Mens Fashion 1950 - 1959

Men's Fashion of the 1950s

The 1940s was certainly a strange time for men’s fashion. After all, the wartime mindset of the first half of the decade made for a bleak, dull fashion landscape in America, while the post-war era saw fashion coming back into the spotlight. Once 1950 rolled around, however, it became clear that fashion was back, and perhaps more important than ever before. Industry experts often refer to the 1950s as being The Bold Look;” true for both men and women at the time. Both formal wear and casual attire quickly entered back into the limelight, thanks in large part to the calm feelings that swept the world after the end of an immense war. The following are just a few characteristics of men’s fashion in the ‘50s, as well as hints as to how you might incorporate 1950s style into your own look.

Men’s Suits
Suits went through a rather dramatic set of changes during the 1950s. After the war had ended, men’s suits quickly became broad in the shoulders, and were most often double-breasted. Esquire magazine at the time called this The Bold Look, as the suits often featured broad lapels and were worn with trousers that were much more full than they had been in the past (trousers in this era tended to be cuffed, as well). Later on in the decade, however, Italian fashion designers began to have a very large impact on the overall design of men’s suits, creating those which featured sharp shoulders, narrow lapels and shorter jackets that were constructed out of lighter materials and well-fitted. This suit style quickly became known as Continental and became quite popular in America.

Hairstyles
A big part of 1950s fashion revolved around hairstyle. This is especially true for the younger generation, as the birth of rock and roll had a major influence on the way young men dressed. It was quite common for young men to style their hair with pomade and/or similar products. Hair was often grown out and styled into a pompadour; a hairstyle that has become synonymous with early rock icons such as Elvis Presley. Men also tended to embrace what soon became known as the wet look, wherein Brylcreem or other, similar products were used to slick back the hair and make it appear damp and shiny. This became immensely popular in Hollywood, which is quite evident in films that were made at the time.

Neckwear (1950 – 1959)
Neckties became increasingly popular in the 1950s making the bow tie an accessory reserved for formal events. Ties in the 50s became narrower and less decorative. It was the birth era of the skinny tie – a necktie style that is still popular today. Also worth noting is that for the first time designers started making ties out of non-fabrics such as leather.

Takeaways for the Modern Man
Modern fashion takes quite a few cues from the latter half of the 1950s, in which sharp Italian suits began to take precedent over those which were broad and less-fitted. Fit is everything when it comes to making someone look good in a suit, and this philosophy still exists to this day. If you tend to shy away from formalwear, however, you might want to try to incorporate the hairstyles of the time into your look. Those who go for the retro Rockabilly look, for example, can get a lot of mileage out of slicking back their hair. Since this look isn’t overly common, you can utilize it just enough to make yourself stand apart from the crowd.

More on the History of Mens Fashion
The Decade Before: Mens Fashion in the 1940s
All Articles on: Men's Fashion Through the Decades

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