1950s Costumes
Welcome to 1950s Costumes! This is your one-stop source for great outfits from this fabulous decade of iconic fashion. Click any or all of the links below to start browsing.
The decade offers so many options for great outfits.... you can get poodle skirts costumes also known as sock hop attire as well as the black leather of the greaser costumes. The first full decade after the Second World War saw the rise of numerous trends including the emergence of the teenager as a distinct demographic group and teen culture, which gave us these enduring icons such as the Sock Hop.
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The 1950s also saw major fashion trends influenced both by film and television and by major movie stars and celebrities. Hence we see the popularity of Marilyn Monroe costumes and the platinum blond wig to complete the outfit. Another favorite is the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis costumes.
Also associated with this era of 1950s Fashions, great for costumes is the "Sweater girl" as sweaters became a fashion item; elaborately decorated with sequins and beads and luxury furs, and the sweaters themselves made of wool, lambswool, cashmere or mohair. Leather became a popular fabric, for coats, jackets and pants. Swing coats or car coats were also popular. For men, the ubiquitous fedora was a fashion must.
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The 1950s saw the rise of the teenager, and distinctive teen culture and fashion. Perhaps one of the most iconic images from the 1950s is the poodle skirt costume. It is made of felt, and is generally of a solid color. Giving it its name is the large design placed on the skirt, usually a poodle, although other images were used. It is also known as the full circle skirt and is still popular both in modern reproductions as well as the vintage styles.
Another iconic image endemic to teen culture brings us the Greaser Costume. It was made more popular thanks to the movie and musical Grease. Originally inspired by the slicked back hair (hence "grease"), white T-shirts, cuffed blue jeans and iconic black motorcycle jacket -- the Schott One Star worn by Marlon Brando in "The Wild One"
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And of course, the teens had their hangouts, notably the soda fountain where one found a cuisine of cheeseburgers, fries, Coca-Cola, root beer floats and milkshakes which brings us the Car Hop Costume.
No poodle skirt is complete without the bobbie socks. Be sure to pick up the black and white saddle shoes for your costume, that are so characteristic of the era. White shoes with black contrast, stitched to the sole; the shoes are commonly available in contemporary reproductions. Other accessories you can buy are the cat eye glasses.
Hitmakers of the decade who sold millions of 45 RPM and LP records included such music icons as Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Classic crooners included Frank Sinatra known for their stylish suits and satin lapel tuxedos.
TV shows included such era-defining classics as American Bandstand, I Love Lucy, The Donna Reed Show, Dragnet, Ed Sullivan Show, Frank Sinatra Show, Gunsmoke, My Friend Flicka, Red Skelton Show, Perry Mason, Hopalong Cassidy and many more. A few 1950s TV programs, such as the Tonight Show and Meet the Press, continue to be popular today. Daytime dramas, or soap operas began, notably As the World Turns and Edge of Night.
Marilyn Monroe is an icon in the era, with unforgettable appearances such as in "The Seven Year Itch" and in particular the scene in which she is seen in a white dress, its skirt billowing in the breeze created by an underground subway train.
The Fifties saw the Golden Age of Hollywood continuing, in spite of competition from television. Other iconic stars of the silver screen included, Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Tony Curtis, James Dean, Cary Grant, Charlton Heston, William Holden, Gene Kelly, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, and Elizabeth Taylor. Learn more about the movie stars whose unique styles set fashion trends for clothing and accessories. Hula hoops were also popular.
You can find a wide variety of 1950s costume wigs and hairstyles, including the pompadour that King of Rock and Roll Elvis made famous. The platinum blonde Marilyn wig is also a favorite. You can make a child's poodle skirt . Fashion followed music and so rockabilly gave rise to rockabilly dresses.
Those long ago Eisenhower years, and the postwar prosperity and its imprint upon pop culture and collective memory have long been fascinating to many. It looks in retrospect like a simpler and more innocent era, the conservative years before the explosive trends and revolutions of the Sixties. The "scandalous" rock and roll seems quite playful and fun loving looking back many decades. Perhaps it is that enduring image and perception of a less caustic society that we see, glimpsed through newsreels, movies and early TV shows.
So, yes, the decade is classic for costumes and fashion...nostalgia reigns supreme when you have such great fashions from which to choose! Whether it is Halloween or a 50s Theme Party you can find a wealth of information and resources to help you in constructing or purchasing the ideal 950s Costumes!
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