Everyone seems to have a different idea of 1950s fashion, from poodle skirts to shirtwaist frocks, giant petticoats to wiggle dresses. The lovely part is that there were *all* these styles and more, something (or many things) to fit everyone.
One of my favorite types of garment from the '50s is the suit. There's something about a perfectly tailored, crisp and structure 1950s suit that just screams respectable elegance to me (although I suppose someone respectable and elegant wouldn't be screaming...).
To inspire, here are some of my favorite '50s suits for ladies:
Don't these all just look so doable? They're fairly simple, but perfectly made. Tailors among us know that these clean lines and smooth angles result from a whole mess of underlying techniques. I guess I'll be consulting my tailoring book, then...
Another understructure to consider - waist cinching. Don't forget that the '50s made heavy use of the girdle and corsetry of various kinds. These suits characteristically nip in at the waist, then flair out over the hips. Many of the '50s suit jackets also have padding where they flair over the hips, to accentuate the silhouette.
Not all '50s suits were a tight fit, though. Boxy jackets worn with pencil skirts were en vogue too, especially moving into the '60s.
Luckily there are lots of '50s suits available on eBay and Etsy, and myriad sewing patterns so you can make your own. It's like "secret vintage" for the office, or when you need to pull out all the stops in a business meeting. I always imagine wearing something like this to woo businessmen and car salesmen. There's something empowering yet feminine in these suits.
What do you think? Are you a '50s suit loving woman, or do you go more for the fluffy '50s looks?
