What was expected of a woman in the 1950s?

Womens main role in society in the 1950s was to take care of the family. Women were expected to be caring mothers, hard-working homemakers, and obedient wives. Modern mothers, as they were called, couldnt have friends, jobs, or anything that would distract them from their duties from the house and family.

What did the ideal woman look like in the 1950s?

A typical 50s silhouette had the wasps waist, full skirt or pencil skirt, three-quarter-sleeve tops and coats, full belted skirts, button-downs, and prim sweaters. Women were taught to dress to allure, but rarely showed a great deal of skin.

What were womens roles primarily in the 1950s?

Employment rates for women continued to increase in the 1950s, but women were again mostly limited to what were considered “womens jobs,” such as teaching, clerical work, domestic labor, and being store clerks.

What was the average weight of a woman in 1950?

While 1950s woman was just two inches (5cm) shorter at 5ft 2in (162cm), her chest and hips were 1.5in (4cm) slimmer at 37 (94cm) and 39 (99cm). But the difference in waist was four times that figure and her weight was an average of 9st 10lb (62kg) as opposed to 10st 3.5lb (65kg).

What was considered beautiful in the 50s?

Dainty and ladylike was the ideal. Makeup, seen as visual indicator of femininity, was not used sparingly. Most women used cream, liquid or pancake foundation, flesh toned setting powder, blush (then called rouge), eyeshadow, eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, mascara, lipliner and lipstick.

What was the average size of a woman in the 1950s?

The average woman in the 50s had a 27.5-inch waist and her bra size was 34B; in 2017, womens waists are 34 inches and they wear a 36DD bra. Other differences: Women in 2017 are almost 20 pounds heavier (154 vs. 136 pounds) and wear larger-size clothing (size 14 today vs. size 10 in 1957).

How did family life change in the 1950s?

During the 50s, there was a deeply ingrained social stigma against divorce, and the divorce rate dropped. Children were precious assets and the center of the family. Very few wives worked, and even if they had to work, it was combined with their role as housewives and mothers.

What was the average size of a woman in 1950?

The average woman in the 50s had a 27.5-inch waist and her bra size was 34B; in 2017, womens waists are 34 inches and they wear a 36DD bra. Other differences: Women in 2017 are almost 20 pounds heavier (154 vs. 136 pounds) and wear larger-size clothing (size 14 today vs. size 10 in 1957).

What was the ideal body in the 50s?

In the 1950s, the ideal body type reaches Jessica Rabbit proportions. After the angularity of the war era, a soft voluptuousness was prized above all else. Ads of the time even advised “skinny” women to take weight-gain supplements like Wate-On to fill out their curves.

What was a size 12 in the 1950s?

In 1958, a woman who had a 34in bust and a 25in waist – much like Marilyn Monroe – was considered to be a US size 12 (equivalent to a UK 16). However, today a size 12 would fit a woman with a 39in bust and a 32in waist.

Why were womens waists smaller in the 50s?

Diet is a huge factor. In the Fifties, British women were eating a much healthier diet as a result of post-war rationing, so they were significantly smaller. Butter and meat were hard to come by, so vegetables were a staple food and the diet was rich in fibre and minerals but low in fat.

How many children did people have in the 1950s?

During the 50s, there was a deeply ingrained social stigma against divorce, and the divorce rate dropped. So, the stereotypical nuclear family of the 1950s consisted of an economically stable family made up of a father, mother, and two or three children.