The Role Of Fashion In The 1950's

There may be nothing more iconic than 50’s fashion. Even to this day it is remembered as one of the most attractive and cool styles to every come around. “Once WWII ended and the rationing ended, a new availability of types of fabrics and quantities of these fabrics allowed a new type of fashion to bloom during the fifties, especially in the United States.” (thepeoplehistory.com) The fifties marked the biggest consumerist boom in U.S. history and the fashion reflected that. Americans had an excess of wealth and resources that they expressed vibrantly in their clothing. Women’s clothes during this era would be made of new and exotic materials and have bright and intricate patterns. Women also wore fluffy overcoats and and neat tight hairstyles. …show more content…
With all the men back from war and the women back to being housewives, women became the managers of the household. With the extreme consumerism of the 1950’s and all the wifes purchasing goods for their households, most of the marketing was aimed at them. “Even descriptions of men’s clothing indicated the momen would most likely be choosing the clothing for their husbands.” (thepeoplehistory.com) With such a heavy focus on women in marketing, the media began to fabricate what a women should look like. This was one of the earliest instances of beauty standards for women. Along with creating standards for women, the new 50’s style split appart adult and children's clothing. The gap in between was filled with teenage clothing. (thepeoplehistory.com) With teen clothing, everything from rebellious motorcycle jackets to tighter skirts and dresses flooded the high school proms. To sum it all up, the fifties were a time of great change in fashion due to the heavy consumerism and conformity