Teenagers in the 1950s faced restrictive gender and size norms in advertising. Teddy boys adopted a distinctive subculture style featuring tight colorful jackets and pointed shoes inspired by movie stars. As clothing rationing ended, experimental fashion emerged like full skirts celebrating the end of wartime restrictions. With limited TV availability, families bonded through home games while teens engaged in fads like telephone booth stuffing. American and British film stars like James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Audrey Hepburn served as influential role models for their rebellious or elegant styles. Distinct youth subcultures also emerged such as mods, beatniks, teddy boys and girls who challenged mainstream 1950s teenage norms.

1. Teenagers in the 1950s
Anneka, Antonio, Jordan

2. Adverts
 Adverts in the 1950s are known to be notoriously sexist and racist,
with some well known examples shown below:

3. Plus size teens
 This advert is aimed at both “girls” and
“teens”.
 This makes it clear that larger females were
not regularly catered for in terms of clothing
and fashion.
 It is also clear that larger women were seen
as abnormal, as they refer to smaller sized
girls as “regular”

4. Teddy Boys
 This was a common term during the 1950s
for the teenagers.
 The term teddy boy came from the fact that
the group wore Edwardian style clothing.
 This style was made up from quiffed hair,
high neck shirts, loose jeans.

5. Fashion
 https://www.
youtube.com
/watch?v=Y1
PJLeMRF-U
Teddy boys: tight brightly coloured jackets, pointed
shoes. Copied movie star’s hairstyles
Clothes rationing ended in 1949: allowing the 1950s to be the decade of experimental fashion.
Petticoats
under skirts
were used to
achieve the full
skirt look. Full
skirts were a
celebration of
the end of war
restriction on
clothing.
British
teenagers
at a
carnival

6. Fads: games
 Family games became a large importance
to all members of British families (inlucding
teenagers).
 Families used this for entertainment due to
mostTVs not being available to the majority
of families.

7. Fads: telephone
box stuffing
 A trend which
began in the United
States, which
quickly spread to
Britain: to fit as
many people in a
telephone box as
possible.
 The record was 25
college students in
America

8. Fads:
hairstyles
French plait, or a curl, or a
wave, or a ponytail

9. Role models
 US influence allowedAmerican
film stars to be role models to
young people in Britain.
 James dean: became influential
because of his groundbreaking,
rebellious look – always seen
smoking a cigarette.
 Marlon Brando: his film TheWild
One gained so much youth
attention that it was banned from
the UK.

10. Role models:Audrey
Hepburn
 Audrey was a British actress, who was most
famous during the 1950s
 Her influence was strong: all teens strived
for her look and elegance.
 She was experimental with fashion, and
quickly became a trend setter.

11. Subcultures
Beatniks
Teddy boys
Teddy girls
mods

12. Mods
 Late 1950s
 Heavy influence of Italian
fashion
 Increase in youths
employment led to juvenile
spending
 Spent time in cafes and
nightclubs
 Clean cut fashion
 Listened to black American
music (R&B mostly) and
British bands such as the Small
Faces andTheWho
A Mod wedding

13. Beatniks
 Came from a media stereotype of the ‘Beat Generation’
literary movement.
 Used pseudo-intellectualism, drug use, and were known
as a cartoonish depiction of real life.
 They purposefully went against the colourful fashion
trends, choosing instead all black ensembles

14. Teddy
boys
Teddy boys video

15. Mainstream
teenagers