Halter tops and sleeveless shirt dresses allowed the sun to kiss the shoulders. In 1952, Vogue commented, “We want skirts we can step out of an automobile in without splitting their sides, sleeves that can reach for a telephone without straining their shoulders.”. In the Fifties, every woman could be Cinderella at the ball. It buttoned down the back, too, requiring help to put it on. Part dress, part capri pants. Comfort while remaining classy was what women demanded. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Copyright 1996-2021. Free shipping . Some had no collars, just a round boat-neck or sweetheart opening. These dresses buttoned all the way down to the bottom of the skirt and had no back zipper. Buttons were large, becoming part of the statement, not just utility. When he leaves for the office, let him carry with him a vision of the little wife as pert and efficient in her becoming house dress as the office girls in their trim tailleurs.“ – Clothes with Character, by Hazel Thompson Craig. I should have pulled it up a bit more. All vintage 50s dresses were variations of these two shapes. Shoulders were narrow and soft. Black and white were an especially common pairing. Find the perfect women's formal dress or evening gown at Dillard's, your dresses & gowns destination. Short puff sleeves and dolman sleeves were also used on full-skirted dresses. Thanks for your article , really enjoy learning more about past fashions. VINTAGE 1950s Party Dress. This dress would have been considered risque. I’m surprised the fad was so short lived! 1950’s Day dress patterns. Girls 50s Vintage Swing Rockabilly Retro Sleeveless Party Dress for Occasion. “Sack the Sack!” “Bring Back Curves!”. Hell Bunny Storm Skinny Trousers in Grey Plaid. Fueled by Hollywood, style was limited only by imagination. Color was a big part of 1950s evening gowns. Click on the picture or title of the product and you will be redirected to the online merchant selling that item. Despite how tight they looked in magazines, on real women they were a tad roomier. 1950s house dresses usually had two patch pockets on the front of the dress or slit pockets built into the sides. FREE Shipping by Amazon. Needless to say, there was no single style of sleeve or neckline that wasn’t part of the vintage ’50s dress fashion. Gliding in small steps like a geisha was about all you could do in them. $129.00 CAD. Can be worn with different slips or underdresses for different looks! The bodice was very fitted with a full circle or gathered swing skirt ballooning out from the natural waistline. Both styles had modest, snug fitting tops with narrow high waistlines shin-length or tea-length skirts. It sometimes had a white collar and matching bow at the curve of the back. Read: Privacy Policy, Disclosure, Terms and Conditions. Shoulders were narrow and soft. Since young teens wanted to dress more sophisticated the jumper dress was increasingly going out of style by the mid ’50s. The most popular color? Women with hips looked even wider in it. While the above dresses capture the main silhouettes of the 1950s, there were even more dresses that had specific purposes, themes, or prints worth looking into: 1959 Plus Size Floral Dress by Lane Bryant. Saved by Norma Ryan. Oh, the comical horrors! $25.00 + shipping . I use to have a sack dress. $149.00 CAD. Our fashion history blog helps you create the look from decades past using vintage, vintage inspired and thrifty clothing, Need help? Unique Vintage Dahlia Dress in Blue Woodland Critters. Because of the heaviness of the large collars, buttons and sleeves, coatdresses were worn the most often in fall and winter. The bodice was tailored and fitted as usual, and could follow any of the bodice styles found in other dresses. Here are 20 free 1950s style dress patterns and tutorials, I hope you enjoy them! World War II brought mass production of clothing as part of the war effort. These held all kinds of useful things such as clothes pins or a handkerchief. //-->. This beautiful twirl dress features a ruffle neckline with short sleeves and a twirly circle skirt. 53 watching. To get the full look for Retro Day, you'll need a 1950s dress that falls just below or above the knee. 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,004. $90.00 FREE shipping. Jean Patchett certainly dazzled in this canary lace evening gown. The 1950s shirtwaist dress style was the uniform of all housewives, and Donna Reed was the mascot. Movie stars might wear this deep of a plunge but I guarantee you that most housewives wouldn’t. There were two lengths of skirts. Halter tops were worn in the summer, with a V-neckline and two thick straps tied behind the neck. Jean was one of the top models in the 1950s and 1940s. Has a few small repairs in the skirt that are not noticeable when warn. 1958 Border print dress made with a full 6 yards for the skirt! But personal favourite definitely the pencil skirts, shelth dresses! Better yet, make every dress style. But the skirt of this type of dress was very closely fitted to the body from the waist down. The shortest, ending just below the knee had a kick pleat half way up the thigh. Make a 1950s swing dress pattern for fun daywear or create a one of the kind and elegant prom or bridal dress. The other very classy look was the form-fitting sheath dress often called a pencil or wiggle dress today. The most popular style today is the full skirted, tea length dress, often called a ‘50s swing dress. 1940s – 1950s plaid pinafore dress at Top Vintage (UK). This lovely A-line flair bottom dress represents the most popular style of dress worn by young adults to formal parties and proms. There are two classic dress shapes of the 1950s. During the 1950s, women wore dresses like we wear t-shirts and jeans today. Thank you magnitane for sharing this photo. My chemise was yellow, and I looked like a waddling stick of butter.” – Carolyn Sucker, What We Wore. Sheath dresses were sexy. Movie stars might wear this deep of a plunge but I guarantee you that most housewives wouldn’t. Even a wide belt around the hips didn’t help at all, nor did gathering the fabric to the back and accenting with a large bow. See more ideas about crossdressers, sissy, women. When made of textured solid colors in Rayon, taffeta, or silk and embellished with lace or bead work or rhinestones, the shirtwaist became glamorous. That being said, the trapeze dress seems like the most comfortable. $65.00. Dress measures 35” long and 14” across the chest laying flat. During the 1950s, women wore dresses like we wear t-shirts and jeans today. $26.99 $ 26. Another carry over style from the 1940s was the jumper dress. Thick stretchy fabric holds you in and shows you off at the same time, colored in solid or floral fabric. Necklines could be scooped, v-neck, boat-neck, square-neck, or sweetheart. Vintage 1950s Jerry Gilden Red Rose Floral Sleeveless Party Dress. All rights reserved. A full gathered/pleated or circle skirt completed the bottom. 5 out of 5 stars. This classy 1950's style swing dress is a paragon of Pin-up beauty. 1950s Vintage DRESS Black Velvet Gown Ivory Satin Claudia Young w/Train 60s S. $89.95. 1950s Evening Gowns – Soft, feminine, romantic…these words best describe Fifties evening wear. An alternative to black was navy blue for evening wear. The fancy name was Chemise, but the street name was sack, bag, or shoplifters delight. This beautiful rose petal gown is haute couture at it’s finest. Seemed to aim up the dress. Your husband will enjoy looking at you across a breakfast table each morning in a frock as fresh as a daisy. Although not widely popular the 1950s love of polka dots made it’s way into woman’s evening wear as well. The dress disregarded the bust line and the waist, dropping straight down until it fit tightly over the buttocks. Create a custom 50s dress in YOUR size, with YOUR choice of fabric. Sleeves were cuffed at the ends. Flowers and legs by funphotoman 73 28 Out to dinner and showing off. “I believe the chemise dress was one of the ugliest style foisted upon American women by designers. I’m soooo glad “we’ve come a long way , baby”.!! Its basic form of a blue jacket with red trim dates back to the 19th century. 50s dresses, and women’s clothes in general, were rarely left plain. Wiggle dresses zipped up the back. 1950's tropical print with sequins from Timeless Vixen. This burgundy dress shows how any color could be used as long as it remained subdued. By 1959, no one dared to be seen in them. We may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking a link. The neckline was often a high scoop or boat-neck. WWW.FIFTIESWEB.COM is a creation of RichWeb and is not endorsed or sponsored by or affiliated with any of the products, services, programs, celebrities or entities mentioned herein. The other silhouette of the 1950s dress was somewhat opposite of the full skirted style, although the main features of the New Look remained. They came with a matching self fabric belt. ROMANTIC SHEER WHITE FLORAL LACE Vintage 1970s DRESSING GOWN ROBE - M / … The bodice was usually tailored and had either sleeveless, short cap or elbow-length sleeves. Color was a big part of 1950s evening gowns. BlackButterfly Kids 'Alexia' Vintage Polka Dot 50's Girls Dress. Women Vintage 1950s Rockabilly Audrey Hepburn Dress Halter Polka Dot Retro 50's 60's Wedding Cocktail Party Swing Tea Dress 4.0 out of 5 stars 37 $29.35 $ 29 . I am going to give the house gown a go! A-line skirt is full, pleated, and billowy. Ask us anytime. Gingham check was introduced in 1950 and became wildly popular for house dresses as well as shirts, play suits, capri pants, and skirts. Only stick thin women could look good in it. “Someday you will be a charming little wife in a cottage built for two. The collar on the shirtwaist dress was usually pointed or a round peter pan collar. The skirt could be either be full or pencil, with the pencil shape being more common- more womanly. They fit like a tube that ballooned out in the middle. 99. Adorable bows on bodice. Buttons were often oversized, and the collar was larger, resembling that of an overcoat. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail. Pink gingham was the most popular color. Dior once again led the way for subtle variations of the sheath dress, naming his collections Corolla, Tulip, H, A and Y Lines after the shape of the dress. Shirtwaist dresses, or shirtwaists for short, had a fitted button-down top, like a blouse, that ended at the waist. 0 bids. Collars were often done in white to contrast with the rest of the dress. It was the easiest length to walk in. Beautiful black dress in fluttery, airy chiffon. The shoulder straps were wide. The bodice was the same as a 1950s swing dress– tailored, fitted and nipped in at the waist. The waist had to be tiny and pulled in — a “wasp” waist. When you didn’t know what to wear, you wore your little black dress. Dressing in vintage style clothing for a themed event or personal fashion is our passion. Here are some new 1950s style dresses to get you started: Receive weekly articles about 1900s-1970s fashion history and style ideas for women and men. Sleeveless dresses were also very popular, but sleeves could be very short cap sleeves or elbow length. I loved this article, I was born in the 70’s and I love wearing/making vintage! 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