FCS 490R Fashion History. Terms and Definitions. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Vocab. Chapter 17: 1947-1964 

 

A-Line - Nora Terry 

In 1958 Doir came out with the A line he called the Trapeze. There is A-lines that flare slightly from neck to hem. 

Beatniks McKelle Marshall 

a young person in the 1950s and early 1960s belonging to a subculture associated with the beat generation. 

https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/ : a person who participated in a social movement of the 1950s and early 1960s which stressed artistic self-expression and the rejection of the mores of conventional society broadly : a usually young and artistic person who rejects the mores of conventional society 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatnik 

Beatniks emphasized expression of freedom and creativity in their work and this was reflected in how they dressed. Their dark, form-fitting fashion was simplistic yet rebellious, and that was exactly its appeal. It’s ironic that Beatnik fashion became so popular, really. Beat Generation pioneers dressed in a carefree way to show that they were bucking tradition and exploring their individual creativity, not to be emulated. Perhaps that rebellious, couldn’t-care-less attitude was the very reason it held so much appeal. 

https://nextluxury.com/mens-style-and-fashion/beatnik-fashion-guide/#:~:text=Beatniks%20emphasized%20expression%20of%20freedom,fashion%20became%20so%20popular%2C%20really. 

On the women’s side, Beat poet Diane DiPrima (Figure 3) presents a crisp blouse and capri set with slick strappy sandals. The look is echoed in the stereotypes. Audrey Hepburn’s cool signature casual look, for example: black capris or cigarette pants, a slim boat necked top in neutral colors, and flats.Boxy cropped jackets (like the one worn by the girl on the left (Figure 5) in the “Miss Beatnik” beauty contest photo – I know, it seems incongruous, but this was Venice Beach) and turtlenecks (like the one worn by Kim Novak in Bell Book and Candle (Figure 6) or fluffy mohair cardigans are an iteration on the theme. Stretch belts and slim pencil skirts in dark colors work well, too. The key is avoiding fuss – keep things sleek and simple. Very short, rather flat, or somewhat messy hair works. The counterculture wasn’t interested in maintaining a weekly roller set! 

http://www.gbacg.org/finery/2014/beatnik-fashion/ 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/382665299589907483/ 

Bikini Nora Terry 

European women adopted the bikini, a two piece bathing suit smaller than any ever worn before. The book emphasized that the suits were the smallest ever worn Chemise style 

Allison Boyes: Crew Cut 

- “A crew cut is a short men's hairstyle, with shorter sides and a longer top. The style was popularized by Ivy League crew teams in the 1930s and is still associated with preppy fashion today, though it is an extremely widespread male hairstyle.” The crew cut is another version of the “buzz cut” and is a regulation hair style for men serving in the U.S. military. A crew cut leaves a thick bristle of hair less than an inch long at the top of the head. Outside the United States the crew cut has a much narrower meaning, and means short all over (about one-fourth inch), perhaps tapered a little at the back and sides. 

Crew cuts becam popular in England during the 1950s. 

Sources: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/crew-cut#:~:text=A%20crew%20cut%20is%20a,an%20extremely%20widespread%20male%20hairstyle. 

Allison Boyes: 

A Foundation garment is not meant to enhance a bodily feature like a padded bra, but to make it look more presentable by smoothing and cinching in the waist and hips. Corsets and Brassieres have been used for centuries but weren't officially patented until 1965. In the 30’s, women were still wearing metal-boned corsets. Girdles came into the market because of advanced technology, but corsets continued to be worn in the ’30s. New two-way stretch elastic fabrics were also created to make full-body girdles that smoothed every lump and bump. The ’30s full-body version of the girdle included a bra top that was attached to a very short skirt with elasticized straps with metal fasteners to attach to silk stockings. Bras weren’t very advanced – cup sizes were invented in 1935 and the first underwire bra came out in 1938. The bras were pointier than today, mostly because the cups had several seams that came together at a point in the center. For smaller busts a thin fabric was all that was needed (usually called a bandeau instead of brassiere) while fuller bust bras used additional felt padding to create the pointed shape 

Sources: https://patents.google.com/patent/US3304941A/en

 Fish tails- Maggie Morton 

For evening dresses, the most popular styles were wide skirts, but some were narrow fitted. Those that were narrow were either puffed elaborately at the hip or had the fish style hem. The fish tails were wide areas around or at the back of the hem and were very flattering. 

“Survey of Historic Costume” by Tortora & Eubank 2011 

https://www.vintage-retro.com/1950s-fashion-history-on-womens-clothing-influence/ 

https://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-prom-dresses-history/ 

Go-go Boots - Jada Cordon 

Go-go boots were first started by disco dancers but then people started copying the style and designers released them widely for everyone. They were usually paired with a mini skirt or short dress. The shorter the dress length, the taller the boots. Nancy Sinatra “these boots were made for walking” Go-Go boots were a fad that was popular among a lot of different groups. There are variations of them throughout the decades. 

“Survey of Historic Costume” by Tortora & Eubank 2011 

http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/Modern-World-Part-II-1961-1979/Go-Go-Boots.html 

https://groovyhistory.com/go-go-boots-history-1960s

Ivy League look- Maggie Morton 

During the mid to late 1950’s, many young college men adopted the Ivy League look. Although the preppy style has been around since the early 1900’s, the ivy style really began to flourish in the 1950’s on the grounds of the top universities and colleges in America. Among the popular Ivy League styles were chinos with a small belt and buckle at the back. These were generally combined with button-down shirts and crew-neck sweaters. Cuffed pants, penny loafers, knitted ties, cardigans, ascot neckties, Brooks Brothers ties, and seersucker blazers were also popular styles at the time. Khaki, tartan, houndstooth, argyle, tweed cloth, and gray were popular among the fabrics. Women even adopted the Vassar style in which they incorporated the Ivy League look into their one style with cardigan, pullover, and button-down shirts. Some girls even wore menswear in small sizes to get the genuine look. This style remained popular in America until it was replaced with much more casual clothing attire, influenced by the hippie culture during the late 60’s. 

“Survey of Historic Costume” by Tortora & Eubank 2011 

http://www.ivy-style.com/boyfriend-jacket-the-vassar-girl-and-the-ivy-league-look.html. 

https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/ivy-style-primer/ 

Knock-off: Wendy 

A lower price clothing line copying a garment from a higher end clothing line or high end couture. 

Text book 

Line-for-line copy: Wendy 

“Into Idlewild Airport last week flew two jets carrying the fashion world's legal tender—the first shipment of 1960 dresses from the chandeliered showrooms of Balenciaga, Balmain, Dior and other leading couturiers. Awaiting their arrival were buyers and designers from chain stores and dress manufacturers, ready to go to work producing "line for line" copies (e.g., near-perfect imitations) of the fashions.” 

http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,894753,00.html 

 According to the book, some customers figured that Monsieur X was trying to imitate Dior. 

Pantyhose-Rebecca Odd 

History books credit Allen E. Gant with creating pantyhose — or “Panti-legs” — in 1959. The idea came to him while on an overnight train to North Carolina with his pregnant wife, Ethel Boone Gant, when the two of them were returning home from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Ethel told her husband this would be the last trip she would be going on before the baby came, since managing the combination of thigh-high stockings, girdle and garter that women were expected to wear out was becoming too uncomfortable. When they came home, Gant was inspired and asked his wife to stitch a pair of stockings onto panties and try them on. She didn’t hate them, so Gant took the prototype to the clothing mill where he worked and found a practical way to knit pantyhose on hosiery machines with non-stretch yarn. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/50-years-of-pantyhose-33062523/ 

https://time.com/5680431/tights-fashion-history/ 

Pedal Pushers-Rebecca Odd 

Knickerbockers or “knickers” are full or baggy trousers gathered at the knee or just below and usually fastened with either a button or buckle. Knickerbockers were initially worn by men in the late 19th century and gradually became part of women’s fashion. The garment was usually worn as sportswear and became especially popular among golfers and female cyclists, hence the term “pedal pushers”.In the 50s and 60s, Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn — known for their simple, sophisticated tastes — styled the cut with classic turtlenecks and tees. Britney Spears wore a lavender pair in one of her famous 90s-era “Got Milk” ads. 

 

https://www.thefashionspot.com/style-trends/780853-pedal-pushers-capris/#/slide/1 

https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/tag/pedal-pushers/ Shorty-

Sneakers - Elizabeth Gibbons 

Sneakers became popular in the 1940s and 1950s due to a few different factors. One was the increase of casual clothing worn in the suburbs. Additionally, James Dean in the movie Rebel Without A Cause wore sneakers, popularizing them as a trendy and somewhat rebellious footwear for the youth. Sneakers are canvas tennis shoes with rubber soles and have been mass-produced since 1917. 

“Survey of Historic Costume” by Tortora & Eubank 2011 

https://www.factmonster.com/culture-entertainment/fashion/history-sneakers 

https://www.vogue.fr/fashion/article/vogues-fashion-encyclopedia-the-history-of-sneakers 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/286682332509637181/ 

Stiletto Heel McKelle Marshall 

In the early 1950s, the stiletto heeled opera, court, and pump shoes were all the rage. At an extreme, they were very tall with 4-inch spiked ultra thin heels. Early on, the heels ended in a small metal cap that left dents in soft wood floors, requiring some museum and court houses to forbid stiletto shoes. The stiletto featured tall arches with a V shaped cutaway from the shoe sides. Red was the most bold and in-demand color for formalwear. They were impractical and mostly only worn for very special occasions, short durations, and by fashion models. 

https://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-womens-shoes-style/ 

https://www.bobbinsandbombshells.com/vintageshop/ron-evan-vintage-1950s-black-suede-stilettos-leather-cut-outs-designer-shoes 

The 1950s saw the astonishing rise in popularity of the stiletto heel. Designers competed with one another to see who could make the skinniest heel. Women loved how the shoes made them taller, but they weren’t very comfortable. But as time went on, stilettos were more known for the sex appeal than for the practicality as walking devices. Women wore a whole lot more shoe styles than stilettos in the 1950s. 

http://stiletto-italiano.com/eng/latama.htm 

https://www.retrowaste.com/1950s/fashion-in-the-1950s/1950s-shoes-styles-trends-pictures/ 

Topper - Staci Moore 

A topper jacket was a coat ending above the waist. They were a convenient way to accommodate wide skirts. 

Tortora, P.G. & Eubank, K. (2010). Survey of Historic Costume 

Trapeze dress - Jada Cordon 

“trapeze dress: a swinging dress almost triangular in shape and designed to be worn with low shoes and bouffant hairstyles” The trapeze dress was started by Dior. It was designed to help cover the hips and thighs but accentuate the bust area. The trapeze dress was a short lived fad. It was more successful than the chemise dress, but they both weren’t popular for very long. Until the late 60s, the trapeze dress did make another appearance. 

“Survey of Historic Costume” by Tortora & Eubank 2011 

https://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-dress-styles/ 

http://fashion.lilithezine.com/1950s-Fashion.html 

White Bucks - Elizabeth Gibbons 

White shoes made from buckskin (or sometimes suede) were popular men’s footwear in the 1950s.Worn mostly by high-school and college students, they were considered footwear for casual clothing. Singer Pat Boone was known to wear white bucks, further popularizing the fashion. 

“Survey of Historic Costume” by Tortora & Eubank 2011 

https://www.chronicallyvintage.com/2013/09/the-history-of-white-buck-shoes.html 

http://www.ivy-style.com/how-the-white-shoe-law-firm-got-its-name.html 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/487162884668952308/ 

Winkle Pickers - Staci Moore 

Winklepickers, or winkle pickers, are a style of shoe or boot worn from the 1950s onward by male and female British rock and roll fans. The feature that gives both the boot and shoe their name is the very sharp and quite long pointed toe, reminiscent of medieval footwear, and approximately the same as the long pointed toes on some women's high-fashion shoes and boots in the late 2000s. The pointed toe was called the winkle picker toe because in England periwinkle snails, or winkles, were a popular seaside snack which is eaten using a pin or other pointed object to extract the soft parts out of the coiled shell carefully, hence the phrase: "to winkle something out", and from that, winklepickers became a humorous name for shoes with a very pointed tip.” Women would combine dark stockings with a feminized version of the winkle pickers that had very high heels and pointed toes. “The winklepicker was an extreme version of the already extreme opera pump. With its sharp pointy toe and high thin heel, it was trendy in the late 1950s for formal and even semi-formal at-home wear. Thicker but still shapely tall heels continued to be worn with fancy dresses. Some heels had pretty al- over designs carved, painted or printed onto them, while others had decorations around the edges.” 

Tortora, P. G. & Eubank, K. (2010). Survey of Historic Costume (5th edition). Fairchild Books. 

https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/winkle-pickers 

https://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-womens-shoes-style/.