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Flying in the face of continuity, logic, and erudite sociological predictions, fashion in the 1950s, far from being revolutionary
and progressive, bore strong nostalgic echoes of the past. A whole society which, in the 1920s and 1930s, had greatly believed
in progress, was now much more circumspect. As fashion looked to the past, haute couture experienced something of a revival
and spawned a myriad of star designers who profited hugely from the rapid growth of the media.
Throughout the 1950s, although it would be for the last time, women around the world always continued to submit to the
trends of Parisian haute couture. Three of the most prominent of the Parisian couturiers of the time were Cristobal Balenciaga,
Hubert de Givenchy, and Pierre Balmain. The frugal prince of luxury, Cristobal Balenciaga Esagri made his fashion debut in
the late Thirties. However, it was not until the post-war years that the full scale of the inventiveness of this highly original
designer became evident. In 1951, he totally transformed the silhouette, broadening the shoulders and removing the waist.
In 1955, he designed the tunic dress, which later developed into the chemise dress of 1957. And eventually, in 1959, his work
culminated in the Empire line, with high-waisted dresses and coats cut like kimonos. His mastery of fabric design and creation
defied belief. Balenciaga is also notable as one of the few couturiers in fashion history who could use their own hands to
design, cut, and sew the models which symbolized the height of his artistry.
The designers of Hollywood created a particular type of glamour for the stars of American film, and outfits worn by the likes
of Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, or Grace Kelly were widely copied. Quantitatively speaking, a costume worn by an actress
in a Hollywood movie would have a much bigger audience than the photograph of a dress designed by a couturier illustrated
in a magazine read by no more than a few thousand people. Without even trying to keep track of all the Paris styles, its costume
designers focused on their own version of classicism, which was meant to be timeless, flattering, and photogenic. Using apparently
luxurious materials, such as sequins, chiffon, and fur, the clothes were very simply cut, often including some memorable detail,
such as a low-cut back to a dress which was only revealed when the actress turned her back from the camera or some particularly
stunning accessory. The most influential and respected designers of Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1950s were Edith Head,
Orry-Kelly, William Travilla, Jean Louis, Travis Banton, and Gilbert Adrian.
are a predominantly working-class youth-based subculture that originated in the 1950s among young eastern United States street
gangs, and then became popular among other people.
Their name came from their greased back hairstyle, which involved combing back hair using hair wax, gel or pomade. The
greaser style was imitated by many youths not associated with gangs, as an expression of rebellion. In the 1950s, these youths
were known as hoods. The term greaser reappeared in the following decades during a revival of 1950s popular culture (e.g.
American Graffiti, Grease, Happy Days, The Outsiders).
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Hubert de Givenchy opened his first couture house in 1952 and created a sensation with his separates, which could be mixed
and matched at will. Most renowned was his Bettina blouse made from shirting, which was named after his top model. Soon, boutiques
were opened in Rome, Zurich, and Buenos Aires. A man of immense taste and discrimination, he was, perhaps more than any other
designer of the period, an integral part of the world whose understated elegance he helped to define.
Pierre Balmain opened his own salon in 1945. It was in a series of collections named 'Jolie Madame' that he experienced
his greatest success, from 1952 onwards. Balmain's vision of the elegantly-dressed woman was particularly Parisian and was
typified by the tailored glamour of the New Look, with its ample bust, narrow waist, and full skirts, by mastery of cut and
imaginative assemblies of fabrics in subtle color combinations. His sophisticated clientèle was equally at home with luxurious
elegance, simple tailoring, and a more natural look. Along with his haute couture work, the talented businessman pioneered
a ready-to-wear range called Florilege and also launched a number of highly successful perfumes.
By the end of the decade mass-manufactured, off-the-peg clothing had become much more popular than in the past, granting the
general public unprecedented access to fashionable styles.
In the 1950s, pop culture was more focused on teenagers and their interests, including rock n roll. Youth fashions influenced
the fashion industry. In the UK, the Teddy boy became both a style icon and an anti-authoritarian figures, whilst in North
America, greasers had a similar social position. Previously, teenagers dressed similarly to their parents, but now a rebellious
and different youth style was being developed. This was particularly noticeable in the overtly sexual nature of their dress.
Some young men wore tight trousers, leather jackets, and tee shirts; these men often grew their hair out and, with pomade
or other hair treatments, coiffed their hair into pompadours. However, this was a subculture; the mainstream was shorter hair,
including crew cuts and flattops, and they wore traditional clothing. Men's hair fashion favored the wet look, achieved by
the use of products such as Brylcreem.
The actual phrase the "New Look" was coined by Carmel Snow, the powerful editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar. Dior's
designs were more voluptuous than the boxy, fabric-conserving shapes of the recent World War II styles, influenced by the
rations on fabric. He was a master at creating shapes and silhouettes; Dior is quoted as saying "I have designed flower
women." His look employed fabrics lined predominantly with percale, boned, bustier-style bodices, hip padding, wasp-waisted
corsets and petticoats that made his dresses flare out from the waist, giving his models a very curvaceous form. The hem of
the skirt was very flattering on the calves and ankles, creating a beautiful silhouette. Initially, women protested because
his designs covered up their legs, which they had been unused to because of the previous limitations on fabric. There was
also some backlash to Dior's designs form due to the amount of fabrics used in a single dress or suit--during one photo shoot
in a Paris market, the models were attacked by female vendors over the profligacy of their dresses--but opposition ceased
as the wartime shortages ended. The New Look revolutionized women's dress and reestablished Paris as the center of the fashion
world after World War II.
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Also notable is the return of Coco Chanel (who detested the New Look) to the fashion world. Following the closure of her salons
in the war years, in 1954, aged over seventy, she staged a comeback and on February 5 she presented a collection which contained
a whole range of ideas that would be adopted and copied by women all over the world: her famous little braided suit with gold
chains, shiny costume jewelry, silk blouses in colors that matched the suit linings, sleek tweeds, monogrammed buttons, flat
black silk bows, boaters, quilted bags on chains, and evening dresses and furs that were marvels of simplicity.
After the war, the American look (which consisted of broad shoulders, floral ties, straight-legged pants, and shirts with
long pointed collars, often worn hanging out rather than tucked in) became very popular among men in Europe. Certain London
manufacturers ushered in a revival of Edwardian elegance in men's fashion, adopting a tight-fitting retro style that was intended
to appeal to traditionalists. This look, originally aimed at the respectable young man about town, was translated into popular
fashion as the Teddy boy style. The Italian look, popularized by Caraceni, Brioni, and Cifonelli, was taken up by an entire
generation of elegant young lovers, on both sides of the Atlantic.
Christian Dior (January 21, 1905 October 23, 1957), was an influential French fashion designer. He was born in Granville,
Manche, Normandy, France. Dior flagship boutiques are found in Paris, Milan, Rome, London, New York, Beverly Hills, Tokyo,
Osaka, Hong Kong, Boston, Honolulu, San Francisco, Seoul, Madrid, Barcelona, New Delhi and Shanghai.
Acceding to his parents' wishes, Dior attended the École des Sciences Politiques from 1920 to 1925. The family, Safari,
whose fortune was derived from the manufacture of fertilizer, had hopes he would become a diplomat, but Dior only wished to
be involved in the arts. After leaving school he received money from his father so that in 1928 he could open a small art
gallery, where he sold art by the likes of Pablo Picasso and Max Jacob. After a family financial disaster that resulted in
his father losing his business, Dior was forced to close the gallery. From 1938 he worked with Robert Piguet and later joined
the fashion house where he and Pierre Balmain were the primary designers. In 1945 he went into business for himself, backed
by Marcel Boussac, the cotton-fabric magnate.
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel (August 19, 1883 January 10, 1971) was a pioneering French fashion designer whose
modernist philosophy, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her arguably the most important
figure in the history of 20th-century fashion. Her influence on haute couture was such that she was the only person in the
field to be named on TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's stylish, elegant designs revolutionized fashion during the 1910s, freeing women from
the uncomfortable and stiff apparel worn at the end of the 19th century. Whether by chance or by design, Chanel furthered
her own image: the woman of the 20th century, embodying independence, success, personality, style, and confidence. Coco made
sure women would love her products.
The influential Chanel suit, launched in 1923, was an elegant outfit composed of a knee-length skirt paired with a trim,
boxy jacket, traditionally made of woven wool with black trim and gold buttons and worn with large costume-pearl necklaces.
Coco Chanel also popularized the little black dress, whose blank-slate versatility allowed it to be worn for both day
and night. The black Chanel dress was strapless, backless and more than a little risque. It shocked the general public at
large but quickly became a fashion sensation. The Chanel dress premiered in the third ever edition of Playboy. This added
to the controversy surrounding the Chanel.
Karl Lagerfeld (born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt on September 10, 1933) is widely recognized as one of the most influential fashion
designers of the late 20th century. He has collaborated with a variety of different fashion labels, with Chloé, Fendi and
Chanel the most notable. But with contracts with companies internationally, throughout his career, he has probably built the
most complicated resume of any designer. Furthermore, he has his own labels, which he launched in the early 1980s, including
perfume and clothing. He has also played a role in equipping leading artists.
Karl-Otto Lagerfeld was born 10 September 1933 in Hamburg, although Lagerfeld has long asserted that he was born in 1938.
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