1950s summer clothes that made hot days cooler (and a lot more stylish)
Cotton was the mainstay of most summer wardrobes. It was light, breathable and held up well to washing — a practical choice for the season. Women wore playsuits, striped shirts and solid-colored Jamaica shorts, often belted and paired with square-neck tops. Color options were wide open, with pastels and brights like yellow, pink and turquoise leading the pack. Young girls wore plissé sunsuits in cheerful colors, while boys had plaid trunks that looked right at home on a summer afternoon.
Some families went for matching looks. Swimsuits, jackets and trunks in the same fabric showed up in magazines and catalogs, with entire families dressed in coordinated prints. A popular example was the “Ticket to the Sun” pattern, available in sizes for men, women and children. This kind of outfit wasn’t just about style — it made packing for a vacation a little easier and gave family photos a polished look.
Everyday summer fashion leaned toward easy-care fabrics and relaxed fits. Knit T-shirts with boat necklines, seersucker shirts, and poplin shorts were typical playwear. These pieces were designed to handle movement and heat, whether someone was playing lawn games, walking on the boardwalk or just sitting on a picnic blanket. No-iron fabrics were also gaining popularity, especially for active kids and busy parents.
Below, we’ve pulled together a collection of photos and original articles that show exactly what these outfits looked like in real life — see examples of what people actually wore during those sun-filled summers of the 1950s.
Playwear plans for summer: Casual hot-weather clothes from the 1950s
From Family Circle – June 1956
Whether you vacation at home or away, your choice of easy-to-wear play clothes will add to the enjoyment of leisure hours.
These fashions, all made of cool cottons, are designed for carefree living and summer comfort. Stripes — in many variations — predominate in the fabrics chosen, lending color and dash to these wearable designs.
Fun-in-the-sun fashions: More summer clothes from the fifties
Family favorites — striped-fabric swim suits Adult sizes 10-18; under $10. Matching sailor-collar jacket: Sizes S, M, L; under $8 Girl and toddler suits: Sizes S, M, L; under $4. All in turquoise, red, black. All by Jantzen.
These color-matched play clothes are ideal for fun in the sun. Mother wears a pin-stripe seersucker shirt with a square neckline and a paneled front. Under $3. Her Jamaica shorts, in a solid color, have a seersucker belt. Under $5.
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Shirt and shorts colors are pink, yellow, blue, or lilac. Both come in sizes 10-20. The little girl’s sun suit, of dotted plisse, is in pink or turquoise. Toddler sizes 1-3. Under $3.
The boy’s Hawaiian-type trunks, with front belt and elastic sides, come in pink, red, or turquoise plaid. Sizes 6-20. Under $4. All by Catalina.
Here Mother and Dad are wearing suits of identical Everglaze fabric in the Ticket to the Sun pattern. The man’s vented trunks, in sizes 28-42, are about $5; his jacket, in sizes 5, M, L, is under $6.
The woman’s swim suit has a halter neckline. Sizes 10-16. Under $11. Colors are red, blue, gold. The boy’s cotton trunks come in a blue-green-and-red plaid. Sizes 2-6x. Under $2. All by Gantner.
Casual living and fun out-of-doors suggest the need for clothes that afford maximum exposure to the sun.
A picnic in your own back yard or a day at the shore can be twice the fun if for playtime hours, you choose comfortable carefree fashions such as those shown here.
In these styles, fit and fabric are all one could want; colors, as exotic as your own taste dictates.
SEE LOTS MORE: 36 summery vintage ’50s swimsuits for women, when strapless one-piece suits with ruffles were hot
Easy, breezy casual summer clothes from the 1950s
Wyner’s Roman-stripe cotton knit trims the overblouse and makes the shorts of this two-piece play suit. Blouse of Stevens Twistsheen in white, red, navy. Under $5. Striped shorts, under $3. Both come in sizes 8-16. By Donovan.
Knitted-cotton T shirt with banded boat neck-line comes in assorted colorful stripes in sizes S, M, L. Under $4. Shorts, also in several colors, are of Galey & Lord Kayak. Sizes 10-20; 9-15. Under $6. Shirt and shorts are by Jantzen.
Blazer jacket & middy-and-shorts outfit
Bold and beautiful, this cotton-knit blazer jacket has a wide boat neckline banded in solid color. In navy with red or honey; black with gold. The sizes are S, M, L. Under $6. Designed by Alberic.
No-iron poplin makes this middy-and-shorts outfit. Shorts (about $3.50) come in turquoise, black, green, or tan. Middy (about $3) is in white only. Both have braid trim. Sizes 10-18. Both by Paddle & Saddle.
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