Nowadays, real fur is seen as being quite controversial. Many designers refuse to use the real material, and PETA leads protests against its usage because of animal welfare concerns. However, the idea of faux fur-trimmed garments resonates to this day as appearing more “luxurious,” even though these items are much less expensive than traditional fur versions. Mink has been, and remains, the most popular real fur in North American fashion usage, accounting for almost 70% of all fur sold. Other popular pelts include sable and chinchilla.
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Marilyn Monroe famously wore this shoe style whilst standing over a subway grate, but she was only one of many who adored this kind of stiletto. The style has faded from the mainstream since, with only minor peaks in popularity in recent years.
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While brooches were originally designed to hold pieces of clothing together, in 1951, designers began releasing elegant brooches as part of their collections. It took the fashion world by storm. Queen Elizabeth II has a rather large number of brooches she’s worn on almost every occasion she can.
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If you thought massive hoop earrings were the defining jewelry trend of the 2000s, you are mistaken. Women in the 1950s started the hoop earring trend, and versions of this style have been worn in every decade since.
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With young men and women alike wearing plaid jackets and pants, it was clearly a beloved print of the 1950s. Since then, it has become a timeless classic.
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Both Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn popularized the idea of strands of pearls. Ever since, pearls have symbolized grace and elegance. Over the years, they have been worn with formal and casual wear.
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Full, pleated skirts were the “it” silhouette of the decade. They helped create the hourglass figure, and women in nearly every decade have recognized the flattering nature of this skirt. This style is actually one of the biggest trends of this spring season!
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For a while, accentuating the waist was popular in the '50s. However, it was soon overtaken by waistless sack dresses. These dresses usually had shorter hemlines than most, a trend that is still seen in modern sheath dresses.
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The “American college girl” uniform in the 1950s nearly always included some form of fine knit sweater. With short sleeves in the warmer months and long sleeves in the colder months, the knit sweater gained popularity in this decade and has never truly faded since then.
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Frame bags were the epitome of elegance in the 1950s, and their stylish, minimal structure still appeals to many women today. These bags were used by women to carry all their daily necessities when they decided a clutch was too small to get the job done.
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Floral prints were huge in the 1950s, with many women wearing them in the form of below-the-knee dresses. Floral has had its ups and downs over recent years, but it’s certainly been up for the past few fashion seasons!
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Most people don’t know that the cat eye sunglasses that defined the 1950s were actually small, unlike the oversized versions we know today. However, we’re glad the size increased. They’re significantly more flattering now!
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When women didn’t have their shoes off at the sock hop, they were probably wearing saddle oxfords in neutral colors. Oxfords have remained a classic, timeless shoe style until this day!
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Jane Russell gets the credit for making the conical bra a '50s sensation! Women everywhere embraced this sexy style as part of their everyday wardrobes and swimming costumes. It isn't really popular today unless you're in the market for vintage lingerie.
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Remember Rosie the Riveter? It’s no doubt that headscarves were one of the most popular accessories in the '50s, whether it’s to protect your hairstyle from a beautiful drive or to stylishly pull it back to get some work done. They deserve to come back to bring our outfits to a solid 10/10.
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Swing dresses have fallen out of popularity, but they should definitely come back. The beautiful circle skirt flows elegantly, and they look beautiful no matter the occasion. While in the dress, it’s hard not to imagine yourself at a soda shop!
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Wearing gloves was an absolute must in the 1950s. They were available in every color and several styles from long and classy to short and sweet. The look was popularized by Audrey Hepburn, but it wasn’t unusual to see women wearing gloves to complement their outfit.
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What’s better than being warm? Being warm and stylish. Women in the 1950s knew how to accessorize and stay comfortable. Cardigans need to make a serious come back ASAP. Offices are too cold!
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Adding a stylish hat was the perfect way to complete your outfit. Hats were huge in the '50s and women were rarely seen without one. There were so many styles that it was impossible to find one you didn’t love.
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This item has come to be known as the fashion staple of the 1950s. However, poodles were not the only items used to adorn these skirts. Some really adorable ones had a cat playing with a ball of yarn.
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Mostly worn by teens as work wear. These dark denim jeans often featured rolled cuffs to show the lightly contrasting fabric on the inside of the jeans.
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The extremely synched-waist look of the 1950s could also be exemplified in cigarette pants. These pants were extremely high waisted, rounded at the hip, and ended tight above the ankle.
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These skirts were extremely synched at the waist and went straight down to about mid-calf with a split or kick pleat at the back to make walking easier. These skirts were often worn by rebellious young ladies of the day because the tight fit was seen as scandalous by some of the older generations.
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Most skirts and dresses needed a nice pair of stockings. Stockings came to the middle of the thigh and were held up with garters. Stockings had black seams. Nude would be fine too, but ’50s women loved their stockings to stand out and attract attention. Many stockings had heel designs such as Cuban heels, pointed heels, bows, arrows, and other cute designs on the back leg or ankle.
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Floral was everything and could be found anywhere you looked. Flowers were most often worn off to the side in order to emphasize the hair-flip style of the day.
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Sandals in the 1950s saw an explosion of color adorning the feet of everyone who was anyone. The sandals of 1950 also featured straps on straps on straps. Straps like these would take five minutes to out of, but we dig it.
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