The 1950s era might seem like ancient history to anyone under he age of 21, separated as it is by two or three generations and filmed mainly in 2D black and white. But the roots of our social and style attitudes can all be traced back to this period. Stylised rebellion? It was practically essential for rock and roll to get started. Youth-focused fashion? Hard as it might be to believe, it is said that the 1950s was the first era when the young didn’t dress like their parents (especially strange now that parents often copy the styles of the younger generation). Even the word “teenager” comes from this period. The war was over, rationing and austerity were slowly being phased out, and the world was beginning to learn to enjoy itself once again.

As ever, the fashions of the day are a pretty accurate barometer of the national mood. And few expressions of the mood are as telling as those of the dresses and skirts women wore in these times of growing wealth and confidence. Gone were the straight silhouettes and functionality of the war years, replaced by a touch of flounce, a hint of flora and a dash of glamour. It’s a style that certainly looks of its age when viewed from today’s perspective, but looked at in relation to what came before, the influences on today’s fashion become clear.

While women’s styles immediately preceding the 1950s were far from being all covered up, the new look was altogether more revealing, with arms often on show and decolletage and bustier dresses making an appearance. The bust, waist and hips of the classic vital statistics measurements were key to all the looks, their accentuation harking back to the French aristocracy of the eighteenth century. The architecture that would keep the skirts and dresses sticking out was equally as impressive, with layers of material or even a more rigid frame hidden underneath.

Of course, the styles that we see in photographs of the time are more likely to be associated with the good times, the day-tripping and jiving, rather than the everyday. The kinds of dresses and skirts that would be worn by the 1950s housewife or office worker were slightly more subdued and practical, the only real differences to today’s styles being the fabrics they were made of. There was no Lycra to rely on, and other synthetic fabrics were still in their infancy (although we all know about the desirability of “nylons” during and after the war, and the lengths women would go to to acquire some).

It is still possible to get hold of some original 1950s dresses and skirts from vintage clothing stores, and it is quite surprising how wearable they are today. While some styles of the era are only suited to rock and roll theme nights, the common styles of the street and the home still have a modernity about them, with images of Mad Men (remember, the 60s didn’t really start till about 1964) providing you with all you need to know about accessorising and pulling the looks off.

Sally loves a vintage dress or two. At a ball or party anything like 1950s dresses and skirts can look amazing. Many of these items are now found only in vintage clothing stores and Sally provides information on how to source them.

Sally loves a vintage dress or two. At a ball or party, anything like 1950s dresses and skirts can look amazing. Many of these items are now found only in vintage clothing stores like http://www.rokit.co.uk/ and Sally provides information on how to source them.

Author Bio: Sally loves a vintage dress or two. At a ball or party anything like 1950s dresses and skirts can look amazing. Many of these items are now found only in vintage clothing stores and Sally provides information on how to source them.

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