Teenage is a great time to be alive. We have all the options for all the things that could ever matter in one’s life. Teenage means a lot of experimentation with the self and with the fashion and the variety of choices, it gave the youngsters, it would be a shame not to experiment with them a bit. The 20s are often known as the roaring 20s, because of the all the trends that the era had set forward. But continuing in that line of thought the 50s did not disappoint us in the slightest either. They rather gave us some of the trendiest fashion trends ever and we are going to explore exactly that today.
1950s fashion for teenagers
Retro looks are indeed lucrative. If you are someone who has a thing for vintage clothing and dresses, then here is a list of some of the fashion trends from the 50s. A lot of changes were taking place in various aspects starting from the economy to the societal structure of the times. These changes had their toll on various other aspects of life and fashion was surely one of them. Here are some trends that the decade put forth.
Skirts:
If you were to live the life of a teenager from the 50s, you would see how their lives had two distinct sides- school days and weekends. These were the two major timeframes of a teenager in the 50s and their clothes too were distributed in such ratio. For instance, girls were not allowed to wear jeans till the 60s in their schools even though various styles of jeans were trending at the time for both boys and girls. The skirts had lengths and types for various occasions.
Long skirts:
These skirts were usually what the girls would wear for their schools. These were to be of the length of mid calves, never showing their knees. They could be full swing skirts which could be worn over multiple layers of crinoline or pencil skirts as well. The materials and colors that were available for them were versatile and varied. Buttoned down blouses or knitted tops would be just the right choice to go with such skirts.
Plaid pleated skirts:
This fashion has taken the shape and fame of a style now. Introduced in the 50s, this style is still ongoing to date. Winters were for richer tones while pastel was for the summer. A solid-colored buttoned-down blouse could be just the item to be paired with such a skirt. This could be the ideal dress for casual outings with friends or family on the weekends.
Felt skirts:
It was entirely upon the girls as to how full they wanted their skirts to look. Felt skirts were always cute and at the same time looked quite smart too. A black felt skirt paired with a white full-sleeved blouse and broad belt could still easily be the dream outfit of many even today. The belt would only add to the excellence that the outfit would be.
Jeans:
Jeans were increasingly becoming a part of the day to day outfit due to their convenience and their long-lasting nature. By the end of the decade, it had become a unisex piece of clothing.
Jeans for boys:
The boys always had freedom of clothing that the girls lacked. In this case too, they were given the privilege of wearing jeans to educational institutions before girls were. Due to the hardy and tough nature jeans automatically suited the boys more and were permitted to be worn in school premises too.
Jeans for girls:
Jeans were not available to girls as accepted forms of clothing till the late 50s or early 60s. They, however, were being used by many girls now on a day to day basis due to their convenience. Different styles of jeans that would fit a more feminine appearance were tailored. Cuffed jeans were quite a fad in those times.
Blouses and sweaters:
Blouses are the tops that were worn over skirts. They could be of various types, varied in colors and materials both. Sweaters too witnessed changing styles over time.
Long-sleeved blouses:
They were usually the ones worn during formal occasions or in schools with plaid skirts. If the sleeves were long, the blouses had small prints all over them that helped to break the monotony of the sleeves. They were on most occasions, buttoned-down right from the collar to down.
Peter pan collar:
Amongst the many kinds of collars that the blouses had, this was the trendiest. This collar was rounded in shape, both at the neck and the rims of the sleeves. They often had laces added to these parts as well. Apart from laces, they would also be decorated with contrasting pieces of cloth or ruffles or bows or buttons.
Knit tops:
These were excellent alternatives for light blouses and came in cute pastel colors. They were often embroidered with simple stitches around the collar. These tops were meant to be sweaters, but were mostly half sleeved in nature.
Cardigans and pullovers:
While pullovers could be sported by both boys and girls, the cardigan was a style that was more popular amongst the girls. These had buttoned-down fronts, the edges of which were often embroidered in stitches or beads to made it look much adorable and fashionable. Vests were also another light winter garment that started to become popular during this time only.
Shopping for your vintage wardrobe would not be that hard anymore now that you know the trends that you should be looking for. The fashion of the 50s, especially for the teens was marvelously outrageous. They had the exact balance and combination of grace, convenience, and fun in them. Ask anyone who had spent their teen lives in the 50s, and they will all tell you how it was the best time to be a teenager!