was looking up 50s fashion for writing reasons and i CANNOT get over the outfits these girls are rocking
- This is bobby soxer fashion that originated in the 1940s, not 50s. Specifically, this 2016 Tumblr post attributes this photo to Life magazine in 1947
- The style was not considered masculine in its time (for commenters remarking on crossdressing laws); pants had been mainstream women’s fashion since the 30s and especially during WWII due to women in factory work. This was an extremely popular style associated with fans of popular music performers like Frank Sinatra. It was a teenage style in particular; the 40s saw the number of girls attending secondary school rise substantially, as did the number of teens with disposable incomes.
It’s fascinating to me that people under 30 are looking at very trendy look today and seeing gender nonconformity. It says more about what we consider “feminine” clothing to be today (Revealing? Low necklines? Translucent? Form-fitting? Curve-enhancing?) than the image itself.
