You have been scheduled as a Background Actor for a play or movie set set in the 1950s, but you have no idea where to start with costume. Not cause for concern; Central Casting is here to assist. Review your Details Blog then look for ideas on 1950s clothes in this guide.
Depending on the production, the wardrobe department could supply clothes for background actors. If you're booked on a period piece, even if they do, it's still crucial to know the era's fashion.
Fashion overview of the 1950s
The post-war era of the late 1940s had an impact on fashion in the 1950s and strongly highlighted emerging materials including nylon, acrylic, polyester, and spandex. Along with the end of the war, couture fashion designers including Christian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, and Hubert de Givenchy—who had a significant influence on the decade's style—were returning.
Even for more laid-back stay-at-home looks, 1950s fashion was glitzy, well-groomed, and put-together overall.
Early 1950s Appearance
Early 1950s women's fashion drew influence from Dior's 1947 "New Look" line. He swapped out the rigid boxy form of the war era for an hourglass form with rounded shoulders, tiny waistlines, and long skirts. The long narrow sheath dress with a high v-neck bodice, slender skirt, and short jacket was another Dior favorite silhouette.
The wandering waistline was ten years' constant. Depending on the style, a high, natural, low, or even non-existent waistline was fashionable. Try to locate images from that year for waistline inspiration if you are aiming to create a particular appearance.
Other early 1950s styles featured fitted tweed dresses, long skirts with petticoats, low necklines and ankle-length gray, green, blue, purple, or pink gowns.
Early 1950s men's fashion still mostly consisted in three-piece suits. Jackets could be double breasted with long lapels and three buttons or single breasted with wide shoulders and a low-waisted button. Wearing vests in complementary or contrasting colors in materials like corduroy, silk, and velvet became rather popular instead of a vest that matched the coat.
Mid-1950s Fashion
Women's fashion evolved toward more sophisticated, sleek, and slim by the middle of the 1950s. A higher hemline and a loosened waistline softened and straightened the silhouette. Popular in middle lengths, evening gowns were frequently constructed of wool chiffon or jersey fabrics. Still frequent additions for formal attire were matching coats and caps. With customized blouses, striped blazers, and tapered pants in vivid colors and plaid or paisley patterns, casual wear grew ever more trendy.
Midway through the decade, casual men's fashion also became rather trendy. Common summer wear were sport jackets, shirts, and pants in vivid colors using jersey or madras materials. Usually in blue, green, gray, or burgundy, suit jackets had two buttons with padded shoulders and lengthened notched lapels.
Late 1950s Fashion
Chanel had great influence on late 1950s fashion. Her designs included brass button short coats with always open pockets to show the blouse. Blouses were sometimes merely a required component of a suit before 1957, but Chanel made them the center of her designs. The sack dress and looser fit blouse helped shapes start to loosen even more as the decade drew to a finish. Though beige and neutral tones were becoming more and more fashionable, colors—yellow, blue, violet, green—were remained vivid.
Fashion designers debuted a Continental style suit for men with short fitting jackets including thin lapels and pointed shoulders toward the end of the decade. Leisure wear developed to include khaki and gray slacks, matching sweaters and socks, buttoned sweater vests and cardigans, and striking patterned coats.
Read Also: Style 1950 Women's Fashion Casual
Individual Styles
Greasers
Popular movies like Grease and West Side Story have helped the greaser look to be one of the most often used connected with 1950s fashion. Dark jeans, solid black or white t-shirts, leather jackets worn with leather boots or Chuck Taylor All-Stars comprised this look. Without a slicked back and greased down pompadour, duck tail, or elephant's trunk haircut, the greaser look is incomplete.
Ivy League
An early form of today's trendy preppy look was Ivy league fashion. Early 1950s Ivy League colleges (such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton) in the northeastern United States started to attract the style.
Men's common clothing consisted in Oxford shirts, cardigans, sweater vests, polo shirts, khaki pants or chinos combined with tweed sport coats, blue blazers, penny loafers, and boat shoes. Ivy League styles for ladies consisted in wool sweaters or cardigans with button down shirts, plaid skirts, trousers, and knee high argyle socks worn with penny loafers or riding boots. Though they were few, accessories might be a beret, striped scarf, doctor's bag handbag, or signet ring.
Tove Svendson 
You have been scheduled as a Background Actor for a play or movie set set in the 1950s, but you have no idea where to start with costume. Not cause for concern; Central Casting is here to assist. Review your Details Blog then look for ideas on 1950s clothes in this guide.
Depending on the production, the wardrobe department could supply clothes for background actors. If you're booked on a period piece, even if they do, it's still crucial to know the era's fashion.
Fashion overview of the 1950s
The post-war era of the late 1940s had an impact on fashion in the 1950s and strongly highlighted emerging materials including nylon, acrylic, polyester, and spandex. Along with the end of the war, couture fashion designers including Christian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, and Hubert de Givenchy—who had a significant influence on the decade's style—were returning.
Even for more laid-back stay-at-home looks, 1950s fashion was glitzy, well-groomed, and put-together overall.
Early 1950s Appearance
Early 1950s women's fashion drew influence from Dior's 1947 "New Look" line. He swapped out the rigid boxy form of the war era for an hourglass form with rounded shoulders, tiny waistlines, and long skirts. The long narrow sheath dress with a high v-neck bodice, slender skirt, and short jacket was another Dior favorite silhouette.
The wandering waistline was ten years' constant. Depending on the style, a high, natural, low, or even non-existent waistline was fashionable. Try to locate images from that year for waistline inspiration if you are aiming to create a particular appearance.
Other early 1950s styles featured fitted tweed dresses, long skirts with petticoats, low necklines and ankle-length gray, green, blue, purple, or pink gowns.
Early 1950s men's fashion still mostly consisted in three-piece suits. Jackets could be double breasted with long lapels and three buttons or single breasted with wide shoulders and a low-waisted button. Wearing vests in complementary or contrasting colors in materials like corduroy, silk, and velvet became rather popular instead of a vest that matched the coat.
Mid-1950s Fashion
Women's fashion evolved toward more sophisticated, sleek, and slim by the middle of the 1950s. A higher hemline and a loosened waistline softened and straightened the silhouette. Popular in middle lengths, evening gowns were frequently constructed of wool chiffon or jersey fabrics. Still frequent additions for formal attire were matching coats and caps. With customized blouses, striped blazers, and tapered pants in vivid colors and plaid or paisley patterns, casual wear grew ever more trendy.
Midway through the decade, casual men's fashion also became rather trendy. Common summer wear were sport jackets, shirts, and pants in vivid colors using jersey or madras materials. Usually in blue, green, gray, or burgundy, suit jackets had two buttons with padded shoulders and lengthened notched lapels.
Late 1950s Fashion
Chanel had great influence on late 1950s fashion. Her designs included brass button short coats with always open pockets to show the blouse. Blouses were sometimes merely a required component of a suit before 1957, but Chanel made them the center of her designs. The sack dress and looser fit blouse helped shapes start to loosen even more as the decade drew to a finish. Though beige and neutral tones were becoming more and more fashionable, colors—yellow, blue, violet, green—were remained vivid.
Fashion designers debuted a Continental style suit for men with short fitting jackets including thin lapels and pointed shoulders toward the end of the decade. Leisure wear developed to include khaki and gray slacks, matching sweaters and socks, buttoned sweater vests and cardigans, and striking patterned coats.
Read Also: Style 1950 Women's Fashion Casual
Individual Styles
Greasers
Popular movies like Grease and West Side Story have helped the greaser look to be one of the most often used connected with 1950s fashion. Dark jeans, solid black or white t-shirts, leather jackets worn with leather boots or Chuck Taylor All-Stars comprised this look. Without a slicked back and greased down pompadour, duck tail, or elephant's trunk haircut, the greaser look is incomplete.
Ivy League
An early form of today's trendy preppy look was Ivy league fashion. Early 1950s Ivy League colleges (such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton) in the northeastern United States started to attract the style.
Men's common clothing consisted in Oxford shirts, cardigans, sweater vests, polo shirts, khaki pants or chinos combined with tweed sport coats, blue blazers, penny loafers, and boat shoes. Ivy League styles for ladies consisted in wool sweaters or cardigans with button down shirts, plaid skirts, trousers, and knee high argyle socks worn with penny loafers or riding boots. Though they were few, accessories might be a beret, striped scarf, doctor's bag handbag, or signet ring.