Slang, sock-hop, poodles, and pink all came and went as some of the most popular fads of the fifties. Sayings like “agitate the gravel” and “cruisin’ for a bruisin’” were both used to describe looking for trouble. Others like “cat”, “bash”, and “jets” all implied a party, a good time, or saying that something is cool.
Have you ever wondered how people in the fifties kept their teeth so clean? The answer is chlorophyll. It was mixed into the toothpaste and mouthwash as it was being processed and it was said to have whitened teeth and eliminated bad breath. It wasn’t just used in toothpaste though. Chlorophyll was used to clean toilets, floors, cars, and even hands. Although cars are some of the most expensive things you can buy, anyone who could drive had a ford or Cadillac or an olds-mobile. With red cars being the in thing, guys would paint them bright almost neon red and insert leather seats to impress the ladies. Drag races and street car auctions would take place regularly as would the occasional fight between teenagers. Davy Crocket, an American frontiersman, was well known for wearing his “Coonskin Hat”. Many men enjoyed the style of raccoon skin and wore the hats everywhere they were allowed. Not only men, but young boys, and even some girls would wear it too. Poodles and pink were some of the bigger fads of the fifties. They were everywhere. You could say that poodles were worshiped during this time. Every woman had a poodle skirt, a ceramic poodle, and the poodle haircut! Some people would even dye their poodles pink. Pink was all over as well. Once considered to be a feminine color, men’s shirts began to come out in red hues and pink shades. Bathrooms were pink, matching towels sets were pink, even Elvis’ Cadillac was pink! |
When it came to clothes, women were glad to dress to impress. They wore gloves while going out and heels and a girdle every day. All they wore was a dress or a nice blouse and a pencil skirt and yes, there were poodle skirts. Children were allowed to wear flats, but older women had to wear heels, unless they were wearing a nice pair of slacks. Skirts and dresses went no higher than above the knee and the shirts were not allowed to be sleeveless, although halter tops on a hot day were acceptable. If there was an afternoon or evening party dresses would be fancy but casual. Makeup was very dramatic and hair was cut short in what we call “bob-cuts”. Underneath a dress, girls would have had to wear petticoats.
If it was hot enough to swim, the bathing suits were “appropriate”. The bottoms came up past the belly button and the top were like today, except there were thicker shoulder straps. Swim caps were unavoidable when it came to going underwater. Women wouldn’t want to mess up their hair! Among men and women, ascots and scarves were all the rage. An ascot was like a long bandana that went around your neck and was made in red, orange, yellow, or any other bright color. Worn tucked in or out and flowing, it was always cool to have an ascot. The sailor look was huge! Dresses and jumpers were designed to look like a sailor in the navy and this was considerably popular until the end of the 60’s. When men dressed, they wore suits or a nice shirt with a vest. They couldn’t leave the house without a fedora or some kind of hat. Young boys love the cowboy look. Inspired by the modern day television shows and movies, big boots, bell bottoms pants, plaid shirts, and a cowboy hat were what every guy wanted to wear. |