Why The 1950s Is The Most Stylish Decade Right Now
1950s Mens Lookbook
Key 1950s Men’s Clothing
These are the key 1950s men’s fashion pieces that define the era and continue to inspire style today.
1. Cuban Collar Shirt
Nothing says ‘Havana blast’ more than this breezy summer, men’s casual staple, which can trace its history back to the 18th century in South America, where it was a kind of working-class uniform, though it really made a striped, checkered, and Polynesian-print splash in the 1950s, where it was seen on the back of everyone from Elvis to Montgomery Clift.
With its notch lapel-like collar (also known as a camp or revere collar), short sleeves, and straight, boxy hem, you could think of it as a classier take on the Hawaiian shirt. The modern variant has a more fitted cut and tapered sleeves; wear under a blazer for an off-duty Don Draper effect or roll the sleeves for the full Gene Vincent look. Reiss has a pretty good selection, both plain and printed, or try Timothy Everest’s bold-checked or white-weaved versions.
2. Pleated Trousers
Those who would see the 1950s fashion as a bastion of flat-front uniformity in the trouser department didn’t reckon with the hepcats or the rockabillies, who were saying “pleats please” decades before Issey Miyake got in on the act. “The early rockers borrowed heavily from the zoot suits that the jazz musicians of the 1940s wore,” says G. Bruce Boyer. “It was a colourful, exaggerated take on tailoring.”
Pleated trousers create elegant lines and a full silhouette (though any maxi-pleated ‘80s-style take should be avoided, unless you’re heading to a Kid Creole & The Coconuts-themed costume party), work equally well in a formal or casual context, and have the added summertime benefit of allowing air to circulate around the pins. E.Tautz has many versions on offer – the beige cotton chinos are particularly mid-century chic – while Kent & Curwen’s come in utilitarian tan.
