Australia in 1950sFASHION & SPORT

FASHIONPre 1950s: formal, traditional & controlled to limitPost 1950s: informal, individual & looseAmerican inspirations: Marlon Brando, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Ava Gardner & Elvis PresleyA new fashion category: the teenagers’ trend led by the youthNew synthetic clothing materials: nylon, acrylic polyester & vinyl – convenient for women

FASHION: young womenRock ‘n’ Roll influencePetticoats & full skirts in bright colors for dancesSkirts & pants gripped at the waist to accentuates waist & bustTight blouses tucked into slim-line calf length trousers, Capri pants or pedal pushesShort ankle socks, scarves tied round neck & cropped cardigansFemale teens were called ‘widgies’ for their style

FASHION: young menMore acceptable for males to dress up as much as fashionably as femalesAmerican influences started the era of the white shirt, boots & jeans look, which then was a sign of attitudeSome boys followed Elvis Presley’s style with the hair, flashy color suits, leather bike jackets, tight trousers, white socks & black rubber-soled shoesThe popular British ‘Teddy Boy’ style: stovepipe (narrow) trousers, narrow ties & pointed shoesTeen boys were called ‘bodgies,’ they used hair cream & grew long sideburns

FASHION: adultInfluence from fashion housesEmphasis on a slim line with full skirts, tiny waists, busts & slim pencil-lined skirtsFormal functions: cocktail or long dresses with gloves or ‘morning suits’ & carried glovesStiletto heels were new in early 1950s & shoes can be bought in a variety of colorsAdult men’s fashion maintained from the ‘40s, they were conservative, they wore mostly plain fabrics of dark quiet shades such as blue, black and gray

FASHION: swim/beachwear

One-piece costumes were the most popular for womenStretched nylon detached straps & built-in braMid ‘50s: bloomer costumes were fashionableBloomers had less emphasis on bust line & material around hips puffed outEnd of 1950s: bikinis were introduced & had to be 7cm above hip

SPORT: eventsTennis players: Lew Hoad, Ken Roswell & Frank Sedgeman dominated Wimbleton & the Davis CupAustralia ranked third in medal tally for the 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne, because of athletes like Dawn Fraser, Murray Rose (swimmers), & Betty Cuthbert (runner)Australian athletes won thirty-five medals, thirteen gold, at the 1956 Olympic GamesDawn Fraser became the first woman to swim the 100m freestyle in less than a minute. She took the gold medal for this event at 1956, 1960 & 1964 Olympics

SPORT: athletesFrank Sedgeman won the men’s singles Wimbleton Tennis title in 1952Marjorie Jackson won two gold medals at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952Jack Brabham won the Formula One Drivers/World Racing ChampionshipJimmy Carruthers retired as undefeated World Bantam weight boxing champion

SOURCESTONUP. “The Wild One: Leather and Triumphs.” The Return of the Café Racers. March 16, 2006. Unknown Organization. February 1, 2010. http://caferacersreturn.blogspot.com/2006/03/wild-one-leather-and-triumphs.htmlUnknown Author. “Fashion in the 1950s.” Skwirk Interactive Schooling. Unknown Date. Red Apple Education Ltd. January 27, 2010. http://skwirk.comWebb, Ken. Discovering Australian History Stage 5. Melbourne Cambridge University Press, 2008.Simpson, Judith. Federation to 2000. NSW: Kangaroo Press, 2000.Bereson, Itiel. Decades of Change: Australia in the 1950s. Port Melbourne: Binara Publishing Pty Ltd.