As a matter of fact, the biggest belt sensation of the 1950s was “the skinny belt,” a slim, lightweight accessory made in every conceivable material: leather, woven textiles, reptile skin and western-style tanned and punched hides. No respectable mid-1950s man’s wardrobe would be complete without at least one skinny black belt.

The men’s accessories market expands

Until the 1950s, the typical American man laid claim to few accessories while women couldn’t get enough necklaces, bracelets and purses, leaving the opposite sex bereft in the “extra touches” department. Was there a void? Not completely. In 1950, guys owned a watch, at least one pair of cuff links, a couple of tie pins and their bureau drawers were stocked with neatly folded handkerchiefs and black socks.

One of the biggest casualties of the accessory scene during the 1950s were cuff links. Shirt manufacturers were adding buttons to cuffs so men didn’t have to bother adding links. Button cuffs made life easier (and dressing faster) for men tired of struggling with these accessories that, like women’s earrings, became useless if one was lost.

That black sock epidemic? Over. Any staid suit could be dressed up with a pair of colorful socks, and ties once made exclusively of sedate silk fabric made room on tie racks for lively new designs in silk, cotton, linens and even rayon. The “skinny tie” crashed onto the men’s fashion scene for a short while. Men could change up their look with a slim striped design or one embellished with small clusters of patterns. For about 97-cents, you could buy something splashy in rayon that spruced up even the most conservative suit.

Who lead the decade’s fashion parade?

The aforementioned designers knew that Hollywood was the place to make a name for themselves so many clothing trends for men began in the west and swept eastward. Singers, actors and sports heroes could practically assure a new designer’s success simply by getting out the word that they were wearing his or her label.