Hello and welcome to this weeks post…
Last Week I wrote about the beginning of our new project Voices of the Cove.
In that post I discovered new information about the topic we discussed that week, which was immigration.
This week our main focus has been the Economy Post WW2. One of the biggest changes economy wise following the war was consumerism.
Or otherwise known as the act of buying stuff, a lot of stuff. As a slight shopaholic that spends an unhealthy amount of time in Winners, I found the introduction of consumerism in Canada fascinating. This sent me down a rabbit hole, Researching 50s products. Specifically taking a closer look at Fashion, Hair and makeup trends of the Fifties.
Here are my two favourite looks I discovered….
Rockabilly
This look is really popular in 50s films. It is common for movies to use this look to represent a “rougher” or teenage crowd.
The style consists of polka dots, floral patterns and bandana’s. Black is incorporated in most outfits, leather jackets were really common.
Hair was usually heavily styled with a lot of volume, women often wore their hair in pigtails. Makeup was very classic 50s, including bold red lipstick, minimalist black eyeliner, cream foundation and dark eyebrows.
What I found interesting about this style was the popularity and inclusion of tattoos. Specifically animal and ocean inspired ink. When I originally pictured 50s trends I didn’t imagine tattoos being included in fashion so early.
Nowadays tattoos have a smaller stigma then they did in the fifties. Half sleeves are pretty really common and similar foundations and base makeup is included in modern makeup trends. While polka dots and Rockabilly hairstyles have not made a come back in a while… bandana’s were pretty popular a few years ago as well as strong floral print.
Hollywood looks….
With the war over, people spent more time reading magazines and going to the theatre. New movies, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn all received the publics attention. Giving Hollywood power over trends in clothes, makeup and hair.
Some of the biggest trends that came straight from Hollywood were….
Fitted and flared out evening gowns.
Whether the inspiration was Hepburns Givenchy gowns or Monroe’s dress from “Diamonds are a girls best friend” these dresses were popular.
A common match with a beautiful evening gown was of course extra accessories.
Sparkly jewelry was all the rage, and no outfit was complete without a beautiful pair of gloves.
While it’s very uncommon to see somebody out on the street wearing one of these outfits, this style has had lasting effects. Inspiring fashion designers and recent celebrities.
A lot has changed style wise since the 50s, but our love of trends, clothes and products has not. Poodle skirts have been swapped out with sweatpants and red lipstick for masks, but small inspiration from this groundbreaking time exists still today.
See you next week….
Kaia
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