Nifty 50's Costumes and Accessories

50's Costume Ideas

The 1950's saw the birth of rock and roll and the first wave of teenage uber-fans, who popularized the 50s outfit that is so famous today - poodle skirts, cat eye glasses, bobby socks, and saddle shoes. If you're going to a 50s sock hop, poodle skirts and full-skirted dresses were the popular choice of the day. If you're going to a 50s theme party but not specifically a sock hop, there are plenty of creative ways to dress up in 50s attire. Here are a few recommendations:

The movie Grease came out in 1978 but was set in a 1950's high school, where good girl Sandy Olsson and bad boy greaser Danny Zuko struggled to reunite after a summer romance. Based on a popular Broadway musical from 1971, the movie and play have enduring popularity. Who doesn't love "Suuuuuuuummer Niiii-iiiiights?"

If Sandy and Danny are a little too square for you, try dressing up like Kenickie and Rizzo, or another Pink Lady and T-Bird in our popular pink satin jackets and greaser jackets.

• Greaser and Bobby Soxer - Dress like a greaser from the wrong side of the tracks, with one of our black faux leather jackets, with one of our best-selling switchblade combs ever-present in the back pocket of your jeans. Dress like a bobby soxer in one of our many colorful modest fuzzy sweater or cute striped top, a chiffon scarf tied jauntily around your neck or ponytail, and, of course, classic saddle shoes.
  
  
• Buddy Holly was a popular and influential American rock star whose career was cut short when he died in a plane crash in 1959. He wore "nerdy" glasses with heavy, dark frames and styled his hair in a pompadour like a greaser.



• Elvis Presley was a mega rock and roll star who broke out in 1956 with his first hit, "Heartbreak Hotel." Makes a great couple costume with Priscilla, Ann Margret, or an adoring fan/bobby soxer.



• Johnny Cash was a country and rock and roll musician who had his first No. 1 with "I Walk the Line" in 1957. Makes a great couple costume with June Carter Cash!



• Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio (they married in 1954)



• Zorro (a popular Disney show featured this character from 1957 to 1959)



• Alice in Wonderland and Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, or Queen of Hearts (the famous animated Disney film was released in 1951)



• Serve 'em up some fries with that shake in a Car Hop or Diner Waitress Costume! The 1940s and 50s were the Golden Age of diners, and drive-in restaurants where a cute girl on roller skates brought your food out to your car became all the rage.



• Swing dancers - polka dot skirt for the gal and zoot suit for the guy! (Jitterbug, East Coast Swing, West Coast swing and more swing dances were popular throughout the 30's, 40's and 50's ... and today!)

• Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Fred and Ethel (I Love Lucy aired from 1951 to 1957)

  Ozzie and Harriet (show aired from 1952 to 1966)



• Leave it to Beaver (show aired from 1957 to 1963) - lots of options here, June and Ward, Wally and the Beave, Wally and Eddie Haskell



• Pin up girl



• A beehive hairdo and cat eye glasses. The beehive first came to popularity in 1958.



• Gumby and Pokey. Gumby debuted in the mid-1950s and remained popular throughout the 50s and 60s (and today).
  
  
• The Lone Ranger (1949 to 1957)



• Charlie Brown and Lucy or Snoopy Charlie Brown made his first appearance in 1947, and Peanuts debuted in 1950.
• Tweety Bird and Sylvester (Tweety was created in 1942 and the rivals battled in their first cartoon short in 1947. In 1951, the song "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat" was a hit single!)