DANCING IN(TO) THE 50’s

We were dancing in a dim room. Piano. Frank Sinatra is playing in the vinyl record player. We go round and round. Saxophone. We are smiling. Voice. I fix my hair band and my flared red skirt. Piano again. The set changes. "I’ve got you under my skin". And in a glance of a song we danced all the way into the 50’s.

Dancing has a way of making us travel (or is it the red shoes? I’m actually wearing them…). But we must keep on moving; otherwise we will miss all the beauty. We must take in the greatness of the show that is surrounding us. We went all the way from a 50’s theme party to a party that is actually taking place in the 50’s. We can see the people around us but they don’t seem to notice us. It’s like we are in a transparent invisible box that moves as long as we keep on dancing (can these trips get more amazing?). Now that I understood the mechanism, I should tell you what I’m seeing. Women are wearing sack dresses or LBDs and they all possess satin gloves and pearls. Ballerina and femininity are the key-words. Men seem to embrace the “Bold Look” introduced by Esquire Magazine in 1948: wide shoulders, broad lapels, and an emphasis on bold, coordinated accessories, or the "New Edwardian Look” (flared jackets, natural shoulders, and an overall narrower cut, worn with a curly-brimmed bowler hat and a long slender overcoat with velvet collar and cuffs). The party is all about glamour and we don’t get the chance to experience much of it. We are already spinning towards a different situation.

We went back in time. It’s 1947 and we can finally sit to witness a definable moment in the history of fashion: the launch of the “New Look” by Christian Dior. In the post-war period, the fashion houses reopened and a tailored, feminine look was prized. Dior defined a signature shape characterized by a below-mid-calf length, full-skirt, pointed bust, small waist, rounded shoulder line and curved jacket peplum. Jackets with peplums were usually worn with a long, narrow pencil skirt. This radical new silhouette would become extremely popular in the 50’s, influencing designers throughout many years, including Cristóbal Balenciaga. Something is pushing us from our chairs and in a blink of an eye we are dancing again. This time we are in a beautiful park.

I believe we are in the 50’s again. Floral halter-top dresses and shirtdresses are plentiful. Some have jewels, low-cut necklines or Peter Pan collars. These dresses are gorgeous but what I found more interesting is that some women are actually wearing trousers. Women who had worn trousers during the war refused to abandon them. In the 1950s, pants became very narrow, and were worn ankle-length. Cigarette pants were popularized by Audrey Hepburn. Men are wearing knit shirts, sweaters and Bermudas and the older ones are wearing corduroy jackets with leather buttons. The breeze is changing and I can know hear the sound of the waves calling.

We are dancing on the beach. And what a wonderful beach! It is filled with families and groups of teenagers. Women are wearing two-piece swimsuits. By this time bikinis started to be popular in Europe but not in America, only for sport training. Brigitte Bardot popularized the bikini that would become a major hit in the 60’s. Some women are wearing shorts that were very short in this decade, and loosed printed or knit tops. And suddenly, after we took a deep breath near the sea, the set changes completely and serenity and calm are no longer welcome.

I believe we are in a “beatnik party”. Kids are dancing to the sound of jazz and rock n’ roll and we have to join the dance so that we don’t have to leave.  "Beat" girls have their hair long and straight, but some teenagers adopted the ponytail, short or long. Most of all they want to be different from their mothers who wore curly poodle cuts and the beehive. Some young men are wearing tight trousers or jeans, white tee shirts and leather jackets in a James Dean style. Teenagers and young adults have become a strong force in fashion. “Is that Jack Kerouac?!” Grrrr…  I shouldn’t have stop dancing; now I can’t know if that was him for sure. We are moving again…

                               

New York had become an American design center during the war and cinema, music and television would allow the “American way of life” to prevail. We are now on the setting of “I Love Lucy”, one of the most popular shows of the 50’s that brought attention to maternity wear. Even Givenchy created a maternity wear clothing line. Due to the baby boom, there was a high demand for clothing for children. Many boys started to wear jeans to Elementary school and girls wore dresses that resembled their mother’s. It is a quick visit. We are getting to the end of our tip but we still have time to watch Marilyn Monroe singing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”, to watch a little bit of an Elvis Presley concert (and to notice how much he has influenced fashion with his pompadour hairstyle) and to a perfect ending, to dance in Rome while watching Audrey Hepburn (I absolutely love that scarf, blouse and skirt) and Gregory Peck riding a motorcycle in “Roman Holidays”.

This time there is no need to wake up.  I’m actually flying to Rome tomorrow so we can stay here. I'm finding it hard to leave the 50's but sonner or later it will happen. But I can always dream and dance. Thank you for joining me. 

Red Shoes