The Way We Dress

Oh how I wished I lived in the fifties. I love the way people dressed back then. Although I somewhat dress with the sense of today’s styles, I believe that fashion was, in ways, better during that decade. Now-a-days, you see men sagging or women with exaggerated cleavage, and our hairstyles are less exceptional.

ducktail

            As a part of fashion, hairstyles were a big deal, especially for women. Curls were very popular in the fifties. Women would go to many extents to have their hair perfect. Some would get ‘perms’, otherwise known as permanent curls that lasted about three months or so. Along with the curls, they would pin their hair in different varieties. Ponytails and short hair were also popular. Men usually had crew cuts, ducktails, and flat tops. It is still important to have our hair done nicely but not as important as in the fifties. With a good hairstyle there came a dress.

             It was all about dresses and high heels. Cleavage is a form of sex appeal, which wasn’t popular unless you were Marilyn Monroe. There wasn’t much cleavage, even though television today and then makes it seem that way. We were more conservative. Today, a majority of the options of clothing include cleavage. I’m not a big fan of it and I have a hard time finding shirts or dresses that are acceptable to my style. Women like to show off their body, but apparently men do too.

            The fifties man would usually wear the plaid flannel with blue jeans or a suit. Everything was well tucked. They looked clean and neat. They had their pants positioned at the correct spot, otherwise known as the waist. Now, you can walk around the street and see these guys with their pants almost to their knees. They seem to want to show everyone their underwear. In addition, some use jeans that are way too tight. Others wear large shirts. I find it amusing and ridiculous.The hairstyles and clothing for men and women were exceptionally better than today’s. I have nothing against people expressing themselves however they want, but I do believe some of our styles can be a little more formal.

Is It a Rocket?

 General Motors wanted to give us a glimpse of the future with the 1959 Cadillac Cyclone. It is 197'' long and stands 44'' tall on a 104'' chassis. It's all steel car powered by a 325HP (horse power) engine fitted with a low-profile carburetor, a cross-flow aluminum radiator and two fans. This Cyclone was first shown on February 21,1959, at Daytona Beach Race Track in Florida. This Cadillac had various malfunctions because it was never finished, due to the retirement of Harley Earl, but it did have many futuristic qualities.
An aircraft-inspired design explored futuristic technology. An early version of a crash avoidance system was it's sensing technology, which provided the driver with information on the object ahead. It included the distance to the object and stopping distance, both measured in feet. The console also had a sensor that could detect rain,which automatically put up the one-piece bubble top. The Cyclone came equipped with automatic climate control and featured a front-mounted engine with rear mounted transmission and transaxle. There was a two-speed rear axle to allow a choice of six speeds through the standard three-speed Hydra-Matic. The brakes were power-assisted through the reserve tank of the air-suspension unit, and  the muffler and exhaust outlets were placed ahead of the front wheel openings.In addition, the car system was available to the outside world through speakers located behind grilles in the front fenders, for use when canopy raised. Although there were so many things, it was necessary for the car to be remodeled because it was never finished.
This automobile was remodeled a couple of times. The first was in February, after its initial public showing. Then, the second was in 1960. They changed the color from its original pearlescent white to a silver. The fins were lowered so that they would coincide with the front fenders. They also added dished wheels. They must of made it work. This vehicle looked like an air-craft on wheels, which wasn't finished until they remodeled it. The Cyclone was not very popular ,but this car is still owned by GM and is shown regularly at grand auto shows.

Honey, Can You Fix the Antenna?

            When you think of television, you might think of all those ‘reality’ shows with pregnant teenagers or guys trying to get laid. But many, in the 1950s, looked forward to the news, westerns, and comedy shows. Television had become the dominant mass media as more people brought into their homes the future; by 1949, one million sets were sold. It received shows via antenna, and broadcasting was black and white. In 1954, the black and white became color broadcasts, but color was too expensive. Some of the earlier TV shows were radio and vaudeville moving to a new medium. They were what we now call sitcoms, variety shows, soap operas, and the good old westerns. The population had started relying on TV news sources for information, which caused a great effect on printed news media and entertainment media.

           People began to believe what was heard and seen on television because they were closer to events than never before. News broadcasting had improved even more with videotaped pictures of events occurring anywhere in the world; soon after, to more live broadcasts of events happening at the moment it was occurring, which was made possible in 1951 with the development of coaxial cable and microwave relays coast to coast. The early days of TV were actually only during evenings and afternoons.

           Variety shows were like “Disneyland” and the “Ed Sullivan Show” on Sunday evenings. Daytime programs were the soap operas like “Guiding Light”, which helped advertisers sell their products to homemakers. Amongst the first television shows included about 120 westerns. The cowboys set the standards of right and wrong and taught about heroes. Many of you may think about the show “Gunsmoke”. It was one of the best of the westerns. It started off in the radio and then moved to TV in 1955. The show ran all the way through to 1975 with 630 episodes, 400 of them an hour in length. Another successful show, a comedy sitcom, was “I love Lucy”. “I Love Lucy” is what some call a timeless TV classic. It premiered on October 15, 1951 until June 24, 1957 with a total of 180 episodes. Today, television still serves the same purpose, just more advanced and related to our recent lifestyles.   

It's Time For A Makeover

                            

        Although it isn't the fastest or greatest car ever made, the 1958 Chevrolet Impala is my dream car. Work on this automobile began in mid 1955,at a time when the potential sales of the 1955 automobiles was not so apparent. Clare Mackichan's design team and designers from Pontiac started to establish the basic packaging and dimensions for shared General Motors A body in June; in October, Harley Earl (GM styling vice president) had caught his eye on the first styling sketch that directly influenced the finished Chevrolet product. This car could not have come at a more opportune time.

        Chevy had scheduled a complete makeover of its cars in 1958.  Usually, the 50s designs were all about being lower, longer, and wider; the 1958 Chevrolet Impala was a rounded and congenial design with plenty of visual excitement. It contained the triple taillight clusters, dual headlamps, etc. It was, of course, offered as a  hardtop or convertible like the Bel Air. It was a complete transformation.

        Underneath new body was new chassis, suspension, and the engine. the standard perimeter-type frame was replaced by a unit with rails laid out in the form of an elongated "X." Chevrolet claimed the new frame would afford increased torsional rigidity and allowed fro a lower, yet still roomy passenger compartment. The rear suspension was redesigned with coil springs instead of leaf springs. Engineers wanted an engine a little larger for the bigger 1958s. It was also a V-8 but displaced 348 cubic inches. Labeled the "W" engine, the compact 348 had wedge type combustion chambers and was initially offered in two states of tune: the basic unit with a single four-barrel carburetor developed 250 bhp (brake horsepower), while the variant with three two-barrel carbs was rated at 280 bhp. All in all, this car was just made to keep up with competition, even though the name is still very popular.

          The 1950's is a decade that touches my soul. Throughout this course, I will be informing the audience about anything that started or happened during the 1950's. This is an opportunity for everyone including myself, to learn more about our history, such as: historical icons, morals, teenage life, etc. I have always been a person of little interest in school. I would rarely find a lecture fun, but once I heard a lecture about the 50s, I found myself enjoying every bit of information. Not many people believe in this, but I have felt that I used to live in that era. I love the entertainment, as well as, the automobiles.
           Entertainment was an important feature of the 50s. There was a lot of music, theater, and television. There was the new rockabilly genre that was created by the most famous Elvis Presley. One television show, I Love Lucy, was a well known comedy show. Any man's favorite entertainment, Playboy Magazine, had begun. From there came the rising star, Marilyn Monroe. There were many more kinds of famous artists.
            Fashion was not something excluded. Mostly everyone, especially teenagers had an eye for fashion. Teenagers used it to separate each other in groups; not as different as today. There were squares, greasers, rebels, and even geeks. Cars were in some way fashionable. Greasers loved to use hot rods, as you may have seen in the movie " Grease", or even in the video game " Mafia 2". Vehicles had begun to be a little more popular again after war problems.. For example, the very first Chevrolet Impala in 1958; which is my dream car. More information and depth will be given about the 1950's in time.