What they Wore – 1950s Teenagers – Teddy Girls

What they Wore – 1950s Teenagers – Teddy Girls

Hello kittens,

Last time we focused on Preppy Girls as my style focus. And this week I am taking a look at the other teenage subculture Teddy Girls. A cross between a flamboyant Edwardian Gent and the American Rock and Roll culture, they style on paper doesn’t work, but in reality it does. Considered to be the first female subculture for style and fashion, the Teddy Girls or Judies.

Wearing the same drape jackets, rolled up jeans and flat shoes as their male counterparts, they inevitably added their own feminine flair with straw boaters, brooches and clutch bags and more tailored jackets, often with velvet collars. They not only dressed this way for aesthetic effect, they were also rejecting post-war austerity.

The Teddy Boys and Girls were mostly from working class backgrounds, leaving school at 14-15 and working in factories or offices. Their hard-earned cash, was spent on second hand clothing and going to the cinema and attend dances and concerts with the boys, and collect magazines and records.

To get this casual, androgynous look for yourself; team a drape or tailored jacket with a pencil skirt or rolled up trousers. A velvet collar would also fit this look perfectly. Flat shoes and blouses, along with a cute boater hat and/or brooch will finish this look.

For hair, a pompadour or messy bun will fit. The hair is more masculine and deliciously undone and deconstructed.

For make up, the red lip and eyeliner that’s a staple for the 1950s is perfect. The Teddy Girls coveted the glamour and decadence of the 1890s and rebelled against the order of the ration books.

I hope this has been useful, I may give this look a go myself soon ❤️

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