Looking Into It

 Today we started to look into what it would take to create a believable setting for a movie set in the 1950s. The thing that we looked into first was costuming because clothes can show a character's mood and give a proper introduction to the entire mood of the story, which an intro should do. 

As women in the 1950s had just gone through a major depression just a few years prior, in a prosperous time for the US financially, people were able to afford nice clothes. Our character will be more middle class, so no outfits too over the top. However, with this newfound financial freedom, women were able to acquire a variety of large skirts. Anything that accentuated the waist was considered to be "in" at the time. Along with this, women began to wear more casual items like trousers and shorts. Since our idea places our character on a date, we will most likely dress her in a dress with a tight waist and long skirt.

Some research is started in class

We needed to research again for our male character. Famous male actors and singers like James Dean and Frank Sinatra set the trend for men in the 1950s with, like women, an increasingly casual style. Hat wear made a resurgence in the 50s and bright colors became very popular. Additionally, waxy hairstyles became very popular. Sunglasses were a sign of wealth, so their popularity rose in the decade as well. T-shirts also started to become more common as men were able to afford more than just their dress shirts. 

An in-depth video about 1950s menswear

Sources:

Fashion history: Women's clothing of the 1950s - bellatory. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://bellatory.com/fashion-industry/Fashion-History-Womens-Clothing-of-the-1950s

Schneider, S. R. (2022, August 22). What men really wore in the 1950s. Gentleman's Gazette. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/what-men-wore-1950s/