Womens vintage jackets 1950s
June 20, 2015Coats and jackets had a very different feel in the 50s, and the reason why I’ve chosen this decade to discuss womens vintage jackets 1950s is because the 50s was such a perfect decade for woman’s figure, the dresses, the skirts, jackets, the coats – all of it designed to accentuate a woman’s curves rather than hide them.
Womens vintage jackets 1950s
The shorter fitted jacket with 3 quarter length sleeves
Wartime restrictions lifted, luxury and opulence ahead
What’s also worth remembering is that unlike the 40s, the restrictions on buying and tailoring of materials had been lifted, and as a result, coats and Womens vintage jackets in the 1950s become more luxurious. Daytime jackets fulfilled a more practical function, while fitted jackets were matched with skirt suits, and evening jackets were often short, to the waist, with short 3 quarter length sleeves.
There was plenty of choice now, and coats and jackets came either semi-fitted, full with a swing or well fitted. The Princess Coat was famous then and still is now as a prized vintage garment. There was also the pyramid shaped coats and the swing coat, and last but not least the Bell coat.
However, the emphasis here is on jackets – so we will be trying to stick to the jackets of the 1950s.
The classic fitted jacket of the 50s
But first a brief word on coats….
Full length coats were either wide with a swing or came with a snug fit at the waist with full skirt. Jackets on the other hand had a place in a woman’s wardrobe even if the full or half coat was the more fashionable garment. Womens vintage jackets in the 1950s fulfilled a more practical need for inclement weather during the winter months, but they could be stylish too.
Practical yet smart – the winter jacket
Winter jackets could be matched with skirts and pants and they were most often hip length with rounded or pointed collars, and more often than not with a tie belt. They were made of material that would keep out rain and snow, so they were normally quilted and lined, made from tweed, faux leather or corduroy. The linings were often fur inside or simply cotton.
Women’s dress jackets were usually worn as part of a 2 piece suit and came with a fully formed collar to the chest. Collars were sometimes wide with the neck and upper chest area exposed. Fifties fashion accentuated the feminine form and this extended to all areas of wear including Womens vintage jackets 1950s -The 50s swing jacket/half-coat, whether they were worn as part of a two piece suit, or worn alone with a tie.
Post-war perfection – Womens vintage jackets 1950s
“I wanted my dresses to be constructed – moulded on the curves of the female body whose contours they would stylise. I accentuated the waist the volume of the hips….”Christian Dior 1947
And so everything a woman wore in the late forties and fifties would be cut to accentuate her curves, including Womens vintage jackets 1950s, unless of course they were evening jackets cut to fit at the waist with short sleeves, or they were a half coat such as the swing or bell coat. Even if a jacket was short and wide, it would normally be worn over a well-fitting dress that accentuated the waist area.
Beautifully fitted
If you’re looking for 1950s women’s vintage jackets, you can buy standalone winter jackets, or a fitted jacket meant to be part of a two piece suit. They can be worn with longer length pencil skirts, or with skinny jeans for a fresh, modern twist. Even the short, wider jackets could be worn over a tight shift dress a la fifties, or over well fitted tee and a pair of black skinny jeans.
Whichever way you like to wear your Womens vintage jackets 1950s, wear them with confidence and if you want, why not add a hat and gloves – go for a full on retro 50s look.
50s fitted coats and jackets
