1950s Fashion - Beneath the Dreamboats and Petticoats

For most of us, when we think of 1950's fashion, we think the classic cinched waist line and huge circle skirt, filled with petticoats and crinoline. That killer New Look shape, created by Dior after the Second World War, has got to be the epitome of mid century style. It's most definitely the shape I am asked for most at My Vintage and one that I tend to stock the most of!

Original 1950s Vintage Damask Print Cotton Wiggle Dress UK Size 10

But underneath all the puffed out petticoats, there was so much more to fifties fashion, most of which are still with us in 2015...

One of the most prevalent features of 50's fashion was prints. Beautiful painterly florals, illustrated and cartoon style novelty designs and technology inspired geometrics and atomic patterns. These amazing prints make so much of the vintage clothing I come across so instantly recognisable. These gorgeous prints featured on a range of fabrics, starting with silks, satins and cottons but leading to the new light nylons of the era. These materials were so very popular as they dried overnight, this made clothing cheaper and easier to was and that was a big deal to the girls of the decade.

1950s Vintage Rose Print Chiffon Prom Dress UK Size 6

Christian Dior may have created the New Look shape, but he always said that fashion should never stand still. This led to him introducing collections that each challenged preceding silhouettes. From 'Tulipe' to 'H-Line', 'A-Line' and 'Y-Line' - these collections were so popular that manufacturers from leading fashion houses such as Givenchy, Nina Ricci and Balengiaga rushed over to invest in patterns and were sometimes even known to smuggle garments back so they could be copied!


Meanwhile, over in American, a new market was blossoming. Ready to wear separates for the younger market; namely blouses, jumpers, tops, skirts, knitwear and jackets. What really made these different was that they no longer needed to co-ordinate. Mix and match became a real thing, and was commonly know as "sweater dressing" This brand new trend became an alternative and internationally accepted way to dress and that's why it provides so many of the vintage garments from the 1950's that we see today.

50s Vintage Sequin Shift Top Mermaid Blue UK Size 10

Apart from the many rails of beautiful reproduction 1950's clothing we have at My Vintage, we also have many stunning original pieces from the era. Unique and one of a kind, there are few things quite as special as an original 1950's wiggle dress or a novelty print circle skirt. Pop in to see us or have a browse online to see some of our current 50's pieces and more.

Over and out!
Em xx

The Hottest Names to Look for in 1950s Designer Vintage Clothing

The 1950s is a perennial favorite among #vintage clothing fanciers – and with good reason. The silhouettes were iconic, the designers were high-profile and the clothing was fabulous. After the austere 1930s and the rationing imposed by the war years in the 1940s, the ‘50s ushered in a new era of femininity and opulence. The design trends in 1950s dresses celebrated the female form with glamorous fabrics, glitzy accessories and all the frills and furbelows for which haute couture is famous. Whether you’re going for the glam for a night at the Grammies or a wedding, you can’t go wrong with vintage dresses in the style of any of these iconic vintage clothing designers.

Balenciaga

#Cristobal Balenciaga’s opulent gowns and women’s suits personified the glamour of the fifties style dresses with gorgeous fabrics and styles that emphasize the feminine form. They were characterized by open décolleté, narrow waists and sweeping skirts in lace, chiffon and stunning satins.Original vintage clothing by Balenciaga is hard to find and prohibitively expensive, but you can often find retro clothing in the style of Balenciaga’s golden years.

Christian Dior

Perhaps no designer captured the evening glamour quite as well as Christian Dior. Dior’s New Look 1950s dresses featured yards and yards of lush fabrics, feminine prints and silhouettes designed to show off the classic hourglass figure. Check out the stunning vintage dresses in this YouTube vintage clothing clip previewing Dior’s 1952 Spring/Summer line to get a feel for the classic Dior 1950s vintage clothing style. Then check out today’s modern Christian Dior Twitter feed  (@Dior ) to see just how well the classic Dior endures throughout the decades.

Pierre Balmain

Luxurious, sweeping skirts, off-the-shoulder silhouettes and stunning floral prints characterized the 1950s dresses of designer Pierre Balmain. The icon of #50s fashion worked closely with Christian Dior before opening his own fashion house in 1945. His fifties dresses designs were sculptured, but had a more delicate, ladylike aesthetic than either Dior or Balenciaga.

Other 50s Vintage Clothing Styles

One of the most enduring fifties style dressesis the classic rockabilly dress. The shirtwaist bodice, nipped waist and belled skirt appeared in dozens of Hollywood films on such stars as Marilyn Monroe, the classic 1950s pinup girl, who is shown in some stunning shots at +MarilynMonroeSlide. Whether you choose vintage designer fashion or generic 1950s vintage clothing styles, you can’t go wrong if you model yourself on the original divine Miss M.

Call the Midwife Dress - yes, really!

I don't know about you, but I am a complete Call the Midwife nut, and I often find myself pausing and rewinding the show, to get a better look at the glorious outfits that Jenny and Trixie wear... I do hope they give Cynthia a bit of a glam makeover at some point too!

This week, amidst the tears, I couldn't help but notice this glorious purple toned dress that Jenny was wearing whilst visiting Alec in hospital...

I immediately got super excited... not only because it's a gorgeous dress, but also because I knew I had a very similar one in my collection. Just look how alike this beauty is...

Isn't it a peach? This original 1950s dress is a UK size 8 and can be found on our website here... http://www.myvintage.co.uk/dresses/1950s-vintage-aubergine-toned-checkerboard-dress-size-8.html

There are always lots of delicious original 1950s vintage dresses at My Vintage that Jenny would adore! Have a peek at some here... http://www.myvintage.co.uk/search/for/1950s+dress/
and let me know what your favourite one is!

Until next time

Em xx