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Fashion in the 1950s
During the 1950s a range of influences including film, television, magazines and the rock music scene created a new market grouping called teenagers.
These single young people with cash from paid work soon had their own fashions, own music, own cafes, own milk bars and even their own mode of transport by the end of the decade - fuelled scooters.
Teenagers suddenly dominated style in clothes, haircuts and even travel abroad.
American influence on European teenagers was huge. Rock and roll idols including Elvis Presley, Bill Hayley, Jerry Lee Lewis and film stars James Dean and Marlon Brando set fashions almost unwittingly.
The main looks for teenagers were Grease and Preppies.
Greasers followed the standard black leather and denim jeans look set by Marlon Brando in “The Wild Ones” and later emulated in “Grease”.
Preppie qualities were neatness and grooming. Girls wore circular skirts with large appliques. Neat pleated skirts were also popular and were made from Terylene, which helped maintain razor sharp sunray pleating.
The skirts were supported by bouffant paper nylon or net petticoats, on top they wore scoop neck blouses, back to front cardigans, tight polo necks or three quarter sleeve white fitting shirts often with a scarf knotted cowboy fashion at the side of the neck.
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