Stilyagi in the USSR. Covers of Western magazines - the object of desire of all dudes

Stilyagi is a youth subculture that existed in the USSR. The subculture existed from the late 40s to the early 60s of the last century. Stilyagi were distinguished by the fact that they borrowed the American way of life - they dressed fashionably and pretentiously, wore the most stylish clothes in the European and American manners, denied the norms of Soviet morality, were absolutely indifferent to the politics that existed at that time and were distinguished by increased cynicism towards what was happening and towards the people around them. Also, dudes showed an increased interest in American music and foreign dances.

In society, there was often an ambiguous attitude towards dudes. The dudes were denounced in the press, they were reprimanded at student meetings, and sometimes even beaten. In the early 60s, when many foreign movements, including music, fashion, art, and so on, began to be legalized in the USSR, the dude subculture began to gradually fade away.

They wore bright, sometimes silly clothes, and showed a particular interest in Western music and dance. Among these young people there were quite a few children of party workers and officials of various ranks.

One of the main reasons for the emergence of the "dude" movement was the intensification of international contacts of the USSR both during the war years and after it. The increase in the number of diplomatic workers automatically increased the number of members of their families living in a different, "non-Soviet" reality, associated with success and prosperity.

from the movie "Dandies":

Let everything be the way you want..

Young people, by virtue of their abilities and prosperity, tried to match fashion.

What You Need

And they taught these dances:

Do you love boogie woogie

If for the children of the Soviet elite addiction to Western culture was an element of demonstrative protest and a sign of "speciality", then for young people from common people it was a desire to join the forbidden culture of the West. It seemed sometimes funny and naive. In addition, the winners who returned from Europe brought with them a huge amount of trophy clothes, shoes, jewelry and fashion magazines. These items that have gone out of fashion in the West have become the basis for creating a wardrobe of dudes "from the people." In addition to things, after the war, foreign records with jazz compositions and hitherto unknown dances became popular in the USSR. So, the boogie-woogie dance was first seen by the Soviet people during a meeting on the Elbe with American soldiers.

X-ray plates

Another trick of dudes - defiantly chew chewing gum, as did James Cagney in his films. Since getting gum was very problematic, it was replaced with a piece of paraffin.

Writer Eduard Limonov in his book “We Had a Great Era” describes the situation after the war as follows:

Dresses, suits, coats for all genders and ages landed on the flea markets of the country - “trophy junk” taken out by soldiers in duffel bags from conquered Germany ... A catalog and guide for traveling by sea of ​​Tyrolean leather shorts, Romanian, Italian and Hungarian military American films served as coats and children's Berlin suits ... Looking at Hollywood girls and harsh gangsters in double-breasted suits and hats, Russian youth memorized clothing models.

Films that have become cult for dudes: "Sun Valley Serenade", "George from Dinky Jazz", "Tarzan", "The Girl of My Dreams", "The Fate of a Soldier in America", films with the participation of Deanna Durbin.

These young people either did not call themselves at all, or were called “staff members” (that is, ardent admirers of the United States).

In 1949, on March 10, in the magazine "Crocodile" (No. 7), a feuilleton by D. G. Belyaev "Stilyaga" appeared under the heading "Types that are fading into the past." The feuilleton described a school evening in which a vain, ignorant, stupid young man appears, ridiculously dressed "in a foreign manner", who is proud of his colorful outfit and skills in the field of foreign dances. And all these skills, according to the feuilletonist, cause laughter and squeamish pity from the rest of the students. Thus, the term dude not only supplanted the self-name "staff", but also completely replaced it.

The clothes and lifestyle of the dudes were not blindly copied from the American model. In the early years of the existence of this phenomenon, the appearance of the dude was rather caricatured: wide bright pants, a baggy jacket, a hat with wide brim, inconceivable colors of socks, the notorious "fire in the jungle" tie. Description of the dude from the above feuilleton by D. G. Belyaev:

A young man appeared at the door of the hall. He had amazing ridiculous look: the back of the jacket is bright orange, and the sleeves and floors are green; such wide canary-pea trousers I have not seen even in the years of the famous flared; his boots were a clever combination of black lacquer and red suede. The young man leaned on the door frame and with some unusually cheeky movement threw right leg to the left. Socks were found that blinded the eyes, before they were bright ...

Subsequently appearance dudes underwent significant changes: the famous trousers-pipes appeared, a whipped “cook” on the head, an elegant jacket with broad shoulders, a narrow tie - “herring”, tied with a microscopic knot, an umbrella - a cane. Sweaters “with deer” were considered relevant among dudes, in imitation of the heroes of the films “Sun Valley Serenade” and “The Girl of My Dreams”. Low shoes with thick white rubber soles (the so-called " semolina"). In the summer, colorful "Hawaiian-style" shirts were popular.

Thus, the image of a dude has evolved from outrageous to elegance. For a girl to be considered a fashionista, it was enough to brightly paint and wear a “corolla of the world” hairstyle (hair was curled around her head and laid in the shape of a crown). Tight skirts that were tight around the hips were considered special chic.

Among the dudes, peculiar luxury items were popular - trophy lighters and cigarette cases, American playing cards with half-naked girls (Pin-up style), and fountain pens that were rare at that time. In the 60s, dudes partly adopted the rock and roll (rockabilly) image.

music and dancing

In the late 1940s - early 1950s. Among dudes, the music of Glenn Miller's swing orchestra was considered relevant, especially the hits that sounded in the movie "Sun Valley Serenade". Despite the fact that the Millerian big band continued to exist and enjoyed unchanging popularity in the world, many in the USSR thought that this musical group broke up after the death of its leader: US Air Force major, trombonist, arranger and composer Glenn Miller died (according to other sources - went missing) in 1944. A song from the movie "Sun Valley Serenade" called "Train to Chattanooga" has become a kind of anthem for dudes:

In general, dudes gravitated toward jazz music: many of them were familiar with jazzmen or played various musical instruments themselves. Among the dances in the late 1940s, boogie-woogie was relevant. Moreover, Soviet dudes were not limited to rather meager knowledge in this area and invented their own variations on the theme of fashionable dance. So, there were "atomic", "Canadian" or "triple Hamburg" styles. The first two were not much different from each other and were some kind of variation on the theme of dancing jitter bug, lindy hop and boogie-woogie. The "Triple Hamburger" was a slow dance similar to slow fox.

With the advent of the fashion for rock and roll in the West, dudes took this dance as well. The compositions of Bill Haley (in particular, "Rock around the clock"), Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly are popular.

One of the most significant Russian jazzmen (formerly a dandy) Alexei Kozlov in his autobiographical book "The Goat on the Sax" describes the situation as follows:

Everything was controlled: clothes and hairstyles, manners and how they dance. It was a strange mix of a concentration camp with Natasha Rostova's first ball. The dances approved by the RONO, and the manners were from the last century - padekatre, padepatiner, padegras, polka, waltz. The foxtrot or tango was not only forbidden, but not recommended. They were sometimes allowed to wind up once a night, and then not always, everything depended on the opinion and mood of the present school director or senior pioneer leader. At the same time, they looked to ensure that there were no attempts to dance the foxtrot in “style”. As soon as one of the students did something wrong, a sign was urgently sent to the radio room, the record was removed, and then nothing but ballroom dancing did not set.

In the sixties (during the thaw), when the Soviet Union began to be more tolerant of various subcultures, style gradually disappeared. Many former dudes even became successful directors, artists and musicians.

We know that fashion tends to repeat itself. What was fashionable once will return to the catwalks again. Let's talk in detail with you about retro, about the style of clothing from the 60s, and the photo and our small educational program will perfectly demonstrate to you how fashionistas and dudes of that time dressed.

Clothing style of the 60s: the main fashion trends

The style and fashion of the 60s are new trends, the whole palette of colors and a complete surprise in fashion trends! Leafing through an album with old photographs, I admire the beauty of the fashionistas of that time: the hairstyle is tousled, lush, the haircut is neat, the hair is slightly curled ... What grace, what elegance! They say the eyes are the mirror of the soul, and in the sixties, the focus was on the eyes. The famous “banana” arrows and freckles painted in pencil adorned almost every dude! But we are still drawing these arrows!

Let's teleport 50 years for a moment and watch one of the first fashion ads! It's just wonderful!

What did women like in those days

"Fashion has gone crazy!" - it was with such titles that magazines for fashionistas were full of. This period rejected all generally accepted norms of the eras of its predecessors. Women's fashion the seventh decade of the last century literally undermined all the moral and ethical foundations of society. Fashion designers began to use bright colors And geometric patterns not only for female models clothes, but also in men's trends. Gray, brown, everything inconspicuous and modest - went into the background and women's clothing began to really decorate their owners, and not hide their dignity. Look at the photo below which extravagant outfits then worn by women.

Photo selection of stylish girls, 1960s

Dresses are especially in demand, of course, very short (super mini). Separate suits are worn less and less, and a long skirt is becoming a symbol of stiffness. The styles of the dresses are so exquisite that you want to wear them even now, they have become an absolute ideal for all world fashion designers. If you are looking for a dress for a 60s style party or just want to create your own reference outfit, check out the following video film about evening and casual dresses in retro style.

What about famous celebrities?

The style of the sixties was widely used by the first beauties of the world. Among them was Jacqueline Kennedy, the first lady of America, Twiggy, the star of Soviet and foreign catwalks Regina Zbarskaya. On next video you can look at fantastic shots from the past, fashion show 1961 with Soviet supermodel Regina Zbarskoi.

As you can see, it was by the end of the sixties that democracy manifested itself in fashion, there are no strict rules and moral principles, everyone can express themselves individually.

This amazing, frightened girl is Twiggy, the star and fashion standard of youth. Eyes like Twiggy's are the dream of every beauty.


Jacqueline Kennedy looked strikingly stylish at the time. She had a really "presidential" taste.



In 1959, the famous film called Babette Goes to War was released with Brigitte Bardot in leading role. More than one audience heart was conquered by the appearance of this beauty. Her role model, "sexy kitty" image, is her messy bouffant hairstyle, which became super popular after the film's release. Just Bridget brings bouffant into fashion, appearing in public with different hairstyles based on it. The famous babette Bardot is another symbol of the glamorous sixties. By the way, it is relevant for elegant and slender women even in our time. It was Bardo who also brought into fashion deep cut bare shoulders, short skirts plaid and bikini!

Men's fashion of the 60s of the last century

A little earlier, clothes could be clearly divided into men's, women's, casual, weekend and formal. Now it has appeared the new kind clothing that could be worn by both men and women is jeans. They were considered unisex clothing. But what elements of clothing have always been primordially masculine? Let's see what the men wore in this beautiful time. Stylish guys keep up with fashionistas ladies!



At this time, fashionable men could be seen in elegant suits. The trousers were slightly narrower, the cut of the jacket also differed from the previous classic samples. It has become fashionable to walk in jackets and trousers, different in color and fabric structure. All in all, men's style looked like a modern casual.

London haute couture

France has always been considered a trendsetter and has so far offered the world only elegant dresses, glamour, pearls, suits and gloves. But innovation takes its toll and London gradually wins the title of fashion capital, because since the end of the 50s shops for fashionable youth have been opened there. It is thanks to this that Kings Road and Carnaby Street have become the most fashionable streets in the world.


Here, in the same period, the famous hairdresser Vidal Sassoon created a new type of haircuts. He is working on geometric haircuts that are easy to style and maintain. It was he who created the famous "bob" for actress Nancy Kwan, and after some time the same haircut captivated modern fashionistas and was on all the covers of fashion magazines.

And this is Nancy Kwan - she was a famous actress, and went down in history thanks to her hair.

London has become the birthplace of the famous miniskirt, the most scandalous clothing in the world. The youth immediately picked up this novelty, thereby rebelling and rejecting the standards of the past. Mini skirts have been the subject of a sexual revolution. The youth of the whole world was captivated by a new trend, later called "London style".
How good news — fashion trends quickly spread all over the world. In other major cities and capitals, besides London, stylists began to appear who worked and created fashion only for young people. In houses haute couture there is a catastrophic lack of customers, and they are forced to establish their clothing lines, already taking into account the changed tastes of society. How young people dressed - expressively and boldly, and this becomes the main trend and style direction of all subsequent eras.


We highly recommend watching a retro video, a walk along Kings Road, like an online broadcast from the distant sixties. This is an amazing opportunity to look into the past, to these unusual and perky people who were then Londoners! Enjoy watching!

American fashion that conquered the world in the 60s

The youth moods that reigned all over the world did not bypass America. The famous handsome dandy Elvis Presley became an idol in America and beyond. His neat, high tufted bangs became a real challenge to society. Designers went even further: Rudi Gernreich presented to the attention of the public bathing suit"without a top", which has become a kind of bomb.


Young people made a splash on the beaches, and open swimwear became another symbol of the sexual revolution of the sixties.

Fashion of the USSR: what did the girls wear in the union?

"Gray and strict" - as the samples were later called women's clothing in the Union. But in the 60s, fashion in the USSR, connecting to world sentiments, splashed out its unspent potential. Fashion style Soviet women and men has changed dramatically: the colors have become more cheerful, and the styles are more modern and interesting. Everything that was in fashion before - faded colors, World War II era models and inconspicuous jewelry - was now considered boring and old, young people began to demand change and even sewed their own clothes. There is a huge demand for accessories and perfumes.


You can find out the whole truth about the fashion of that time from a short video below.

It also seems to your attention the scandalous documentary how they dressed simple people in the Soviet Union and what was the price for the opportunity to look “not like everyone else” ... Deep nostalgia and surprise remains from watching this video.

The sixties became an example to follow. Many geniuses of design projects still use the highlights of the past. Retro style has become a classic that still wins the hearts of fashionistas and fashionistas.

The Soviet realities of the mid-20th century were such that standing out from the crowd (literally and figuratively) was considered unacceptable. A peculiar phenomenon of that time was dudes – youth subculture 50s. Bright clothes, sometimes ridiculous hairstyles and non-standard music have become their "calling card".

The subculture itself originated among the so-called "golden youth". The children of party workers, diplomats and other high officials had the opportunity to use foreign goods, sought to imitate foreign culture. The post-war devastation played an important role in the emergence of this subculture. Most theaters, museums, clubs were destroyed, access to entertainment is limited.

The dandy distinguished the appearance: skinny trousers, wide jackets, boots with thick soles, made by hand. The girls had high hairdos, bright dresses. In fairness, it is worth noting that dudes dressed then, who was in what much. The main thing is brighter, as opposed to the "gray" mass.

Of course, this is open deification American culture contrasted sharply with the communist regime. Due to the fact that the dudes dressed differently and listened to Western music, they were persecuted by society. Propaganda posters directed against dudes were issued, "revealing" articles were written.

By the beginning of the 60s, during the "thaw", style gradually came to an end. Society was no longer provoked by bright outfits and non-standard music. It is worth noting that many of the "former" dudes became famous directors, writers, musicians.

It would seem that styling has long sunk into the past, and only bright costumes flicker on theme parties. However, in African country The Republic of the Congo exists Some Congolese dress in the French style. But this fashion is not modern, but 50 years ago.

Young people under any regime strive for self-expression, and therefore various directions periodically arise that differ in appearance and worldview from all other social groups. These were the styles. The years of the Stalin era gave rise to a movement of young people who defended their right to freedom through clothing, words and music. They did not call for regime change, they only wanted to have the right to their individuality in a world of dullness and facelessness. Let's talk about what kind of subculture it is and how the image of a dude differs.

The origin of the subculture

Such a phenomenon as a dude is the result of a number of factors. After the October Revolution of 1917, the USSR was in international isolation, and only after the Second World War did contacts with foreign states resume. This leads to the fact that a layer of people who regularly travel abroad and their children appears in the country. It was the children of diplomats and trade workers who became the basis of the emerging social group golden youth. They wanted to emphasize their peculiarity, and for this they choose a special Western appearance, music, etc.

Also, the growing internal protest of young people against the dullness of life and poverty influences the formation of the culture of dudes. This feeling was whipped up by trophy things, films, musical works. After many years of deprivation, young people wanted a holiday, brightness, unusualness. The dress style of dudes, their musical tastes, dances have become a challenge to the regulation of the sphere of private life.

Name etymology

Initially, representatives of this subculture called themselves staffers, as they took an example in everything from the United States of America. But in 1949, in the popular humorous magazine Krokodil, a feuilleton “Types that are fading into the past” appeared. It described new social phenomenon- fans of Western culture - as completely alien and harmful to Soviet society, the word "dudes" first appeared there. The subculture was described as a kind of perverted behavior unworthy of a Soviet person. The vivid imagery and causticity of the text attracted the attention of the general public, and the word went to the people.

Gradually, the original name "stadniks" disappeared from the lexicon of newspapers, people and the representatives of the movement themselves. There is a version that the word "dudes" came from the word "style" as the most important thing that distinguished the young people of this movement from all others. And there is even an assumption that such a name came from jazz slang. One way or another, in the early 50s, the new term was firmly entrenched in this social movement.

Ideology of the movement

A dandy is a person who professes Western principles of freedom of expression. However, attributing a rebellious ideology to this subculture is erroneous. Young people wanted to be allowed to listen to the music they liked and dance as they pleased. This subculture did not have any pro-Western ideology that they tried to attribute to them. But since the United States was officially considered a hostile state, the exaltation of American culture was perceived as. In fact, the image of a dude was just a form of upholding freedom to one's own opinion and taste, and nothing more. The main pastime of the dudes were walks and parties. In Moscow, the main place of their promenade was Tverskaya Street - "Broadway".

Fashion and fashion suit

The main feature of dudes is their appearance. The typical image of the representatives of this community evolved and changed until the "classic" version was formed. consisted of tight piping trousers, a fitted jacket with wide false shoulders, a bright tie and pointed boots. At the same time, preference was given to bright colors as a way of opposing the gray everyday life around.

A special subject of concern for every dude is a hairstyle. A high bouffant on the head, a cook, was an indispensable element of the image. Also, the costume was often supplemented sunglasses absolutely alien to Soviet people.

Stylish girls had more costume options. Usually it was a dress with a narrow waist, fluffy skirt and neckline. Later, more tight-fitting dresses and skirts appeared, emphasizing the figure. Mandatory element The image was shoes with a small curved heel and a small handbag.

Colors were also welcomed mostly bright. The girl had to wear stockings - an item of unprecedented luxury. Therefore, those who could not buy them for themselves were content to draw a seam directly on their bare leg with an indelible pencil. The girls practiced rich make-up with arrows on their eyes and bright lipstick. On their heads they erected a hairstyle in the form of a crown or decorated their hair with a ribbon, a bright scarf or a headband. Also, girls always wore rather large jewelry: beads, earrings, clip-on earrings, bracelets.

Such bright young people, of course, stood out strongly against the general background of dullness and poverty and therefore attracted a lot of attention. Fashionable clothes could be brought from abroad, which was available only to a few, bought from blacksmiths or sewn by yourself. In this environment, a whole circle of tailors is formed who sheathe dudes.

Music dudes

This subculture considered American jazz as the main source of inspiration. Songs from the film "Sun Valley Serenade" performed by the orchestra composed by Duke Ellington, Eddie Rosner, Charlie Parker, Benny Goodman were considered cult works. Diplomats and seconded specialists brought recordings of fashionable American music to the USSR, so Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and other rock and roll musicians appeared in the country.

In those days, a dude was a person who was well versed in Western art, especially American. It was possible to listen to such music only in apartments or in establishments working for foreign citizens (for example, Cocktail Hall in Moscow). The imported recordings were replicated in underground studios, the soundtrack was applied to x-rays, which is why it was nicknamed "music on the bones."

Gradually, in this environment, a circle of its own musicians playing jazz and rock and roll is formed. For example, the famous jazzman and saxophonist Alexei Kozlov grew out of this culture.

Dancing dudes

This culture was also expressed in its own dances, which went against the generally accepted styles, rock and roll, foxtrot, Charleston, boogie-woogie were fashionable. Dudes in the ability to dance expressed own attitude to existing regulations and restrictions. You could show your skills on dance floors, in cafes, and even just on the street, where dudes often staged “demonstration performances”. The dance manifested the social challenge that the dudes sent to the Soviet egalitarianism.

Lexicon

To designate their features, dudes have developed their own language, which is based on the adaptation of lexemes in English and jazz slang. It was jargon, which performed the function of dividing people into friends and foes. In different cities, the speech of dudes had their own words, most often toponyms, but there was a lexical array that was characteristic of the entire subculture. So, there were words for designating different places: "Broadway" - it was different in every city, "Kok" ("Cocktail Hall"). A lot of lexemes denoted people of different sorts: dude, dude, loaves, redneck, phaser. For naming dances and musical styles used the usual terms: rock and roll, jazz, foxtrot, boogie-woogie. Stilyagi adapted many words from the English language for naming wardrobe items: socks, taek, hatok, shoes, jackets.

public censure

In the USSR, a dude is an asocial element, his otherness was seen as a threat to the social order and morality of the Soviet people. At the end of the 40s, this subculture began in the country and became an excellent target for the speeches of the Komsomol and party activists. There were squads that caught dudes, cut off their coca, tore their clothes.

In the press, the dudes of the 50s became a favorite object for ridicule and censure. There were many cartoons and feuilletons ridiculing this movement. For the broad masses, these young people were presented as empty copies of Western models, they were denied patriotism, taste, morality. Great amount dudes throughout the country were excluded from public organizations were fired from their jobs. All this led to the fact that initially apolitical dudes began to hate the Soviet regime and their protest began to acquire political overtones.

Styles of different years

Within this subculture one can see a formal ideological evolution. Stilyagi, whose subculture arose in the late 40s in the USSR, were at first a group of people who were fond of cinema and music in the United States. But in the 50s, the style crystallized and the initial protest movement took shape. By the end of the 50s, many representatives of this subculture already had a negative attitude towards the Soviet regime and secretly dreamed of leaving the USSR.

Later, the dudes of the 60s lose their sharp opposition to public sentiment. The beginning of the thaw led to widespread criticism of the Soviet system of the Stalin period, and therefore the self-expression of the dudes was no longer so bright. The persecution of young people is stopped, and the direction is gradually disappearing, it is being replaced by new ones.

The value of the subculture dudes

This social movement left a big mark on Soviet society. Many dudes who spent years studying American art, costume, language, in subsequent years became part of the country's creative intelligentsia. Sociologists note that this subculture was the first significant social movement, which became the beginning of the formation of numerous youth informal associations: hippies, punks, rockers - they all somehow grew out of the traditions of dudes. In addition, this movement prompted Russian fashion designers to think about creating a youth style, about finding new forms that would help overcome the same grayness of Soviet people.

For a long time known fact that fashion is cyclical, it returns to what was once undeservedly forgotten.
And finally, this season it's time for vintage style. Now dresses of the 50s have become fashionable again.

The fashion of the 50s of the last century became the most elegant and charming in the history of the 20th century. She helped a woman shape or emphasize perfect figure. In the 1920s and 1930s, women enjoyed the freedom to dress, but designers brought back into fashion corsets, crinolines, and bodices that their grandmothers abandoned.
The woman who followed the fashion of the 50s looked like beautiful flower. The most relevant were skirts with a fluffy petticoat and a pencil skirt. Thanks to the right combination dress and accessory, an amazing image of an elegant, irresistible woman was created.
Also, the fashion of the 50s of the 20th century was remembered for the variety of ladies' hats. Ladies loved to decorate their heads with beautiful hats, their styles are innumerable. Hats changed their appearance with great speed and became smaller and smaller. Later, scarves came into fashion square shape, they not only decorated the hairstyles of fashionistas, but also protected them from the wind. Scarves were tied around the neck, and crossed under the chin.
Gloves entered the fashion history of the 50s. They became a noticeable touch in the fashion of the 50s - 60s, without which the fashion of this period cannot be imagined. They were very popular. Gloves were worn for evening dresses, business suits, coat. The image was considered incomplete if the woman was not wearing gloves. Bags resembled reticules, the main condition was that the material of the bag must match the material of the suit.
As for the make-up of the 50s, it struck with its extravagance. Following the new fashion trends, the make-up colors changed twice a year, and matched the clothes and accessories.
Fashion 50-60 years - dudes
Stylish clothes in the fashion of the 50s and 60s were made of fabrics in checks, polka dots, stripes or multi-colored materials. The image of the dudes was complemented by elegant gloves, bright wide belts, hats, classic handkerchiefs and scarves, small clutches and, of course, shoes on a low or high heels. The image was completed with voluminous hairstyles, curls or hair gathered in a bun with a bright bandage or bow.
Makeup also matched the look. chose bright colors shadows to match the clothes, lips were painted bright pink or rich red, false eyelashes were used. Some fashionistas emphasized the image with contrasting glasses.
In the 50s, fashion was very bright, stylish and varied. Some trends of that time are still relevant, so do not be afraid to try on the image of an elegant, luxurious lady in the new look style.
You can see photos of fashion dresses of the 50s below in the gallery, and you can also easily find them in many fashion magazines and on the Internet.

The era of the 50s in fashion is inextricably linked with the big names of designers - among them are Cristobal Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain, Coco Chanel, Salvatore Ferragamo, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent and, of course, Christian Dior, who predicted the vector of fashion development in the new decade of his revolutionary collection of 1947 in the style of new look. In the 50s fashion clothes out from under the scissors of the masters, she again inexorably gravitates towards haute couture, praises femininity and is intended for a wealthy clientele - the nouveau riche who managed to make a fortune after the war, and the elite of show business.

Paris Four: Balenciaga, Chanel, Fat and Balmain

It is in the post-war era that success comes to Cristobal Balenciaga. This Spaniard by origin has always sought to feel the time and reflect it in his outfits. As a talented colorist, he loved to mix dramatic shades of black, blue, white, pink, gray and gold, inspired by the paintings of Velazquez and Goya, flamenco, bullfighting and the rituals of the Catholic Church. In 1953, Balenciaga creates a suit that will become one of the symbols of the decade: it consists of a semi-fitted jacket with a high turn-down collar and a straight skirt with light pleating. Such an elongated silhouette of Balenciaga visually made the figure slimmer and thinner, and a minimalistic cut without unnecessary decor did not distract attention from the woman herself. A year later, in 1954, Coco Chanel will show a similar suit in his first collection after the war, but only to the black buttonless jacket, which is destined to become an icon of Chanel, the designer will add decorations in the form of large brooches with stones. As for evening dresses, in this area of ​​\u200b\u200bfashion in the 50s there are no equal Frenchmen Jacques Fatou and Pierre Balmain. Phat is making a name for himself on luxury evening dresses with unusual decor - these were huge bows on the belts, and high collars that covered the face. Balmain evening wear at this time is recognizable for its tight corsets, deep necklines that open up space for jewelry around the neck, and rich embroidery. Even casual outfits from Balmain differed in luxury: on jackets and sleeves of suits, the designer, for example, used expensive and rare leopard fur