Essay Plan

So I have to write this essay for my contextual studies unit, and I've not done any contextual stuff for a long time, since we've been busy with FMP for about 9 or 10 weeks.
2,000 words seems like a lot, but when I'm interested and the information is flowing I should be able to cover that easily.

Subject area:
Tailoring, fashion

Time period:
1950s America

What happened socially:
Come out of war, rationing stopped
how this influenced fashion of the time

Main influential people / artists:
Who they were
what they did
how they were influenced
techniques they used
why they interest me
why I chose to research into them

http://www.20thcenturyfoxy.com/en/1950s/a32
http://www.retrowaste.com/1950s/fashion-in-the-1950s/
http://womens-fashion.lovetoknow.com/1950_Fashion_for_Women
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/fashion-w.htm
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/fashion-w.htm
http://vintageclothing.about.com/od/designerstolookfor/tp/1950s-Designers.htm
http://www.fashion-era.com/1950s_glamour.htm
http://www.catwalkyourself.com/fashion-history/1950s-1960s/

notes:
- rationing ended completely in 1954
- two main silhouettes of the decade; wasp waist with full skirt and slim fitting pencil skirt
- both work well on any figure
- seen as a time of colourfulness and vibrancy, actually a time of hard work to achieve stability
- happy people, euphoria from winning the war
- rise of "ready to wear" clothing, clothing now mass produced and better quality cloths
- more variety clothing, imports from Paris
- DIOR: Dior's iconic "New Look" arrived in Paris in 1947, had enormous impact on fashion world. Dior created silhouette shapes based on letters: H-line (1954, slender tunic suit with slim skirt), A-line, Y-line. In 1957, Dior introduced the shift dress. "New Look" used lots of excess fabric (which shocked people as this amount of fabric had previously not been available) and exaggerated the hourglass female figure.
- TEENS: recognised and a specific style was developed for them, that was neither childish nor too grown up; full skirts, tight tops, capri pants and flat shoes- perfect for jive dancing! previously girls would just dress similar to their mothers. Girls were classed as children and boys until they showed signs of puberty, when they became youths. Young people became grown ups at the age of 18 and full adults at age 21, usually when they would get married and set up accommodation of their own. Getting married and purchasing property was their way of proving to the world they were adults and an escape from puberty. With their own money, teens started to socialise at cafes and diners; girls wearing poodle skirts and boys wearing white t-shirts, leather and denim jackets and slicking back their hair, very James Dean. This era was all about teens developing their own voices and styles, and rebelling from their parents styles.
- this style influenced casual fashion for both men and women.
- BEAT GENERATION: group of post war American writers that documented and inspired 'Beat' culture. Central elements of this culture: rejection of standard narrative values, spiritual quests, exploration of American and Eastern religions, rejection of materialism, explicit portrayals of the human condition, drug experimentation and sexual liberation and exploration. term "beatnik" was used to describe this culture. their style consisted of striped shirts and oversized dresses. short sleeved sweatshirts and cowl necks were worn with pencil skirts or slim fitting trousers and often worn in all black.
- PETTICOATS & FULL SKIRTS: wide pleated or circular skirts worn with layers of petticoats underneath. Always to mid calf, sometimes longer and NEVER shorter. worn in the day and evening. petticoats made up of several layers of net, usually starched for stiffness. in evening wear chiffon used in bright, contrasting colours.
- PENCIL SKIRTS: narrow, close fitting straight skirt, calf length. sometimes called a 'hobble' skirt, restricts movement making women wiggle their hips when walking. natural waist, little excess fabric and small slit up the back. pencil line dresses were also a very sophisticated look, usually for the more mature woman, paired with heels and accessories. NOT worn by young girls or teens, too provocative
- CAPRI'S: calf length trousers, narrow leg, casual look. small v at the hem for movement. often worn with shirts tucked in and wide belt on top, or with boned bodice or halter top.
- SWEATER GIRL LOOK: tight jumper, large pointy breasts created with the bullet bra, heavily padded to create the cone shapes. sweater was either turtle neck or twin set. bullet bra pushed breasts up and out
- women didn't leave the house without gloves, a hat and a handbag in the 50s!
- HATS: small lampshade style, wide brimmed or pill box shape, often with veil
- GLOVES: long in the evening with lots of bracelets, short in the day
- scarves: tied round the neck and in the hair, often brightly coloured
- BELTS: wide, to emphasize the small waist. worn with full and pencil skirts, and capri pants
- MAKE UP: red lipstick was a must! cool reds for pinky skin tones and warm reds for yellow skin tones. doe-eye make up, fine pencilled line edging the entire eye and extending in a slant to the corner.
- women felt less pressure to conform to the "fashion rules", some opted to wear 'sack dresses' which were more 1920s style, with no waistline
- "wandering waistline" term first used at Paris spring collections in 1952
- 1953 was about elegance; hemlines, waistlines and hairlines grew shorter
- CHANEL: Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (age 74) became "an adjective in her own time" in 1947. In 1957, Chanel made blouses into display pieces with her open-jacket policy, often making them the focal point of the outfit. She made a comeback in the 50s, however disagreed with the use of excess fabric, deeming it wasteful. She realised that couture was on it's way out and adapted her style to suit the mass markets of the time. She designed simple and eloquent garments and begun to introduce the little black dress.
- Dior designed a skirt slim to the knees with pleating below, now known as a mermaid / fishtail skirt
- CRISTOBAL BALENCIAGA: designer that looked to the 20s for inspiration during the 50s. went for more sleek and slender figures, broadening shoulders and taking emphasis away from the waist. This led to sack dresses and tunics becoming popular later on.
- PIERRE BALMAIN: focused on femininity and elegance, the French style of the 50s.
- CHARLES JAMES: well known for spectacular gowns, copied for prom and evening wear, intricate constructions and unique colour combinations.
- JACQUES FATH: less severe take on "New Look", softer hourglass curves, plunging necklines. his designs showed more skin than other designers so a favourite for the young and daring. swing coat- covered full skirts and ideal silhouette for post war pregnancy rate.
- NORMAN HARTNELL: designed Queen Elizabeth II's wedding gown in 1947 and then coronation gown in 1953.
- HUBERT DE GIVENCHY: "sack" dresses, loose, straight, short shift dress, inspired Mary Quant style dresses of the 60s. close friends with Balenciaga. Responsible for making Audrey Hepburn a style icon, he designed her little black dress for "Breakfast at Tiffany's".
- MARKS AND SPENCER: leader of the ready to wear market. known for quality and value for money, Paris and America often copied the way M&S produced their garments.
- AUDREY HEPBURN: capris, knitted jumpers and flat ballet pumps was a casual style she often wore. many people took inspiration from this style, with her being a popular film star of the time.
- MARILYN MONROE: famous film star, sex symbol, glamorous outfits worn on set are classic 50s.
- ELIZABETH TAYLOR: actress, career took off during 50s. traditional 50s glamorous style.
- GRACE KELLY: actress, simple style, capris, crisp cotton shirts, tortoiseshell sunglasses, dresses with modest scoop necks and pinched in waists. always sophisticated but never showy. Has a Hermes bag named after her (the Kelly bag) after she used one to cover her pregnancy bump in paparazzi photographs. She was a big fan of Dior.
- DESIGNERS: wanted to widen the shoulders without padding, so added a small round bump at the top of tailored sleeves.
- FABRICS: tweed took over in the autumn of 1952, lace, chiffon and crepe staged a comeback. prints were back in. lots of new fabrics were synthesized from petrochemicals, promoted for easy care wash and wear qualities. Initially expensive, soon became affordable. Crimplene, nylon and orlon. quick rinse, drip dry and no ironing. Crimplene enabled people to wear white and pastel colours as polyester doesn't yellow with age or sunlight like white nylon. also could be well tailored and wouldn't lose stiffness through washes.
- SPORTSWEAR: blazer stripes and contrasting colours became popular, especially with young people
- SHOES: formal shoes became more delicate
- in 1952, Italian fashion shows known as Salsa Bianca launched in Florence.
- MEN'S FASHION: away with matching waistcoat, instead waistcoat in a contrasting or complimentary colour, worn with 2 piece lounge suit for business and semi-formal occasions. variety of fabrics, silk, corduroy, velvet. bolder designs and colours on shirts, socks and ties. Influenced by musical icons such as The Rat Pack towards the end of the 50s (suits and trilby hats). Teddy Boy look originating in America, drape style jacket with cuffs and lapels in contrasting fabric, paired with matching / contrasting drainpipe trousers, stiff shirts and brocade waistcoats. Also wool jackets and loud ties. white t-shirt previously only known as underwear, made into a piece of outer clothing by icons like James Dean. He was also a promoter of the denim look.
- BATHING SUITS: seductively modelled to the figure or like little girl rompers
- JEWELLERY: large hoop earrings were popular in 1953
- hourglass shape is classic 50s look
- no pressure to have a really skinny waist as undergarments took care of any bulges
- some women didn't like how the fashion turned them back into pretty house wives, when they had proven their strength and abilities during the war, whilst others embraced the fact they could dress prettily once more.
- MID 50s: silhouette became slimmer & sheath dresses were more popular, topped with a crop bolero jacket. Instead of pretty patterns, monochrome fabric came back in fashion.
- for housework women would wear a simple sheath or wrap dress, nothing too fancy.
- FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN: 1951, over 6000 products; clothing, accessories, dress fabrics. luxury items unseen before /during the war. Most of the goods were for trade to other countries only, to promote the economy before they were available to purchase in Britain by everyday people.
- MODERN 50s: Dita Von Teese, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson

Other websites I took info from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_Generation
http://www.farfetch.com/uk/people/fashion-history-lesson-grace-kelly.aspx
http://headtotoefashionart.com/christian-dior-1905-1957/