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Fashion in the 1950s Fashion in the 1950s varied greatly from the beginning to end. Maybe not quite as extreme as the 60s, 1950s fashion saw the introduction of many new styles as well as many styles that paid homage to the 1920s. The waistline was a major issue in the 1950s. Some women really like the snug fit of the Dior dresses while others liked the dresses with no waistline, often referred to as “sack dresses.” The important thing is that people were beginning to feel a little more freedom when it came to their fashion choices. No longer did people feel like they had to conform to a certain look for certain situations. The first years after World War II might be regarded by fashion historians as a period of transition, a period of groping after the lines into which fashion would settle for an 8-year or 10-year span.
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The 50s Fashion

Jan 15, 2016

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Page 1: The 50s Fashion

Fashion in the 1950s

Fashion in the 1950s varied greatly from the beginning to end. Maybe not quite as extreme as the 60s, 1950s fashion saw the introduction of many new styles as well as many styles that paid homage to the 1920s.

The waistline was a major issue in the 1950s. Some women really like the snug fit of the Dior dresses while others liked the dresses with no waistline, often referred to as “sack dresses.”

The important thing is that people were beginning to feel a little more freedom when it came to their fashion choices. No longer did people feel like they had to conform to a certain look for certain situations.

The first years after World War II might be regarded by fashion historians as a period of transition, a period of groping after the lines into which fashion would settle for an 8-year or 10-year span.

No final answer to questions about the waistline was given in 1952. The phrase “the wandering waistline” was coined at the Paris spring collections and the waist continued to wander to the point of disappearing, throughout the year.

1953 ushered in a mood of sleek, slender elegance — at once young and sophisticated. Hemlines, waistlines and hairlines all grew shorter in 1953. Buzzwords at the time were “shape” and “sheen.”

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1957 was the year in which Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (at age 74) became “an adjective in her own time.” Sort of like “Googling,” Chanelisms were ubiquitous.

To read more about a certain year, click on the plus sign next to the year below.

The first years after World War II might be regarded by fashion historians as a period of transition, a period of groping after the lines into which fashion would settle for an 8-year or 10-year span.

The year 1950 could be seen as continuing the transition. Fashion remained deliberately fluid, throwing out feelers in all directions, when they all swing one feelers were cast in the direction of the 1920s, especially by Hardy Amies in London, who showed suits with straight unbelted hip-hugging jackets over straight skirts.

In Paris, too, Dior launched a “vertical line” — sheath dresses whose narrow straightness was emphasized by fine pleating or tucking, or by narrow ribbon bands running from neck to hem. Sheath dresses prevailed for day and evening.

The basis was a figure-fitting sheath, but only in certain instances was this left in a simple, uncompromising form. In general, the narrow line was broken by a jutting sash, a hip bow, an apron skirt, a floating scarf or, for evening, draped complications at hip level.

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Another trick for taking the eye off the sheath skirt was the use of transparent fabrics for overskirts and for coats.

Simple tailored coats in chiffon, lace and organdie floated over narrow summer dresses. Loose coats in thin silk were worn over suits, and the prettiest evening coats were those which added no whit of extra warmth but floated with the transparent buoyancy of balloons over narrow or crinoline evening dresses.

Dior dress from Fall/Winter 1950

Although the straight hip-hugging jacket did not seem to make much headway in its extreme form, modified versions of the same feeling were seen in the prevalence of low buttoning and low-placed pockets. Many suits were open to the waist, and buttoned importantly below it. Revers became almost waist-length, leaving a horse-shoe opening over a blouse.

In the spring Dior first showed a dress slim to the knees and then breaking into pleats which developed by the autumn into the full flare of the trumpet skirt. This, in day and evening versions, swung in heavy pleats or stiffened flares, from knee-level, below the simplest of sheaths. When skirts remained narrow, as did the majority, jackets took to flaring out above them from a once-more nipped in waist, and tunics with bell-shaped peplums cut across their pencil straightness at mid-thigh level.

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The vertical look changes to diagonal by autumn

In the meantime the vertical look of spring had changed its slant and became a strongly diagonal look by the autumn.

Pleating and tucking, seaming and buttoning, wrap-overs and scarves, all took this diagonal slant. Scarves swelled during 1950 into the proportions of a stole, often a stole so big that it was a wrap in itself. By day, collars had scarf ends that slanted diagonally across the bodice to be pulled through a belt.

Stoles a yard wide and three yards long had their great bulk wrapped around the shoulders of suits, or hung from the neck like jacket fronts, ending in deep pockets.

By night, stoles to match or contrast with the dress fell to the hem, while others ended in fur cuffs or in gloves which held them across the shoulders. The summer’s billowing look of transparent fabrics found solid expression in the most memorable clothes of Balenciaga’s memorable autumn collection, in which taffeta appeared to have been blown up into pumpkin skirts and vegetable-marrow sleeves.

By autumn the box jacket had curved into the short barrel coat, cut away in front. “Little top-coats” became an important fashion feature. Anywhere from hip to 7/8th length, they were more than jackets, less than full-scale coats.

Some were belted and flared in a tunic line; others had a barrel curve; others hung straight almost to the knees; others swung loose. Of the full-length coats, the newest in line were the straight and narrow, sometimes held by a single, off-center buttoning, sometimes double-breasted.

Important double-breasted buttoning was also seen on the skirts as well as the bodices of suits and dresses; altogether there was a great impression of plain tailored buttons being lavishly used on all types of day clothes to emphasize the line.

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Fur makes a comeback in 1950

Fur trimmings were back! But this time with more taste and restraint. Deep fur cuffs would be the only fur touch on a cloth coat; the collar would be small and tailored.

By contrast, a coat with cossack collar in astrakhan would have plain uncuffed sleeves. Fur linings, often showing themselves in turn back revers, bulked “little top-coats.” Linings attracted a great deal of notice to themselves.

The many reversible fabrics demanded a handling that would display both their sides and not only jackets but skirts and sleeves were slit to show contrasting linings; sober coats of black, brown and grey swung open to reveal bright and shiny interiors.

Orange is back, baby!

In colors, 1950 was chiefly notable for the return of orange after a virtual absence of some 20 years and for the prevalence of white. Small notes of orange had been struck for a season or two previously but early in the year it came out with full force for whole outfits, for hats and for accessory touches.

One of the most difficult of colors for the majority of women, its pinkish tinge, tending towards apricot, was the most popular. For autumn, its influence was felt in a whole range of “hot browns,” the gingers, tans and chestnuts.

In the spring there was a flurry of white in the form of collars, cuffs, gilets, linings. More significant, there were quantities of white coats, white suits, white dresses, pointed up with black accessories instead of the customary reverse proceeding. A white linen suit became the smartest wear for Henley or Wimbledon; a white silk or coarse lace dress for Ascot; and not only debutantes but their mothers wore white ball dresses.

Blues were strongly in evidence, especially turquoise and the mauve-blues, shading into lavender and purple. The grey-beige-oatmeal neutrals held their ground throughout the summer; and the

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favorite strong color notes were red (from orange to crimson) and yellow.

Velvet won the winter honors: velvet collars and cuffs, velvet blouses and waistcoats, velvet trumpet flares on skirts, velvet accessories, and entire velvet suits and dresses.

Hats remained small, except for a sudden crop of wide-brimmed hats which came out with formal summer dresses. After seasons of sitting on the backs of heads, hats began to move forward and the gap left at the nape was filled by rather longer, softer hair styles and especially by chignons.

In make-up, the heightened naturalness of warm skin tone and clear red lips began to give place, late in the year, to an all-over creamy pallor, with dark red lips the only accent, another echo-with-a-difference of the scarlet-lipped white mask of the ‘twenties.

Many evening shoes consisted of little except soles, high heels, and the thinnest of straps though covered, pointed toes began to be seen.

In costume jewelry, rhinestones invaded the field so long occupied by pearls, slave bracelets set off the arms left frequently sleeveless by blouses and day dresses, and huge cabochon brooches of jewel-colored, single-toned stones were worn on caps and on cuffs, as well as more conventionally.

Captain Edward Molyneux, long famous for the elegant simplicity of his clothes, retired from fashion designing because of ill health.

Men’s Fashions

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The 1950 Edwardian Style for Men

In 1950 there was a return to almost Edwardian formality in men’s clothes.

In suits, the style veered sharply from the full, built-up models of the immediate postwar era to garments which followed the natural line.

Jackets were longer and were made to fit the shoulders, instead of being padded into an artificial line; the lapels became narrower and the trousers took on a tapering look with less width at the bottoms. Several style leaders decided to dispense with trouser turn-ups altogether.

The vogue for single-breasted jackets revived interest in waistcoats, which, in three-piece suits, were cut high and often had narrow lapels. Contrasting-colored waistcoats with brass or leather buttons were increasingly worn with business suits.

The single-breasted trend was also seen in overcoats, which became shorter and were often adorned with velvet cuffs and collars. More somber colors, such as dark grey and black, were favored.

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1950 marked the centenary of the bowler hat, which was originally made at the instigation of William Coke of Norfolk who, irritated by the top hat because it caught in trees when worn for hunting, thought a small, hard, round hat would be more serviceable.

The centenary year saw a big revival of bowler hat wearing for business, which, with the tightly rolled umbrella and leather shoes, was a further indication of the trend back to formality. The general tendency towards neatness was further reflected in shirts, socks and ties. In shirts, neat stripe effects returned to favor and these were worn with high, stiff white collars.

In sports clothes, however, brighter, easy-fitting styles predominated but the tendency was towards neatness, not sloppiness. Sports suits in new shades of gaberdine and hopsack weaves took the place of grey flannel trousers and tweed sports coat and lightweight caps became increasingly popular.

For evening wear, the tail-coat came back into its own for more formal occasions, while both single- and double-breasted dinner jackets were seen in a variety of new styles. The popularity of evening wear was enhanced by the introduction of utility dinner suits.

1950s Dresses & Skirts: Styles, Trends & Pictures

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Dresses from the 1950s are easily spotted. The hemline stops around the knee, they look best over a stiff petticoat, and they were a lot of fun to twirl in!

1950s dresses, “swing dresses” as some are called, are coming back into style. Women who love vintage style are going for the malt shop look. It’s not a hard look to achieve, and doesn’t require much maintenance, but you have to nail the dress.

What were the most popular styles of 1950s dresses? Like every decade since the 1920s, there were a lot of different and experimental styles. But there are several things that dress designers did that were unmistakably fifties.

First example? When sitting down, many 1950s dresses make the shape of a perfect circle. Some people call those “circle dresses.”

Some dresses had large bows at the waistline. Many dresses and skirts were pleated. Plaid was very popular and so were floral prints, polka dots and stripes. Wide collars were known to happen and so were puffy shoulders, but not necessary at the same time. The daytime hemline stopped around the knee, but evening dresses were usually long, flowing and to the ankle.

All types of fabrics were used. The 1950s were a pretty decadent decade so the most luxurious fabrics like satin and silk were preferred.

In the mid-50s, some dressmakers tailored dresses with long sleeves. Also, gloves were coming back into fashion, with white being the glamorous choice. From the mid-50s on, dresses had bouffant petticoats underneath. The teenaged girl in the 1950s wore white ankle socks with dark colored closed-toe shoes.

The late fifties saw a surge in popularity of Asian-themed dresses. Also red was a very popular color in the late 1950s.

Obviously the generalizations I make above don’t apply to every dressmaker in the 1950s. Almost every fashion designer tried to

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break the mold in some way or another. It was a very exciting decade for women’s fashion indeed.

1950s Fashion for Teens: Styles, Trends & Pictures

Popular music indicated that America’s youth held an interest in fashion with such hit songs as “White Sports Coat” and “Blue Suede Shoes.”

However, people aged 15-21 were ignored by department stores and were expected to dress like their older counterparts. This was true despite the fact that people in that age group had a whole lot of disposable cash at that time.

Fashion designers sold full skirts and stiff petticoats, or a super-slim skirt and sweater with bows. Tight-fitting pedal pushers or capri pants were popular leisure wear and jeans (which in the 1950s were called dungarees) were becoming acceptable after people saw a photo of Marilyn Monroe wearing a pair.

Young men wore a shirt, tie and sharply pressed slacks. If you were the rebellious type, however, you wore dark clothes all the time, refused to iron anything and were just generally looking rough on purpose.

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One 1950s fad for girls was to wear a man’s shirt outside their jeans. In high school, a soft sweater paired with a collared blouse was a smart look.

People definitely dressed up special for formal events. For weddings and proms, young women wore fancy dresses like their elders. But clothing choices were quite a bit different for informal school dances.

Many teen girls preferred full skirts, some with 4-inch hems. These skirts were often made of wool felt fabric in bright colors, including the world famous poodle skirt. The 1950s circle skirts were worn with tucked-in, tight fitting blouses. It was usually tied together with a wide belt, flat-heeled shoes and bobby socks or anklets.

1950s Greasers: Styles, Trends, History & Pictures

Sometime around 1950 a motorcycle club in a small town in California gripped filmmaker Stanley Kramer’s imagination. It inspired him to make a film in 1953 called “The Wild One”, which starred Marlon Brando and Lee Marvin as two crazy bikers who terrorize a small town.

Their uniform and motorcycles rejected society’s accepted norms. The loud motorbikes, the short, black leather flight jackets, the jeans and white t-shirts all became the symbol style for anyone called a “greaser.”

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It is important to note the slight military/police look that greasers went for. Although they tried to dress as anti-authority as possible for the times, it is ironic that they chose clothing that was worn by authority figures to express their defiance.

Two more films, “On the Waterfront” and “Rebel Without a Cause,” brought the greaser look further into the forefront. “On the Waterfront,” once again starring Marlon Brando, featured denim jackets, jeans and plaid shirt sans tie.

James Dean, who suffered an untimely death in 1955, became in international cult sensation with his look. Swept-up hair, jeans and leather jacket defined the look of a rebellious teenager who felt misunderstood by his parents.

1950s Teddy Boys: Style, Trends, History & Pictures

Teddy Boys first hit the scene in London’s East End in 1952. Just four years later the look had crept into every alley and street corner.

Teddy Boys style wasn’t for the thrifty. The suit all by itself could set you back a month’s salary. And they weren’t out to change the world. They just liked looking fab.

First, a Teddy Boy starts with carefully kept hair (called a “DA” for “duck’s arse”) and long sideburns. He kept a comb on him at all times in case anything fell out of place.

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Next, he dons a white poplin shirt (with Boston collar), and a shoestring tie. In between the long-sleeved single-breasted drape jacket and shirt was a flamboyant satin or Lurex waistcoat.

His pants were typically narrow cut (called “drainpipes”) with a 2-4″ cuff. The Teddy Boy finished off his outfit with a pair of suede shoes with thick soles (called “brothel creepers”) that covered brightly colored socks.

A gold, engraved ring is a nice touch.

1950s Shoes: Styles, Trends & Pictures

Obviously when talk about shoe styles in history you have to break it up between men and women. We will discuss women’s styles first.

Women’s Shoe Styles in the 1950s

The 1950s saw the astonishing rise in popularity of the stiletto heel. Designers competed with one another to see who could make the skinniest heel. Women loved how the shoes made them taller, but they weren’t very comfortable.

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But as time went on, stilettos were more known for the sex appeal than for the practicality as walking devices. Women wore a whole lot more shoe styles than stilettos in the 1950s.

For the schoolgirl, most often she wore penny loafers, vamps with notches and kilts, saddle shoes or ballet shoes. Women, young and old alike, also enjoyed a wide variety of sandals and slippers.

Colors ranged from earthy to obnoxiously loud. Women could buy shoes that were literally any color in the 1950s. Some shoes had prints and patterns, others were solid colored.

A couple other popular shoes styles from the 1950s include squaw moccasins, wedges and boots. But the boots weren’t the high, tight, leather kind. They were the fur-lined work boots style boots. Either that or galoshes.

For the most part, in the 1950s, women preferred their shoes to be small and petite.

Men’s Shoe Styles in the 1950s

For men, shoe styles didn’t change much from the decades preceding. Basketball players still wore Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars and businessmen wore wingtips. Many men’s dress shoes did not have shoelaces.

Men liked to wear moccasins around the house and some shoes had zippers. Penny loafers were also a popular around-the-house choice.

Because western TV shoes were so popular, boys loved to wear cowboy boots. No boy’s wardrobe was complete without a pair of Roy Rogers boots.

Most men’s shoes were made out of leather and they didn’t vary much in color. Black or brown was the common color of the day. Every once in a while you’d see some really flashy shoes with bright red in them, but they were more often Italian and expensive. Men’s shoes became more colorful in the late 1950s.

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Designers loved to adorn shoes with tassels in the 1950s and some shoes had fancy patterns on the inside.

For both men and women, slippers were a very important part of daily life. A large amount of families depended on the fireplace for warmth in the homestead and a lot of those homes were quite drafty. Not having slippers meant having ice cubes for toes.

1950s Socks Slippers: Styles, Trends & Pictures

One thing is undeniable. In the 1950s, footwear was an incredibly important part of the wardrobe. Both men and women had a wide variety of socks, slippers and stockings to choose from.

Certainly houses were much draftier in the 1950s. The old Victorian style houses had leaky windows and, if you had a furnace, it was not anywhere close to the quality of today’s furnaces. Every member of the family needed slippers to wear around the house.

But never fear, department stores carried all types of slippers for men, women and children. Moccasins were extremely popular, as were slippers with wool lining on the inside and around the ankle.

Slippers in the 1950s

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Many slippers had soles that were similar to shoes. This is because sometimes you had to go out to the porch to bring in firewood. These slippers also were typically made out of leather.

Women’s slippers were less rugged and certainly more comfortable. Interestingly, in the 1950s, slippers started to be worn outside the house. Toward the late 1950s, women were wearing ballerina slippers (with bows) everywhere.

Children’s slippers were often made in the shape and design of popular cartoon characters or animals. Some boys had slippers shaped like cowboy boots.

Socks in the 1950s

Men’s dress socks weren’t much different than they are today. They came in all colors and patters, with argyle being an especially trendy choice. Literally any color combination was fair game: from pink and brown to blue and purple. 1950s socks typically came midway up the calf. Men also liked ribbed socks and socks that matched their ties.

Outside the house, women most often wore nylons. Some of them had extra fortification near the heel. However that doesn’t mean women weren’t wearing socks. Teenagers especially loved bobby socks and anklets. The quintessential swingin’ 1950s costume always consists of bobby socks and saddle shoes.

As usual, children in the 1950s could wear licensed socks like Roy Rogers or Mickey Mouse.

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1950s Gloves: Etiquette, Styles, Trends & Pictures

Gloves played an important role in 1950s fashion. Although glove sales weren’t quite what they used to be, they still sold well and most women had a few pairs to choose from.

In the late 1950s, women wore long, white gloves when they wanted to look ultra-fashionable and glamorous. This look was later popularized by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. But white wasn’t the only color. Some women took it the next step further and wore gloves that matched the color of their outfit.

Of course, beyond fashion, people wore gloves to warm their hands. Cars didn’t warm up as quickly as they do now, which meant that most of the time the entire drive into town without gloves meant freezing cold hands.

For the utilitarian, leather was the popular choice, using pretty much any type of animal that you could imagine. Deerskin, cowhide, and sheepskin were common leathers. If you don’t mind the gloves being a little bulkier, or if you need them to be a little warmer, you can get them lined with rabbit fur.

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Women especially had a wide variety of patterns and styles to choose from. Striped gloves sometimes came with matching scarves. Mittens were also a very popular.

For men, the leather glove was almost the only choice. There wasn’t much variety in the color of glove either: black and brown were pretty much your choices.

For some social circles, glove etiquette was quite particular. There were certain times the gloves stayed on and other times they should come off. From a Paris Gloves brochure:

1950s Women’s Glove Etiquette

When a Lady Wears Gloves

Gloves should be worn on the streets of cities and large town, when going to church, to a luncheon, dinner or reception; a dance, a wedding or an official function. They are also worn to a restaurant and in the theater.

Smart women usually wear gloves while travelling on a train or plane … or in any public conveyance.

On formal occasions, gloves are worn by the guests and by the hostess, while she is receiving,

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1950s glove etiquette brochure; click to enlarge

When a Lady Removes Her Gloves

Gloves must always be removed before eating, drinking, smoking, playing cards or putting on makeup.

When lunching in a restaurant, a lady removes her coat but keeps on her hat and gloves, removing her gloves when seated at the table.

At dances, long gloves would be part of a lady’s ensemble and as such, kept on. The glove fingers should be tucked into the opening at the wrist while smoking or drinking, and the gloves removed entirely immediately upon sitting at the table.

When gloves are worn merely as a covering for the hands (such as heavy winter gloves), they should be removed with the coat.

What to do When Shaking Hands

A lady never takes off her gloves to shake hands … and never asks that her glove be excused. (Of course, this is excepted if she is

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wearing soiled gardening gloves, or the like … in which case she says she is sorry she can’t shake hands.)

Color, Style and Length

The most important point in choosing gloves is to make sure they fit and are comfortable. Gloves that are too tight tend to make hands look like sausages.

White or beige gloves are equally appropriate for any costume with which colors will harmonize. Black gloves are always smart. Formal occasions do not demand, but somehow suggest, white gloves. Colored gloves are becoming increasingly popular and are now worn, quite correctly, to weddings. It is considered very smart to wear matching gloves and millinery.

A glove of the same color as the sleeve of your garment makes the arm look longer. A contrasting glove seems to shorten it.

The length of the glove is decided by current fashion and the length of the sleeve. Shortie gloves to 8-button length are normally worn on the street, in the daytime and for informal evenings. Long gloves are usually reserved for more formal occasions.

The style of glove is dictated by fashion and the style of the lady’s outfit. Simple styles usually accessorize tailored ensembles, while dressy, decorated gloves accompany more formal clothes.

Bracelets may be work over long gloves, but never rings.

Scroll down for pictures and catalog scans featuring a wide variety of glove styles from the 1950s.

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1950s Purses & Handbags: Styles, Trends & Pictures

The 1950s were a groundbreaking decade for handbags and purses. It’s not that women were using them more than before or for different purposes, but designers really went out of their way to be different and it shows.

Nowadays, almost every woman has a purse with her. But back in the 1950s, not every woman carried one. Sure, it was a great fashion accessory, but not every woman felt they needed one like they do now. Take a look at thousands of pictures of women from the 1950s like I have and you’ll notice that in 90% of the pictures women aren’t carrying handbags or purses.

But you have to admit the styles were amazing. In the 1950s, women preferred short-strapped handbags that stayed close to the body. Duffel bags weren’t unheard of, but they didn’t provide the svelte look that women were going for. Gold lame was a popular handbag style.

The materials used for purses in the 1950s were much more varied than they are today. In the early 1950s, most purses were made from crocodile, alligator, turtle or snake skin. But as the decade progressed, some fashion designers went as far as to make lucite (a material similar to Bakelite, or plastic) boxes that functioned as

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purses. These are some of the coolest looking vintage handbags you’ll ever find.

Women also bought wicker purses, leather purses and many other types. Popular high fashion purse designers included Gucci, Chanel (and her iconic Black Quilted 2.55 Handbag released in 1955), Dior, Hermes, Wilardy and many others.

1950s Wallets: Styles, Trends & Pictures

In the 1950s, people carried cash around. And they needed some place to put all that money, so naturally everyone had a wallet on them.

Even the women who didn’t carry a purse around still had their billfold on them. It was an absolute necessity that everyone have a wallet.

So what kinds of wallets did men and women carry in the 1950s? Men and women had pretty differing styles, so let’s break it down.

1950s Men’s Wallets

Men’s wallets weren’t too much different than they are now. Brown or black cowhide leather was the smart choice. These wallets had several compartments for holding keys, ID cards, pictures, cash and coins.

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Some wallets zipped around the edges to keep it closed and other had secret compartments. For that extra personal touch, men could get a wallet with his initials, his name or his favorite activity (like fishing) embossed on the front.

Plastic inserts held pictures and other card-sized items. Some wallets even came in exotic leathers like sealskin, South African ostrich, alligator, water buffalo and almost any other kind of animal you can imagine.

A fashionable man in the 1950s had a belt that matched his wallet.

1950s Women’s Wallets

Women’s wallets were much more interesting in design than men’s wallets. A woman could get a wallet in any color to match her outfit or handbag. Wallets came in pink, light blue, red, white, black and every other color in the rainbow. Some wallets came with matching cigarette lighters.

A woman’s wallet definitely had a coin pocket. They usually had a snap-tight latch or zipper. Wallets also came in matching sets, in case she needed a separate coin purse.

A common trend seen in 1950s women’s wallets is gold trim or thick white striped trim.

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Vocabulary :