The Working Closet
with Susan Wagner
The Working Closet is your source for the best of what's hip and fresh in fashion and beauty. Susan Wagner keeps you up-to-date on trends and offers tips and tricks for making everything in your closet truly work for you.
You can also catch Susan over at Working Closet.
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One of my current obsessions is the television show Mad Men - have you seen it? Oh, it’s fantastic. Forget the story line (although it’s wonderful), the set design and costumes alone should have you tuning in on a weekly basis.
You see, the show takes place in New York City in the early 1960s. The glorious fashion era of the 1950-60s. Pencil skirts, swing skirts, perfect hairstyles, pearls, gloves…acting and looking “every inch the lady” was taught virtually from the cradle. Watching the show, I would find myself slack-jawed over Joan Holloway’s ensembles every week.
It seems the two most popular skirt and/or dress styles in the 1950s were the full skirt and the pencil skirt.
The full (or “swing”) skirt had many styles, with most memorable being the poodle skirt. The full volume of the swing skirt always accented the waist - in fact, making it look teeny tiny.
The pencil skirt’s slender style helped women attain a sexy hourglass body shape. This type of dress or skirt was not worn by young girls or teens because it was considered way too provocative. (Oohlala!)
I have noticed many dresses these season emulating these two silhouettes, and as you know, the holiday cocktail party season is upon us. Why not pay homage to the fabulous 1950s by wearing one of these retro-inspired dresses?
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I own more than one of the dresses you’ve included above. I find that the fifties silhouettes are super flattering on an hourglass figure (i.e. me) and also on petite women (me, again) and make us look put together without bunching, pulling, general non-fitty-ness. Yes, I just made that word up. Plus, pencil skirts accent my tush (one of my best features) while giving my knees and calves (NOT one of my best features) a great shape and silhouette. Love this post - makes me feel like I’m doing something right!
Jamie | November 21st, 2008 at 8:11 am
Rhiannon can back me up, I am OBSESSED with the 1950’s. EXCELLENT post, and I think every dress I’ve purchased in the last year, save maybe a cover-up for the beach, has been one of these styles. BEAUTY!
Kaleigha (Kali) | November 21st, 2008 at 10:43 am
I thought it was set in the 50’s at first too, but I think it’s really supposed to be the early 60’s. The episode I watched the other night included all the ladies getting upset because Marilyn Monroe had just died. I think the clothes really are more 50’s than 60’s though; at least that’s the way I picture the clothes from each of those decades.
Kim | November 21st, 2008 at 11:42 am
Oh look! It’s that dress. Taunting me again.
slynnro | November 21st, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Just to clear up, Mad Men is set in the 1960’s. In fact, I think the last season ends in ‘63 with JFK and the whole Bay of Pigs thing…
Similar fashion to the 50’s though.
Thanks, Anni. I edited the mistake.
Anni | November 24th, 2008 at 10:13 am
omg…the clothes on Mad Men = total porn to me.
my thighs prefer the full skirt style, though
ali | November 28th, 2008 at 9:21 am