1950’s in fashion for women. Who did women really wear in the 1950’s ? Trends, A-line dresses and skirts, hairstyles and makeup. Where to buy them today.
In the post war period, Paris fashion decreed the so called “New Look” – a tailored, more feminine silhouette. Hourglass curves were back with cinched waists, full hips and busts returning. Skirts in the 1950’s were commonly circle or pencil skirts. Hems dropped well below the knee in either case. Christian Dior’s last major innovation prior to his death was the A-line silhouette in his 1955 collection. A more conservative, graceful look was the order of the day . For evening dresses, the ballgown was favored. Dresses had fitted bodices and the Peter Pan Collar became a major fad. Capri pants, thanks to Audrey Hepburn were a fashion fad.
Browse all the 1950’s fashion trends, season by season, as actually worn by women of the 1950’s. Find inspiration for 1950’s style dresses, full circle skirts, swimsuits and so much more. Learn where you can buy these colorful and feminine styles today.
An illustrated ode to the ubiquitous ‘brolly’ “We moved under the umbrella out of the street light, fumbling for certain footing between the tree roots. ‘Will you hold the umbrella?’ She took the imitation leather with the white stitching in her hands. ‘Kiss me.’ She leaned across the steel between us. ‘Do you think we should?’ I …
Summer style for the beach! – If you’re a vintage style fan, and summer is beckoning toward refreshing your wardrobe, then you’ll most certainly be looking for 1940s/1950s style pants, frocks and tops. Our friends at Cats Like Us have a veritable feast of clothing to choose from. We’ve picked out just a few favourites …
One-Piece Swimsuit and a big straw hat ! – Last month in his Paris salon Edward Molyneux broke a proud Paris tradition by showing a sportswear collection labelled “selected in America”. He included bathing suits and sportswear by the American designers whose 1950 summer beachwear is shown on this page. Black suits and big hats go …
Manhattan Fashion 1952 – Look Magazine – August 12th 1952 showed the 5th Avenue folks don’t often see. Hollywood actress Laraine Day along with local New York beauties, Mary Damon, Patricia Geoghegan and Brigida Dammes spent a sunny afternoon parading the latest trends in summer dresses and poodle haircuts . It’s not clear who the …
A look at the iconic Vespa scooter – No one could have predicted that a small diminutive scooter produced in 1946; inspired by the little remembered MP 5 or Paperino scooter, (used by US military to navigate around bombed out Italian streets), would become a cultural phenomenon, propel Italian street style to the forefront of world …
A look at the life of a 1950s Photo journalist – Photographer Ruth Orkin directed a little remembered docu drama in 1956 called Lovers and Lollipops. It inspired director Todd Haynes to make the Oscar winning film Carol. A prominent member of New York’s Photo League, Orkin was a pioneer in street photography. Glamourdaze takes a …
Oxfam seeks vintage style bloggers – In 2015, Oxfams online shop ad campaign featured six real Oxfam customers. This year Oxfam is calling on all vintage style bloggers. Sophie Bratt, project coordinator, encourages all those glamorous vintage blogging ladies ( & gents) who blog about their vintage passions, to enter a fabulous competition – Decades of Vintage Fashion …
Carousel Film Tribute to Paris – Anaïs Nin -“Paris intimate like a room.” Stills and Stories and a video tribute to Paris. Carousel – 140 Years of Parisian Cafe Culture – 1877 to 2015 Think of France, and you think of Parisian cafe’s, the Belle Epoch era, the paintings of Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas and Renoir, …
Fashionable swimwear accessories for 1950 – The flattering rubber headgear in these images by Loomis Dean of Life magazine, represent a new skirmish in the battle of the bathing cap manufacturers vs. Esther williams. Miss Williams some time ago depressed the industry by proving a woman with wet hair was in fact ” still beautiful”, …
Brief History of Sunglasses in Fashion – By the 1930’s, basking in the sun had become such a norm, that the wearing of sunglasses naturally became a real fashion accessory. We explore the history of sunglasses through the 20th century. The classic tortoise shell framed and tinted sunglasses of the 1930’s were worn by many …