Cosmetics of the 1950's Influenced by Hollywood

Hollywood has always influenced America's beauty and fashion ideals. The 1950's were no exception. Silver screen starlets Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot not only enamored audiences with their sublime allure - they also set the standard for beauty in this era. Television sweetheart Lucille Ball perpetuated the image of the glamorous housewife with her memorable "I Love Lucy" appearances. These women of Hollywood evoked images of elegance, dream, and uniqueness. They inspired within women of the 1950's the desire to possess these attributes for themselves. Cosmetics became a necessity for every woman during this decade. Bigger-than-life cinema screens showcased the flawless peaches and cream complexions of 1950's movie actresses. Max Factor, renowned make-up artist to the stars, invented pan-cake makeup that expertly covered any skin imperfections. The cosmetics mogul introduced an everyday version to women all over the world during the 1950's. He's also credited with making available a broad range of eye shadows and lipstick shades. 1950's fashion magazines detailed step-by-step instructions on how to apply lip colors with recently introduced lip brushes. Hazel Bishop Inc. marketed the first smear-proof lipstick during this era. The names of the company's popular lipsticks were named simply by color description rather than fanciful names used by other companies. Notable fashion magazine, "Vogue," began to coordinate colors of the season's latest clothing trends with cosmetics. Make up companies followed the lead of this influential publication producing an even more vast selection of shades and colors for women to choose from. Titanium became an essential ingredient in the cosmetics industry during the late fifties resulting in lipstick shades with a pale shimmering gleam. Nail colors also were affected by this advent. Frosted shades of pink and silver became widely available. The make up company Gala first began marketing frosted lipsticks. Brigitte Bardot made a name for herself with dark smoldering eyes and pale lips. There is no doubt that this French-born model-turned-actress influenced American women's thoughts about beauty. Eyeliner of this day was available only in liquid form. Its application provided a sharp and defining accent of the eyes very much like the eye make up worn by Bardot. The movie actress Marilyn Monroe is a perfect example of the en vogue look of the 50's. The diva had narrowed eyebrows with minimal eye shadow and blush. Her complexion was unblemished. The over-all resounding affects of this legendary film actresses' appearances was the feeling that she was born with her undeniable charms. The epitome of the 50's married housewife was Lucille Ballwith her coiffed poodle haircut and rosy pink lips. The television darling's wide-eyed baby blues, high heels, and white apron set the mark for a nation of blossoming young women. Ball managed to maintain her timeless sense of beauty while

expressing her unrestrained comedic genius in a way that has since been unmatched by any modernday female comedian. Evening cosmetic wear leant itself toward drama with shimmering shades of pink for lips and eyes shadows reaching beyond the lid. Women of the fifties appeared doll-like with pin-curls or fringe-like bangs framing their perfectly made-up faces. Bardot, Monroe, and Ball were a few of the most influential starlets of Hollywood who propelled cosmetics trends during the 1950's.

What social factors influenced 50's fashions?

Interesting thought - - - the dynamics of progress at odds with a desire for stability & old fashion values. In America increasingly prosperous people demanded more stylish wear with flair & daring, and during the 1950's the ready wear industry provided a flood of clothing. This was truly dramatic ;;; during earlier decades a Man might have two good suit jackets and four pairs of pants and shirts and even with rotation their clothes would reek by wash day. During the fifties a man might have six or seven suits and make it to washday without offending anyone. Movies in America and England and in Europe to a lesser extent, MOVIE drove fashion. Marlon Brando lurching about in Jeans & A T Shirt, James Dean in Jeans & T - Shirt, and then a host of Rock n' Roll singers/musicians in Jeans & T Shirts suddenly made casual Friday a possibility. American Men before 1950 were strange about wearing suits ALL THE TIME. Dad wouldn't sit down to dinner with his family without wearing a suit. The Movies made dressing casual acceptable in some way or maybe men finally got tired of wearing suits all the time.. Movies gave Women notions as to what was feminine and acceptable. Hems crept up, more leg was explosed, at the same time women were expected to look nice all the time and find time to dress differently for every occassion; tea clothes, motoring clothes, luncheon clothes, business clothes for those growing number of professional women. Again the ready wear industry played its hand. Advertising and lots of clothing at 'reasonable prices' made dressing up mandatory. And women dressed; socks, pantyhose, panties, girdles,bras, underskirts, puffy skirts, over skirts, blouses, jackets, hats, jewelry, watches - - - it is a miracle more women didn't die of heat stroke during the fifties in America and elsewhere wearing nearly a hundred pounds of gear (o-k I'm eageratting; slightly).. Increasing affluence influenced fashion in America and again Britain and Europe - - - people spent more time getting an education, they were in pursuit of a beter life, dressing for success was stressed as key & crucial - - - this mean 'normal' teenagers wearing clean pressed slacks and shirts. Those teenagers in rebelling and certain 'ethnic' types dressed in flashier outfits - - - pants with 'pegged' cuffs, colorful jackets, or those more pledian/poorer types find surplus Leather Bomber jackets Cheap to buy, pairing them with Jeans often dyed black, Here are some blurbs casged from the net.... http://www.fashion-era.com/1950s_glamour """Fifties Silhouettes Fashion History In contrast to the full skirted New Look, Chanel who had reopened her fashion house in 1954 began to produce boxy classic Chanel suit jackets and slim skirts in braid trimmed, nubbly, highly textured tweeds. She used richly textured wool slub fabrics sometimes designed by the textile artist Bernat Klein. The silhouette was straight down and veered away from a nipped in waist. The beautifully made suits were lined with lovely silk fabrics. They were weighted along the facing join and inside lining with gilt Chanel chains. The fashion look was easy to copy and very wearable. Major chain stores sold suits based on the design. Accessorized with strings of pearls the style has frequently been revived over the seasons and in particular a collarless style of coat and jacket she popularised, is now called the Chanel line. The collarless Chanel line jacket was hugely popular again in both the 1980s and the 1990s."""

http://www.vintageblues.com/history5.htm Optimism abounded during the post-war years of the 1950s. The focus was on the baby-booming family and being a good housewife which was the ultimate measure of success. The United States had emerged victorious from another bitter war. Television was now in many households, and the TV culture of I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners reflected ideals of the time. Stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, and Elvis Presley introduced a smoldering sex appeal into an age of conservatism. Consumerism became a popular pastime in the 1950s, as the post-war boom provided a sense of economic optimism. New gadgets and gizmos proclaimed the future was here and liberated women from many onerous household tasks. Homemaking, it seemed, was not so bad when you had electric stoves, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, and the like. Women could now concentrate on making a comfortable home for their families, and still have time to have a life outside of the kitchen. The constant rounds of barbecues, cocktail parties, and other social events all required dressing up. Christian Diors 'New Look' influenced fashion, but so did the conservative elegance of Coco Chanel. Charles Jourdan introduced a new kind of shoe style, the stiletto heel, in 1951. As time went on the goal was for the slimmest possible heel, eliminating earlier "chunky" styles. The pump was the basic shoe, but its toes might be cut, the vamps curved or cut in enticing 'V's, or the heels molded into a variety of shapes. Every color of the rainbow was used; shoes were intended to match an outfit perfectly. Men in the 50s seemed to be seeking more security (post war). Conservatism was the new catch phrase and this is especially reflected in the menswear of the early 1950s when the trim quiet look was in vogue. This was a distinct change from the late 1940s bright colors. Now dark colors and shades of blues, browns and gray took over the scene. In 1953 the gray flannel suit began its reign. It was in 1953 that President Eisenhower refused to bow to tradition at his inauguration and chose to wear a jacket and homburg with his striped trousers instead of the usual top hat and cutaway. Looking back on his decision, it now seems merely to be the choice of a man who wanted more informality and a less rigid way of dealing with ordinary affairs. In all actuality it was merely a ripple on the surface of what was to become a full scale revolt by the young. Elvis Presley was just waiting in the wings with his suede shoes! Teenagers were basically the focal point of this era. Films such as 'Rebel without a Cause' were influential in how teenagers dressed. The Beatnik culture, inspired by authors such as Jack Kerouac, was also in vogue. Leather, Levis, and Converse sneakers helped create the look. Along with the famous circle and poodle skirts, ponytails, saddle shoes, penny loafers, and colored sneakers were popular with teenaged bobby-soxers. Sandals, ballet slippers, and other casual footwear became increasingly fashionable, as pool parties and other casual outdoor activities became popular.'' GREAT Pictures here http://home.att.net/~movie.stars.1950/19 http://home.att.net/~movie.stars.1950/19 http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade50.htm Hope this helps. Peace///////////////////////// Source(s): http://www.fashion-era.com/1950s_glamour http://www.vintageblues.com/history5.htm

1950s Fashion
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Edited by Suzanne MacNevin - April 2011. The 1950's spawned a wide variety of original and distinctive styles, presented with a classic new age twist. For America, recently recovering from catastrophic tragedies related to the second World War, the 1950's brought restored hope; a chance for a new way of life whose destiny would be decided by them alone. This metamorphosis of America was heavily represented by fashion. Women especially dramatically altered the way they dressed and presented themselves; during the evolution of an increasingly liberated society, women began to favor casual, relaxed clothing over traditional dress rules and associated formality of previous decades. Some of the most admired new trends for women in the 1950's included button-up sweaters with simple necklines, fitted blouses, and full knee-length skirts. However, the most prevalent fashion for women during this time was dresses. Most dresses were worn casually, and were accentuated with circle skirts, halter straps, or small collars. Evening wear dresses seemed soft yet daring, coming in many pastel hues and accompanied with bold ruffles, tulle trim, and dazzling velvet bows. The fitted evening wear of this period, which was usually sleeveless or strapless, was also emphasized with sheer silk.

Growing increasingly popular, the full skirts of the 1950's needed some sort of support in order to maximize their look. To address this problem, Nylon petticoats were created exclusively to be worn in conjunction with full skirts to create fullness. Nylon was a favorable material because of its high quality and easy care wash. This fullness it created transformed the skirt who gave nothing more than a gentle swish, into a glamorous royal-like flutter. Another significant fashion of this period is the swing coat, developed in the last 1940's by Jacques Fath. The silhouette of the swing coat was "designed perfectly to cover full skirts, and also ideal for the post war high pregnancy rate".

Another trend in the 1950's was the "trapeze dress: a swinging dress almost triangular in shape and designed to be worn with low shoes and bouffant hairstyles." The trapeze dress was later modified into a shorter baby doll tent style dress, which was popular in the next decade. Perhaps one of the most classic fashion garments from the 1950's was Christian Dior's H-line of 1954, which consisted of a slender tunic-style suit with a slim skirt. His other popular fashions during this period were his A and Y lines. Dior has long been a dominant force in the fashion world, especially in the 1950's. His creative and usually voluminous garments gave women a more feminine touch. Another designer, Hubert Givenchy created a Parisian style dress in 1957 which he called the Sack. The Sack began the trend of straighter-waist dresses. Initially, it developed into the "fitted darted sheath dress and later into the loose straight short shift dress." Coco Chanel was another major fashion designer in the 1950's. In contrast to popular full and flouncy skirts, Chanel began creating the boxy, now classic Chanel suit jackets and skirts in trimmed and textured tweed. The materials Chanel chose were always richly textured, which contributed to the finished product's high prices. Chanel's silhouette of her suits was completely straight, divinely lined with silk. Her look was classic, refined, and adorned with details. Chanel also accessorized many of her designs with strings of pearls and collarless jackets, both of which were considered fashionable in the 1950's. One of the most classic trends from the 1950's is the empire line, which was introduced in the late 1950's. This style was applied to dresses and shirts mostly, and was adored by teenagers who looked innocently childlike, hence the coined phrase "baby doll style". During the 1950's, all teenagers were expected to dress like their elders. The empire line was also a striking contrast from what most mothers wore at the time, which

contributed to its high approval among teenagers in America. Until the 1950's, the term "teenagers" was not commonly used, and certainly not a targeted market group. But with a new range of influences, including film, television, rock music, and magazines, teenagers began to be respected and acknowledged in the community. Often nicknamed the "Space Age", the 1950's was an important time in history for science and development as well. So many aspects of life changed during this period, perhaps partially attributed to the recent end of World War II. America had emerged from war with prosperity and a new identity. A new consumerbased society was "forging ahead, helped by such new developments as the credit card system" (Baker, 6).

These innovative conditions however produced a similar effect on the fashion industry: while so many things in the lives of Americans were changing, they stayed clear from the radical, intense fashions while preferring the normalcy of standard trends. For once, being normal felt good. Another huge change in the 1950's was the increased ownership of television sets. Popular television programs such as I Love Lucy connected Americans on both sides of the Atlantic, bringing a sense of unity in the country. Segregation was ended in 1954, which brought together black and white students for the first time though racial tensions were still high, and also birthed the existence of civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. Constant fears of communism reaching the states held many Americans tight with fear. More changes brought forth

in the 1950's include the discovery of DNA, the launching of the first space satellite, an increase of women in the work field, and of course, rock and roll. All of these economic, social, and political changes in the world affected the American citizens, and therefore the fashion industry. Regardless of the world's issues, the top fashions that drove the industry were more influenced by those who were idolized by the consumers: celebrities. Some of the most popular celebrities in the 1950's include Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Ricky Nelson, and of course, Elvis Presley. Marilyn Monroe's sexy yet simple style was a widely imitated across America, by women of all shapes and sizes. Elvis Presley was another huge influence in the 1950's; not only was he adored by millions of girls, but he was also an inspiration for men. In a time where men only wore traditional attire, Elvis tore down all barriers which confined men to navy suits and ties. Elvis typically wore clothes that were more popular among the African American population. His wild pegged pants and zoot suits concerned the conservative community of America, who hardly approved of such a "gender bending, race-integrating star" (SOURCE). Elvis' bright and baggy clothes, makeup, and so called obscene dancing all acted as evidence of his single handed destruction of the morals of America's youth. Not all men followed the examples Elvis set however. In fact, more men in this time period dressed conventionally than not. Most men in the 1950's maintained clothes with casual and modest colors, including dark blue, dark brown, and charcoal. The occasional daring young man would wear pastel pink to stand out; a trend that was just gaining momentum in the 1950's. Cardigan sweaters were popular among athletes, and older men. Additionally popular were fitted vests, plaid flannels, and collared jackets. There was flexibility in men's casual wear, and was a common sight to see shirt tails sticking out. Basic fedora-style hats were also a staple item in the 1950's for men.

Hats were also fashionable accessory for women in the 1950's, for the reason that they were believed to add a final touch of glamour to any woman's outfit. The pillbox hat, first introduced by Balenciaga and later modeled by Jackie Kennedy, became one of the trendiest accessories of the decade. Several glorious hat styles existed in the 1950's. Some hats were covered in flower petals, while others were adorned with swirls of georgette. Gloves were also worn often by women, especially those of elite social status. Some were made of cotton, which was much more affordable than leather or nylon. Though gloves came in many colors and styles, clean gloves whose color was white or cream were the most favored. Fur trimmings and adorned collars were also extremely fashionable. Brooches too, were considered a glamorous accessory. The 1950's was a decade in which fashion changed dramatically from previous generations. Multiple influences from political debates, to economic issues, to new age celebrities and mass media all influenced the distinct styles and trends which identify the 1950's. Recovering from the casualties of World War II brought a lasting change to America, which was reflected in the fashions of this decade. The American women craved glamorous simplicity in their new lives, and as a new and liberated society evolved, the women of America began to liberate themselves by choosing which fashions they felt depicted them best. Not only were the 1950's important in history, but they also greatly transformed the face of fashion in America.