The 1950s

1950s History

1950s Music

1910s Fashion

1920s Fashion

1930s Fashion

1940s Fashion

1950s Fashion

1960s Fashion

1970s Fashion

1980s Fashion

1990s Fashion

The 50’s was the decade that set everything in motion. Rock'n'Roll as well as movie idols like James Dean inspired “jeans as fashion”, while teenagers and parents tried to sort out the “generation gap.” The decade that brought the Baby Boom saw the demand for jeans explode. Now featured for the first time as a fashion fabric, the denim jean became a leisure garment “ideal for home, garden or work.” Lee Cooper's success in the home market was tremendous, resulting in the opening of a new factory in 1952. The year after, jeans for the ladies appeared. And when Lee Cooper launched the “front zip” for their ladies’ jeans, there was an outcry from a shocked public. The first protests about “youths in jeans” appeared in the press in 1955, but Lee Cooper was thriving. They designed numerous original cuts for men and women, eventually launching slacks and jeans as two separate product lines. By now Britain's premiere brand, Lee Cooper expanded and opened a new factory in Holland in 1955. The year after, they came out with their first line of children’s clothes; and by the end of the decade, the Dressing Gown range took Lee Cooper into the bedroom too! Audrey Hepburn’s Hollywood debut in the 1953 film Roman Holiday made the 24 year old gamine actress an instant star, and she became one of the most popular western film stars of the 1950’s and the 1960’s (Walker 85- 86).1 Particularly, it was her clothes and looks that garnered great attention and admiration, and it is precisely her style that is the focus of this paper. Why did Hepburn’s style become so popular, why did she have such resonance especially for young white women in the 1950’s? I’m dealing here with possible, shared readings of Hepburn available, and also employed, at the time. My examples, though from Finnish sources, serve here to illustrate a wider ”Audrey style” phenomenon in Western countries. I shall examine a look-alike competition organised by Finnish film magazine Uutisaitta in 1955, and present excerpts from the diary of a young Finnish girl in the 1950’s, Satu Koskimies, published in 50-luvun tytöt. Katarina Haavio ja Satu Koskimies. Päiväkirjat 1951-1956 (Katarina Haavio and Satu Koskimies - Girls of the 50’s. Diaries from 1951-1956). According to Jackie Stacey, the relationship between a female spectator and a star ideal is characterised by “contradictions of similarity and difference, recognition and separateness” (Stacey 126-127). The mechanisms of stardom are similarly dualistic. A star is like the rest of us, but somehow special and out of reach (McDonald 7, 12; Welsch 16-17). Identification, then, is seen here as a diverse and fluid cultural process, where the differences and similarities between star and spectator are constantly negotiated. Female stars are consumable images of ideal femininity and beauty. Particularly with female spectators, identification with these stars is closely linked to the consumption of other commodities (Stacey 3-5; McDonald 5-7; Dyer 2000a, 121-124; Morley 274). So what was at stake in liking Audrey and being like Audrey? It is important to note my own admiration of Hepburn and her style, but also the historical nature of a star image. The Hepburn I confront today in magazines and films is not the same encountered by spectators 50 years ago; my reading of her is historically predetermined. Indeed, as I have discovered firsthand while working on this paper, it is not possible to see a figure like Hepburn without all the meanings associated with her over time. Hepburn has become an icon, and her way of dressing – cutting edge and striking 50 years ago – is today a standard of classic style. Rockabilly fashion, popular in the 1950s, is all about being laid back and edgy at the same time. The casualness and comfort are what makes it a hit to hip and fashionable people these days. Rockabilly fashion is best executed with genuine articles coming from the whimsical and long-gone era. New items with a modern touch are actually easy to find in several online stores. An impressive Rockabilly outfit is not complete, of course, without those chunky and decorative belt buckles. We visited a number of online stores and have come up with a guide of the best belt buckles there is. Browse through our list and choose which best suits your taste and sense of style. Pinupgirlclothing" tops out list of the best websites selling Rockabilly belt buckles. Among the designs that caught our eyes include: Retro Anchor Tatoo Belt Buckle by Classic Hardware - A handmade anchor design entwined with a rope and surrounded by starts. The design has already been featured in a number of magazines. "Too Fast To Live" Belt Buckle by Liquorbrand - True to the retro spirit, the buckle bears a skull-and-flags design in black and white mounted with the words "Too fast to live, too young to die." Rockabilly Retro V8 Unisex Belt - A design in red and black, the buckle bears the V* insignia that is surely a must-have in your Rockabilly fashion collection. Printed Natural Wood Belt Buckle With Heart Design - Features a black heart lined with wood color on a rectangular flat buckle with round edges. Vintage prints surrounding the heart make it a classic. Rock Rebel Skull Coffin - A coffin-shaped buckle cast from pewter, this one features a skull design surrounded by intricate filigree patterns. The belt buckle will suit both men and women. "Homeward Bound" Pewter Unisex Belt Buckle - Created by Sailor Jerry, the buckle looks as if it is made of silver. The overall look is clean and the design includes a engraved image of a sailing ship. "Daddyzero" also has an impressive collection of Rockabilly buckle belts, which designs border on the gothic and mysterious. Their prices are affordable, too. Here are some of our picks: Black White and Chrome Nautical Star Rockabilly - The chrome buckle is cast in an attractive design of black and white. It features a star overlapping a chrome ring. Double Barrel Derringer Handgun Belt Bucle - An interesting find because this buckle comes in the shape of a small handgun. This one will surely grab people's attention by the balls. Emily the Strange Black Kitty Cat Belt Buckle - A belt buckle in the form of modern emo icon Emily the Strange's black cat. The creature is colored black with pink ears and a menacing look, perfect for the modern Rockabilly look. We were also able to discover "Memoryworks" which has a wide collection cool western Rockabilly belts. Memoryworks.ca features Rockabilly fashion with glamour and western ideas. Among our recommended buckle belts are: Clark Tractor Belt Buckle - A very impressive piece, the buckle is enameled in green, black, and bronze and features an image depicting a Texan Clark tractor. There was a close relationship between the blues and country music from the very earliest country recordings in the 1920s. The first nationwide "country" hit was "Wreck of the Old '97",  backed with "Lonesome Road Blues", which also became very popular. Jimmie Rodgers, the "first true country star", was known as the “Blue Yodeler,” and most of his songs used blues-based chord progressions, although with very different instrumentation and sound than the recordings of his black contemporaries like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Bessie Smith. During the 1930s and 1940s, two new sounds emerged. Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys were the leading proponents of Western Swing, which combined country singing and steel guitar with big band jazz influences and horn sections; Wills' music found massive popularity. Recordings of Wills' from the mid 40s to the early 50s include "two beat jazz" rhythms, "jazz choruses", and guitar work that preceded early rockabilly recordings. Wills is quoted as saying "Rock and Roll? Why, man, that's the same kind of music we've been playin' since 1928!...But it's just basic rhythm and has gone by a lot of different names in my time. It's the same, whether you just follow a drum beat like in Africa or surround it with a lot of instruments. The rhythm's what's important." After blues artists like Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson launched a nationwide boogie craze starting in 1938, country artists like Moon Mullican, the Delmore Brothers, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Speedy West, Jimmy Bryant, and the Maddox Brothers and Rose began recording what was known as “Hillbilly Boogie,” which consisted of "hillbilly" vocals and instrumentation with a boogie bass line. The Maddox Brothers and Rose were at "the leading edge of rockabilly with the slapped bass that Fred Maddox had developed". Maddox said, "You've got to have somethin' they can tap their foot, or dance to, or to make 'em feel it." After World War II the band shifted into higher gear leaning more toward a whimsical honky-tonk feel, with a heavy, manic bottom end - the slap bass of Fred Maddox. "They played hillbilly music but it sounded real hot. They played real loud for that time, too..." The Maddoxes were also known for their lively "antics and stuff." "We always put on a show... I mean it just wasn't us up there pickin' and singing. There was something going on all the time." "...the demonstrative Maddoxes, helped release white bodies from traditional motions of decorum... more and more younger white artists began to behave on stage like the lively Maddoxes." Others believe that they were not only at the leading edge, but were one of the first, if not the first, “Rockabilly” group. Richard Avedon The most prominent figure in fashion photography in this period was Richard Avedon. He was known for creating very specific kinds of images, photographs that were narrative in nature, in particular. His images were carefully staged and crafted in vignette-like scenes, yet retained a sense of spontaneity. Avedon created and prompted a more progressive look, an aesthetic whose influence is recognizable everywhere in contemporary photography While he represented the essential look of 50s day glamour, Avedon, like fashion itself, has shown remarkable adaptability in his work through the past decades. One of his particularly dramatic shifts in artistic and photographic style and sensibility from his 1950s work involved the products of his collaboration with Calvin Klein. Avedon directed a series of commercials for the designer, who was launching his line of blue jeans in 1980. The television advertisements featured a fifteen-year-old Brooke Shields asking, "Want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing" This kind of sexualized work was a clear departure from his earlier images of proper and restrained ‘ladies' posing beside flower stalls and parks. As an aside, Avedon's use of the young actress, Shields, in his campaign, supports and illuminates the increased overlapping and erasure of distinction in what and whom constitutes a model. Returning to the original topic, such transition in style is a clear illustration of Avedon's versatility as a photographer and the continued evolution of fashion and its limits of taste, suggestion and propriety in presenting the clothed (or unclothed) body   Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's stylish, elegant designs revolutionized fashion during the 1910s, freeing women from the uncomfortable and stiff apparel worn at the end of the 19th century. Chanel furthered her own image: the woman of the 20th century, embodying independence, success, personality, style, and confidence. The influential Chanel suit, launched in 1924, was an elegant outfit composed of a knee-length skirt paired with a trim, boxy jacket, traditionally made of woven wool with black trim and gold buttons and worn with large costume-pearl necklaces.Chanel also popularized the little black dress, whose blank-slate versatility allowed it to be worn for both day and night. The black Chanel dress was strapless, backless and more than a little risque. It shocked the general public at large but quickly became a fashion sensation. The Chanel dress premiered in the third ever edition of Playboy. This added to the  controversy surrounding the Chanel name.   Much imitated over the years, Chanel's designs were manufactured across more price categories than any other in the high-fashion world. It was Chanel who also introduced 'costume' jewellery to the world of fashion, using a variety of accessories such as necklaces, chains or pearls of several strands. A bag with golden handles, an elegant pearl necklace, a tailleur dressed in black are the symbols of elegance and status that marked forever the history of fashion. But it was Chanel No. 5 - considered the number-one selling perfume in the world - which helped her become a millionaire. The perfume was created in 1921 by Ernest Beaux at the request of Chanel, who said about the perfume that it was "a woman's perfume with the scent of woman." Its Art Deco bottle was incorporated into the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1959. Chanel No. 5 was the first synthetic perfume to take the name of a designer. One of Coco Chanel's most famous quotes is, "This perfume is not just beautiful and fragrant. It contains my blood and sweat and a million broken dreams."   Flying In the face of continuity, logic, and erudite sociological predictions, fashion in the 1950s, far from being revolutionary and progressive, bore strong nostalgic echoes of the past. A whole society which, in the 1920s and 1930s, had greatly bealieved in progress, was now much more circumspect. As fashion looked to the past, haute couture experienced something of a revival and spawned a myriad of star designers who profited hugely from the rapid growth of the media. Long, elegant skirts and cinched waists dominated women's fashion once more.Throughout the 1950s, although it would be for the last time, women around the world always continued to submit to the trends of Parisian haute couture. Three of the most prominent of the Parisian couturiers of the time were Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, and Pierre Balmain. The frugal prince of luxury, Cristobal Balanciaga Esagri made his fashion debut in the late thirties. However, it was not until the post-war years that the full scale of the inventiveness of this highly original designer became evident. In 1951, he totally transformed the silhouette, broadening the shoulders and removing the waist. In 1955, he designed the tunic dress, which later developed into the chemise dress of 1957. And eventually, in 1959, his work culminated in the Empire line, with high-waisted dresses and coats cut like kimonos. His mastery of fabric design and creation defied belief. Balanciaga is also notable as one of the few couturiers in fashion history who could use their own hands to design, cut, and sew the models which symbolized the height of his artistry.    After the war, the American look (which consisted of broad shoulders, floral ties, straight-legged pants, and shirts with long pointed collars, often worn hanging out rather than tucked in) became very popular among men in Europe. Certain London manufacturers ushered in a revival of Edwardian elegance in men's fashion, adopting a tight-fitting retro style that was intended to appeal to traditionalists. This look, originally aimed at the respectable young man about town, was translated into popular fashion as the Teddy boy style. The Italian look, popularized by Caraceni, Brioni, and Cifonelli, was taken up by an entire generation of elegant young lovers, on both sides of the Atlantic. The designers of Hollywood created a particular type of glamour for the stars of American film, and outfits worn by the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, or Grace Kelly were widely copied. Quantitatively speaking, a costume worn by an actress in a Hollywood movie would have a much bigger audience than the photograph of a dress designed by a couturier illustrated in a magazine read by no more than a few thousand people. Without even trying to keep track of all the Paris styles, its costume designers focused on their own version of classicism, which was meant to be timeless, flattering, and photogenic. Using apparently luxurious materials, such as sequins, chiffon, and fur, the clothes were very simply cut, often including some memorable detail, such as a low-cut back to a dress which was only revealed when the actress turned her back from the camera or some particularly stunning accessory. The most influential and respected designers of Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1950s were Edith Head, Orry-Kelly, William Travilla, Jean Louis, Travis Banton, and Gilbert Adrian. In the 1950s knee length skirts, with stockings were popular amongst young women. Summer dresses in floral fabrics with fitted tops and full skirts were a hit too. To make the full skirts stick out wide petticoats with nylon net, wiring or rope was used. Easy wear nylon was used in some dresses. Dior Christian Dior SA (more commonly known as Dior) is a French clothing retailer, under control of the LVMH group. The company was founded by fashion designer Christian Dior. Christian Dior SA itself controls 42% of LVMH assets, which holds other fashion brands such as Kenzo, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton. The holding company's operating unit, Christian Dior Couture, designs and makes some of the world's most coveted haute couture, as well as luxury ready-to-wear fashion, menswear and accessories. Christian Dior operates about 160 boutiques worldwide with plans to open more in the coming years. Its headquarters are located in Paris, rue François 1er. In 1998 it purchased Gerbe Paris, a French hosiery maker that had gone bankrupt. It is a major part of the business empire of Bernard Arnault, who is one of the richest people in the world. The New Look was the symbol of the new life style and the hopes of the people. In Dior`s 1948 collection.”Envol”, typical features were that, skirts were scooped up at the back, worn with jackets that were cut with loose, fly-away backs and stand-up collars. In 1950s skirts became shorter. The jackets were large and box-shaped, they sometimes had Horseshoe collars. During the following seven years Dior introduced his version of the “Coolie Hat”, and his Princess Line. His three piece suit of 1952 cardigan-jacket, simple top worn outside, and soft skirt made from crepe in pastel shades-influenced fashion for many years. Many of his collections featured three-quarter-length sleeves and stoles which remained popular throughout the 1950s.   In the 1950s, the rocker jacket achieved iconic status in major part through fictional film. Examples include Marlon Brando's Johnny Strabler character in The Wild One (1953), Michael Pare in Eddie and the Cruisers (1983), as well as the actor James Dean (although he never actually wore one in any of his films). Later examples include Henry Winkler's character Fonzie in the 1970s American television series Happy Days, which depicted life in the 1950s and early-mid 1960s, and the T-Birds characters in the Grease film duo. The Fonz's rocker jacket is housed in the Smithsonian Institution. Danny Zuko and the rest of the T-Birds from the 1978 movie Grease would have their gang name painted on the back of their rocker jackets. Other examples of the rocker jacket in popular culture include the Black Panthers in the 1960s and 1970s, the punk rock band the Ramones, punk rocker Sid Vicious as well as part of the Punk fashion, In the Mad Max Trilogy, Max and police officers sported jackets with armour, in the 1990s, Tre Cool sometimes sported a leather jacket, the T-800 cyborg character of The Terminator movies; the character Roger Davis, played by Adam Pascal in the 2005 movie Rent; and former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Wrestler Bret Hart. In the 1980s, rocker Joan Jett commonly wore leather jackets. After World War II, there were some major fashion changes. The 1940's silhouette had wide shoulders and a short skirt, but the 1950's styles were hourglass in shape (fitted body with small shoulder, small waistline, full skirt (or thin skirt)and higher heels). At the end of the decade, a newer fashion look was becoming popular, later made popular by Jackie Kennedy, skirts were full (circle, gathered, pleated or gored), but some were narrow and straight. Swing Skirts that were knee high were also populer, along with the poodle skirt. In the early 50's the hemline was very long--usuallly mid-calf. Later the hems would rise to just below the knee. Some women wore petticoats to make the skirts very full, others wore their skirts without petticoats. Wide belts help to make the waistline look even smaller. The poodle skirt and the pencil skirt were the most popular. shirt dresses were popular. These had a shirt-like bodice, with a gathered skirt. A narrow belt was worn. Other dresses had fitted bodices with straight or narrow skirts. Solid fabric, plaids, prints and stripes were all popular. Colors were bright. Princess-line dresses were also popular (having seamlines from shoulder to hem for a smooth fit). Often these had empire or raised waistlines. Shorter jackets were worn with the empire dresses. Legs became narrow during the 50's. Pants were very popular and worn at home and leisure. The Capri was mid-calf length, peddle pusher was a long short, and Bermuda shorts were knee length. These were worn with flat shoes, ballet-type flats, and simple Keds. Socks were optional. Menswear: suits were becoming more narrow--with narrow pants, and a Sack coat shape (Brooks Brother's suit). Charcoal grey was popular. A white shirt was usually worn with this grey suit, along with a plain, narrow tie. Hats were loosing popularity as the car made it difficult to wear when driving. Khaki pants and plaid shirts or button-down collared oxford cloth shirts were seen on students. Jeans were for outdoors or teen wear. "T" shirts were seldom worn alone, being an undershirt. Bermuda shorts, Hawaiian shirts and box shirts were worn in the summer. Hair was worn short, in a post-military style. Fashion designers have to be aware of the fashion market requirements. They have to be very interested in learning new things and read magazines, journals and books on fashion design history and new trends. They also have to be interested in art, visit art galleries and interact with all kinds of artists whenever they have the opportunity. A designer should also have some knowledge and experience of tailoring (cutting, draping, sewing etc.) and be able to tell the difference between different fabric quality levels. A good understanding of the audience's lifestyle and customer needs and requirements is also needed in fashion design. Designers should have good communication skills and be able to express their ideas clearly. But most important, they have to be very original and have fresh Psychology Articles, innovative ideas. Fashion design is a form of art dedicated to the creation of clothing and other lifestyle accessories. Modern fashion design is divided into two basic categories: haute couture and ready-to-wear. The haute couture collection is dedicated to certain customers and is custom sized to fit these customers exactly. In order to qualify as a haute couture house, a designer has to be part of the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture and show a new collection twice a year presenting a minimum of 35 different outfits each time. Ready-to-wear collections are standard sized, not custom made, so they are more suitable for large production runs. They are also split into two categories: designer/createur and confection collections. Designer collections have a higher quality and finish as well as an unique design. They often represent a certain philosophy and are created to make a statement rather than for sale. Both ready-to-wear and haute-couture collections are presented on international catwalks. The first fashion designer who was more than a simple seamster was Charles Frederick Worth, in the 19th century. Before he set up his fashion design house in Paris, clothing was made by anonymous dressmakers and fashion standards were derived from the styles worn by royalty. Worth was the first designer to actually dictate to his customers what to wear rather than following their demands. became so famous that people were able to attach a face and a name to designs when they knew they were from the House of Worth. This was the beginning of the tradition to have a designer of a house not only create clothing, but also represent the symbol of the brand. Fashion design is a form of art. To work as a designer, you should have an artistic and creative personality. You also have to be good at drawing and able to express your ideas in sketches. You don't necessarily have to be a great artist, but you must have some special skills for combining colors, tones and shades. You also have to be able to work with fabric and use textiles in a creative and original manner. Fashion designers have a good visual imagination and are able to think in three-dimensions and put their ideas into garments. Platform high heel shoes are shoes with thick soles often made of cork, plastic, rubber or wood. What differentiates platform high heel shoes from other high heel shoes is that they have both thick soles and high heels. Platform heels are therefore considered more comfortable than the traditional high heel shoes, as your feet are not at such a vast angle when standing in them. By current fashion trends, very high platform heels are associated with the adult entertainment industry. Professional strippers, pole and lap dancers are often seen in high heel platform heels during their performances. Medium heel platform heel shoes are popular amongst teenagers and women in their twenties in the US and the UK. Platform heels are first said to have been used in ancient Greece to increase the height of important characters in the Greek theatre. These were also used by prostitutes and courtesans in Venice in the 16th century. Though platform heels gained some popularity in the US, the UK and European countries between 1930s and early 1950s, their popularity rose significantly in 1970s and 1980s. Rock musicians frequently wore platform shoes during their performances. Catching onto the trend, young boys and girls wore them to get attention. In the late 1990s, the UK’s sensational band – Spice Girls - brought platform high heel shoes back into mainstream fashion as they frequently performed in large shoes. Colors and models available online sexy platform high heel shoesPlatform shoes are available in almost every colour imaginable and in a host of exquisite designs. At reputed online shoe shops you can find platform high heel shoes that suit a variety of tastes, moods, attitudes and occasions. Browse through online catalogues and you will find platform heels adorning the soles of almost all types of shoes ranging from sandals, sling backs, pumps, Mary Jane pumps, knee-length and thigh high boots, peep toe and closed toe shoes, thongs and more. The heel heights of the shoes usually vary from mid-heel to skyscrapers. Colors of platform high heel shoes vary from a sober to funky. Commonly noticed colors include black patent, white patent, red patent, silver, blue, pink, brown, blue, yellow etc. Platform high heels in multicolor and twin-colors are also popular. Platform high heel shoes with clear heels, wooden soles (called clogs), and hidden heels are also quite popular these days. Advantages of platforms high heels Platform high heels shoes are of an ultimate advantage for women who love to wear heels but find it hard to balance in thin soled, pointy stilettos. Platform heels offer them all the advantages of high heels but with the comfort of flats. Platform heels with hidden heels are also of advantage for women who are shorter but want to look taller. Platform heel shoes are available in a range of trendy designs and colors that especially suit the fun-loving teenagers and girls in their twenties. Platform shoes with very high heels render an ultimate sex appeal and are the preferred shoes of women in adult entertainment industry. Disadvantages of platform high heels When women wear platform high heel shoes, they are at the very real risk of falling. Even super model Naomi Campbell had to bear this disadvantage during a fashion show once. Doctors warn against platform heels as they carry the risk of the development of flatfoot, because the ligaments and muscles remain idle while walking in platform shoes. Platform shoes are also not considered suitable for women drivers. This is because you cannot feel the effect of pressure on a pedal while you are wearing platform shoes. Which is better – a platform high heel or other high heels? Both platform high heel shoes and other high heels carry certain advantages and disadvantages. While high heel stilettos are currently a rage in mainstream fashion, platform high heel shoes continue to be a favorite of teenagers and young women who like to flaunt their fun loving attitude. You can find a myriad variety of both platform high heels and various other types of high heel shoes at a trendy online shoe shop. You can buy high heel shoes, whether they are stilettos or platform high heel shoes,platform high heel shoes depending on your choice, attitude and the dress you want to wear it with. Designer platform shoes can easily be teemed with a designer pantsuit or classic shirtdress and look equally good on both tall and short statured women. Why Platform high heels? All fashion conscious young women in the UK and the US will invariably possess a pair of sexy high heel platform shoes. Platform high heel shoes add to the height of the women and make them look taller. Teenagers and women in their 20ies especially go for platform shoes as these are much friendlier and convenient to walk in compared to other high heel shoes. Teen girls were as conservative and preppy as their parents.  They wore dresses everyday, for pants and shorts were simply unheard of.  They wore Petticoats over big gathered shirts. Circle pins.  Cardigan sweaters worn backwards with the buttons down the back with a string of pearls or scarf.  And don't you forget the peddle pushers. Fashion is a way of life; an attitude that transcends through your ensemble displaying your own originality. It allows people to express their feelings and make statements through their clothes and accessories. For instance, wearing a sexy outfit may illicit an individual to feel more sexy and playful. The classicism and elegance of fashion is evolving, allowing it to take on a touch of originality, fantasy, and sensuality not only in the fabrics, but in designs and styles. This Contemporary and relaxed attitude creates a look by associating colors and designs which can transform jeans, shirts, purses or even dresses in a unique and glamorous collaboration. Imagery is a new concept used by fashion designers to enhance these creative possibilities. Hubert de Givenchy opened his first couture house in 1952 and created a sensation with his separates, which could be mixed and matched at will. Most renowned was his Bettina blouse made from shirting, which was named after his top model. Soon, boutiques were opened in Rome, Zurich, and Buenos Aires. A man of immense taste and discrimination, he was, perhaps more than any other designer of the period, an integral part of the world whose understated elegance he helped to define. Pierre Balmain opened his own salon in 1945. It was in a series of collections named 'Jolie Madame' that he experienced his greatest success, from 1952 onwards. Balmain's vision of the elegantly-dressed woman was particularly Parisian and was typified by the tailored glamour of the New Look, with its ample bust, narrow waist, and full skirts, by mastery of cut and imaginative assemblies of fabrics in subtle color combinations. His sophisticated clientèle was equally at home with luxurious elegance, simple tailoring, and a more natural look. Along with his haute couture work, the talented businessman pioneered a ready-to-wear range called Florilege and also launched a number of highly successful perfumes. By the end of the decade mass-manufactured, off-the-peg clothing had become much more popular than in the past, granting the general public unprecedented access to fashionable styles. In the 1960s, pop culture was more focused on teenagers and their interests, including rock n roll. Youth fashions influenced the fashion industry. In the UK, the Teddy boy became both a style icon and an anti-authoritarian figures, whilst in North America, greasers had a similar social position. Previously, teenagers dressed similarly to their parents, but now a rebellious and different youth style was being developed. Rock and Roll gave people the freedom to dress with more individuality. This was particularly noticeable in the overtly sexual nature of their dress. Some young men wore tight trousers, leather jackets, and tee shirts; these men often grew their hair out and, with pomade or other hair treatments, coiffed their hair into pompadours. Men's hair fashion favored the wet look, achieved by the use of products such as Brylcreem. The 50s were deadly dull because the adults that had fought World War II had had more than enough excitement and were content to make babies and homes with white furniture and started the business of consumer durables. The children of the 50s couldn't wait to grow up and reject the false prophet of materialism and it was those children of the 50s who created the swinging 60s the minute they could pull on their sexy jeans and mini-skirts and gave space to sex, drugs and rock n' roll. A little black dress is an evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often with a short skirt, originally made popular in the 1920s by the fashion designer Coco Chanel. Intended by Chanel to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, accessible to the widest market possible and in a neutral color. Its continued ubiquity is such that many refer to it by its abbreviation, LBD. The "little black dress" is considered essential to a complete wardrobe by many women and fashion observers, who believe it a "rule of fashion" that every woman should own a simple, elegant black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion: for example, worn with a jacket and pumps for daytime business wear or with more ornate jewelry and accessories for evening. Because it is meant to be a staple of the wardrobe for a number of years, the style of the little black dress ideally should be as simple as possible: a short black dress that is too clearly part of a trend would not qualify because it would soon appear dated. A Crew cut is a type of haircut in which the hair on the top of the head is cut relatively short, graduated in length from the longest hair at the front hairline to the shortest at the back of the crown. The hair on the sides and back of the head is usually tapered short, semi-short or medium. A very short crew cut is sometimes referred to as as a butch cut (maintained with butch wax) or buzz cut. A long crew cut is referred to as an ivy league. A buzz cut (sometimes known as a wiffle or crew cut) is the American name for a type of haircut named after the sound of the electric razor, which is used to shear the hair very closely to the scalp. In the United Kingdom, the haircut is called a skinhead (although the skinhead hairstyle was originally called a skiffle). In the Philippines it's called semi, for semi-kalbo (bald), among Tagalogs or skinhead among Visayans. In Singapore it is often called a "GI (number)", with the number representing the seven different grades. In Australia the haircut is usually called a "crewcut". It is one of the most rapid haircuts possible, and can take little more than a minute to cut when done with good quality clippers. Buzz cuts come in seven grades: #0 or bareblade (shortest), #1 (3 mm), #2 (6 mm), #3 (9 mm), #4 (12 mm), #5 (15 mm) and #6 (19 mm). These numbers correspond to eighths of an inch. The British Teddy boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes inspired by the styles of the Edwardian period, which Savile Row tailors had tried to re-introduce after World War II. The group got its name after a 1953 newspaper headline shortened Edward to Teddy and coined the term Teddy boy (also known as Ted). The subculture started in London in the 1950s and rapidly spread across the UK, soon becoming strongly associated with American rock and roll music of the period. The Teddy Boys were the first youth group in England to differentiate themselves as teenagers, thus helping to create a youth market. Some groups of Teds formed gangs and gained notoriety following violent clashes with rival gangs, which were often exaggerated by the popular press. The most notable was the Notting Hill riot of 1958, in which Teddy Boys were conspicuous within racist white mobs who roamed the area attacking black people and damaging their property. In the 1960s, many Teddy Boys became rockers. Teddy girls adopted a style similar to Teddy Boys; they wore items such as drape jackets, hobble skirts, long plaits, straw boater hats, cameo brooches, espadrilles and coolie hats. Later they adopted the American fashions of toreador pants, voluminous circle skirts, and hair in ponytails. Winklepicker shoes were a conspicuous contrast to the Creepers worn by Teddy Boys. The male shoes were lace-up Oxford style with a low heel and an exaggerated pointed toe. A Chelsea Boot style (elastic-sided with a two-inch, and later as much as two and one half inch, Cuban heel was notably worn by the Beatles, but although it had a pointed toe, was not considered to be a Winklepicker. Winklepicker shoes from Stan's of Battersea were also worn by the Teddy Girls as well as being a fleeting fashion for young women generally. Teddy Boys made it acceptable for young people to care about what one looked like all the time and dress purely for show, instead of just having one's work or school clothes or Sunday best. This trend arose as young people's disposable income increased during the post-war years. Teddy Boy clothing consisted of: long drape jackets, usually in dark shades, sometimes with velvet trim collar and pocket flaps; high-waisted "drainpipe" trousers, often showing brightly coloured socks. Favoured footwear were chunky brogues, large crepe-soled shoes, often suede (known as brothel creepers). Plus a high-necked loose collar on a white shirt (known as a Mr. B. collar because it was often worn by jazz musician Billy Eckstine); a narrow 'Slim Jim' tie, and a brocade waistcoat. These clothes were mostly tailor-made at great expense and paid for through many weekly instalments. Preferred hairstyles included long, strongly-moulded greased-up hair with a quiff at the front and the side hair combed back to form a Duck's Ass at the rear of the head. Another hairstyle was the Boston, in which the hair was greased straight back and cut square across at the nape During the 1970s, rockabilly music enjoyed a renewed period of popularity and saw a resurgence of interest in Teddy Boy fashions; the look was plagiarised by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren through their shop Let it Rock on London's Kings Road. This new generation of Teds adopted some aspects of the 1950s Teds, but with a large amount of glam rock influence, including louder colours for their drape jackets, brothel creepers and socks. Additionally, rather than using grease to style their hair, they were more likely to use hairspray. In the latter part of the 1970s, the new generation of Teds became the arch-enemies of the Westwood and McLaren-inspired punk rockers. The early 1990s saw a revival of the original Teddy Boy style by a group of men known as The Edwardian Drape Society (T.E.D.S). Based in the Tottenham area of north London, they were concerned with reclaiming the original style that they felt had become bastardised by pop/glam bands such as Showaddywaddy and Mud in the 1970s. They have been the subject of a short film, The Teddy Boys, by Bruce Weber, which premiered at the Cambridge Film Festival in July 2006.  The band was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two groups, Choise and The Golden Hammers. This led to an eight member band, with the unusual feature of having two vocalists, a couple of drummers and two bassists. Their first single, "Hey Rock and Roll" (written by the band), was released in April 1974. It reached number two in the UK Singles Chart. Showaddywaddy then went on to have a further 22 UK hits from this point until late 1982. They had most of their biggest hits with covers of songs from the 1950s and 1960s. These cover versions included "Three Steps to Heaven" (originally by Eddie Cochran in 1960), "Heartbeat" (originally written and recorded by Buddy Holly), "Under the Moon of Love" (originally a U.S. hit for Curtis Lee in 1961 and co-written by Tommy Boyce), "When" (originally by the Kalin Twins), "You Got What It Takes" (originally by Marv Johnson) and "Dancin' Party" (originally by Chubby Checker). The above six singles were all produced by Mike Hurst (a former member of The Springfields, who had also previously produced Cat Stevens). Following "Dancin' Party" the band produced themselves with more cover versions including "I Wonder Why" (originally by Dion and the Belmonts), "Blue Moon" (based on The Marcels' interpretation) and another Curtis Lee original "Pretty Little Angel Eyes", again co-written by Tommy Boyce. Their most recent chart single was "Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp-A-Bomp-A-Bomp)", a minor number 37 hit in 1982.

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