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 Women's fashion from 1945-1960 is typified by nylon, petticoats, fuller skirts (or later, the hourglass silhouette), more feminine styles and often the projection of a "cheerful, happy" persona in advertising and media. When the French fashion houses reopened after World War II, Dior introduced the "New Look" silhouette. Because war restrictions on textiles ceased, the New Look silhouette included longer skirts, either full or fitted. Emphasis on the waist and soft shoulder lines also marked Dior's influence at this time.[1] In, until hemlines began to rise and a more futuristic egg-type silhouette began to appear in 1958.
[edit] 1950sFollowing World War II, fashion experienced some changes. The short-skirt, wide-shouldered silhouettes of the 1940’s were replaced by hourglass silhouettes. Women in the fifties dressed smartly. A tailored, feminine look was prized and accessories such as gloves and pearls were also popular. While older women tended to opt for narrow skirts called pencil skirts, younger girls often wore wide, ‘swing’ skirts, which had many forms like the poodle skirt. Popular as well were Peter Pan collars, shirt dresses (a long shirt usually cinched at the waist with a narrow belt), bolero jackets, short haircuts and towards the end of the decade large, bouffant hairstyles. In men’s fashion, the suits became narrower, hats were losing popularity, plaid, khaki pants and short, post-military haircuts were common. [edit] Teenage fashion
By the end of the decade mass-manufactured, off-the-peg clothing had become much more popular than in the past, granting the general public unprecedented access to fashionable styles.   In the 1960s, pop culture was more focused on teenagers and their interests, including rock n roll. Youth fashions influenced the fashion industry. In the UK, the Teddy boy became both a style icon and an anti-authoritarian figures, whilst 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. Rock and Roll gave people the freedom to dress with more individuality. This was particularly noticeable in the overtly sexual nature of their dress. Some young men wore tight trousers, leather jackets, and tee shirts; these men often grew their hair out and, with pomade or other hair treatments, coiffed their hair into pompadours. Men's hair fashion favored the wet look, achieved by the use of products such as Brylcreem. Young women and older teenage girls usually wore their hair cut short and upswept from the forehead in imitation of their favourite film stars, while the younger teens tied their hair back in a ponytail and wore a short fringe (bangs). The beehive was also very popular from 1958 until the mid-1960s. Beatniks with their stereotypical sunglasses, berets, black turtlenecks, and unadorned dark clothing provided another fashion alternative for youths of both sexes. [edit] Maternity WearIn the 1950s, Lucille Ball was the first woman to show her pregnancy on TV.[2][3] 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 Miguel Dorian, 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.[4] On September 29, 1959, the maternity panty [2]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.[5] Teenagers were the driving force behind fashion in the 1950s. Up until that time, clothing trends had largely been set by fashion houses that catered to the adult market and the dress style of young people had simply followed adult fashions. As cinema, television and rock 'n' roll swept the world, however, the youth market clambered to copy the 'style of the stars'. Teenage fashion quickly developed into a huge industry in its own right. During this period, teenagers also had increased buying power. Newly-affluent parents could now afford to give their teenagers generous pocket money, much of which was spent on acquiring the latest fashions. [edit] Children's wearDue 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, but never after any of the styles considered to be in any way suggestive at that time. [edit] Image gallery
[edit] References
Samek, Susan M. "Uniformly Feminine: the "Working Chic" of Mainbocher." Dress 20 (1993): 33-41. [edit] External Links
[edit] See also
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