Last week we talked about the 1940s and classic styles to watch for when buying clothes or looking through your closet to find costumes. This week we'll talk about finding 1950s costumes in your own closet.
Now, the early 1950s and the late 1940s were similar and both were different from what we would think of as “classic '40s” or “classic '50s” styles. Once the war was over, skirts lengthened and began to get wider, although in the early '50s they were still flared rather than circle skirts. This is a style which can be easily replicated if you watch for modern flared or gored skirts. This one from Karin Stevens, for instance...
...has the exact drape of this early '50s pattern:
However, this is not what most people think of when they think of 1950s fashion.
The classic 1950s silhouette was actually 2 different silhouettes – a slender skirt and a circle skirt. (A good example is to watch Rear Window starring Jimmy Stewart and observe what Grace Kelly wears of both styles.)
Many sewing patterns from the era have both options, since some women preferred one skirt style over the other. (Oh, and by the way, girdles were a standard piece of women's dress requirements throughout both these decades.) While a circle skirt could be worn for more casual wear, it was almost exclusively the style of skirt worn for dress-up or formal wear. Fitted bodices were almost universal, yet often a loose, straight jacket or bolero was worn over top. Matching suits were still popular for business wear, but the shoulders were less square and the skirts a little longer and narrower, often with a kick-pleat in the back. V necks, in the front or back or both, and boat necks, were very common, rather than the small shirt-style collar from the 1940s. Sleeveless was also more common. Blouses began to be worn untucked more, but were always straight at the hem and usually either jacket style, often worn with a belt, or smocks – blouses that hung straight from the shoulder (a popular maternity style into the 1960s). Waists were almost always defined and belts were almost universally worn. Shoulders, instead of being padded square like in the 1940s, were generally sloping. Vests were popular – usually with pointed waists, just coming down past the waist, and often matching the skirt.
However, like in most eras, there was a common look but many women could differ in implementing it. And because the fabric rationing ended with WWII, designers could be a lot more creative and thus there is generally a wider range of styles, all Period correct. Once I told my sister that the difference between 1940s sleeves and 1950s were that the 1940s had gathers at the top and 1950s sleeves were never gathered. Then the very next day I saw a sewing pattern, unmistakably from the '50s, which featured gathered puff sleeves! So you have a lot of leeway when you are assembling a 1950s costume, and preference can account for much.
Casual Wear
For this outfit, I started with a modern slender skirt in a vibrant color. Slits in skirts were not common until the 1960s. Usually for the slender style of skirts, there were kick-pleats in the back or front to allow for movement without showing skin. This skirt didn't have a kick-pleat, but I stitched the slit in the back shut, since there was enough walking room without it.
There were always tucks or pleats at the hips in the slender skirts.
For the blouse, this one from Worthington in my closet fit a 1950s look absolutely perfectly. The sleeves, fabric print, and the tucks drawing attention to the round yoke are all classic. It has small cuffs and small puffed sleeves, and the way the sleeves are set are also Period. It has a shirt tail hem, but that's ok since it's tucked in. Again, while there were more untucked looks in the 1950s for casual wear at home the hems were always straight, whether intended to be worn tucked or untucked. Even tucked-in blouses always had darts at the waist, but that is something easily added to a modern button-down blouse if you want a perfect costume.
To make this one more Period, the buttons should be replaced with fancier or smooth buttons – these look like modern shirt buttons.
The red beads add a perfect finishing touch. Chunky jewelry was very popular in the 1950s, as well as rhinestones. Large earrings and bracelets were in style, but the look was classy (for instance with just one piece of large jewelry) rather than over-loaded.
Yes, they did dress well to do their housework and rake leaves in their yard. It's possible. :-)
As I mentioned, sleeveless became more standard. If you are styling a summer costume, for a casual outfit a sleeveless knit shirt works well. Make sure it has tight arm holes and is not a turtleneck.
Visiting
Here's one slightly more dressy. This one wouldn't have been worn to clean house, but might have been donned for a visit or even to go shopping.
I started building it with this paisley sleeveless shirt from Apt. 9. Again, this modern shirt has all the classic elements of 1950s style. The print and color is good, and even more correct, the way all the gathers go into the neck is extremely fashion correct.
It has a side zipper and a back neck opening – all perfectly Period. It has darts on the side for a more fitted fit – avoid straight front tops unless they are knit and thus stretchy – and never, never any obviously T-shirt fabric. It has a straight hem but must be tucked in, since it doesn't look at all like a jacket style.
(If you do wear sleeveless shirts for your 1950s costumes, remember that fashion was conservative and generally modest and required snug arm holes.)
Added to the shirt, this slender light blue linen skirt is a good match. It has belt loops so it must have a belt.
And a narrow belt adds the finishing touch. Notice the fabric weave with the leather closure – a good Period choice for a costume. Avoid belts with D rings, although belts that used slides to close – especially for homemade belts sewn to match a dress – were around then. Narrow belts were more common. Remember waists were always defined in the 1950s. Sometimes belts were even worn at the natural waist with a high or low-waisted dress.
For a bit of warmth, add a ¾ sleeve coordinating cardigan that comes just past the hips.
Time for some white gloves and heels, close fitting hat, pearls, and ladylike chatter over a cup of coffee!
The Business Woman or Daytime in Town
One more outfit with a slender skirt.
Notice the cardigan over a tucked in sleeveless shirt. For a 1950s style cardigan, you want one that is short and just comes past the hips. This one of mine, from Faded Glory , works perfectly, and with the textured detail, pockets, and buttoned cuffs, could almost have stepped out of a 1950s fashion plate. It's one of those garments you buy because it is cute, but don't realize until later it actually works for a costume.
Paired with the coral cardigan, I added another slender skirt. This one is slightly less Period because of the crinkly fabric and the shell buttons, but the fabric prints (polka dots in the center, solid the rest of the way around) is authentic.
The vintage rhinestone brooch adds the perfect touch of glamour. Brooches were extremely popular in the 1950s, worn on purses, gloves, hats, scarves, as well as on lapels and shoulders and at a bodice neck.
For business or about-town wear you're looking for a sophisticated, conservative style. 2 piece skirt suits are the best, if they are the right style.
Formal Evenings
This is a real 1950s formal dress over my vintage crinoline. (You will need a short crinoline for the wide skirt costumes, but if you can't find a vintage one or sew your own, try cutting a longer formal crinoline off and hemming it.) Notice the ombre gauze and the gorgeous beading on the lace top.
It has a boat neck and the short sleeves, as well as a wide skirt at formal length. (Although in the 1950s formal dresses were still usually mid-calf, formal length is also Period.) You can't do better than this for a formal dress, but of course they are expensive and hard to find.
So with that for inspiration, let's try to create a viable option with modern formal clothing.
I started with a long tiered black satin skirt (a thrift store find). Tiered skirts became an option in the 1950s, but were not terribly common. Still, it's a good option, and that's one modern formal style of skirt that is apt to be wide enough.
I paired it with a sheer blouse with a round neck and gathered sleeves. Of course this would have been worn over appropriate undergarments.
To be completely Period, it should have tucks at the waist.
The finishing touch is a sequined cummerbund belt. Cummerbund waists were frequent, if not common, and it adds the glitz most evening dresses in the 1950s sported.
This would have been a type of dress worn to a banquet rather than to a dance, but it gives you an idea of what to look for in a formal costume.
As a finishing touch, remember your wrap! Velvet, fur, or lace are all great choices.
The Church Dress
Here's another modern blouse that works well for a costume. It is linen, a great Period fabric, and has tucks and narrow lace, a V neck, and ¾ sleeves. All very common. Look for the small details when collecting clothes for costume possibilities.
To be completely Period it should have tucks in the back of the sleeves, and in the back of the blouse, though. Although this is a jacket style blouse, it isn't fitted at the waist, and you wouldn't have worn a belt over top of it. If you are a seamstress, adding a few tucks in the back would be a good option to waist-shape it. Without tucks, it should be tucked in.
A novelty, slightly splashy print is perfect in this tiered skirt (like I said, a good, easy to find modern style that will work perfectly over a crinoline) is a good choice for a dressier 1950s costume, like a church outfit. (Often tiered skirts are styled long in a boho fashion, but you want your skirt length to be approx. mid-calf so cutting it off and hemming it might be necessary.) 2 piece suits with a narrow skirt were also worn to church, usually with a corsage or brooch on the shoulder, but a circle skirt is my choice.
For this one I went with a wider belt because it was the right color to match the necklace (vintage 1950s double-stranded beads), but an elastic belt like this would not be quite Period. Ah, well!
Here it is with my Mark Eisen jacket over top. The detailed paneling in this one and the rolled cuffs, as well as the fabric, are great Period details. It could be worn loose or buttoned.
In Conclusion
Remember, as with the 1940s, accessories are essential. These costumes will just look like a nice modern outfit if you wear them with messy bangs and flip-flops. Repro heels and the right jewelry, gloves, hats, and makeup are all very important if you are really going to look Period.
Enjoy exploring your own closet!
Till next week,
~Kristen - Verity Vintage Studio
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