For this May’s upcoming A House Party at Cranbrook: Celebrating the Legacy of Music, we are celebrating the music and spirit of the 1950s. Naturally, that means digging into our closets for our best mid-century modern outfits, and more importantly, our dancing shoes. Seventy-five years ago, guests invited to a Cranbrook party could head down to Hudson’s department store on Woodward Avenue for a full evening’s attire. That is, unless they, like Loja Saarinen, preferred to design and sew their own clothes! This year, we may be deprived of Hudson’s and its record-breaking 705 changing rooms, but we do not lack sources of inspiration for a fifties night at Cranbrook.
The 1950s was an exciting time for snappy dressers, even those not as artistically gifted as Loja Saarinen. While Cranbrook-trained designers like Ruth Adler Schnee and Florence Knoll were transforming the look of the modern American interior, American clothing was undergoing a revolution of its own. The 1950s can be seen as the dawn of the modern fashion era, defined by an extraordinarily diverse range of stylish modes of dress, and a new emphasis on comfort and adaptability. The introduction of novel synthetic fabrics like orlon and spandex, and a new prominence for sports and lounge wear anticipated the rise of current athleisure apparel. The cocktail dress reached its zenith in this decade, as did the requisite accessories: shoes, handbag, and a trunkful of costume jewelry.
Many designers, including Christian Dior himself, continued to embrace the sloping shoulders and hourglass shapes of the “New Look,” inaugurated in the late forties. However, no single silhouette dominated the womenswear scene. Waistlines and hemlines rose and fell according to the whims of individual designers, dresses and coats billowed outward or narrowed to follow the line of the body, and the range of possibilities for fashionable dressers expanded rapidly in all directions.
The one common and consistent demand for women’s clothing then was elegance; truly casual clothing was not yet a part of the upper or middle-class woman’s wardrobe. Whether in a cocktail dress, playsuit, full-skirted evening gown, or daring slacks, women were still expected to present a polished exterior. Menswear, on the other hand, trended towards greater informality and comfort across the decade.
The structure of the modern suit gradually loosened, while ties, worn short and wide at the start of the decade, narrowed and lengthened, and soft knit ties became an accepted part of a business wardrobe. Boxy, straight cut and swing jackets, for men and women alike, allowed for complete freedom of movement, and leant a jaunty sway to an outfit’s profile. A new pop of color enlivened men’s suits, in the form of a bright shirt, tie, belt, or a contrasting waistcoat. For the more daring, a colorful velvet smoking jacket might be just the thing for an evening party.
Youth culture drove much of the sartorial transformation, particularly in casual dress; Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando, and James Dean modelled the classic white t-shirt and jeans for the first time on the big screen in this decade, and James Dean’s short career in Hollywood left a lasting fashion legacy in the form of his distinctive red nylon golf jacket, in Rebel Without a Cause.
In fact, it would be hard to find better – or more entertaining – fashion inspiration than in the films of the 1950s. Throughout the decade, star actresses like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Dorothy Dandridge modelled iconic looks, both onscreen and off.
Eight-time Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head (the inspiration for superhero costumier Edna “E” Mode in The Incredibles (2004)), created some of the 1950’s most iconic looks, for men and women alike. Her designs reflect the breadth of possibilities for glamorous women’s dress in the period, from Grace Kelly’s full tulle skirts, inspired by ballet tutus, to Kim Novak’s sleekly severe suits in Vertigo (1958). True couture also made appearances on screen, as Hepburn was dressed by M. Hubert de Givenchy himself for Sabrina (1954) and Funny Face (1957), the latter a cinematic send-up of the fashion industry itself.
Menswear in these classic films receives less attention on Pinterest boards today, but it too evinced a witty, modern spirit and a widening range of options. There’s a new, comfort driven sensibility behind Gregory Peck’s lightweight, loosely-cut suits in Roman Holiday, joy and humor in Fred Astaire’s dance number in Funny Face, in which his white duster coat’s scarlet lining transforms it into a matador’s cape, and there is nothing uptight or understated about Cary Grant’s polka-dotted scarf and striped sweater in To Catch a Thief.
The glamorous costumes of the big screen set a high bar for fifties fashion, but even Audrey Hepburn had a more ordinary go-to look: the capris, sweater, and ballet flats ensemble that she was photographed in time and time again. The ease with which the stars of the fifties wore their exquisite clothes reminds us, in our own era, not to take our own wardrobe too seriously. Not even for A House Party at Cranbrook!
Join the Center in your 1950s-inspired finery on May 18 to help us celebrate the legacy of music at Cranbrook with a garden gala at Thornlea House and enjoy musical stylings from the era. Head to our website to learn more and purchase your tickets to A House Party at Cranbrook: Celebrating the Legacy of Music!
– Mariam Hale, 2023-2025 Collections Fellow, Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research
Cranbrook Kitchen Sink 
