A Look Back At 1950s Style

Fashion Institute Of Technology's Valerie Steele and Warren-Tricomi Studio's Joel Warren showed Julie Chen which styles and fashion trends were hip for the whole family in the 1950s.

Julie Chen: The style of 1950s is one of extremes, conservative at one hand and glamorous on the other. Joining us now Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Joe Warren of the Warren-Tricomi Studio. Good morning to you both.
Valerie Steele and Joe Warren: Good morning.

Julie Chen: Valerie, let me begin with you by bringing out our first model (Yeah) which is what a mum looked like in the 50s. Tell me what was going on historically that would influence the fashions that we saw then.

Valerie Steele: This is the cold-war period, so it s conservative, conformist, but it s also the revival of the French Haute Couture. So there is a lot of elegance and glamour.

Chen: And Joe looking at her hair and her makeup, those red red lips, tell me.

Joe Warren: well, the red lips were, everybody wears red lips , eye brows are very prominent, everybody penciled them in or they shaved them. When it came to hair, it was really influenced by Hollywood. You have famous brunette Elizabeth Tyler Audrey Hepburn, think about the most famous blond who is Marilyn Monroe on a cover of Playboys, she became blond and bush , she became the biggest star of all. And then of course with the hair color who else can you remember but Louise Obal and **. And she really made a statement . But it was all influenced by Hollywood, the hair. And this is what we call the plural cut

Chen: Very glamorous, it looks so beautiful.

Valerie Steele: and look at that waist, it s a real hour-glass shape. That s Dior s look.

Chen: They were so skinny then too. OK. Thank you. Let s bring out our next look which is what a father figure looked like in the 50s. well, a pretty hip father.

Valerie Steele: Yes, The hip and casual father. If you imagine him going to work, he d be the man in the great flannel suit. But they styled him as if he s going to an outdoor barbecue in the backyard and suburbia .

Chen: And Joe he has a little bit of shadow on his face. Is that...

Joe Warren: A little bit, but no most man clean shaven. But I think he is a little more reminisce of Paul Newman. You knew the brooding actor; you know you had Marlon Brando. It really was a time when men become more emotional. You know, it really stayed in the way they looked. (yes)

Valerie Steele : You have to remember too, though, because of the conformity there was once a men s clothing advertisement that said" Dress right, you can t afford not to. " You know, people were watching you, in every pageant... judging.

Chen: thank you. Let me bring out the younger look, what the young kids were wearing in the 50s. First we have what, maybe a teenage girl looked like. This I recognize a lot. Talk to us about this look, Valerie.

Valerie Steele: Well she is a bobbysoxer / . You know the little bobbysoxer /instead of nylon stockings. The sandaled shoes that sort of sweeping skirt, cute little sweater. It s a very girlish look and it s a teenage look. This is really important, so not dressing like the mom but having her own style.

Chen: Joe, everyone has ponytails back then.

Joe: Ponytails, pigtails, you know all the women were saving their hair. And the younger women were trying to do something different, so it s a little bit more casual, jut pulled up, easy going, the makeup was easy, clean, you know, not too much. The eyebrows were an asset, the lips were always red, not too shiny.

Chen: Yeah, cuz she s younger. Ok, now let s bring out her counterpart. A teenage boy,in a look that he may have had in 1950s.

Valerie Steele: Yeah, this is the rebel look. Absolutely rebel without a cause. The blue jeans, the T-shirt, all like Marlon Brando. The black leather jacket all like James Dean, the Marlon The Converse sneakers. This is not the preppy look. (no, not at all)This is the bad boy look.

Chen: Now, Joe would you say that the teenager of 1950s was the original metro-sexual / since they put in hair products back then.

Joe: Yeah, you know, that s where the **came very popular, it was called the quaff . you know, but I think the person that influenced that most was Elvis Presley. You know, in really rock and roll looking. They were rebels, James Dean, I mean, it really reminisce of what they looked like.

Chen: Yeah, We have one final look to bring out. And talk to me about what this model represents. Did she glamorous evening look. Is this only Hollywood stylists?

Valerie Steele: no, this is a mix of Hollywood and Paris Haute Couture. But it s a look that ordinary American women copy that t all price point. So it s a very couturely looking dress. A lot of dress maker details and a little mink stole, that was what everyone was inspiring to.

Chen: and Joe, just the final seconds.

Joe: This is Audrey Herpun at her finest moment. You know, just gorgeous , glamorous, pretty holidays. I mean it really was shorter and all sides of pieces . And she had a clip on / / .

Chen: I love that, looks so good. accessorize / .

Chen: Valerie Steele and Joe Warren, thank you both. We like to thank. What comes around goes around for providing us with these beautiful vintage pieces. :