New Styles And Culture In The 1950's

In the 1940’s many changes were occurring culturally in the United States, many due to the war that was being fought. In this essay, many of these cultural innovations will be discussed and assessed. As will the events that caused such changes and evolutions in the American culture.

During our first module of Performance Cultures, we explored and researched into the counter cultures of the 1960’s; how those movements shaped not only the development of the performance world but also the culture of modern day life. A prominent factor in the culture of the 1960’s was the art

As World War Two came to a close, a new American culture was developing all across the United States. Families were moving away from crowded cities into spacious suburban towns to help create a better life for them during and after the baby boom of the post-war era. Teenagers were starting to become independent by listing to their own music and not wearing the same style of clothing as their parents. Aside from the progress of society that was made during this time period, many people still did not discuss controversial issues such as divorce and sexual relations between young people. While many historians regard the 1950s as a time of true conservatism at its finest, it could really be considered a time of true progression in the

Michael Tarantino Ms. Banks 50’s & 60’s (7) 16 November 2014 1950’s DBQ The 1950s is considered to be the model decade of America. Families were close, children respected their elders, workers worked hard to provide for their families who grew up in nice neighborhoods, and the economy was booming. The forced conformity, neglect of the poor, and segregation are often overlooked when talking about the decade as they were during the time period. The 1950s were a prodigious time period for family life but not for the individual or societal ethics.

Hair is an aspect of identity many women are made to confront. It is a projection of how a woman would like to be perceived and who she believes she is within her society. Black women in America face an interesting dilemma when it comes to hair. When African slaves were brought to America, they were confronted with the Eurocentric ideal of beauty, which, in addition to pale skin and Anglo Saxon facial structure, also included straightened hair. As time progressed, black people sought new ways to assimilate. Throughout the course of time many hair straightening agents such as straightening irons, perms, and hair extensions have been used to help aid black people in mimicking the hairstyles of the socially accepted white standards. More

As the 1920s climaxed, there was an emergence of the confident face of femininity. Women gained insight on their true womanhood and took on more unconventional lifestyles. For example, they changed their fashion standards. What was once strict Victorian uniform transformed into a sleek, trendy look. Hairstyles and clothing incrementally became shorter and more revealing. This led to the birth of a new woman in 1926. She dressed provocatively, smoked cigarettes, and

The Roaring Twenties were a very exciting time for Canadians. Canadians began to embrace their new culture, and live by the phrase; You Only Live Once. Canadians began to develop their skills and popularity in sports. Women were finally able to express themselves through fashion and makeup. Prohibition allowed people

Flappers Flappers were women of the new decade who were known to assert themselves in society and began to create their own identities. They started to drink and smoke in public, and talked about sex openly, all of which were highly frowned upon during this time. While smoking, a woman might wear a Turkish-inspired “smoking suit” along with a turban. They began cutting their hair shorter into bobs, which was often considered boyish. Fashion designer Coco Chanel and actress Louise Brooks helped to popularize this look. The style became the staple hairstyle of the flapper. Aspects of menswear were also inserted into women’s fashion, with looks such as tailored vests and pants, but were prohibited in some areas. This boyish look was often referred to as the “garconne” look.

With the end of World War II, the suburbs became a new home to a large influx of people. This caused transfiguration of American culture. The Great Depression and World War II changed the way many Americans viewed things. In the middle decades of the twentieth century, postwar suburban growth changed California. Ethnic and societal grouping dynamics shifted, freeway and housing development took off and old businesses started to vanish as new business opportunities flourished.

Long layers and bangs were very common, along with long silky hair. Although not everyone was able to pull off the look because only “gorgeous” people can compliment the hairstyle with their “perfect” frame.

What they failed to realize was that also during this time, there was segregation in schools, restaurants, bathrooms, courthouses, community, even water fountains. This was a major key to the 1950s lifestyle. It kept people of color away from Caucasians, making sure there was no interaction. There was a great ethnicity barrier, and it was apparent to see.

After the explosion of the afro, and then subsequently Jheri curls, African American beauty moved into the direction of synthetic hair that worked with their natural hair. New styles that incorporated little to no chemical or heat-related manipulation overtook the popularity of relaxed, or permed hair.

Some women would put accessories in their hair like headband scarves or handmade macrame .Men hair styles consisted of the shaggy style, but some men would wear their hair in a style called an Afro.

Fashion in the 50’s are often thought of as grease or other slick clothes that are black or white. Not everything had to be black and white clothing but most of the time people would wear black and white. Color clothes were very more expensive than the black or white clothes only because they did not have a lot of color back then. Most men would wear black slick jackets over a white t-shirt unless they were going somewhere to eat and then they would change to a nice suit and tie and sometimes suspenders. Many of the men would wear a military look to them only because a lot of them were from the military in WWII. A lot of today’s fashion is based off of gym clothes which could be just a shirt and shorts or could be sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

Another area in which women made changes was with their appearance. Women used their attire and style to show an independence, a certain freedom in which they alone had control. Starting with the “Gibson Girl”, women dressed in long, slim dresses, freeing themselves of the poufy petticoats of yore. Women started wearing shorter dresses and shorter hairstyles, leading to “Flapper Jane”. “Women started wearing “less” clothing, shorter dresses, cutting off their hair, and just being more “sensual” than normal”, (Bliven, 1925).