1945–1960 in Western fashion
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Women's Fashion from 1945-1960 was dominated by nylon, beehive hairstyles, petticoats, bold femininity, bright lipstick, and often the projection of a 'cheerful, happy' persona.
When the French fashion houses reopened after World War II, Dior introduced the "New Look" silhouette. Because war restrictions on textiles ceased, the New Look silhouette included longer skirts, either full or fitted. Emphasis on the waist and soft shoulder lines also marked Dior's influence at this time. In, until hemlines began to rise and a more futuristic egg-type silhouette began to appear in 1958.
Teenage fashion
By the end of the decade mass-manufactured, off-the-peg clothing had become much more popular than in the past, granting the general public unprecedented access to fashionable styles.
In the 1960s, pop culture was more focused on teenagers and their interests, including rock n roll. Youth fashions influenced the fashion industry. In the UK, the Teddy boy became both a style icon and an anti-authoritarian figures, whilst in North America, greasers had a similar social position. Previously, teenagers dressed similarly to their parents, but now a rebellious and different youth style was being developed. Rock and Roll gave people the freedom to dress with more individuality. This was particularly noticeable in the overtly sexual nature of their dress. Some young men wore tight trousers, leather jackets, and tee shirts; these men often grew their hair out and, with pomade or other hair treatments, coiffed their hair into pompadours. Men's hair fashion favored the wet look, achieved by the use of products such as Brylcreem. Young women and older teenage girls usually wore their hair cut short and upswept from the forehead in imitation of their favourite film stars, while the younger teens tied their hair back in a ponytail and wore a short fringe (bangs). The beehive was also very popular from 1958 until the mid-1960s.
Beatniks with their stereotypical sunglasses, berets, black turtlenecks, and unadorned dark clothing provided another fashion alternative for youths of both sexes.
Street fashion
As American rock and roll arrived in the United Kingdom, a subculture grew around it. Some of the British post-war street youths hanging around bombsites in urban areas and getting drawn into petty crime began to dress in a variation of the zoot suit style called a drape suit, with a country style bootlace tie, winklepicker shoes, drainpipe trousers, and Elvis Presley style slicked hair. These youths were called Teddy boys. For a night out dancing at the palais, their girlfriends would usually wear the same sort of poodle skirts and crinolines their counterparts in America would wear. For day-to-day wear there was a trend toward girls wearing slacks or jeans. At the time, the idea of girls wearing trousers and boys taking time over their hairstyle was socially shocking to many people.
See also
- Aftermath of World War II
- Ducktail
- Hubert de Givenchy
- Jean Dessès
- Guy Laroche
- Roger Vivier
- Charles James (designer)
- Hardy Amies
- Grace Kelly
- Babe Paley
- 1960s in fashion
