50 Ícones que Inspiraram a Moda: 1950

Design Museum: Fifty Fashion Looks

by Paula Reed

Nos anos 1950, a sociedade do pós-guerra recebeu com entusiasmo a nova cultura de moda, pautada por consumo, feminilidade e elegância. Este livro apresenta 50 referências icônicas que revolucionaram o cenário fashion assim como o comportamento social nessa década. Entre os temas, o fascínio das divas como Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly e Sophia Loren; o New Look proposto por Dior; o requinte das formas criadas por Cristóbal Balenciaga; a criação do biquíni e da Barbie; a popularização do jeans; o florescimento da cultura adolescente; o apelo cult do movimento beat; as loiras misteriosas do cinema de Hitchcock; e a conquista do mercado de trabalho pelas mulheres.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, History, Art, Reference, Design

112 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun. Also, now I know what a beatnik is. #shame #shame

[Krystal Esmi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. I learned a few fast facts about 1950's fashion, but I was disappointed that this book didn't include Liz Taylor or any Black fashionistas. Motown had a HUGE impact on vintage fashion. Bummer.

[Akemi Iwasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good reference book if you’re into the 50s but it’s clearly US/UK-centred. 👗

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise introduction to the key styles and people of my favourite style era. Grace and elegance is key to 50s style, whether it's the lush, romantic Dior New Look, or the more pared-down, structured styles of Balenciaga or Audrey Hepburn-inspired Givenchy. There is a great selection of photos - the subjects, the images and the photographers themselves are all iconic. The accompanying text is brief but surprisingly thoughtful, offering social and political and even technological context to the designs.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Book For Fashion Lovers

Anyone who loves clothes, fashion, or wants to look vintage will enjoy this book. It’s amazing how many people influenced the fashion of the decade. I have only one complaint and that is it was Marlene Dietrich in the film Stage Fright, not Greta Garbo. Classic Film lovers will understand why I feel it’s important. It’s definitely a worthwhile read.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting facts about fashion in the 50's

[Maddelline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good coffee table book

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paula Reed, “Fifty Fashion Looks that Changed the 1950's” (Design Museum; 2012)

Interesting to find out the American, British, French and Italian histories that shaped entertainment and fashion.
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“The 1950s marked a sea change in fashion. And nothing would ever be the same again.”
“A younger generation, finding its voice for the first time, began to use clothes to express themselves.” (p6)

1950: “Katherine Hepburn: Nonconformist style. ...As a child she desperately wanted to be a boy, cutting her hair and adopting an alter ego named 'Jimmy'.” (p16)

1951: “Lauren Bacall: One of the boys.
In an era of the high maintenance wardrobe Lauren Bacall steered a course towards effortless minimalism.” (p26)

1953: “The invention of the modern bikini is claimed by the French engineer Louis Reard in 1946. he is said to have named it after the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific – the site of a nuclear bomb test in 1946 – because he hoped its impact would be as explosive.” (p34)

1953: “Fiona Campbell-Walter: Vogue's 'most beautiful' model … [was] born in Auckland, New Zealand, 1932.” (p38)

1953: “The Coronation Dress … for Queen Elizabeth II [took] 3000 man-hours to complete.” (p42)

1953: “Marilyn Monroe's pink dress (from 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes') sold for $310,000 in 2010.” (p44)

1953: “Teenagers: The decade's dominant fashion force.
The 1950s saw a radical demographic shift, and with it arrived the 'teenager'.” (p46)

1954: “Audrey Hepburn in 'Sabrina' –
Billy Wilder, the director and producer of Sabrina … saying, 'This girl, singlehandedly, may make bosoms a thing of the past.'” (p50)

1955: “Edith Head … But the gossip in Hollywood was that Paramount's formidable doyenne of the costume department wasn't a designer at all.” (p56)

1956: “Rockabilly: Postwar punk rockers - … the music of Elvis, Buddy Holly and Bill Haley … the name is a hybrid of 'rock['n' roll]' and 'hillbilly', a reference to country music (which was often called hillbilly music in the 1940s and 50s).”
“Both music and fashion were neatly calculated to distance youthful rockabillies from the previous generation.”
“In Britain, rockabilly fans were called 'Teddy boys' on account of their Edwardian frock-coats ...” (p78)

“iconoclast” (p80) = {a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions.}

1958: “Stilettos … the term 'stiletto' from the Greek word 'stylos', meaning 'pillar'.” (p94)

1959: Barbie … a little girl called Barbara ('Barbie') Handler, whose mother Ruth reckoned it was important for young girls to imagine life as an adult through the world of play ...[the doll was named] Barbie Millicent Roberts.” (p98)

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[Brigid · Rating 2 out of 5]

An entertaining but not particularly deep quick read about fashion in the 1950s. It was published by a museum, and it reads like museum text, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does make me feel like I should have been reading object labels in front of the clothes rather than a book. More frustrating is that there are no equivalents to what would have been an exhibition's text panels, so there is no greater context for the looks as a whole.

[Cold Cream 'n' Roses · Rating 3 out of 5]

50 Fashion Looks That Changed the 1950's covers fashion designers, models, movie stars, and more that defined the 1950's. I came away wanting to learn more about the work of Dior, Givenchy, Jacques Fath, Balenciaga, Norrell, and Clare McCardell.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a few obvious entries (Brigette Bardot, the New Look, etc) but some designers and models that I didn't know much about. Entries are concise but pithy, and the photographs are lovely.

[Louise Armstrong · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was OK for a flip through - but more general than truly focused on fashion and not enough detail to be a keeper. It's about stars, models, photographers and designers more than clothes.

[Aja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going to read all of these because they're perfect for getting snippets of bite size information about how fashion changed the landscape of that decade. Highly recommend.