Dubbed by Vogue as "the golden age of haute couture," the early to mid '50s were a time of glamour and elegance — think of the classic "debutante" look made iconic by Grace Kelly in 1954's Rear Window and 1955's To Catch a Thief. With her long white gloves, impeccably tailored skirts, upswept fair hair, timeless red lipstick, and breathtaking cocktail gowns, Kelly embodied sophistication and intellect.
Then, of course, there was Marilyn Monroe in 1953's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, with her unforgettable ensemble of jeweled choker, pink satin, and similarly scarlet lips in the "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" number. Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy — it was a trailblazing era for high-end fashion designers, a kind of ongoing aesthetic cocktail party where Chanel #5 and the classic pearl necklace were just as popular with the average American housewife as they were with Hollywood's elite (just ask June Cleaver, who would come along a few years later, still sporting the same look).
As Sarah Jessica Parker put it in Vogue's mini-documentary on the era, "Two silhouettes prevailed: the 'new look' hourglass, that featured a full skirt and a stem-like middle, and a glove-fitted slim line that emphasized a tiny midriff." In other words, the look of the day may have been a continuation of 1940s "old Hollywood" glamour, but things were also starting to move in a new, groundbreaking direction.
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