If you are looking for some costume ideas for Halloween, 50s themed or costume party, here are some starting points.

A major influence in Fifties culture was one of the biggest music trends of the decade, which saw the emergence of rock-n-roll, and it overtaking previous crooner trends. Rock-n-roll had an enormous influence had an enormous influence on popular culture, both in the United States and other parts of the world, as the spread of film and television made seeing, and not just listening, to it much easier and helped popularise it.

One of the biggest cultural icons of the decade was the King of Rock-n-Roll himself, Elvis Presley. Not only was he a singer, he was also a musician and an actor. Elvis also had hits in many different genres of music and not just rock-n-roll. During the 50s, Elvis didn’t wear the jumpsuits that became famous in his Las Vegas years. Fifties Elvis tended to tight dark trousers, short and slicked back or up hair, leather and suede jackets and dark shoes.

Rockers were a biker subculture that originated in 1950s Britain, and then spread to other places. In Britain, rocker and greaser were used as synonymous terms, although this was not true everywhere.

Rockers were influenced by the spread of rock-n-noll, and, due to a confluence of factors such as motorcycles becoming more easily available for those with less money, a road network being built upon which they could be used and British motorcycle engineering reaching its peak, become popular with segments of younger society.

Rocker clothing evolved from motorcycle wear out of necessity; with motorcycles being a major element in the culture, the clothing that was worn when riding them became a part of the culture. The clothing consisted of decorated motorcycle jackets, which had things such as metal studs, patches and pin badges affixed to them. These were worn with T-shirts, leather caps, Levi’s and Wrangler’s jeans and motorcycle boots. The hairstyle made extensive use of Brylcreem to hold it in shape in a pompadour style, named after the 18th century mistress of Louis XV of France, Madame de Pompadour. Hair in this style is traditionally worn swept up from the face and high over the forehead.

Teddy boys (and girls), aka Teds, were another British subculture. The clothing they wore was very dandified and influenced by the Edwardian era (Edward VII). It featured drape jackets (similar to the American zoot suit), drainpipe trousers, white shirts with high necks and loose collars, Slim Jim or Maverick ties and a brocade waistcoat. The hair was worn long and heavily moulded in a quiff at the front and a duck’s arse at the rear. Shoes could be highly polished Oxfords, brogues and crepe soled suede shoes.

For teddy girls (Judies), their clothing also included a drape jacket, and was accompanied with pencil and hobble skirts or rolled up jeans. Shoes were flat and jackets were tailored with a velvet collar. Their hair was worn in plaits. Hats were a common accessory, such as straw boaters and coolie, and a clutch bag was an accessory.

The term Beatnik was coined to describe members of the Beat Generation. a movement associated with the fiction of American author Jack Kerouac. The stereotypical beatnik wore sunglasses, a beret, black turtleneck sweater and plain, dark clothing.

General fashion of the 50’s was quite bland compared to the extremes of the subcultures. Suits, as always, were a popular outfit for men, especially the professional. A notable exception for women was the rock and roll dresses worn at the time, which featured knee length loose skirts, that could move around a lot when dancing, and often sleeveless tops.

Hopefully these will provide you with a starting point for a 50s costume.

Look here fore more detailed ideas:

For Men – 1950s Elvis

For Men – The Rocker

For Men – The Teddy Boy

For Men and Women – The Beatnik

For Women – Marilyn Monroe

For Women – The Teddy Girl