Retro Bowling Shirts Fashions

The fads of the fifties followed the war and growth of industry.

America was once again in a more peaceful time when American citizens could relax and enjoy the comforts of their new prosperity.

Leisure activities, such as bowling were prevalent. All ages could participate in the indoor or outdoor game or sport they enjoyed.

New toys and games came on the scene, such as the Hula Hoop, the ever popular Frisbee and Slinky.

By the early 1950s, Bowling was the leading participation sport in the United States.

It gradually moved from seedy bowling alleys with manual, human male “Pin Setters” to clean, cool, brightly lit modern establishments featuring fully automated systems.

Bowling Leagues became the rage while the growth of the game crossed the nation. Both men and women became the biggest starts of the 1950s era. Even the famous Hollywood stars got into the game.

As the fame of the Bowling Alleys grew, so did interest in the stylish, hip bowling fashions. In particular, the Bowling Shirts and Shoes.

The 1950s bowling shirt was brightly colored and varied in pattern. It was styled closely to the loosely proportioned design of the Hawaiian Shirt.

Bowling Shirts were popular during the time of the great American Car, and when Drive-Ins were the weekend activity along with a good game of bowling with your pals. They were more flashy for both men and women, and reflected an era when rebellion was in and displaying and element of cool was accepted with the younger generation.

The popularity of Bowling Shirts, shoes and apparel has once again surged in the current decade, with Bowling now becoming a past time amongst your average bowling fan, and fashionistas of the Hollywood “in” crowd.

Even certain Food Network hosts such as Guy Fieri appear in the latest and greatest Bowling Shirt Fashions weekly on his Diners, Drive Ins and Dives show.

Just proves the old saying that “everything Old is New again”!

I’ve always romanticized about the 1950s.

It was a decade of great change, invention and innovation.

Architechural styles changed, as did the lifestyle of the American husband and wife. Television and Radio played an influential part in those changes. Advertising sold everything from Fast Foods and TV Dinners to Hair Tonic and Cars.

I guess to me, it seemed that families spent more time together and had more money to spend, so they appeared more happy and carefree.

Underneath that “perfect” façade was a complex and surprising time of the popular American culture.

Fashion was one of the key components of change. Access to new and supposedly better products created a whole new market for mass production.

Dupont was one of the forerunners of man-made fibers, contributing to the significant changes in fashion. Their synthetic fabrics came in mass-produced bold colors. Orlon, Polyesters and Acrylics revolutionized the fashion industry with new “No-Iron”, “Drip-Dry”, durable wearing clothing items.

Another Mid-1950s innovation in full production was Velcro, the nylon locking tape, invented by George de Mestral.

Men’s Fashions changed along with the times. Men’s Leisurewear burst on the fashion scene with vigor.

Men’s clothing went from somber, serviceable muted shades of blue and gray to the casual Bermuda “Walking Shorts” and baggy Blue Jeans. These styles were not widely accepted as appropriate dress at first, but, as with many fashion changes, were accepted into men’s well-stocked closets, to gradually become a fixture with men, young and old.

Elvis Presley was one of the main fashion leaders, giving the aged old dungaree, normally associated with laborers and juvenile delinquents, new cache.

Schools forbade the wearing of these clothes, seeing them as a bad influence on youngsters, while adolescents everywhere were eager to be part of the “in” crowd and took to wearing them as a rebellion against the establishment.

Movies, Rock ‘n Roll music and Television, fixtures in many fifties households, continued to carry with them the negative connotations, but by the end of the decade, the stigma started to wear off. The leather jacket also became a mainstay of the time.

Fifties Hair Styles became a part of the overall cool “look” for the decade. You had the butch cut, crew cut and flat top hairdos showing up on every male’s head…many using moustache wax to keep the hair in the desired and erect shape. Long sideburns were sported to add to the look.

The influence of all of these factors clearly shows that the 1950s fashion and lifestyle was a different time, a different generation and one of the most memorable decades for many.