Teddy Boys in the 1950s paved the way for future generations when they made it acceptable for young, working class men to care about fashion and style.

In the early 1950s, groups of young men in Britain started dressing in clothes styled on the Edwardian period. Christened `Teddy Boys´ by a newspaper headline at the time, the name stuck and the first British teenage subculture was born. The Teddy Boy subculture started in London in the early 1950s, and soon spread to cities across the United Kingdom.

A tailored drape jacket was the cornerstone of Teddy Boy style. Often cut from a wool fabric with a contrasting velvet collar, variations in style were common and served as a way of identifying various sub-groups within the Teddy Boy movement. Jackets were always worn with drainpipe trousers, a smart shirt and narrow `Slim Jim´ tie.

Teddy Boy suits were not usually made or sold by traditional menswear outlets, so Teddy Boys had to either have their suits custom made by tailors or shop at outlets which specialised in American imports. Given that Teddy Boys were mainly young working class men, buying a new suit would often require either months of saving or splitting the payments into weekly instalments.

Suede shoes with crepe soles were the footwear of choice, often worn with coloured socks as another way of showing allegiance to a particular Teddy Boy group. As well as fashion and clothing, a lot of attention was also paid to hairstyles. Although Teddy Boys liked to experiment with different looks, the most widely adopted was a carefully sculpted quiff with long sideburns, combed sides and `duck´s arse´ wave at the back.

In the early 1950s, Teddy Girl fashion broke the mould at a time when femininity and glamour were very much the mainstream look. Girls out with their Teddy Boy boyfriends could sometimes be spotted wearing trousers, shirts and thin velvet ties. Some even sported short quiffed hairstyles, although ponytails and long hair were more common. As the decade progressed, American-inspired circle skirts and dresses became popular and grew to typify the female rock `n´ roll look.

Given that the post-war era was the first time many young working class men had a disposable income, older generations scorned the Teddy Boys for spending hard-earned cash on fashion and clothes. The Teddy Boys were also criticised for their behaviour, although mild outbreaks of fighting and petty violence were often exaggerated by the media. The Teddy Boys hung out at dance halls and cafés listening to music, and became closely associated with American rock `n` roll.

Dressing in a Teddy Boy style gave young people a shared identity, enabling them to express their personality and lifestyle through their clothes. The Teddy Boys were the first group of young people to differentiate themselves from older generations by their style of dress, setting a precedent that is still followed today.

With the war over, beauty and makeup trends in the 1950s saw a return to femininity and glamour.

While many women had donned overalls to work in factories during the war, many found themselves back in the role of housewife and mother when the 1950s came along. Women were advised to dress-up and look good for their husbands, while single women were told to leave no stone unturned in their search for a man.

This new emphasis on femininity heavily influenced beauty trends and styles, as did the increased amount of time and money women had to spend on looking good. The arrival of colour films also had a big impact on beauty in the 1950s, as cinema-goers were treated to close-up images of glamorous film stars like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.

Emulating the glamour and perfection of these stars was all the rage during the 1950s, and no self-respecting woman would be seen without her Max Factor “Pan Cake” foundation. Applied with a moist sponge, this solid foundation gave total coverage for a flawless look. A peach or pink coloured blusher was applied directly to the cheeks to give a healthy glow.

Lipstick was another makeup must-have in the 1950s; always red or pink, and often teamed with matching nail polish for a highly glamorous look. Many women chose to wear matte lipsticks rather than gloss shades, as this was thought to look more natural. Popular lipstick brands in the 1950s included Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubenstein; big beauty names that are just as sought-after today.

Women in the 1950s favoured pale shades of eye shadow like shimmering blue and green; dark colours like grey and brown had not yet made it to the beauty fashion table. Mascara was applied thick and heavy, and always black. Although they were often plucked and shaped to give a feminine look, eyebrows were usually left natural.

Another beauty trend which started in the 1950s was wearing thick black eyeliner. Made famous by Audrey Hepburn, women drew a thick black line on their upper eyelid and extended it beyond the corner for a dramatic feline look.

The 1950s can be seen as an era when classic, feminine beauty came to the fore. Many of the beauty and makeup styles popular in the 1950s are still worn today, showing that classic beauty never goes out of fashion