No garment type was left out, which is why we broke categories down for your reading pleasure.

Styles that suited every guy

The idea that a man could show up in public wearing anything other than a suit when the 1950s dawned was unimaginable. Meticulously-tailored suits with their over-stitched lapels, breast pockets, matching pants and pristine linings were standard uniforms for men working hard to re-integrate themselves into jobs once the war was over.

Formal suits for special occasions may have received a few style makeovers, but for the most part, the quintessential tuxedo plus dinner jackets in black and white remained constant throughout the 1950s, while daytime suits continued to be churned out in blue, black and brown color palettes. Happily, by decades’ end, shop windows were filled with charcoals, greys and tans.

Matching and contrasting vests that came with suits or were sold separately added a professorial touch to ensemblesand made it acceptable for men to show up for certain occasions without a jacket. By 1960, sports jackets had also become standard items in fashion-conscious men’s wardrobes now split between “office” and “casual” garments.

Alternatives to suits

If you laughed when you read the mini-bio of designer Nudie Cohn, you likely aren’t old enough to remember the 1950’s western trend that contrasted dramatically with the stodgy suit-centered men’s wardrobe. Even fashion authorities were incredulous. Men showed up for barbecues and other social occasions dressed like “cowboys” and textile manufacturers couldn’t churn out enough plaid fabric to meet demand.

When western-style plaid shirts weren’t appropriate, guys slipped into cardigan sweaters to avoid wearing jackets, though as an homage to WWII legends like Eisenhower, Patton and MacArthur, there was a short period during the 1950s when military tailoring and garments in shades of khaki, tan and brown were snapped up by men liberated from the status quo—after all, who shows up for a barbecue in a Brooks Brothers suit?