by Angela Epps
After the war torn 1940’s, women craved couture and glamour more then
ever before. Designers such as Givenchy, Balenciaga, Balmain, Charles
James and Chanel ruled the world of the elite and those that wished to
be. But for the rest, two of the most influential designers of the
1950’s and 1960’s were Anne Fogarty and Bonnie Cashin.
Anne Fogarty: 1919-1980
The best know fashion craze of the 1950’s were petticoats and poodle
skirts. Leading the pack was designer Anne Fogarty. Born in 1919 as
Anne Whitney in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she ended up designing this
look for juniors at Margot Dresses in 1950. She moved on to Saks 5th
Avenue and wrote a book entitled “Wife Dressing” in 1959 that offered
housewives advice on how to look their best while doing their women’s
work. She then opened her own salon in 1962 where she added the
popular Empire and ruffles silhouettes to her designs. She
sensationalized the fashion world by being one of the first American
Designers to produce a new shocking trend in swimwear: the bikini.
Bonnie Cashin: 1915-2000
Bonnie Cashin was literally born with fashion in her blood, to a
dressmaker in Oakland, California on 28th September 1915. She was an
icon in the 1940’s movie business for creating understated costumes
that didn’t have the outrageousness typical of the day. She opened her
own business in 1953 designing similar simple clothing lines meant for
everyday wear. She won the American Designers Coty Award in 1961 and
was on the fore-front of classic 1960’s styles such as suede fringed
jackets and poplin raincoats. Best known for introducing the Poncho,
she is also one of the designers attributed with creating “layers” in
women’s wear and her techniques are still incorporated in many styles
today.
In addition to what these two lovely ladies created, some of the major
fashion moments of the 1950’s and 1960’s were:
1950’s:
1. Chanel’s introduction of Chemise.
2. The “Beatnik” style of leotards and form-fitting pants topped with
oversized shirts rivaled the petticoats and poodle skirts for favorite
style of the day.
3. Leather jackets became a favorite of the “cool crowd” after seeing
Elvis sport one on television.
4. The strapless dress with the fullest skirts attainable became a
favorite for evening wear.
1960’s:
1. The tiniest mini skirts ever seen made up the “Mary Quant” Style
The most ironic fashion trend of this decade was that at the
beginning, skirts were knee-length, then along came Mary, but by the
end of the 1960’s floor length “Maxis” were the hottest new style.
2. The Beatles creating a fashion craze known as the “Mod” look.
3. Designer Rudi Gernreich shocked the fashion world by presenting a
topless version of his new swimwear line during a runway show.
4. Jackie Kennedy inspired a new sophisticated style for women
world-wide with Chanel Suits and pillbox hats.
The fifties and sixties were a time of innocence and innocence
destroyed. Fashion ruled the day, separating the “squares” from the
“cool”, the “Ivy League” from those that would later come to be
labeled as “Radicals”. These decades were the start of youth using the
clothes that they wore to define themselves and to show the rest of
the world were they stood on issues of the day. This “trend” never
left. The fashions may have changed consistently over the years but
the foundation remains the same. We are what we wear, we choose
clothing to reflect a certain quality, or lack thereof, up to this
very day. We have the designers of the fifties and sixties to thank
for the freedom of expressing ourselves through fashion.
Written By: Angela Epps, owner of Angela’s
Freelance Fashion & Beauty website at:
http://www.angelasfreelancefashion.com
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