1950’s Hollywood Glamour: Who Set the 50's on Fire? 

It was a creative time for fashion, barely a decade had passed since the war had ended and women wanted to dress up and look glamourous again.

Fashion of the 50’s saw an emphasis on the hour glass figure and Hollywood stars were the trendsetters. Stars like Marylyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Jayne Mansfield spearheaded a highly sexualised movement, empowered by skilled fashion designers whom knew how to manipulate the silhouette to accentuate all the right areas of a woman’s body.

Breasts were managed by a girdle which was now becoming prevalent as they were less maintenance than a corset. Dior had erupted onto the scene with the new look. The hour glass figure, the sloping shoulders, tight sleeve cinched waists were the order of the day.

For men, 50’s Hollywood was represented by the likes of Elvis Presley and James Dean. The look was immortalised with the blouson or Leather jackets over simple white crew neck tees. Films like Rebel Without a Cause starring James Dean were considered ground-breaking in the way they depicted the moral decay of American youth.

It was the emancipation of youth that drove the movement forward. Desperate to divorce themselves from the look of their parents. They greased their hairs in a pompadour style, hence the nickname ‘greasers’. The teddy boys also wore Edwardian style jackets. These were long jackets with velvet collars and drainpipe trousers.

If you only see one film from the 50’s you NEED to see..

In Christopher Laverty's book, Fashion in Film he cites Father of the Bride (1950) for Elizabeth Taylor's incredible Ivory Wedding gown designed by Helen Rose. I happen to be in agreement. Only 18 but she looked absolutely stunning, still with fire in her eyes and belly, fused with an underwritten vulnerability that comes with the innocence of youth "It looked so good, Rose was commissioned to design Taylor's real life wedding dress the same year." Laverty. 

Further reading:
The most stylish men of the 1950’s