American Fashion Spring 1955

As much as we like to look at and dream about Parisian haute couture, American designs were more relevant and more affordable to a 1955 woman here in the U.S.  The styles shown here were featured in an American magazine geared to the average homemaker.  Just as fashion magazines and blogs influence our choices today, a 1950s housewife would see these photos as inspiration for ways to update her wardrobe.  The big difference is that she couldn't run out to H&M or Target and grab a cheap "fashion fashion" version.  No, our 50s homemaker would probably sew her own version or save a few dollars each week for months to be able to purchase one of these designer items that she would then wear for years to come.

Above, Pauline Trigere suit with a striped silk belted jacket and narrow wool skirt.

Golden suit by Claire McCardell worn with blue shoes.

Vera Maxwell silk paisley dress and paisley lined beige silk coat.

Larry Aldrich blue tunic and skirt worn with a nude shoe.

Maurice Rentner cotton sateen floral dress.

Summer Stripes, 1956

Nothing feels more summer-y than stripes. Beachy, breezy, and nautical, stripes are always in style. These photos are all from 1956.

Above: Brigance of Sportsmaker uses blue and white striped cotton jersey for a bathing suit with matching straight beach shirt that gets belted for added shape. Set sold for $43 in 1956 (about $345 in today's dollar.)

Claire McCardell cotton sateen beach poncho to wear over a swimsuit or shorts. Red, green, and yellow. Sold for $20 in 1956 (about $160 in today's dollar.)

Tina Leser glazed cotton dress in bold yellow and white stripes. Sold for $50 in 1956 (about $401 in today's dollar.)

Sir James rayon sunsuit in navy and gold stripes with brass buckles and buttons. Sold for $13 in 1956 (about $104 in today's dollar.)

Helga silk/cotton blend dress in blue, white, and coral. The pleats in the skirt change the look of the stripes. Sold for $70 in 1956 (about $561 in today's dollar.)

Do you love to wear stripes? Which is your favorite?

7 Important American Designers, 1954

So often we read about American fashion designers from the 1950s, and we love to drool over the clothes they made, but we have no idea what the designers themselves looked like. I stumbled across this photo which was part of an ad for Chrysler cars in 1954. The ad headline states, "7 top fashion designers find Chrysler Corporation's 1955 cars a stimulating new concept of good design."

Click on the picture to enlarge and you'll see the faces behind the clothes.

From left to right: Tim Brigance, Anne Fogarty, Clare Potter, Lily Daché, Nettie Rosenstein, Pauline Trigere, and Claire McCardell.