2010 January | 1950s Clothing

The 1950s was the start of a huge global shift in lifestyle and fashion from the chic and stylish pre-Second World War French designers to the glamour of Hollywood.

A new generation was born – not the baby boomers that shaped the swinging sixties – but the teenager.

Sure 13 – 19 year olds had always been around but this was the first time the phrase teenagers was coined to a new niche fashion and lifestyle market.

Teenagers were created by a two-pronged onslaught – TV and money.

TV and cash give birth to the teenager

TV from the US exposed British and European youngsters to a new world of rock’n’roll, high school proms and colourful clothing that broke the mould of post-war austerity.

Without TV, the argument might be teenagers might not have come on to the scene, but the other driver was disposable income.

Youngsters had jobs and jobs put cash in their pockets that TV and advertising persuaded them they should spend on records, magazines and fashion.

Relentless exposure to a celebrity led lifestyle became the self-perpetuating monster that has led us to reality TV and beyond.

The generation gap separates teens and parents

The 1950s gave the world the glamour of Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn who reflected the styles of the leading designers of the day – Chanel, Hartnell, Ricci and Dior.

For the teenager, the 1950s also gave us the prom dress, drapes and crepes and the high school look.

This was the first decade where the generation gap separated teens from their parents and gave them their own clothes and sense of style.

Rich pickings for collectors

The Fifties is a rich vintage for clothing collectors. The world turned fashion crazy and designers started to experiment with texture and colour.

Watch out for a Chanel LBD – little black dress – or handbag at the top-end of the market. For those with more modest means, cotton floral print day dresses or prom dresses make the cut.