History of Rock & Roll (and rockabilly) Fashion

[Jitterbug]

If you love rock & roll music, dance and culture, you may have wondered about the origin of 1950’s rock & roll (and rockabilly) fashion & clothing. And how it has reacted to changes in society over the years, and how fashion has being recycled and, in fact, still evolving today. Dr Celia Netolicky, rock & roll historian and co-founder of Perthrocks, recently wrote an interesting two-part article on this subject. You could read her article in full on http://members.optusnet.com.au/~perthrocks/news.htm.

Dr Netolicky wrote about how fashion is built on the past. Each new trend is a reaction to, or borrows from, what came before. Rock & roll/rockabilly fashion is no exception. During the war years in the 1940’s, harsh economic times and rationing impacted on fashion including shortened jackets & pants, hemlines rose to the knee and circular swing skirt gave way to a shorter narrow pencil skirt. It was also patriotic to wear a cropped bob as a way of showing support with the women, serving in the service and factories, who kept their hair short or in a decorative snood, a crocheted or laced hairnet which now turns out to be a rockabilly/swing fashion item.

After the war, in a rebellion against the austerity of rationing, women moved toward a more glamorous “Hollywood” look. Hairstyles were high in front with pronounced curls, fringes and rolls. Dresses became softer and richer fabrics sourced whilst make up took on a more dramatic look with heavy foundation, darkened eyebrows and ruby red lipstick.

The early post war years saw young people breaking with conformity with their conservative parents. American teenagers have discovered exciting “blacks” music & dance culture. Later they were inspired and copied from Hollywood movies like “Rebel without a cause”, “Blackboard jungle” and “The Wild One”. This was the era of early rock & roll & fashion.

It seems initially the rocker’s look differed in the USA and Britain but later became more homogeneous with the release of movies like “The Wild One”. In the 1950’s, English “Teddy Boys” donned outfits inspired by the dandies of the Edwardian era (1910-1910) - with brocade waist coats, knee-length jackets often with velvet collars, drain pipe trousers, bright coloured socks & creepers shoes. Teddy Girls either wore Teddy Boy’s style pants suits or pencil skirts but later adopted the circular skirts and ponytails of American teenage rockers.

In contrast, American male rockers (“Cats”) dressed differently from mainstream teenagers. Boys wore jeans with a white t-shirt & black leather jacket. Hair was longer and swept up and centred into a quiff and back & centre into a duck-tail kept in place with lots of Brylcream. “Kittens’ wore poodle skirts and stiff nylon petticoats or pencil skirts, fitted blouses & sweaters, bright eye-shadow and lipstick with bouffant hairstyles or ponytails.

The influence of burlesque culture on rockabilly fashion was also discussed by Dr Netolicky. Burlesque started as a form of rebellion used by actors and dancers to challenge traditional values of the day. Under garments, hair styles and decorative items employed by burlesque performers have now been copied and adopted into modern day rockabilly fashion. Hence one sees corsets now worn as outer rather than under garments, the seamed stockings, lacy garter belts, elaborate fans, high heeled leather shoes, fishnet stockings, flowers in coiled and curled hair, heavy make-up and bright red lipstick etc.

To an extent, what is considered rock & roll fashion today was influenced by reaction to pre-war society & values and the impact of harsh economic times during the war. It blossoms in the 1950’s when blacks R&B & Blues music captured the imagination of young white teenagers before exploding into a world-wide revolution & phenomenon until overtaken in the mid 1960’s Beatles mania and “Mod” fashion with its scooters, Italian style tailor-made suits, thin ties, wool or cashmere jumpers, winklepickers and mini skirts for female mods.

But rock & roll and rockabilly fashion endures & remains very much alive today. Yes - it is no longer considered mainstream but it’s no less authentic or inspiring for those of us who love the music and the scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A2iLhMNpJ0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXVS...eature=related

[Jacrussel]

The influence of burlesque is overrated in this article. The biggest influence on fashion were the clothes worn by the 13 and 14 year old teenagers not the part time prostitutes from burlesque. Sure it has had a major influence on todays fashion and perhaps that is because some women dress to look like prostitutes particually when they perform. But back to the 50's the biggest fashion element to come out of the fifties was the poodle dress the ankle socks and ballet shoes hardle the dress of burlesque. Rock and roll had a rebellious side to it but it also had an innocence of youth striking out on their own for the first time.

[Jitterbug]

Jacrussel – if you‘ve read my post carefully and, especially the original article by Dr Netolicky, the reference to burlesque was its influence today on “rockabilly” fashion & culture. The aim of the article is to provide some understanding into how clothing and fashion evolve, change & get re-cycled over time and, in fact, is still evolving today.

I think many in the rockabilly circle would feel deeply offended by your inappropriate description of burlesque and of the women who partake of the fashion. Also your lack of understanding of its origin which dates back to the early 17th century as a form of musical work that combines serious & comic elements to lampoon social attitudes in the upper class & their music. It was only with the onset of the Great Depression in the 1920’s that the burlesque’s art form was “ copied & exploited” by unscrupulous promoters to turn it into what is known today as “strip tease”.

Make no mistake that sleazy strip tease is NOT burlesque in its original form nor as it's being practised today, as practitioners and rockabilly aficionados would strongly argue and for which I agree totally.

[Jacrussel]

I am not interested in the 17th century . That isnt what we relate to when we talk about burlesque. It was the period from 1910 to 1950. There was and still is a number of layers in the entertainment industry. The top layer is theatre followed by vaudeville then cabaret and finishing with burlesque. Typically a good looking young girl would begin in the chorus line . Hopefully she would progress from there to speaking roles but if not she would move into either cabaret. If she lacked talent then as her looks deteriorated then she would end up in burlesque. Now whether you know it or not burlesque dancers were part time prostitutes, They had to entertain the customers after the show and whether this involved sex was up to them. This has not changed dancers today who tour Asia often have a part of the contract that sais they have to entertain the customers at the bar after the show. If you read any of the books written by the old time burlesque dancers you will know this to be true. It was the bottom of the barrel for entertainers.

I have not described the people who wear the "burlesque styeled"clothes as being in any way imoral I don't know them. I am simply stating the facts that Burlesque is strip tease and its practitioners were often abused by the industry. I also believe that Madona had a bigger influence on wearing a corset as a fashion item than Burlesque. It is also interesting that many of the famous crooners began in vaudeville where they were known as tit singers as they would sing the song introducing the burlesque dancers and a song after they finished.

[Jitterbug]

The abuse and corruption of the burlesque art form in the period that you referred to may well have taken place. Nonetheless, I feel it's important that we don't lose sight of the original purpose why & how burlesque started. Perhaps rockabilly clothing & fashion like burlesque in those early period is about making a statement that it's different and of showing attitude in a generally conforming society today.

I feel pretty certain too that women today who love rockabilly fashion do so not because they want to imitate the corrupted lifestyle of some of the women from that period but rather simply that they took inspiration from the clothing & fashion worn so as to personalise & express the music genre they so adore.

[Jacrussel]

The onlt two influences on fashion that I can see coming from Burlesque are the corset and the tattoo. The corset was borrowed from the Fetish industry which existed in the murky underground of the bigger cities. The only other influence was tattoos and burlesque clubs seemed to always have a tattooed lady. During that time a tattooed lady was rare. Not so today.They would also have a burlesque dwarf. Sure it was about rebellion and women being themselves but these were generally kinky women. Not that this matters in a discussion on fashion.

That burlesque was closer to and often run by a criminal element was true but one only has to harken back to the 20's and 30's to see the introduction of the zoot suit. A suit worn by the gang members of Chicago so that they stood out. The same zoot suit (only toned down) addapted by the Teddy Boys of London.but enough of this jitterbug I think we are both on the same track just coming from different directions.

[Jitterbug]

I enjoyed our little discussions, Jacrussel. You are obviously very knowledgeable in what you talked about, and we in Vicrock benefit from it. Thanks for your contribution ......cheers & see you one day at a gig, somewhere.

[Bolto74]

MAN, YOU TALK SOME DEEP CRAP SOMETIMES JITTERBUG

[Daz_In_Tas]

Have a look at what's going on right now in the fashion world.
Check out the upcoming September issue of Vogue magazine
Then click on the link to: Go behind the scenes of Pretty Baby

[Jitterbug]

Great to know Vogue is interested in featuring 1950's clothings & accessories. Fashion is ever changing but certainly here's an opportunity for it go mainstream a bit more......