Jezebel: 1950s

Why 50's Vintage Clothes Never Fit

Sadie Stein — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:20:00 EST

We were so glad to see someone addressing this enduring mystery. More »

The Playboy Wannabes

Irin Carmon — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:39:52 EST

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With names like Scamp, Rogue, and Vagabond, a new crop of men's magazines in the late 50s and early 60s tried to get a piece of the Playboy and Esquire action. (We get the girlie, but not the chest-hair backdrop.) More »

Cookie Diet

Katy Kelleher — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:20:00 EDT

Is there anything more American than a Thin Mint? Or more delicious than a Tagalong? Get schooled in the history of the Girl Scout Cookie with this quick slide show. And then celebrate with a box - or three. [TheBigMoney] More »

"1950s Remedies For Abnormal And Normal Men And Women"

Anna North — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:45:00 EDT

"Don't be old-fashioned," says this sex manual from the oh-so-enlightened 1950s. Topics include "first bridal sex act" (hottt) and "sensation parts of woman" — but why is the very first one on the list "blood relation marriage?" [Vintage Ads] More »

Wait: Even In The 50s, Men Had Feelings?

Sadie Stein — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EDT

In the article "Touchy-Feely 'Mad Men'? My Mom's Love Letters Show a Softer '50s Male," this writer explored a cache of his mother's old love letters and learned that men of the 50s were not, in fact-2D. More »

You, Madam, Are No Bettie Page

Sadie Stein — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EDT

As a few articles from the weekend prove, women who fancy themselves "Modern Pin-Ups" often ignore the realities of the 1950s. (But, yes, the hair was great!) More »

Brave Reporter Takes On The Sacred Cow Of 1950s Suburbia

Sadie Stein — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:40:00 EDT

Because Betty Draper makes it look so idyllic (?), a Daily Mail writer takes on the brave task of living as a Mad Men wife for a week. More »

The Female Spiral Of Shame In Post-War Suburbia

Sadie Stein — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

We love this 1954 educational film "Bad Habits" More »

Oldie But Goodie

Sadie Stein — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:40:00 EST

If women are leaving science careers in droves, you can't blame the Gilbert company, whose 1958 "Lab Technician Set For Girls" probably gave a lot of budding Marie Curies their first crack at chemistry! Why, you ask, couldn't they just use a regular old "boy's" chemistry set? And why, for that matter, was "lab technician" the apex of aspiration? Hey, there were probably a lot of parents who would not have stuck this under the Christmas tree without that pastel palette to reassure them - especially as it's described as a "career-builder set!" And from what we can tell, with the exception of a few pink accents, the actual contents of the set was disappointingly gender-neutral. [Guardian, Chemical Heritage Flickr] More »

Oldies But Goodies

Sadie Stein — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST

A tipster sent us a swell Friday treat: 1951's The Home Economics Story, from the Home Ec Division of Iowa State. The film follows Kay, an earnest high school student who is inspired to pursue the exciting path of Home Economics after seeing a riveting assembly speaker. After arriving at college, Kay and her friends study physics (that "even a girl could like!"), art, chemistry, nutrition and diorama-making before deciding to pursue careers in teaching, applied art (to become a department store buyer), "household equipment," and hospital nutrition. "Good jobs. Interesting jobs. Well-paid, too!" [YouTube] More »

Good Housekeeping

Sadie Stein — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:30:00 EDT

Sadie here. When we saw this 1955 "Good Housewife's Guide" from Housekeeping Monthly, I promptly forwarded it to my fiance, (sleeping at home, natch) who, by its standards, is a lamentably poor house husband. He neither has dinner prepared for me, removes my shoes, speaks in a low, soothing and pleasant voice, nor "knows his place." Let alone freshens his makeup or puts a bow in his hair! It's this sort of behavior that sends a woman into the arms of her secretary. Or am I applying archaic standards? [Alcade] More »