Fashion+G+Grace+Hanna+Soo+C.

How did the fashion of the 1950s reflect the American society at the time?

Rubric: Clarity of thesis - Make sure to have an introduction that leads to your thesis, and have a clear, in depth thesis. Use of facts - Relevant, of course. The below PDF will help a lot, along with the notes. Depth of analysis - All sentences should serve a purpose that eventually ties each main point back to the thesis.

While looking at the following files, consider following points: Social expectations for women / Women's own goals and views of "ideal women" Classic beauty / Sex appeal The power of younger generation consumers on fashion - how does this reflect society? Post-war: how did this affect people's tastes?

Our Powerpoint in PDF format [|1950s fashion project.pdf]

Notes about Barbies (Connections to the society at the time!)

Courteney FRQ: How did the fashion of the 1950s reflect the American society at the time? The 1950s were a time of change for Americans, women experienced a drastic change in expectations as they were called back into the home after mobilization for the war had ended. Contrary to the image of “Rosy the Riveter” as the ideal woman, the idea of the feminine housewife was in demand. The division of femininity into classic and sexual also shows a break in fashion, and fashion always the society of the time. While the older generations advocated conservatism and grooming, the younger generations found their ideal in sex appeal. Fashion in the 1950s reflects the disparity between what the older generation found acceptable and the what the younger generations craved.

The older generations of the time advocated classic styles, which reflects their conservative approach toward changing society. Women like Audrey Hepburn and Grace represent the classic feminine ideals of the day. They were always dressed fashionably in dresses and gloves when appearing on the silver screen. Kelly, who started a fad of pearl necklaces and white gloves, later became a real life princess of Monaco. Frank Sinatra always dressed in a black tie and tuxedo with handkerchiefs in his pocket, he was considered very fashionable. From Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress to Sinatra’s black ties, the classic side of fashion represents the conservatism of the fifties.

In a break from the traditional, the younger generations wanted sex appeal and developed an infatuation with a new sort of fashion trend. When the Barbie first came out, mothers were shocked at Barbies’ sex appeal and nontraditional looks; however, the dolls sold well and the company developed into a mass corporation because of its immense popularity among teens and little girls. This instance displays the schism between the tasted of the older and younger generations. Marilyn Monroe, a famous actress, was an embodiment of sex appeal and the liberal tastes of the younger generation. Elvis Presley, known as the king of rock, had greaser hair and flashy clothing, he had an image as a rebel and were despised by conservative society while loved by the younger. The younger generation’s taste for sexually appealing styles reflects their want for social liberty.

Fashion in the fifties reflects American society in the fifties for the most part. While the conservative older generation advocated groomed styles like those of Hepburn, Kelly, and Sinatra, the more liberal younger generation found sex appeal fashionable. The older generations condemned this new sex appeal, displayed by Monroe and Presley, but the younger generations were engrossed by it. This schism in the taste of fashion reflects the separation of society between the older and younger as well as the conservative and liberal.

Clarity of thesis - Your thesis is clear, but your introduction doesn't lead directly to the thesis and, eventually, conclusion - you talk about women's roles, then you draw the thesis and the conclusion that younger and older generations contrast showed in the fashion tastes. (7) Use of facts - Nice examples of the fashion icons and barbies. It would have been good to include actual fashion styles at the time, too. (8) Depth of analysis - All sentences should serve a purpose that eventually ties each main point back to the thesis. Yours does, except for your intro. (8)