Richard Avedon The most prominent figure in fashion photography in this period was Richard Avedon. He was known for creating very specific kinds of images, photographs that were narrative in nature, in particular. His images were carefully staged and crafted in vignette-like scenes, yet retained a sense of spontaneity. Avedon created and prompted a more progressive look, an aesthetic whose influence is recognizable everywhere in contemporary photography While he represented the essential look of 50s day glamour, Avedon, like fashion itself, has shown remarkable adaptability in his work through the past decades. One of his particularly dramatic shifts in artistic and photographic style and sensibility from his 1950s work involved the products of his collaboration with Calvin Klein. Avedon directed a series of commercials for the designer, who was launching his line of blue jeans in 1980. The television advertisements featured a fifteen-year-old Brooke Shields asking, "Want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing" This kind of sexualized work was a clear departure from his earlier images of proper and restrained ‘ladies' posing beside flower stalls and parks. As an aside, Avedon's use of the young actress, Shields, in his campaign, supports and illuminates the increased overlapping and erasure of distinction in what and whom constitutes a model. Returning to the original topic, such transition in style is a clear illustration of Avedon's versatility as a photographer and the continued evolution of fashion and its limits of taste, suggestion and propriety in presenting the clothed (or unclothed) body Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's stylish, elegant designs revolutionized fashion during the 1910s, freeing women from the uncomfortable and stiff apparel worn at the end of the 19th century. Chanel furthered her own image: the woman of the 20th century, embodying independence, success, personality, style, and confidence. The influential Chanel suit, launched in 1924, was an elegant outfit composed of a knee-length skirt paired with a trim, boxy jacket, traditionally made of woven wool with black trim and gold buttons and worn with large costume-pearl necklaces. Chanel also popularized the little black dress, whose blank-slate versatility allowed it to be worn for both day and night. The black Chanel dress was strapless, backless and more than a little risque. It shocked the general public at large but quickly became a fashion sensation. The Chanel dress premiered in the third ever edition of Playboy. This added to the controversy surrounding the Chanel name. Much imitated over the years, Chanel's designs were manufactured across more price categories than any other in the high-fashion world. It was Chanel who also introduced 'costume' jewellery to the world of fashion, using a variety of accessories such as necklaces, chains or pearls of several strands. A bag with golden handles, an elegant pearl necklace, a tailleur dressed in black are the symbols of elegance and status that marked forever the history of fashion. But it was Chanel No. 5[3] - considered the number-one selling perfume in the world - which helped her become a millionaire. The perfume was created in 1921 by Ernest Beaux at the request of Chanel, who said about the perfume that it was "a woman's perfume with the scent of woman." Its Art Deco bottle was incorporated into the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1959. Chanel No. 5 was the first synthetic perfume to take the name of a designer. One of Coco Chanel's most famous quotes is, "This perfume is not just beautiful and fragrant. It contains my blood and sweat and a million broken dreams." Flying In the face of continuity, logic, and erudite sociological predictions, fashion in the 1950s, far from being revolutionary and progressive, bore strong nostalgic echoes of the past. A whole society which, in the 1920s and 1930s, had greatly believed in progress, was now much more circumspect. As fashion looked to the past, haute couture experienced something of a revival and spawned a myriad of star designers who profited hugely from the rapid growth of the media. Long, elegant skirts and cinched waists dominated women's fashion once more. Throughout the 1950s, although it would be for the last time, women around the world always continued to submit to the trends of Parisian haute couture. Three of the most prominent of the Parisian couturiers of the time were Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, and Pierre Balmain. The frugal prince of luxury, Cristobal Balanciaga Esagri made his fashion debut in the late thirties. However, it was not until the post-war years that the full scale of the inventiveness of this highly original designer became evident. In 1951, he totally transformed the silhouette, broadening the shoulders and removing the waist. In 1955, he designed the tunic dress, which later developed into the chemise dress of 1957. And eventually, in 1959, his work culminated in the Empire line, with high-waisted dresses and coats cut like kimonos. His mastery of fabric design and creation defied belief. Balanciaga is also notable as one of the few couturiers in fashion history who could use their own hands to design, cut, and sew the models which symbolized the height of his artistry. After the war, the American look (which consisted of broad shoulders, floral ties, straight-legged pants, and shirts with long pointed collars, often worn hanging out rather than tucked in) became very popular among men in Europe. Certain London manufacturers ushered in a revival of Edwardian elegance in men's fashion, adopting a tight-fitting retro style that was intended to appeal to traditionalists. This look, originally aimed at the respectable young man about town, was translated into popular fashion as the Teddy boy style. The Italian look, popularized by Caraceni, Brioni, and Cifonelli, was taken up by an entire generation of elegant young lovers, on both sides of the Atlantic. The designers of Hollywood created a particular type of glamour for the stars of American film, and outfits worn by the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, or Grace Kelly were widely copied. Quantitatively speaking, a costume worn by an actress in a Hollywood movie would have a much bigger audience than the photograph of a dress designed by a couturier illustrated in a magazine read by no more than a few thousand people. Without even trying to keep track of all the Paris styles, its costume designers focused on their own version of classicism, which was meant to be timeless, flattering, and photogenic. Using apparently luxurious materials, such as sequins, chiffon, and fur, the clothes were very simply cut, often including some memorable detail, such as a low-cut back to a dress which was only revealed when the actress turned her back from the camera or some particularly stunning accessory. The most influential and respected designers of Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1950s were Edith Head, Orry-Kelly, William Travilla, Jean Louis, Travis Banton, and Gilbert Adrian. In the 1950s knee length skirts, with stockings were popular amongst young women. Summer dresses in floral fabrics with fitted tops and full skirts were a hit too. To make the full skirts stick out wide petticoats with nylon net, wiring or rope was used. Easy wear nylon was used in some dresses. Dior Christian Dior SA (more commonly known as Dior) is a French clothing retailer, under control of the LVMH group. The company was founded by fashion designer Christian Dior. Christian Dior SA itself controls 42% of LVMH assets, which holds other fashion brands such as Kenzo, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton. The holding company's operating unit, Christian Dior Couture, designs and makes some of the world's most coveted haute couture, as well as luxury ready-to-wear fashion, menswear and accessories. Christian Dior operates about 160 boutiques worldwide with plans to open more in the coming years. Its headquarters are located in Paris, rue François 1er. In 1998 it purchased Gerbe Paris, a French hosiery maker that had gone bankrupt. It is a major part of the business empire of Bernard Arnault, who is one of the richest people in the world. The New Look was the symbol of the new life style and the hopes of the people. In Dior`s 1948 collection.”Envol”, typical features were that, skirts were scooped up at the back, worn with jackets that were cut with loose, fly-away backs and stand-up collars. In 1950s skirts became shorter. The jackets were large and box-shaped, they sometimes had Horseshoe collars. During the following seven years Dior introduced his version of the “Coolie Hat”, and his Princess Line. His three piece suit of 1952 cardigan-jacket, simple top worn outside, and soft skirt made from crepe in pastel shades-influenced fashion for many years. Many of his collections featured three-quarter-length sleeves and stoles which remained popular throughout the 1950s. In the 1950s, the rocker jacket achieved iconic status in major part through fictional film. Examples include Marlon Brando's Johnny Strabler character in The Wild One (1953), Michael Pare in Eddie and the Cruisers (1983), as well as the actor James Dean (although he never actually wore one in any of his films). Later examples include Henry Winkler's character Fonzie in the 1970s American television series Happy Days, which depicted life in the 1950s and early-mid 1960s, and the T-Birds characters in the Grease film duo. The Fonz's rocker jacket is housed in the Smithsonian Institution. Danny Zuko and the rest of the T-Birds from the 1978 movie Grease would have their gang name painted on the back of their rocker jackets. Other examples of the rocker jacket in popular culture include the Black Panthers in the 1960s and 1970s, the punk rock band the Ramones, punk rocker Sid Vicious as well as part of the Punk fashion, In the Mad Max Trilogy, Max and police officers sported jackets with armour, in the 1990s, Tre Cool sometimes sported a leather jacket, the T-800 cyborg character of The Terminator movies; the character Roger Davis, played by Adam Pascal in the 2005 movie Rent; and former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Wrestler Bret Hart. In the 1980s, rocker Joan Jett commonly wore leather jackets. After World War II, there were some major fashion changes. The 1940's silhouette had wide shoulders and a short skirt, but the 1950's styles were hourglass in shape (fitted body with small shoulder, small waistline, full skirt (or thin skirt)and higher heels). At the end of the decade, a newer fashion look was becoming popular, later made popular by Jackie Kennedy, skirts were full (circle, gathered, pleated or gored), but some were narrow and straight. Swing Skirts that were knee high were also populer, along with the poodle skirt. In the early 50's the hemline was very long--usuallly mid-calf. Later the hems would rise to just below the knee. Some women wore petticoats to make the skirts very full, others wore their skirts without petticoats. Wide belts help to make the waistline look even smaller. The poodle skirt and the pencil skirt were the most popular. shirt dresses were popular. These had a shirt-like bodice, with a gathered skirt. A narrow belt was worn. Other dresses had fitted bodices with straight or narrow skirts. Solid fabric, plaids, prints and stripes were all popular. Colors were bright. Princess-line dresses were also popular (having seamlines from shoulder to hem for a smooth fit). Often these had empire or raised waistlines. Shorter jackets were worn with the empire dresses. Legs became narrow during the 50's. Pants were very popular and worn at home and leisure. The Capri was mid-calf length, peddle pusher was a long short, and Bermuda shorts were knee length. These were worn with flat shoes, ballet-type flats, and simple Keds. Socks were optional. Menswear: suits were becoming more narrow--with narrow pants, and a Sack coat shape (Brooks Brother's suit). Charcoal grey was popular. A white shirt was usually worn with this grey suit, along with a plain, narrow tie. Hats were loosing popularity as the car made it difficult to wear when driving. Khaki pants and plaid shirts or button-down collared oxford cloth shirts were seen on students. Jeans were for outdoors or teen wear. "T" shirts were seldom worn alone, being an undershirt. Bermuda shorts, Hawaiian shirts and box shirts were worn in the summer. Hair was worn short, in a post-military style.

Teen girls were as conservative and preppy as their parents.  They wore dresses everyday, for pants and shorts were simply unheard of.  They wore Petticoats over big gathered shirts. Circle pins.  Cardigan sweaters worn backwards with the buttons down the back with a string of pearls or scarf.  And don't you forget the peddle pushers.  Fashion is a way of life; an attitude that transcends through your ensemble displaying your own originality. It allows people to express their feelings and make statements through their clothes and accessories. For instance, wearing a sexy outfit may illicit an individual to feel more sexy and playful. The classicism and elegance of fashion is evolving, allowing it to take on a touch of originality, fantasy, and sensuality not only in the fabrics, but in designs and styles. This Contemporary and relaxed attitude creates a look by associating colors and designs which can transform jeans, shirts, purses or even dresses in a unique and glamorous collaboration. Imagery is a new concept used by fashion designers to enhance these creative possibilities. Hubert de Givenchy opened his first couture house in 1952 and created a sensation with his separates, which could be mixed and matched at will. Most renowned was his Bettina blouse made from shirting, which was named after his top model. Soon, boutiques were opened in Rome, Zurich, and Buenos Aires. A man of immense taste and discrimination, he was, perhaps more than any other designer of the period, an integral part of the world whose understated elegance he helped to define. Pierre Balmain opened his own salon in 1945. It was in a series of collections named 'Jolie Madame' that he experienced his greatest success, from 1952 onwards. Balmain's vision of the elegantly-dressed woman was particularly Parisian and was typified by the tailored glamour of the New Look, with its ample bust, narrow waist, and full skirts, by mastery of cut and imaginative assemblies of fabrics in subtle color combinations. His sophisticated clientèle was equally at home with luxurious elegance, simple tailoring, and a more natural look. Along with his haute couture work, the talented businessman pioneered a ready-to-wear range called Florilege and also launched a number of highly successful perfumes. By the end of the decade mass-manufactured, off-the-peg clothing had become much more popular than in the past, granting the general public unprecedented access to fashionable styles. In the 1960s, pop culture was more focused on teenagers and their interests, including rock n roll. Youth fashions influenced the fashion industry. In the UK, the Teddy boy became both a style icon and an anti-authoritarian figures, whilst in North America, greasers had a similar social position. Previously, teenagers dressed similarly to their parents, but now a rebellious and different youth style was being developed. Rock and Roll gave people the freedom to dress with more individuality. This was particularly noticeable in the overtly sexual nature of their dress. Some young men wore tight trousers, leather jackets, and tee shirts; these men often grew their hair out and, with pomade or other hair treatments, coiffed their hair into pompadours. Men's hair fashion favored the wet look, achieved by the use of products such as Brylcreem. All children's clothing of the 1950s The 50s were deadly dull because the adults that had fought World War II had had more than enough excitement and were content to make babies and homes with white furniture and started the business of consumer durables. The children of the 50s couldn't wait to grow up and reject the false prophet of materialism and it was those children of the 50s who created the swinging 60s the minute they could pull on their sexy jeans and mini-skirts and gave space to sex, drugs and rock n' roll. A little black dress is an evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often with a short skirt, originally made popular in the 1920s by the fashion designer Coco Chanel. Intended by Chanel to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, accessible to the widest market possible and in a neutral color. Its continued ubiquity is such that many refer to it by its abbreviation, LBD. The "little black dress" is considered essential to a complete wardrobe by many women and fashion observers, who believe it a "rule of fashion" that every woman should own a simple, elegant black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion: for example, worn with a jacket and pumps for daytime business wear or with more ornate jewelry and accessories for evening. Because it is meant to be a staple of the wardrobe for a number of years, the style of the little black dress ideally should be as simple as possible: a short black dress that is too clearly part of a trend would not qualify because it would soon appear dated. A Crew cut is a type of haircut in which the hair on the top of the head is cut relatively short, graduated in length from the longest hair at the front hairline to the shortest at the back of the crown. The hair on the sides and back of the head is usually tapered short, semi-short or medium. A very short crew cut is sometimes referred to as as a butch cut (maintained with butch wax) or buzz cut. A long crew cut is referred to as an ivy league. A buzz cut (sometimes known as a wiffle or crew cut) is the American name for a type of haircut named after the sound of the electric razor, which is used to shear the hair very closely to the scalp. In the United Kingdom, the haircut is called a skinhead (although the skinhead hairstyle was originally called a skiffle). In the Philippines it's called semi, for semi-kalbo (bald), among Tagalogs or skinhead among Visayans. In Singapore it is often called a "GI (number)", with the number representing the seven different grades. In Australia the haircut is usually called a "crewcut". It is one of the most rapid haircuts possible, and can take little more than a minute to cut when done with good quality clippers. Buzz cuts come in seven grades: #0 or bareblade (shortest), #1 (3 mm), #2 (6 mm), #3 (9 mm), #4 (12 mm), #5 (15 mm) and #6 (19 mm). These numbers correspond to eighths of an inch. The British Teddy boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes inspired by the styles of the Edwardian period, which Savile Row tailors had tried to re-introduce after World War II. The group got its name after a 1953 newspaper headline shortened Edward to Teddy and coined the term Teddy boy (also known as Ted). The subculture started in London in the 1950s and rapidly spread across the UK, soon becoming strongly associated with American rock and roll music of the period. The Teddy Boys were the first youth group in England to differentiate themselves as teenagers, thus helping to create a youth market. Some groups of Teds formed gangs and gained notoriety following violent clashes with rival gangs, which were often exaggerated by the popular press. The most notable was the Notting Hill riot of 1958, in which Teddy Boys were conspicuous within racist white mobs who roamed the area attacking black people and damaging their property. In the 1960s, many Teddy Boys became rockers. Teddy girls adopted a style similar to Teddy Boys; they wore items such as drape jackets, hobble skirts, long plaits, straw boater hats, cameo brooches, espadrilles and coolie hats. Later they adopted the American fashions of toreador pants, voluminous circle skirts, and hair in ponytails. Winklepicker shoes were a conspicuous contrast to the Creepers worn by Teddy Boys. The male shoes were lace-up Oxford style with a low heel and an exaggerated pointed toe. A Chelsea Boot style (elastic-sided with a two-inch, and later as much as two and one half inch, Cuban heel was notably worn by the Beatles, but although it had a pointed toe, was not considered to be a Winklepicker. Winklepicker shoes from Stan's of Battersea were also worn by the Teddy Girls as well as being a fleeting fashion for young women generally. Teddy Boys made it acceptable for young people to care about what one looked like all the time and dress purely for show, instead of just having one's work or school clothes or Sunday best. This trend arose as young people's disposable income increased during the post-war years. Teddy Boy clothing consisted of: long drape jackets, usually in dark shades, sometimes with velvet trim collar and pocket flaps; high-waisted "drainpipe" trousers, often showing brightly coloured socks. Favoured footwear were chunky brogues, large crepe-soled shoes, often suede (known as brothel creepers). Plus a high-necked loose collar on a white shirt (known as a Mr. B. collar because it was often worn by jazz musician Billy Eckstine); a narrow 'Slim Jim' tie, and a brocade waistcoat. These clothes were mostly tailor-made at great expense and paid for through many weekly installments. Preferred hairstyles included long, strongly-moulded greased-up hair with a quiff at the front and the side hair combed back to form a Duck's Ass at the rear of the head. Another hairstyle was the Boston, in which the hair was greased straight back and cut square across at the nape During the 1970s, rockabilly music enjoyed a renewed period of popularity and saw a resurgence of interest in Teddy Boy fashions; the look was plagiarised by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren through their shop Let it Rock on London's Kings Road. This new generation of Teds adopted some aspects of the 1950s Teds, but with a large amount of glam rock influence, including louder colours for their drape jackets, brothel creepers and socks. Additionally, rather than using grease to style their hair, they were more likely to use hairspray. In the latter part of the 1970s, the new generation of Teds became the arch-enemies of the Westwood and McLaren-inspired punk rockers. The early 1990s saw a revival of the original Teddy Boy style by a group of men known as The Edwardian Drape Society (T.E.D.S). Based in the Tottenham area of north London, they were concerned with reclaiming the original style that they felt had become bastardised by pop/glam bands such as Showaddywaddy and Mud in the 1970s. They have been the subject of a short film, The Teddy Boys, by Bruce Weber, which premiered at the Cambridge Film Festival in July 2006.  The band was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two groups, Choise and The Golden Hammers. This led to an eight member band, with the unusual feature of having two vocalists, a couple of drummers and two bassists. Their first single, "Hey Rock and Roll" (written by the band), was released in April 1974. It reached number two in the UK Singles Chart. Showaddywaddy then went on to have a further 22 UK hits from this point until late 1982. They had most of their biggest hits with covers of songs from the 1950s and 1960s. These cover versions included "Three Steps to Heaven" (originally by Eddie Cochran in 1960), "Heartbeat" (originally written and recorded by Buddy Holly), "Under the Moon of Love" (originally a U.S. hit for Curtis Lee in 1961 and co-written by Tommy Boyce), "When" (originally by the Kalin Twins), "You Got What It Takes" (originally by Marv Johnson) and "Dancin' Party" (originally by Chubby Checker). The above six singles were all produced by Mike Hurst (a former member of The Springfields, who had also previously produced Cat Stevens). Following "Dancin' Party" the band produced themselves with more cover versions including "I Wonder Why" (originally by Dion and the Belmonts), "Blue Moon" (based on The Marcels' interpretation) and another Curtis Lee original "Pretty Little Angel Eyes", again co-written by Tommy Boyce. Their most recent chart single was "Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp-A-Bomp-A-Bomp)", a minor number 37 hit in 1982.

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