1950s Costumes Tips

Greasers

Greasers slicked their hair into a ducktail with Brylcreem. "Cool" was the operative word. Greasers wore black leather jackets and liked to roar up in motorcycles. They were the bad boys of the 1950s. Greasers emulated Marlon Brando in 1953's "The Wild One."

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1950s Costumes From Today's Closet

You've decided last minute to attend this year's costume party but don't know what to wear. A typical dilemma with an easy-to-fix solution. Just open your closet and start dressing! For a 1950s costume, here are two suggestions:

1. Grab a pair of jeans and roll up the bottoms. Wear black shoes and white socks folded over at the ankle. A white t-shirt will suffice, but roll up the sleeves. Put a comb in your back pocket and grab your leather jacket for a night out.
2. Pull out your favorite pair of capri pants and a sweater set. Cut out your first initial from a piece of black cardboard paper or black felt paper and pin it to your sweater. Curl your hair under and accessorize with a simple strand of pearls.
   

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Conversation Starters

Want to show your 1950s knowledge at the next sock hop? Here are some great conversation starters to get you talking:

• Motorcycles
• Drive-ins
• Converse sneakers, saddle shoes
• Marlon Brando, James Dean, Sandra Dee, Marilyn Monroe, Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn
• Elvis Presley on "Ed Sullivan" in 1956
• Brylcreem: A little dab'll do ya
• Poodle Skirts
• Greasers
• Teen Beat magazine
• Hula Hoops
• Squares, bikers, chicks, submarine races
• "American Bandstand," "Davy Crockett," "Roy Rogers"
• McDonald's in 1955: hamburger 15 cents, fries 10 cents, Coke 10 cents, coffee 10 cents
• A gallon of gas: around 23 cents in 1956

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Poodle Skirts

Teenage girls liked wearing circular skirts emblazoned with a large emblem like a cat or poodle. These outfits of innocence went with be-ribboned ponytails and white bobby socks. Poodle Skirts swung nicely when the girls danced with their guys around the drug store jukebox.

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1950s Kids

Kids love dressing up as Elvis or in poodle skirt costumes. But they also enjoy doing the unexpected. Take a cue from them when it comes to 50s costumes. Think outside the bouffant wig and the puffy skirt for your little Sandy and Danny. Get creative dreaming up 50s costumes for kids. Kids may dress as Beaver in “Leave it to Beaver,” or don oversized goggles and army fatigues to look like Captain Video in the 1950s serials. Buck Rogers is a great 1950s costume with space helmet and space suit. You can find space suit costumes anywhere and use a toy rocket pack. Your kids will enjoy pretending to be cowboys and spacemen and rock stars in their fifties costumes.

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Fashions of the 1950s

Common Fabric Designs for 1950s Halloween Costumes 1950s fashions included one and two-piece dresses with small-collared, fitted blouses and full, pleated knee-length skirts. More casual dresses with tied shoulder straps or halter straps, boned bodices and the quintessential circle skirt. Similarly fitted eveningwear that had a heart-shaped opaque strapless bodice with a sheer silk or nylon overbodice, usually sleeveless or long-sleeved. Prom night evening gowns of pastel nylon tulle, usually bedecked with yards of tulle trims, ruffles, and velvet bows. Long-sleeved button-up sweaters with a plain, ribbed neck, often beaded or appliqued. Fabrics Available: Natural fibers (linen, cotton, wool, silk), rayon, acetate, nylon, modacrylic, acrylic, polyester, and spandex. For daytime, the most common fabrics were in naturals, rayon, nylon, poly-cotton blends, and sometimes acrylic and acetate; sweaters were wool (cashmere for status) or acrylic knit. Brocades, satin, velveteen, taffeta, nylon net, tulle, and chiffon in both natural and synthetic fabrics were reserved for evening. Materials were usually light to medium weight, and sheer fabrics were common, but not usually as the main material of a garment (except in tulle evening gowns and some day dresses). Popular Colors and Prints: Day and casual wear saw neutral solids and floral prints, along with dazzling western and peasant-styled clothing, sometimes hand-painted onto circle skirts or scarves. Futuristic prints of all types appeared in bright, abstract designs apropos of the atomic era. Also, dark tone-on-tone abstracts in brown, gray or navy were popular winter prints. For evening, both solids and classic floral brocades were common; the effect of overlaying contrasting sheer chiffon or net on a flesh-colored underdress was daringly popular. Colors in the evening were now both subtle and bold, as peacock blues and hot pinks became acceptable.

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1950s Cheerleaders

The 1950s were a conservative time. If you've ever seen the movie “Hoosiers,” you remember that the cheerleaders wore long skirts, not quite poodle skirt costumes, and sweaters. High school cheerleader outfits from the 1950s are great 50s costumes for kids and teens.

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1950s Costume Ideas for Halloween

For 1950s costume ideas, men may dress as:

• The King of Rock, Elvis Presley
• A Rock Star
• A Thunderbird greaser
• A High School Letterman

• Guitar
• A Microphone
• A Peace Sign Necklace
• A Dollar Sign Necklace
• A Letter Jacket
• A Greaser Leather Jacket
• Hippie Sunglasses
• A Beetles Style Wig or a Groovy Wig

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Bobby-Soxer Singing Groups

Rock ‘n roll rocked the 1950s. You can be a girl rock group in poodle skirt costumes. Don't just think pink for your rock group 50s costumes. Red poodle skirts make a statement. On the other hand, “Pink Lady” is a perfect name for a 1950s girls' singing group, and you can create the perfect rock ‘n roll 1950s costume. Create your fifties costumes by pairing “Pink Lady” jackets with pink poodle skirts. Every girl group needs dancers. Include the little girls in your life in the group. Matching 50s costumes for kids and adults are smashing. Have your little bobby-soxers dance while you sing about prom nights and first kisses.

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Fifties Fashions

The Latest Fads of Fifties Costumes: Bobby soxers (Peter Pan collared blouse, poodle girl costume skirt, scarf-tied ponytail, and saddle shoes) James Dean look-alikes, hoods, and motorcycle gangs Cat-eye glasses Beatniks Hawaiian shirts Barkcloth in casual wear Ethnic scene prints in day and leisure wear Americana prints with rustic scenes or patriotic eagles, etc

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Fifties Costumes

Soft but wide shoulders, corseted waist, and full hips were hallmarks of fifties costumes but silhouettes were more varied. On these outlines, women wore a trim bodice and very full knee-length skirt, or a fitted short, boxy jacket or blouse with a pencil-straight skirt. One style that hid all the rest, literally, was the cocoon-like sacque dress and coat, which fitted the shoulders and bloomed at the waist and hips.

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Greased Lightning

The 1950s “greaser” jacket and blue jeans will give you the dance moves for prom night. Of course, your greaser 1950s costume will need black shades. Slicked-back hair with abundant gel holding it in place defines the look. It's not enough just to don 50s costumes. You have to snap your fingers, be cool, and if possible pose on a motorcycle or in a classic car with fins. In a roomful of Elvis fifties costumes, your leather-jacket Danny, brooding over Sandy, will be the one everybody wants. Is the greaser look appropriate in 50s costumes for kids? Yes. You might even have a Travolta in the making.

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1950s Halloween Costumes

For women, they may dress as cheerleaders, a bobby soxer, a poodles girl, a dim wit, a Hollywood Marilyn Monroe, a Hollywood actress, a rock star, or a Pink Lady. Her costume accessories can include go go black vinyl boot covers, cat eyes sunglasses, a peace sign necklace, a poodle pink hand bag, a chiffon scarf, poodle socks, poodle skirts, pom-pons and a beehive wig.

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Pink Lady Costumes

The 1950s witnessed a new femininity in women's fashion. By the early years of the decade, the influence of Dior's New Look was reflected in softer shoulders, nipped-in waists, and fuller skirts as with Pink Lady Costumes. Male dress, too, became less rigid.

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1950s Halloween Costumes

A 1950s Halloween Costume is a lot of fun to put together. To dress up as a 1950s girl, get a Poodle Skirt. Wear a white shirt with pastel sweater. Step into bobby socks and saddle shoes. Pull your hair into a high ponytail and tie with a pretty satin ribbon. To be a Greaser, wear a plain, white, short-sleeved T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Grease your hair into a ducktail. Your jeans are rolled up to show your cool white Greaser socks and black shoes. Now you're ready for the Sock Hop!
Rock around the clock with your 1950s Halloween costumes. Your Poodle Skirt and bobby socks set the mood. If you're a Greaser, remember it's all in the attitude. Be sure to show your white Greaser socks and plenty of James Dean attitude!

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