Sock Hop Fashions of the 1950s and 1960s

Sock hops offer dancers a chance to return to the past, even if only for a short time.

Teens in the 1950s and 1960s danced to rock 'n' roll and slow ballads. Sock hops, dances held in gyms where participants were stripped of shoes to protect wooden gym floors from damage, were the rage in both decades. Making the scene at sock hops involved careful dressing selections, even though the dance was usually a casual affair. Modern sock hops still require selective dressing to get the look just right.

Women's Dressy Styles

A swing dress with a tight bodice, scooped neckline and full skirt that sways on the dance floor fits the formal style for both the 1950s and 1960s hops. Pearl necklaces and spectator pumps, with a cutout to reveal your toes, were popular accessories for 1950s sock hop princesses, even when the shoes were left at the door to protect the gym floor. If you want to dress in an early 1960s style, slip on a sheath dress with a straight skirt, and bring along a pair of flat princess shoes to substitute for your heels to maintain the retro look.

Women's Casual Styles

Dressing in the 1950s and early 1960s was more formal, even for casual wear. Even though most women didn't wash the kitchen floor in dresses and pearls as television shows portrayed, some women did wear casual skirts for dancing at sock hops. Skirts decorated with appliques of poodle dogs and sweater sets, a short-sleeve sweater with a matching cardigan in the same color, were all the rage in the 1950s and early 1960s. If you're looking for the poodle skirt, sweater set and saddle shoe look, accent your ensemble with a pair of pearls and a small scarf tied on the side of the neck.

Men's Formal Hop Style

Men's formal sock hop fashions featured two-piece suits with narrow lapels, white long-sleeved shirts and thin ties made from a popcorn-style cotton knit. If you're looking for a 1950s more-formal look for your dance ensemble, add cuffs to the suit pant legs. For the early 1960s-inspired suit, locate pants without the cuffs. Dancing shoes for this ensemble included hard-soled shoes with leather or suede tops. Loafers were a popular fashion for both the 1950s and 1960s, but the baggier suits of the 1950s were worn with wide ties and two-tone, laced shoes, with suede or leather uppers. Mix and match your modern hop fashions with shoes and formal clothes for an interesting style.

Men's Casual Sock Hop Style

Baggy blue jeans with a tight cuff made from the rolled jean bottom or chino slacks with cuffs met the standards of casual hip in the 1950s. Chinos were still high casual style in the 1960s, although the cut of jeans transformed into more stove pipe-shaped legs. Sweaters with cable designs and multicolor argyle sweaters with diamond patterns were styling wear for both decades. Ultra casual men's sock hop dressing included a madras-plaid shirt, with short or long sleeves, and a pair of baggy jeans. Modern dancers can add some saddle shoes or some retro high-top sneakers. Switch out the high tops for slip ons when planning a 1960s look.

References

• "New York"; Fashion; Slideshow: 30 Modern Spins on "Mad Men" Style; July 23, 2010
• "Los Angeles Times"; "Mad Men" Style; Stephanie Lysaght
• Lone Star College-Kingwood: American Cultural History, 1950-1959
• "1950s Fashion Print"; Marnie Fogg; 2011
• "50s Fashion: Vintage Fashion & Beauty Ads"; Jim Heimann & Laura Schooling; 2007
• "Costume & Fashion Source Books"; The 1950s & 1960s; Anne Rooney; 2009

Resources

• Albuquerque Official City Website; Fashions in 1950s