Style rewind: Fashion tips inspired by the 1950s

October 01, 2015

At Danny P., we’re all about bridging the gap between age-old crafting tradition and forward-thinking design. In line with that philosophy, we present our Style Rewind series. We take inspiration from the forefathers of menswear and show you how to remix bygone looks to suit up in modern times.

Image source: http://goo.gl/fdg31N

Having discussed the styles of the 1900s (twice), the 1910s, the 1920s, the 1930s and the 1940s, it's time to move on.

Keep reading to find out what was typical for the 1950s and how it could have affected what you've got in your wardrobe today.

Loafers

The very first loafers were made in London in 1847. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s that their popularity spiked. It's not surprising -- one by one, men were shaking off the horrors of WWII and discovering their personal “leisure mode”.

In contrast with the decade’s typical black formal shoes (let's not forget that many men were still sporting suits most days), loafers were great for just chilling out.

Some even saw loafers as the perfect work shoes. Why not? Image source: http://goo.gl/cNk3rZ

Having been “discovered” more than a century earlier, loafers play an important role in today’s style -- just take a look at some of the outfits our stylists have paired them with.

Light color suits

Even formal wear got a dose of playfulness in the 1950s. With the western world becoming more and more open-minded, you could spot the first “early adopters” wearing light grey or white jackets -- these were particularly popular for warm summer nights and quickly evolved into the summer suits we know today.

Image source: http://goo.gl/oAomWV

The average gentleman in the post-war era still stuck to his classic dark suit. However, those who could afford following the latest trends certainly influenced today's style when they demanded their tailors make light summer suits for them.

Follow our Fashion Outfit tag. We've got some outfits coming that'll inspire you on how to wear such suits:)

Age-gap

Did you realize that in the first decades of the 20th century, adolescents and adults were dressing similarly?

This slowly came to an end in during the 1950s, resulting in a new buzzword -- teenage clothing.

Image source: https://goo.gl/mhr2hm

Teenagers in this decade suddenly didn't live under the constant threat of war. They were enjoying more and more opportunities, more freedom and more leisure time. Combined with the possibility of having their own income, it shouldn't surprise you that this “target group” earned clothing manufacturers' attention.

See you next time with the “Don Draper era” -- the 1960s!

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