The debut of Christian Dior’s well-known New Look collection in 1947 marked the beginning of modern fashion history as we know it. With frame-fitting designs, ladylike accessories, and opulent details taking the forefront, the 1950s gave birth to a new approach to glamour. Entering the decade with elegance and sophistication, women were gravitating toward shape-defining silhouettes like billowing tea and poodle skirts–and experimenting with trousers in the process. Though everyone is looking to the later decades for style inspiration, it was the ’50s that led to some of fashion’s most memorable designs.
If you look back at the fashion from that era, it’s clear that women were choosing a dressier, more polished take. From the impeccable tailored skirt suits, opera gloves, and all the many hats, people from the 1950s were always sure to add a little extra something to their looks to truly take them to the next level. A prime example, iconic Black singer Dorothy Dandridge is remembered for her mermaid-style gowns and glitzy embellishments. On the other end of the spectrum, style muses like American costume designer Edith Head presented a more minimal approach, accented with strings of large pearls and round-frame glasses fitted with slightly tinted lenses. Regardless of your own personal style, there’s a decade’s worth of good inspo to choose from.
Ahead is a curation of photos from the 1950s that showcase the ostentatious style of the times. From fashion models, singers, actors, and everyone in between, this list has a little bit of everything.
Models wearing tailored Dior skirt suits.
A model wearing a contoured chesterfield suit.
Singer Dorothy Dandridge sporting a wool-felt coat with leather gloves.
An Italian model wearing a fish-detailed brocade bodice and matching full skirt.
A woman wearing a quilted ski coat with a Peter Pan collar and tapered pants.
Performer Pearl Bailey donning a wide-brimmed hat, tennis-style jewelry, and a sweetheart metallic gown.
American actress Gene Tierney wearing a plant-printed swimming look with white wedges.
Actress and model Deanna Durbin perfecting a chic sailing look in wide-leg khakis and a striped jacket.
A young woman wearing a brocade cheongsam with strappy sandals and a matching headpiece.
Model Elsa Peretti wearing wide-leg pants with a long-length trench circa 1950.
A model wearing a needlepoint rose-print ensemble from the house of Hubert de Givenchy.
A young woman wearing a wallpaper-printed fit-and-flare dress.
A woman wearing an ornate evening gown with opera gloves and a pelted fur stole.
A woman sporting a stylish skirt suit with driving gloves and a bow-detailed hat.
Music legend Billie Holiday performing in a strapless powder-blue gown with an embellished bodice and a bright-red lip.
A model wearing a haute couture raincoat.
A woman sporting a tennis outfit with cat-eye glasses and a wide headband.
A model wearing a two-piece printed skirt set from Horrocks.
The iconic Lena Horne posing in a floral-appliqué jumpsuit with a one-shouldered neckline.
A women modeling a velvet-trimmed gray coat with a cap-effect silhouette.
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