1950's at a Plance

1950’s Timeline Project:

When choosing the designs and topics for the 1950’s I came across an interesting split in trends. While I only touched briefly on it within the timeline, I though to write more about the interesting occurrence that happened within women’s fashion in America during the 1950s.

            The 1950 was a time of readjustment and recovery. After WWII was over men were returning to jobs and women were retreating back to the kitchen. However with the past decade of interdependence of women and men in the work force, women developed a voice and interest in success and independence. This is where we see the line split between the proper housewife fashion and lifestyle, and the scandalous empowered woman.

            While I believe being proper and lady like is important in certain settings and in life I also believe that the kitchen is not the place for us to reside. Other women at that time believed so as well. Society began to see women like Marilyn Monroe who wore form-fitting dresses that accentuated curves and showed skin. This style embraced the sexuality of women and in a way empowered them. On the other side of the scale there were the women who wore skirts with petticoats, gloves and high neckline dresses. Women of this pedigree believed that women were there to serve and not speak out.

            There have been many movies on these juxtaposing societies of women like in Mad Men, The Help, and even in Marilyn. One of my favorite quotes comes form Marilyn, “well behaved women rarely make history.” And I believe she is right, it is the outcasts, and the black sheep that are remembered, like Amelia Earhart. It is interesting to see this split then and compare it to fashion today even within the area of San Francisco city with its diverse communities. For example the Marina greek mentality verses the Haight street hipsters. I wonder what people will be saying 30 years from now about or social and material trends.