1950's Men's Fashion - Tapered Suits and Skinny Ties Reflect an Era of Conformity

The Cold War Contributes to Conformity

Man's fashion in the 1950s was greatly reflected by the onset of the Cold War. Gone were the days of excitement and the use of bold colors and patterns as worn in the 1940s. People were fearful to stand out and just wanted to be seen as a 'good American'. This resulted in high levels of conformity and it was often hard to distinguish one man to the next.

Clothing was very business-like and conservative. Everyday clothing became a lot simpler with very little variation in style or color. In the early years of this period it was deemed by most that a man without a suit was not serious enough. Comfort was less of an issue. The man was expected to wear his suit for the most part of the day.

This being said, things were a little more relaxed when he returned home, removing his jacket and necktie although some magazine ads would have you believe that men wore neckties even in most relaxed of social settings. A lawn mower advert depicted a man going about cutting his front lawn wearing a shirt and tie! Advertisements of families at a picnic reflected much of the same dress, which many men actually adhered to.

Also during this time, gender roles were being enforced, therefore if you were a man, you wore a suit and if you were a woman, you wore dresses. There were very few exceptions to this rule.

Examples of Clothing Worn

Good examples of the trends in the 1950s can be seen in many movies and TV shows. Actors such as Cary Grant and Henry Fonda sported the businessman look. Flannel suits in shades of gray, dark blue and brown were tapered and a lot shorter than in previous years. The jackets were single-breasted and shoulder pads were eliminated. Man's shirts were quite often bleached to retain their pearly white color.

Neckties were always worn in the workplace. They became a lot slimmer much like the 'skinny ties' we are accustomed to today. Their width was rarely more than 3'' and the length increased to around 52''.

It was with the neckwear that some color was kept on a man's business suit although wild patterns were diminished for a more sensible look. Diagonal stripes and small geometric shapes were common but nearly always against a dark background. Hats were part of the ensemble too, but the rims of Fedoras and other styles became much smaller. The choice of fabric ranged from wool, cotton and silk.

Ushering in a New Era

Towards the end of the era, a movement known as 'beatniks' became apparent. Trousers were always slim and the shirt untucked. There was a desperate need to break through the con-formative style and give way for individuality. A slow inclusion of pattern in the form of tweeds and pin-stripes showed us that the con-formative style was beginning to loosen up.