1950s+Teenagers+MIKW

During the 1950s teenagers expressed themselves though a since of style. The youth fashion was put in to two categories the “Prep” and “Greasers”. The prep style was more clean cut while the greaser war dirty and tough. Preppy girls would wear poodle skirts, with saddle shoes, scarves, white shirts with three quarter length sleeves, and cardigans. Preppy boys would wear button up long sleeve shirts with a cardigan, slacks, and dress shoes. Greaser boys would wear blue dungarees with a white shirt and a black leather or blue jean jacket. Greaser girls would also wear rolled up dungarees with scarves, blue jean or leather jackets. Although the teenage clicks were prep and greaser teenager were looking for the same style they wanted more tailored fit clothing. Pencil skirts, booby socks, jumpers, blouses, and the sailor look was what teens wanted. Teenage hair styles were also a new way for them to express themselves. Girls would have short wavy hair styles such as the poodle cut. They would perm their hair to make it curly. Girls would use lots of bobby pins and rollers to make their hair more curly and wavy. Some girls would also wear high pony tails. Boys would slick their hair back in a style like the quiff or duck tail which required lots of oil and gel or grease. They would also wear a crew cut or buzzed cut.
 * 1950s Teenage Fashion**

Alan Freed made a new sound called rock ‘n’ roll which attracted teenagers to be different. Rock ‘n’ roll was different from any other music that was played on the radio. It had a funky beat that helped break the race barrier and change culture in the United States. Rock ‘n’ roll music was something for the teens because it set them apart from the day to day suburban life. Parents did not approve of this music. They perceived it as the devils music because of its sexual tone and sound that suggested drinking and smoking was acceptable. Parent also did not like how their white children were listening to black music. They thought that it could cause white girls and black boys to intimately connect. Adults were also concerned about a rise in juvenile delinquency. Adults would ban rock ‘n’ roll music on the radio, concerts, and teen dances. Even though parents tried to stop their children from listening to rock ‘n’ roll it was too powerful. Teenagers did not want this taken away from them it was theirs and they were going to listen to it no matter what.
 * 1950s Teenage Music**

Moves started to attract teenagers because movies captured how adolescents were growing out of being outcast and not looked upon as intellects. Young boys liked heroes who showed restlessness while girls loved to see the young starts such as James Dean. Since the baby boom, film makers saw that teenagers wanted to see heroes and heroines of the same age as they were because they could some how relate to the feeling shown on the screen. The film industry wanted to entertain the young with an accurate comparison of themselves. Roger Coman produced teen moves such as //Teenage Doll// (1957), and //Teenage Caveman// (1958), //I Was a Teenage Werewolf// (1957) and //I Was a Teenage Frankenstein// (1957) which attracted teenagers because the titles of the moves were created just for them. Also the teen horror films interested teens because it had twist to it but showed love at the same time. Movies of the 1950s fascinated teenagers which caused a rise in the film industry and helped teens break away from adult films.
 * 1950s Teenage Movies**

Slang or hipster talk was created during the beat generation. The devoted followers all through out San Francisco and Chicago adopted slang. The Slang consist of African American, beatnik, and street gang words. Some words include “dig”, “hip”, “square”, “cool”, and “man”. Adults did not like slang because it challenged the status quo and they also did not like the teenagers using this language. Slang was also another way for teenagers and other followers to go against the American status quo.
 * 1950s Teenage Slang**

During the 1950s many teenagers had their own dances that broke the law of conformity. The twist was a popular dance that involved dancers twisting their hips back and forth. The twist also inspired song writers to create songs portioning to the dance. The stroll was a dance that involved two lines girls on one side and boys on the other. They would dance in the middle of the line and show off dance moves. The stroll was also featured on American Bandstand. The handjive was created a DJ and record producer. “The basic movements consisted of dancers slapping their thighs, crossing their hands over each other back and forth, hitting their fists on top of each other and "hitch-hiking" with their thumb back over their shoulder” (Hayden). The jitterbug is another dance popular in the 1950s that was difficult depending on the dancer’s abilities. The jitterbug had basic steps like the two-step, but after that more could be added on. The dances were different from other dances that have been preformed. They caught on quick and allowed teens to dance freely.
 * 1950s Teenage Dances**

Date 1953 A group of girls are wearing dog collars around their ankles over their socks was a fashion trend. If a girl wore the dog collar on her left ankle it meant she had a boyfriend, but if the dog collar was worn on the right ankle it meant you did not have a boyfriend.
 * Picture**




 * Article**

In this newspaper article it explains how to style and shape your hair. The newspaper talks about how it is important for women to keep their hair looking good. According to the article short hair must be perfectly cut and styled. There are some advantages and disadvantages of short hair. One advantage is that is keeps you cool in the summer time and one disadvantage is that it must be washed well and often. Maintaining your hair was an important thing for girls because it made them look gorgeous.

Fashion, music, movies, dances and slang all contributed to teenager’s loss of innocence and emergence of identity. Fashion helped teenagers look different from adults. Instead of looking like clones they had their own individuality. Music was a way for teenagers to jam to music that had expression and feeling. Movies gave teenagers a spot to shine because it had stars just like them. There were also movies made just for them. Dances helped kids also break out from the regular slow dances. The new dances had more excitement and moves. Slang gave teenagers a new cool way to speak to their friends. Fashion, music, movies, dances, and slang helped teenagers break conformity and how they were supposed to act. Teenagers helped create the 1950s and showed how it is okay to be different and rock out to new and better things.
 * Question**

Beackett, Katherine. "Teen Hairstyles of the 1950s." // eHow Style //. eHow Contributor, February 25, 2011. Web. 11 Nov 2011. .
 * Work Cited**

Calvery, Roz. "Teenage Fifties Hairstyles." // eHow Style //. eHow Contributor, April 29, 2011. Web. 11 Nov 2011. .

Escovar, Matthew. "rock and roll." In Winkler, Allan M., Charlene Mires, and Gary B. Nash, eds. // Encyclopedia of American History: Postwar United States, 1946 to 1968 //, Revised Edition (Volume IX). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. // American History Online //. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHIX215&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 8, 2011)

"Fashion Trend for Teenage Girls in the 1950s." Library of Congress. Prints and Photographs Division. New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection. // American History Online //. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=AHI2568&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 14, 2011).

Gómez, Andrea. "fashion, post–World War II." In Winkler, Allan M., Charlene Mires, and Gary B. Nash, eds. // Encyclopedia of American History: Postwar United States, 1946 to 1968 //, Revised Edition (Volume IX). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. // American History Online //. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHrIX091&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 8, 2011).

Hayden, Nancy. "Types of Dances Popular in the 1950s." // eHow Style //. eHow Contributor, January 3. 2011. Web. 14 Nov 2011. .

Howell, Jennifer. "music, post–World War II." In Winkler, Allan M., Charlene Mires, and Gary B. Nash, eds. // Encyclopedia of American History: Postwar United States, 1946 to 1968 //, Revised Edition (Volume IX). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. // American History Online //. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHIX171&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 8, 2011)

Larkin, Michael. "Clothing for Teen Girls in the 1950." // eHow Style //. eHow Contributor, May 17, 2011. Web. 11 Nov 2011. .

Nangle, Eleanor. "Shape, Style, Sheen Add Up to a Perfect Short Coiffure ." // Chicago //// Daily Tribune // [Chicago, Il] 1 April 1950, Pg 1. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. .

Scheidies, Carolyn. "Styles for Boys in the 50s." // eHow Style //. eHow Contributor, January 2, 2011. Web. 11 Nov 2011. .

Showalter, Sandi Kelly. "Teenage Girl's Style in the 50s." // eHow Style //. eHow Contributor, January 2, 2011. Web. 11 Nov 2011. .

Siegel, Scott, and Barbara Siegel. Revised and Updated in Part by James M. Welsh and Tom Erskine. "teen movies." // Encyclopedia of Hollywood //, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2004. // American History Online //. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=EHOL0641&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 9, 2011)

Vary, Adam B. "Beat movement." In Winkler, Allan M., Charlene Mires, and Gary B. Nash, eds. // Encyclopedia of American History: Postwar United States, 1946 to 1968 //, Revised Edition (Volume IX). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. // American History Online //. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHIX026&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 11, 2011).