1950's Fashion Trends

The innovation of the fashion styles throughout the years have drastically shifted into a newer and a more modified way to live. Every concept takes a change throughout the course of it’s lifetime. However, fashion is something that brings out a new concept with the same undertones to keep it all tied in. Styles become old fashion and then brought back into style overtime. Though some may favor a certain decade’s fashion more than others, each has a special concept that becomes iconic with a specific style and design. The 1950s and 1960s striked a new way to live by women wearing more makeup and revealing clothing styles. By the 1970s and 1980s, women learned how to be more bold and create their own styles without following the vogue-go-to

This paper will cover all of the decades from 1950 to1999, showing all of the different styles and fashion trends for women that became the most popular during those times.

Marking the middle of the century, the early 1950s was known as “post war” era (Kamal). During this time the decade was marked as an economic boom with a giant push toward consumerism. It renewed itself and discovered new poise and elegant styles. There was a new body figure that was to be discovered and that was the tiny waist, visible curves, long legs, and a close hip line. Tiny waists and visible curves returned, the elusive beauty was back (Watson 78). Women wore elegance like if it was their name, leaving no visible mistakes on their body. Women felt they had a little more freedom when it came to their clothing choice, whereas in previous decades women were obligated to show nothing more than their knees. The first

The early 1960s was known to be “the age of counterculture”(Kamal). It was slightly reminiscent of the 1950s style, conservative, restrained and classic in design (Phipps). Well fitted dresses with a wide-brimmed hat similarly resembling the previous decade’s fashion, were still worn a number of times by women in the early 1960s. However, not until the mid 60s was the stlye the exact opposite of earlier in the year. It took three years for the 1960s to start swinging (Watson 92). There was a hippie counterculture that rejected conformity and the movement was spreading throughout California. Starting in 1966, it was said to be bipolar in every way because of its bright vibrant colors, psychedelic tie dye swirls, long hair, and “flower power”. People rebelled against consumerism and started to wear handmade clothing. Dresses were made from every conceivable material - from paper to plastic discs, outrageous eyelashes were worn, and hair was cut at obtuse angles (Watson 100). The “Page Boy” haircut was indulged by women and was the trending hairstyle of the 60s that swept across the face, circled the brow, and exposed one eye. As makeup went from haughty to baby looks, the women started to wear revealing short skirts above the knee, deeply plunged neckline blouses, along with vinyl knee high boots which caused mixed emotions everywhere. One outfit that sparked a lot of attention was the discovery of the catsuit, which was a jumpsuit for women