Fashion

Before the war, adults played a large part in deciding what kind of clothes would be popular for others to wear. After the war, the fashion for the United States took a big turn. Teenagers were the larger voice in what was worn because they strived to be very youthful and to have their own voice, their influences for choosing the popluar clothing were sometimes created by themselves, but they also were inspired by the rise in cinema, television, and their Rock 'n Roll role models. Christian Dior also played a big part in the fashion trends of the 1950s. Dior's fashion ideas was a huge change from what people had previously worn. During the war, people were to ration the amount of fabric, so when Dior's new clothing used a large amount of fabric, people found it to be bold and a little daring.

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Some of the fashion styles in the 1950s included:

Sleeveless Dresses- Women started to wear sleeveless dresses because of the free range of motion it gave them in their shoulders. Sleeveless dresses were also worn all four seasons.

Conservative Business Suits- Conservative business suits were widely favored by men. Normally, hats would also be worn by men when wearing a business suit, but during the 1950s they became less and less popular,but were still sometimes worn, and by the 1970s hats were barely ever worn by most.



Petticoats- Petticoats were used by women to give the dresses they wore a "fuller" look to them.



The Ponytail and the Beehive Hairstyles- At the begining of the 1950s women usually wore their hair in a simple ponytail, by the end of the 1950s most women would instead put their hair into the more difficult stylings of the beehive.



Teddy Boy Jackets and Black Leather Jackets- Teddy Boy Jackets were typically worn long and had velvet trimming.

Today, the clothing styles are much different. Even though the styles in the 1950s were looked at as daring, the fashion today is even more daring and less modest. Today, the clothing is shorter,more tight fitting, and more risky. Teenage boys typically wear baggy pants, athletic attire, and tennis shoes. Most teenage girls wear short shorts, jeans, dresses, althletic attire, and dressy shirts. The typical jewelry worn today is big and flashy. Most necklaces are long and layered. Popular shoes include: Stilleto Heels, Tennis Shoes, and Gladiator Sandals. Most adults dress more modest, but there are some adults who dress more like teenagers. Bright colors are also very popular in the United States.

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Some popular fashion trends of today include:

Gladiator Sandals: Gladiator Sandals are very popular among women in the United States today.



Sequin/Sparkle Clothing

Baseball Hats- Many guys wear baseball hats, they wear them both, frontwards, and backwards.



Skinny Jeans- Skinny Jeans are worn by both men and women.



Athletic Attire- Most athletic attire is worn by both genders, and by most ages. Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour are very popular around the United States.



Pencil Skirts- Pencil Skirts are very popular right now, especially for the working woman. Many women wear them to work, because they give off a professional look.