halter top

dresses a la Marilyn

Monroe, to the classic

pencil skirt suits.

1950’s FASHION

AUTHOR PAGE

HISTORIC EVENTS OF THE 1950s

The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31,

1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century. By its end, the world had largely recovered

from World War II and the Cold War developed from its modest beginning in the late 1940s to a hot com-

petition between the United States and the Soviet Union by the beginning of the 1960s.

Clashes between communism and capitalism dominated the decade, especially in the Northern Hemi-

sphere. The conflicts included the Korean War in the beginnings of the decade and the beginning of the

Space Race with the launch of Sputnik I. Along with increased testing of nuclear weapons (such as RDS-

37 and Upshot-Knothole), this created a politically conservative climate. In the United States, the Red

Scare (fear of communism) caused public Congressional hearings by both houses in Congress and anti-

communism was the prevailing sentiment in the United States throughout the decade (this is what primar-

ily led the country to intervene in the Korean War and later the Vietnam War). The beginning of decoloni-

zation in Africa and Asia occurred in this decade and accelerated in the following decade, the 1960s.

POPULAR CULTURE

Popular Culture in the 50's can be captured in just a few words which speak volumes. "The Cold War",

"Baby Boomers" , "Korea" , "The Red Scare",. This was the decade where people built Bomb Shelters, had

babies and the news was filled with what the reds were doing or going to do.

Some of the Most Well Known Movie Stars of the Fifties

Gary Cooper

Bing Crosby

Bob Hope

John Wayne

James Stewart

Frank Sinatra

Marilyn Monroe

William Holden

50s Music

The other important change was in how teenagers were viewed up until the 50's teenagers were just chil-

dren and were treated as such the 50's and future decades changed that where teenagers became an impor-

tant section of society when politicians and others realized teenagers would very quickly become voters and

consumers and a new generation of pop stars including Elvis Presley were created whose main target audi-

ence was teenagers.

As the radio had done in the 20's providing the masses with news and entertainment so the TV did in the

fifties originally broadcasting in black and white but later in color.

This was also a time of great affluence after the depression years and the World Wars consumerism took off

in a big way which in turn created jobs and wealth and a circle of growth.

Following on from black men joining the forces and fighting for their country , a change was needed to

treat this section of society equally " they had fought for their country " and should be treated as equals, and

the battle for civil rights began..The frozen "french fries" were invented by the JR Simplot company in the

early 50's and up till the time McDonalds still peeled, cut and prepared fries on the premises

A common name termed for people born in the 50's are the baby boomers . ( after the depression in the

30's and the world war in the 40's ) people felt confident enough to have children and an explosion in the

population occurred.

ART MOVEMENTS

In the early 1950s Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning were enormously influential. However by the

late 1950s Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko's paintings became more in focus to the next generation.

Pop Art used the iconography of television, photography, comics, cinema and advertising. With its roots

in dadaism, it started to take form towards the end of the 1950s when some European artists started to make

the symbols and products of the world of advertising and propaganda the main subject of their artistic work.

This return of figurative art, in opposition to the abstract expressionism that dominated the aesthetic scene

since the end of World War II was dominated by Great Britain until the early 1960s when Andy Warhol, the

most known artist of this movement began to show Pop Art in galleries in the United States.

D

DESIGN MOVEMENTS

1950s fashion, like all fashion, reflected the fears and aspirations of its time. Two decades of

deprivation and struggle were relieved by the threat of global nuclear war. Wartime restrictions and

rations were removed, disappearing for most by the mid-1950s; in America, and parts of Europe, a

new prosperity blossomed out of the ashes. After the nightmare of the past twenty years, many peo-

ple preferred the safety of conformism. Looking, and acting, like everyone else felt secure.

Fashion in the fifties brought glamour to austerity Britain. Women adopted the New Look of

Christian Dior. In the mid fifties, Chanel's simple suit provided an alternative and created a much

copied fashion that lasted well into the sixties. When Rock'n'roll came along, young girls stopped

looking like their mothers and adopted a more youthful look.

1950s fashion was an integral part of this push. Unlike the boxy silhouettes of rationed 1940s

uniforms, 1950s fashions emphasized fragile femininity, in the form of soft shoulders, stiletto heels,

wrist-length gloves and full, billowing skirts. Even working women's outfits hinted at fragility, with

pencil-slim skirts and little hats with veil and feathers.

The "New Look" for 1950s women actually originated in the 1940s, with Christian Dior's semi-

nal collection called Corolle. This collection contrasted the austere, "make do and mend" aesthetic

of 1940s fashion with full skirts, soft shoulders, and a tight waist, emphasizing the bust and the

hourglass-shaped figure.

TECHNOLOGY

There were some new technologies in the fifties. Television was just one of them. In 1950 Paper

Mate made it's first leak free ball point pen. The first copy machine was made 1950 also. The

Chevrolet Corvette becomes the first car to have a all-fiberglass body in 1953. In 1954 Bell Tele-

phone labs produce solar battery. In 1954 you could get a yard of contact paper for only 59 cents.

Polypropylene was invented in 1954 . In 1955 Jonas Salk invented a polio vaccine which was given

to more than seven million American students. In 1956 a solar powered wrist watch was invented.

A surprise came in 1957; a 184 pound satellite was launched by the Russians. They named it Sput-

nik 1. The space race begins 4 months later the United States launch a smaller satellite. In 1958 the

first plastic Coke bottle appeared.

COLLOR PALETTE

These Atomic Age era color palettes are quite bright compared to earlier browns, grays,

and more subdued combinations. Not as vivid and eye-popping as what was to come in the

Sixties, this era still had its share of bright pinks, seafoam green, and chartreuse. Reds leaned

toward orange or pink while blues were closer to cyan.

FASION ICON AUDREY HEPBURN

Audrey Hepburn is one of the most famous fashion icons of the last century and her sim-

ple yet fabulous sense of style is admired to this day.

Audrey loved simple cuts with clean cut lines that showed off her gorgeous tall and slim

figure. She was very different from the curvy Marylin Monroe and Lauren Bacall that came

before and all the top designers loved to dress her doll-like body.

THE KEY TO HER LOOK?

I think that’s the key to the Audrey Look; let yourself shine through. I admit many times

I go the opposite way; more for the sake of more. And I think that’s alright. It’s my own

look, which I love. But every once in awhile I like to embrace my Inner Aubrey. What

about you?