1950s Fashion History and 1950s Costume Guides

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1950s Fashion History

Learn all about 1950s fashion history and how to dress in 1950s style clothing and costumes. Our articles are here to help you create an authentic or vintage inspired 1950s costume for both women and men. The 1950s was a decade where perfect housewives wore full skirt dresses, husbands donned suits and fedora hats and the teenagers danced to Rock n Roll in poodle skirts at sock hops. The fifties style is popular again with vintage clothing collectors, pin ups and Rockabilly trend setters. Whether dressing up for a 1950s themed event, finding a costume for a play, or doing research for a book these articles should help you create the fifties fashion look.

Retro Tiki, Tropical, Hawaiian Style Dresses

Ever since WWII ended in the 1940s, Hawaiian print shirts, sarong dresses, and tropical flowers have been popular fashion wear. Men and Women of the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s hosted pool side "Tiki" parties complete with tropical drinks with little pi...

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February 17, 2017

Vintage Socks | 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s History

Socks are often overlooked or disregarded as items of little importance. Indeed, socks are hardly perceived as garments of glamour. Despite this, however unimportant they appear; attitudes towards socks has shifted throughout the twentieth century. In part...

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January 31, 2017

1950s Handbags, Purses, and Evening Bag Styles

As bags and purses had established their purpose as an essential accessory during the 1940s, the importance of their role continued to progress into the following decade. By the 1950s, it was generally accepted that women would complete their attire with a...

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January 26, 2017

A History of Belts 1920-1960

This article will explore a history of belts 1920-1960. Here I will showcase popular styles, materials, and the way in which belts were generally utilized and included as a fashion accessory. A History of Belts 1920-1960 Whilst belts can be an ...

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November 23, 2016

Men’s Vintage Workwear – 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

Lately I have received quite a few questions about men's vintage workwear from the 1920s to the 1950s. Readers want to know what types of clothing were worn to work as farmers, mechanics, groundskeepers, railroad men, delivery drivers and other labor inten...

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November 8, 2016

1950s Fabrics & Colors in Fashion

Manufacturing processes improved greatly in the 1940s so much that ready-to-wear clothing was almost as affordable as fabric alone. The need and desire to sew clothing at home significantly decreased in the 1950s. For those who still chose to sew their own clo...

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October 25, 2016

1950s Menswear Clothing & Fashion Ideas

If you think of 1950s menswear clothing ideas, your mind may immediately conjure up images of rebellious young men in leather biker jackets with greased up pompadour hairstyles. A time where everybody looked like The Fonz, Danny from Grease or James Dean. Well...

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October 20, 2016

Vintage Scarf Styles -1920s to 1960s

Today we take a look at vintage scarf styles in spring and summer weights and how they were worn through each decade 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Later this year we will learn about winter weight scarves and accessories. Vintage scarves have be...

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September 6, 2016

Men’s 1950s Shoes Styles- Classics to Saddles to Rockabilly

The 1950s expanded on the trend of “American informal” fashion. This comfortable new look encouraged everything from hats to shoes to slim down, loosen up and mix up color and texture. For men's 1950s shoes that meant classic men’s footwear such as ...

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August 29, 2016

1950s Shoe Styles: Heels, Flats, Sandals, Saddles Shoes

Fashion in the 1950s brought the world out of the conservative war years and into the dazzling '50s. Dresses were bigger, accessories richer, hairstyles taller, and shoes....well plainer. With so much new emphasis on the rest of women's fashion, 1950s shoe...

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August 22, 2016

1930-1950s Western Wear for Women and Men

Western wear. Denim jeans, plaid shirts, cowboy boots and hats. The look hasn't changed much in the last 100 years but there was a time in the mid century where practical western wear met mainstream fashion and created new styles. It is a part of fashion histo...

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August 17, 2016

1950s Separates: Bottoms

Last week we looked at 1950s separates: shirts, sweaters and coats. This week we need to look at the other half: bottoms. For women the diversity of 1950s bottoms could be a skirt, pair of pants or shorts in various lengths. For men, pants were worn year round...

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August 4, 2016

1950s House Dresses and Aprons History

Simple 1950s house dresses were the daytime uniform of the dutiful housewife. Complete with coordinated handmade apron, she set about her day running her home. There was no need to fancy fabrics, big collars or elaborate trim on a house dress covered up by an ...

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July 19, 2016

1950s Jewelry Styles and Trends to Wear Again

Today we carry on our study of 1950s fashion history with a look at 1950s jewelry styles and trends throughout the decade. In the 1950s, costume jewelry enjoyed a global boom in popularity. Jewelry designs were clean, colorful, ornate, and coordinated to an ou...

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July 14, 2016

Men’s 1950s Clothing History: Casual Fashion

Part two of our look at men's 1950s clothing and fashion leaves the dull grey of the workplace behind and enters the vibrant casual clothing world. Read part 1 about men's 1950s business attire here. During the ‘50s, leisurewear for men became very po...

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July 1, 2016

1950s Men’s Fashion History for Business Attire

In the 1950s, men's fashion experienced a new paradigm shift. As always inspired by the youth, but even more so inspired by American casualness. Across the pond, all eyes were looking at American men for clothing designs that embraced the 4 C's: color, com...

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June 22, 2016

1950s Fashion History: Women’s Clothing

Today we start a new series all about 1950s fashion. I have written a number of articles on 1950s women's fashion already, but now it's time to pull them all together, add the missing elements, and explore menswear, too. Let us begin with an ove...

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June 13, 2016

1950s Vintage Inspired Accessories

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of changing the style of an outfit, is through the use of accessories. Today I shall be looking at 1950s vintage inspired accessories, and where to find them. Accessories have always played a key role in t...

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June 6, 2016

1950s Shorts History | Summer Clothing

The 1950s decade was the first that embraced women wearing shorts for more than just beach wear or for pinup girls. Women's 1950s shorts came in several lengths and styles to fit a variety of leisure activities women enjoyed. The shortest length was the sh...

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May 12, 2016

1950s Inspired Fashion: Recreate the Look

Continuing with our Recreate the Look series, today I will show you some of the key styles of the 1950s, and how to recreate the looks using 1950s inspired fashion clothing of today. The 1950s heralded in an era of great change. At the beginning of the deca...

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May 10, 2016

Authentic Natural 1950s Makeup History and Tutorial

With the American baby boom and a significant number of women joining the professional workforce in the 1950s, wealth grew and with it the need to keep up with a moving and growing society. The 1950s makeup cosmetic industry exploded with mega br...

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February 9, 2016

1950s Saddle Shoes

Looking for 1950's shoes? You are probably imaging wearing black and white shoes most associated with young girls and teens wearing poodle skirts or young men ripping it up on the dance floor with the new Rock 'n Roll swing. These classic style fifties sho...

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January 4, 2016

Vintage Sweaters: 1940s, 1950s, 1960s Pictures

Part two of this series of vintage sweaters continues with the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. These three decades were a time of refinement and embellishment for the plain sweater that had been in fashion since the 1900s. Sweaters in the 1930s moved from sportswe...

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October 21, 2015

Q&A: 1950s Hostess Gown Pant Set

Question: I have a friend who is getting married and looking for a specific style for her wedding dress. She want's a split skirt with capris underneath like something Lucy wore. We weren't even sure that look had a name to know what to search fo...

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May 8, 2015

1950s Fashion History

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