Glitz and glamour, two words that can be associated with 50’s dresses. This decade saw a resurgence in the fashion industry as people began to be more interested in clothes again after the Second World War. Young people began to develop their own fashion trends and many of the clothes designed throughout the 50’s began to shine as luxurious fabrics began to be used again.
Bright colours and dazzling patterns were the order of the day, which could be easily seen from the 50’s day dresses and 50’s evening dresses that were popular at the time. Design wise, many of the women’s styles followed an hourglass shape with a small waistline, fuller skirts, and high heels. These shapes can be seen in full effect with such examples as a 1950’s Dyanne day dress or a 1950’s Petiteen day dress.
Many of the evening dresses from the 1950’s followed a slender silhouette. The majority of these 1950’s evening dresses had small waists and were of a longer length. Alongside the traditional blacks and dark greys, bright colours shone through. Designs such as a vintage 1950’s Ricci Michaels of Mayfair gown or a 1950’s Hawaiian bombshell dress are extremely good examples of this.
Around the mid 50’s, designs began to change. The ‘A’ line skirt began to become popular, as did looser fitting ‘sack’ dresses. Women’s suits started to follow a more boxy appearance as characterised by the obligatory Chanel suit. These suits were collarless, had a contrasting trim and small pockets with contrast buttons.
Movies in the 1950’s helped shape women’s choices in dresses. Influential actresses of this decade such as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe, all became style icons that were emulated universally. Music too, played its part as the 1950’s bore the age of rock and roll. This led to American fashion styles being worn here in the UK by young people who wanted to achieve the distinctive look.
1950’s style can be just as wearable today as it was in its heyday. The right combination or inclusion of key pieces of period vintage clothing can extra that little extra pizzazz to your existing wardrobe or if desired, why not opt for the full look and buy a full 1950’s vintage outfit such as an evening dress or 1950’s vintage dress. The important thing to remember is that whatever items you choose, your individual style should shine through.
Why settle for what the high street has to offer when you can grab a slice of history instead. After all, those gorgeous 1950’s actor’s iconic status remains today so why not go for the look yourself and dazzle your friends with some 1950’s glamour.