Why were people more dressed up in the early part of the 20th century? .
Why did women look more feminine in the 1940's and 1950's?
Why did people dress more formally in the US during the earlier half of the 1900s?
Through movies and media, I notice that clothing was generally less casual in the earlier half of the 1900s in the United States. Clothing that would be worn casually then would be considered dressy now and so on. For instance, if you see someone wearing a suit today you may see them as being dressed up very nicely. Seeing someone in a suit/coat earlier in the 1950s for some reason seems a lot more natural and expected. 1) Was it a matter of cost? Were clothes (especially formal clothes) less expensive than they are today? They were less expensive in absolute terms, but in comparison to the amount that people earned at their jobs were clothes back then cheaper? 2) Was it a matter of culture? Were people generally expected to dress classier in that time? 3) Also, were formal clothes better made in the past? Meaning, I would assume that a good tailor made suit now would put a much greater financial burden on someone now than it did in the 1940s/50s. 4) Side note: Were formal clothes mass produced at a very large scale in the earlier half of the 1900s like they are now? Or were they mostly fitted per person and custom tailored? Thanks to anyone for help. Also, I'm sorry if this comes across as ignorant in any way, but I just find the topic of style then vs. now interesting since it seems like a lot of style now is really a cycle of emulation of what's already been done in the past.
Why did people back in early 1900s wear suits and dresses most the time?
I imagine it was all the cultural changes and rebellion in the 1960s that changed all that. I think it's too bad, I love the clothes people wore in the 1940s and 1950's and wear them most everyday. Men looked so handsome and dashing in their suits and hats and all the women were so glamorous and feminine in their dresses and skirt suits. The clothes wear so well-made and fit so perfectly. I think a woman can still be strong and have a career but still be totally feminine and dress like a lady. I wish more women realized this.
Why was everyone so well dressed in the past?
Do people who dress poorly know it or do they not care?
There could be any number of reasons why someone might dress poorly.What constitutes dressing poorly, anyway? People have different ideas about what “well dressed” means. These ideas can vary by culture, subculture, age, gender, profession, peer group, and so forth. “Well dressed” also varies by occasion. You could be considered well-dressed in a pair of jeans and a henley at a casual restaurant, but everyone would think you woefully underdressed if you wore that to a formal wedding.So, reasons:Some people truly do not care about clothes, fashion, or dressing up. Functionality and comfort are what matter to them. As long as the appropriate parts are covered, they are good to go. These people generally don’t care if their lack of style bothers you.Some people don’t have the wherewithal to obtain or care for nice, well-fitting clothes.Some people have no sense of color or proportion. They don’t know what looks good on them, and/or they don’t understand proper fit. They may literally not be able to distinguish different shades or colors. Perhaps they are color-blind to some degree, or they have cataracts, or some such.Some people have body issues that keep them from dressing well. For example, a person who is not happy with their weight or body type may avoid buying better-fitting clothes—because the clothes are a larger size, or because they are going on a diet next Monday, or because clothes simply don’t come in the right shape and they can’t afford a tailor. (I know all this from personal experience.)Sadly, some people think they don’t deserve to look nice.Sometimes dressing well is a bad idea. For example, I spent the larger part of my day at a barn mucking stalls and turning out horses. It was hot, sweaty, dirty work. When I got home, I walked my dog while wearing the same clothes. I quite deliberately did not dress well. Numerous activities call for clothes that one can get dirty.Dressing too fashionably at the wrong place or occasion can create a bad impression; e.g., Melania Trump wearing designer clothes and stilettos on her way to view a natural disaster. Some people think that concern with fashion or style betrays a lack of seriousness and/or skewed priorities. Sometimes people deliberately dress down in order to seem more approachable, or harmless, or they may wish to escape notice.
Why did people dress so formal in the 1950s?
Yes, people were more careful. My mother would never have let me go into town wearing my blue jeans, for instance. Those were work clothes for adults/play clothes for us kids, and not for being seen while shopping. Suits were standard for going to church, and for office jobs, because they showed a level of respect. You say "casual" but what you're really talking about are informal situations, and there used to be a difference between casual and informal.Lately I've noted that when going to a show, a circumstance in which it was once common to see men in dinner jackets, we now see them in hoodies. Comfort seems to be the thing, and respect for others is nowhere on the radar screen.
How did people dress in the 1950's?
You can get a pretty good idea from the movie "Grease" with Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta.Full skirts, lots of crinoline slips, oxfords, bobby socks, pony tails, peter pan collars, etc. That was for girls, of course. Boys, jeans, t-shirts with rolled up sleeves, leather jackets, DA haircuts with lots of -- ta-da -- grease.
Why did Americans back in the 1950s dress so fancy?
The general rule was simply, "if you wanted people to treat you respectfully, then you had to dress respectfully". You dressed very casually at home, and anytime you left the house you changed into more formal clothes.It meant you expected to change several times a day. We did not expect to wear them only once between washings unless they were dirty. For instance crinoline petticoats were a real pain to wash. And they were not very comfortable. Some dresses had the petticoat built into them and they were not very practical. And women wore high heels at work - all day long. Many women develop foot problems as a result.Girls were not allowed to wear pants in public. You would never wear pants to school. You'd be sent home. If your skirt was too short, you'd be sent home too. At my school the teachers would make the girls kneel and make sure their skirt hem touched the ground. The girls who would be sent home would be in tears. Girls who wore pants were considered bad girls. Society said they were trying to act like men and they were a threat to femininity.So while it was nice to see people dressed up so nice, there were also a lot of small minds who determine who was proper and who wasn't. You couldn't fight it. We have more freedom now, and I don't regret it.