Essay On 1950's Fashion Trends

As with any conflict, the postwar world can be drastically different to the world that existed during the war. The fashion trends that existed during the war were typically aimed at practicality in the workplace. Furthermore, the rationing during the war led to a decline in fabrics and clothing availability, so the fashion industry was not significant during this time. Gradually, as World War II ended, the trends begin to be less practical and focused more on overall appearance. Women’s clothing in particular began to be burdened with excess fabric, collars, petticoats, pleats, gatherings, and other fabrics. Some of these fabrics included velvet, tulle, silk, satin, cotton, wool, polyester, and elastic. Women began to attempt to achieve a specific …show more content…
Also, the feminine blouse was essential to the wardrobe of a woman during the 1950s. Hats were also a necessity for well dressed women within this time period as well as for men. For men, however, the fashion was stable throughout the 1950s as they continued to wear suits, sport coats, sweaters, and casual wear in similar fabrics. The colors of these clothes generally stayed within the range of dark blue, brown, and charcoal. Throughout the 1950s, conservative fashion was prominent for women, but a few less conservative styles were gaining popularity. Catalogs towards the beginning of the 1950s were geared towards older women, but the end of the decade greets the teenage scene as illustrated in these catalogs. Furthermore, the woman’s closet must be extensive as to showcase her husband’s success. Since women were pushed back into the homes as mothers, they had to focus their time on their appearance. There was casual clothing that existed for women, but this clothing was not to be worn in public or around the husband. This stigma around having a “perfect appearance” eventually turned out to be devastating, as many youth began to wear more revealing clothing towards the end of the