The Clothing For Teenagers in the 1950s

Teens in the 1950s took risks and set trends with their clothing.

Prior to the 1950s, the closets of most teens closely resembled those of their parents. With the '50s came a style revolution characterized by the rise of individuality among young men and women and a loosening of parental control. The fashions of the 1950s pushed the envelope worldwide and continues to have a strong influence on style today.

Evolving Silhouettes

In the early '50s, teens wore full, swingy skirts in felt, cotton and wool. The popular "poodle skirt," which had the image of a poodle appliquéd on the fabric, was popular at that time. To make the shape more pronounced, stiff crinoline petticoats were worn underneath. By the mid-'50s, the hooded dress became a trend. This dress hugged the hips and clung to the body, showing off the female figure. The '50s also saw the introduction of the bikini. The two-piece bathing suit was the rage with teens, much to the chagrin of their parents.

Accessories

The '50s brought with it a more controversial accessory, the stiletto. Italian shoe makers began making stilettos, which means "little dagger," in the early 1950s. These shoes were produced in heights of up to three inches. With movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren and well-known designers like Christian Dior advocating this new style of shoe, the potential health risks they imposed were of little concern to teens and women desperate to get their hands on a pair.

Male Fashions

Young men of the era wore baggy-styled pegged pants. These pants were roomy through the hip and leg and narrow at the ankle, often with a sharp crease. Men also cuffed or rolled the bottoms of their jeans. Fashion-teen boys began wearing the color pink. Pink tones showed up in their shirts, either full-on or in the patterns, and ties. As a direct contrast to the pink trend, the "greaser" look also became popular. This entailed the wearing of leather jackets and fitted, often wrinkled, dark denim jeans.

Beatniks

The popularity of rock and roll brought forth the beatnik trend. The beatnik style consisted, for women, of an all-black wardrobe in form-fitting fabrics that accentuated and pronounced the female physique. This was also the beginning of the rise of hemlines. Men donned dark-colored pants and skintight turtlenecks, also in dark tones. The absence of color and a minimalist appearance was in direct relation to the ominous tone and lyrics of the music and poetry of the time.

References

• "America in the 1950s"; Edmund Lindop with Sarah Decapua; 2010
• The Mid-Atlantic Region; Robert P. Marzec; 2004