How to wear 1950s clothing in Autumn

Last Updated on September 4, 2022 by Dominique de Merteuil

How to wear 1950s clothing in Autumn!

Autumn is without a doubt my favourite time of the year. It’s also the most vintage-friendly season. I can wear a 1950s skirt suit, like the Handmacher beauty in the picture below, or a dress, without the need of having to cover it with a coat.

The 1950s pieces that will always make you look chic

It’s all in the accessory

1. Gloves
2. Hats
3. Scarves
4. Tights
5. Shoes

The choices in styling and accessorising a 1950s garment for the Autumn season are endless. Hats, scarves, gloves, tights and shoes, be it true vintage or contemporary, can transform the look of a 1950s garment completely. Swapping flat brogues for high heels or booties and adding a sparkling brooch is all you really need to turn a 1950s day dress into an evening ensemble.

“If I was a woman, I would be dressed in the same thing for a month and just change my hat and gloves. Maybe my shoes too; yes, I see what you mean but, really, it’s jewels that change an outfit.“

Manolo Blahnik

The 1950s velvet bolero

I found that what really works with wearing 1950s clothes in Autumn, regardless if it’s a blouse with a skirt or trousers combination, or even a dress that you opt for, is a velvet bolero or a cape. In the picture below I paired one of my many 1950s velvet boleros with Wolford’s body, which keeps me very warm on colder days. It’s also a perfect example that vintage clothes can look quite contemporary depending on how they are styled.

1. The authentic 1950s outfit consists of; the 1950s dress by Junior First Fashion, a 1950s velvet bolero, gloves and hair snood.
2. For the 1950s outfit with a modern twist, I chose the Wolford body, 1950s bolero and 1980s slacks.

“A woman without gloves is a marked woman. It’s like going barefoot to be without them. Gloves are traditionally a sign of dignity. Everyone needs a good glove collection: short, long, glacé, doeskin, pigskin, cotton. Short gloves suit some people, some clothes and some occasions very well, but longer ones, crushed at the wrist, are more dignified.” Claire McCardell

How to wear 1950s clothing in Autumn. Photography: Gregory Michael King 

Examples of autumn fashion styles popular in the 1950s

“The ‘costume look’ has developed into a strong fashion idea for fall and winter. The news is in the mismated fabrics and colours used in this year’s go-togethers. Highly-textured (and often noisily patterned) coats and jackets are sold frankly as suits with solid colour dresses or skirts. Wool capes or stoles teamed with evening dresses made other texture combinations. Brilliant colours, so popular in this year’s town suits and coats, added still another mismatched note. (…)

Fashion’s new running mates, often mismatched, were as important in cocktail and evening clothes as in daytime fashions. Examples: Rough tweed and yarn-dyed will make another daytime team in Adele Simpson’s cut away jacket and one-piece dress. Fitted basque jackets or full-length satin coats teamed with matching skirts were among the new cocktail-time go-togethers.”  Quick NEWS WEEKLY SEPT.24,1952 p.37 This article was provided by  oldmagazinearticles.com

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