Cosmetics of the 1950

8/22/2019 Cosmetics of the 1950

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Cosmetics of the 1950's Influenced byHollywood

Hollywood has always influenced America's beauty and fashion ideals. The 1950's were no exception.

Silver screen starletsMarilyn Monroeand Brigitte Bardot not only enamored audiences with their

sublime allure - they also set the standard for beauty in this era. Television sweetheart Lucille Ball

perpetuated the image of the glamorous housewife with her memorable "I Love Lucy" appearances.

These women ofHollywoodevoked images of elegance, dream, and uniqueness. They inspired within

women of the 1950's the desire to possess these attributes for themselves. Cosmetics became a

necessity for every woman during this decade.

Bigger-than-life cinema screens showcased the flawless peaches and cream complexions of 1950's

movie actresses. Max Factor, renowned make-up artist to the stars, invented pan-cake makeup that

expertly covered any skin imperfections. The cosmetics mogul introduced an everyday version towomen all over the world during the 1950's. He's also credited with making available a broad range of

eye shadows and lipstick shades.

1950's fashion magazines detailed step-by-step instructions on how to apply lip colors with recently

introduced lip brushes. Hazel Bishop Inc. marketed the first smear-proof lipstick during this era. The

names of the company's popular lipsticks were named simply by color description rather than fanciful

names used by other companies.

Notable fashion magazine, "Vogue," began to coordinate colors of the season's latest clothing trends

with cosmetics. Make up companies followed the lead of this influential publication producing an even

more vast selection of shades and colors for women to choose from. Titanium became an essential

ingredient in the cosmetics industry during the late fifties resulting in lipstick shades with a pale

shimmering gleam. Nail colors also were affected by this advent. Frosted shades of pink and silver

became widely available. The make up company Gala first began marketing frosted lipsticks.

Brigitte Bardot made a name for herself with dark smoldering eyes and pale lips. There is no doubt

that this French-born model-turned-actress influenced American women's thoughts about beauty.

Eyeliner of this day was available only in liquid form. Its application provided a sharp and defining

accent of the eyes very much like the eye make up worn by Bardot.

The movie actress Marilyn Monroe is a perfect example of the en vogue look of the 50's. The diva had

narrowed eyebrows with minimal eye shadow and blush.

Her complexion was unblemished. The over-all resounding affects of this legendary film actresses'

appearances was the feeling that she was born with her undeniable charms.

The epitome of the 50's married housewife was Lucille Ballwith her coiffed poodle haircut and rosy

pink lips. The television darling's wide-eyed baby blues, high heels, and white apron set the mark for a

nation of blossoming young women. Ball managed to maintain her timeless sense of beauty while
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expressing her unrestrained comedic genius in a way that has since been unmatched by any modern-

day female comedian.

Evening cosmetic wear leant itself toward drama with shimmering shades of pink for lips and eyes

shadows reaching beyond the lid. Women of the fifties appeared doll-like with pin-curls or fringe-likebangs framing their perfectly made-up faces. Bardot, Monroe, and Ball were a few of the most

influential starlets of Hollywood who propelled cosmetics trends during the 1950's.

What social factors influenced 50's fashions?

Interesting thought - - - the dynamics of progress at odds with a desire for stability & old fashion

values. In America increasingly prosperous people demanded more stylish wear with flair & daring,

and during the 1950's the ready wear industry provided a flood of clothing.

This was truly dramatic ;;; during earlier decades a Man might have two good suit jackets and four

pairs of pants and shirts and even with rotation their clothes would reek by wash day. During the fifties

a man might have six or seven suits and make it to washday without offending anyone. Movies in

America and England and in Europe to a lesser extent, MOVIE drove fashion. Marlon Brando lurching

about in Jeans & A T Shirt, James Dean in Jeans & T - Shirt, and then a host of Rock n' Roll

singers/musicians in Jeans & T Shirts suddenly made casual Friday a possibility. American Men

before 1950 were strange about wearing suits ALL THE TIME. Dad wouldn't sit down to dinner with

his family without wearing a suit. The Movies made dressing casual acceptable in some way or

maybe men finally got tired of wearing suits all the time..

Movies gave Women notions as to what was feminine and acceptable. Hems crept up, more leg was

explosed, at the same time women were expected to look nice all the time and find time to dress

differently for every occassion; tea clothes, motoring clothes, luncheon clothes, business clothes for

those growing number of professional women. Again the ready wear industry played its hand.

Advertising and lots of clothing at 'reasonable prices' made dressing up mandatory. And womendressed; socks, pantyhose, panties, girdles,bras, underskirts, puffy skirts, over skirts, blouses,

jackets, hats, jewelry, watches - - - it is a miracle more women didn't die of heat stroke during the

fifties in America and elsewhere wearing nearly a hundred pounds of gear (o-k I'm eageratting;

slightly)..

Increasing affluence influenced fashion in America and again Britain and Europe - - - people spent

more time getting an education, they were in pursuit of a beter life, dressing for success was stressed

as key & crucial - - - this mean 'normal' teenagers wearing clean pressed slacks and shirts. Those

teenagers in rebelling and certain 'ethnic' types dressed in flashier outfits - - - pants with 'pegged'

cuffs, colorful jackets, or those more pledian/poorer types find surplus Leather Bomber jackets Cheap

to buy, pairing them with Jeans often dyed black,

Here are some blurbs casged from the net....

http://www.fashion-era.com/1950s_glamour"""Fifties Silhouettes Fashion History

In contrast to the full skirted New Look, Chanel who had reopened her fashion house in 1954 began

to produce boxy classic Chanel suit jackets and slim skirts in braid trimmed, nubbly, highly textured

tweeds. She used richly textured wool slub fabrics sometimes designed by the textile artist Bernat

Klein. The silhouette was straight down and veered away from a nipped in waist. The beautifully made

suits were lined with lovely silk fabrics. They were weighted along the facing join and inside lining with

gilt Chanel chains.

The fashion look was easy to copy and very wearable. Major chain stores sold suits based on the

design. Accessorized with strings of pearls the style has frequently been revived over the seasons

and in particular a collarless style of coat and jacket she popularised, is now called the Chanel line.

The collarless Chanel line jacket was hugely popular again in both the 1980s and the 1990s."""
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http://www.vintageblues.com/history5.htm

Optimism abounded during the post-war years of the 1950s. The focus was on the baby-booming

family and being a good housewife which was the ultimate measure of success.

The United States had emerged victorious from another bitter war. Television was now in many

households, and the TV culture of I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners reflected ideals of the time.Stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, and Elvis Presley introduced a smoldering sex appeal

into an age of conservatism.

Consumerism became a popular pastime in the 1950s, as the post-war boom provided a sense of

economic optimism. New gadgets and gizmos proclaimed the future was here and liberated women

from many onerous household tasks. Homemaking, it seemed, was not so bad when you had electric

stoves, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, and the like. Women could now concentrate on making a

comfortable home for their families, and still have time to have a life outside of the kitchen.

The constant rounds of barbecues, cocktail parties, and other social events all required dressing up.

Christian Diors 'New Look' influenced fashion, but so did the conservative elegance of Coco Chanel.

Charles Jourdan introduced a new kind of shoe style, the stiletto heel, in 1951. As time went on thegoal was for the slimmest possible heel, eliminating earlier "chunky" styles. The pump was the basic

shoe, but its toes might be cut, the vamps curved or cut in enticing 'V's, or the heels molded into a

variety of shapes. Every color of the rainbow was used; shoes were intended to match an outfit

perfectly.

Men in the 50s seemed to be seeking more security (post war). Conservatism was the new catch

phrase and this is especially reflected in the menswear of the early 1950s when the trim quiet look

was in vogue. This was a distinct change from the late 1940s bright colors. Now dark colors and

shades of blues, browns and gray took over the scene. In 1953 the gray flannel suit began its reign. It

was in 1953 that President Eisenhower refused to bow to tradition at his inauguration and chose to

wear a jacket and homburg with his striped trousers instead of the usual top hat and cutaway. Looking

back on his decision, it now seems merely to be the choice of a man who wanted more informality

and a less rigid way of dealing with ordinary affairs. In all actuality it was merely a ripple on the

surface of what was to become a full scale revolt by the young. Elvis Presley was just waiting in the

wings with his suede shoes!

Teenagers were basically the focal point of this era. Films such as 'Rebel without a Cause' were

influential in how teenagers dressed. The Beatnik culture, inspired by authors such as Jack Kerouac,

was also in vogue. Leather, Levis, and Converse sneakers helped create the look. Along with the

famous circle and poodle skirts, ponytails, saddle shoes, penny loafers, and colored sneakers were

popular with teenaged bobby-soxers. Sandals, ballet slippers, and other casual footwear became

increasingly fashionable, as pool parties and other casual outdoor activities became popular.''

GREAT Pictures here

http://home.att.net/~movie.stars.1950/19

http://home.att.net/~movie.stars.1950/19

http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade50.htm

Hope this helps.

Peace/////////////////////////

Source(s):

http://www.fashion-era.com/1950s_glamour

http://www.vintageblues.com/history5.htm
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1950s FashionThe Fashion eZine - Retro Styles

This Website is Best Viewed Using Firefox

Edited by Suzanne MacNevin - April2011.

The 1950's spawned a wide variety of

original and distinctive styles, presentedwith a classic new age twist. For America,recently recovering from catastrophictragedies related to the second WorldWar, the 1950's brought restored hope; achance for a new way of life whosedestiny would be decided by them alone.This metamorphosis of America washeavily represented by fashion.

Women especially dramatically altered the

way they dressed and presentedthemselves; during the evolution of anincreasingly liberated society, womenbegan to favor casual, relaxed clothingover traditional dress rules and associatedformality of previous decades. Some of the most admired new trends for women inthe 1950's included button-up sweaters with simple necklines, fitted blouses, and fullknee-length skirts. However, the most prevalent fashion for women during this timewas dresses. Most dresses were worn casually, and were accentuated with circleskirts, halter straps, or small collars. Evening wear dresses seemed soft yet daring,coming in many pastel hues and accompanied with bold ruffles, tulle trim, anddazzling velvet bows. The fitted evening wear of this period, which was usuallysleeveless or strapless, was also emphasized with sheer silk.
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Growing increasingly popular, the full skirts of the 1950's needed some sort ofsupport in order to maximize their look. To address this problem, Nylon petticoatswere created exclusively to be worn in conjunction with full skirts to create fullness.Nylon was a favorable material because of its high quality and easy care wash. This

fullness it created transformed the skirt who gave nothing more than a gentle swish,into a glamorous royal-like flutter. Another significant fashion of this period is theswing coat, developed in the last 1940's by Jacques Fath. The silhouette of theswing coat was "designed perfectly to cover full skirts, and also ideal for the post warhigh pregnancy rate".


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Another trend in the 1950's was the"trapeze dress: a swinging dress almosttriangular in shape and designed to beworn with low shoes and bouffanthairstyles." The trapeze dress was later

modified into a shorter baby doll tent styledress, which was popular in the nextdecade. Perhaps one of the most classicfashion garments from the 1950's wasChristian Dior's H-line of 1954, whichconsisted of a slender tunic-style suit witha slim skirt.

His other popular fashions during thisperiod were his A and Y lines. Dior haslong been a dominant force in the fashion

world, especially in the 1950's. Hiscreative and usually voluminous garmentsgave women a more feminine touch.Another designer, Hubert Givenchycreated a Parisian style dress in 1957which he called the Sack. The Sack began the trend of straighter-waist dresses.Initially, it developed into the "fitted darted sheath dress and later into the loosestraight short shift dress."

Coco Chanel was another major fashion designer in the 1950's. In contrast topopular full and flouncy skirts, Chanel began creating the boxy, now classic Chanelsuit jackets and skirts in trimmed and textured tweed. The materials Chanel chosewere always richly textured, which contributed to the finished product's high prices.Chanel's silhouette of her suits was completely straight, divinely lined with silk. Herlook was classic, refined, and adornedwith details.

Chanel also accessorized many of herdesigns with strings of pearls andcollarless jackets, both of which wereconsidered fashionable in the 1950's. One

of the most classic trends from the 1950'sis the empire line, which was introduced inthe late 1950's. This style was applied todresses and shirts mostly, and wasadored by teenagers who lookedinnocently childlike, hence the coinedphrase "baby doll style". During the1950's, all teenagers were expected todress like their elders. The empire linewas also a striking contrast from whatmost mothers wore at the time, which


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contributed to its high approval among teenagers in America.

Until the 1950's, the term "teenagers" was not commonly used, and certainly not atargeted market group. But with a new range of influences, including film, television,rock music, and magazines, teenagers began to be respected and acknowledged in

the community. Often nicknamed the "Space Age", the 1950's was an important timein history for science and development as well. So many aspects of life changedduring this period, perhaps partially attributed to the recent end of World War II.America had emerged from war with prosperity and a new identity. A new consumer-based society was "forging ahead, helped by such new developments as the creditcard system" (Baker, 6).

These innovative conditions however produced a similar effect on the fashionindustry: while so many things in the lives of Americans were changing, they stayedclear from the radical, intense fashions while preferring the normalcy of standardtrends. For once, being normal felt good. Another huge change in the 1950's was theincreased ownership of television sets. Popular television programs such as I LoveLucy connected Americans on both sides of the Atlantic, bringing a sense of unity inthe country.

Segregation was ended in 1954, which brought together black and white students forthe first time though racial tensions were still high, and also birthed the existence of

civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. Constant fears of communismreaching the states held many Americans tight with fear. More changes brought forth


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in the 1950's include the discovery of DNA, the launching of the first space satellite,an increase of women in the work field, and of course, rock and roll. All of theseeconomic, social, and political changes in the world affected the American citizens,and therefore the fashion industry.

Regardless of the world's issues, the topfashions that drove the industry weremore influenced by those who wereidolized by the consumers: celebrities.Some of the most popular celebrities inthe 1950's include Marilyn Monroe, JamesDean, Ricky Nelson, and of course, ElvisPresley. Marilyn Monroe's sexy yet simplestyle was a widely imitated acrossAmerica, by women of all shapes andsizes. Elvis Presley was another huge

influence in the 1950's; not only was headored by millions of girls, but he wasalso an inspiration for men. In a timewhere men only wore traditional attire,Elvis tore down all barriers which confinedmen to navy suits and ties.

Elvis typically wore clothes that weremore popular among the AfricanAmerican population. His wild peggedpants and zoot suits concerned theconservative community of America, whohardly approved of such a "genderbending, race-integrating star"(SOURCE). Elvis' bright and baggyclothes, makeup, and so called obscene dancing all acted as evidence of his singlehanded destruction of the morals of America's youth. Not all men followed theexamples Elvis set however. In fact, more men in this time period dressedconventionally than not.

Most men in the 1950's maintained clothes with casual and modest colors, including

dark blue, dark brown, and charcoal. The occasional daring young man would wearpastel pink to stand out; a trend that was just gaining momentum in the 1950's.Cardigan sweaters were popular among athletes, and older men. Additionallypopular were fitted vests, plaid flannels, and collared jackets. There was flexibility inmen's casual wear, and was a common sight to see shirt tails sticking out. Basicfedora-style hats were also a staple item in the 1950's for men.


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Hats were also fashionable accessory forwomen in the 1950's, for the reason thatthey were believed to add a final touch ofglamour to any woman's outfit. The pillboxhat, first introduced by Balenciaga and

later modeled by Jackie Kennedy,became one of the trendiest accessoriesof the decade. Several glorious hat stylesexisted in the 1950's. Some hats werecovered in flower petals, while otherswere adorned with swirls of georgette.Gloves were also worn often by women,especially those of elite social status.Some were made of cotton, which wasmuch more affordable than leather ornylon. Though gloves came in many

colors and styles, clean gloves whosecolor was white or cream were the mostfavored. Fur trimmings and adornedcollars were also extremely fashionable.Brooches too, were considered aglamorous accessory.

The 1950's was a decade in whichfashion changed dramatically from previous generations. Multiple influences frompolitical debates, to economic issues, to new age celebrities and mass media allinfluenced the distinct styles and trends which identify the 1950's. Recovering fromthe casualties of World War II brought a lasting change to America, which wasreflected in the fashions of this decade. The American women craved glamoroussimplicity in their new lives, and as a new and liberated society evolved, the womenof America began to liberate themselves by choosing which fashions they feltdepicted them best. Not only were the 1950's important in history, but they alsogreatly transformed the face of fashion in America.

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Cosmetics of the 1950