Strolling right down memory lane can be  memorable experience for all.  With a few simple things to think about and prepare you’ll quickly be ready to amaze everyone with you’re great entertainment.  These include invitations, decorations, costumes, food, music and games.

There are many creative ways to invite your guests to your party. You could use black construction paper to make a record, inviting people to come for a “swinging party.”  You could cut out a picture of a clock and inviting people to come “rock around the clock” at your sock hop.  There are many possibilities.  Just put something along with your 50’s theme.

Next you need to start thinking decorations.  You could set your room up like a high school gym, or a diner.  Add an old-fashioned jukebox and you have a decoration and entertainment in one.

Costumes really help people to get in the spirit of things.  Encourage your guests to come in costume by offering a prize for the best costume.  Poodle skirts and ponytails are very popular costumes for the ladies.  Boys can don white shirts and jeans with the legs rolled up.  Throw on a Letterman’s jacket or a black leather jacket and your set.

Food is one of the best parts of these parties.  Simple hamburgers and fries will work wonders.  Put them in an old fashioned basket with paper and your set.  Have someone bring them out on Roller-skates and voila, definite crowd pleaser.

Make sure that you have plenty of music from the 50’s to liven things up.  Elvis is always a winner.  There are several fun things to do such as the limbo or the twist that will help guests to mingle and get in the spirit of things.

This holiday season instead of just thinking of something fun to do, do it.  This is the perfect time for a sock hop.  With a little planning you’ll soon be able to rock around the clock with friends and family this fall.

You can get a lot of great costume options from looking at the fifties. The 1950’s fashion can be used in fun Halloween parties, carhops, or sock hop school dances. Lets also not forget the fun themed parties, where 50’s themed parties can be a real hit.

There were a lot of clothing options during the fifties. This is another perk for choosing to do a 50’s themed costume for your party or event. Having a lot of options can give you the chance to really choose the style that you like.

poodle skirts, 50's fashion, 50's outifts, 50's costumes

Other clothing outfits for women were Capri pants, jeans, and a workout jacket top. 50’s housewives wore dresses that were a little lower than knee-length, with full skirts. Crinoline and petticoats were used to make both the dresses and poodle skirts more full.

Guys also made fashion statements for their time. White t-shirts were very popular at the time among boys. The t-shirt was usually worn with blue jeans that were rolled up a little.

Men typically wore collared, button up shirts. Plaid suits were also popular at the time. Top it off with a fedora cap and some thick, fifties style glasses and a briefcase and you have a great 50’s businessman costume.

The fifties were a great era of fashion. There were many choices for clothing and accessories. Their clothing now work as wonderful costume choices for Halloween or 50’s themed parties and dances.

During the age of the sock hop flats and penny loafers were popular shoe options. White tennis shoes were good options as well. Saddle oxfords were also other shoe options. There were quite a few different styles available for women during the 50’s.

Flats – The flats were common shoes worn by girls who were still going to school. They look similar to the ballet shoe. Flats were versatile and could go with a lot of different clothing styles.

Penny Loafer – The penny loafer was another popular shoe option. Both men and women wore penny loafers during the 50’s. They were called penny loafers because the kids in school liked to put pennies in to the diamond-shaped slit in the loafers.

Saddle Oxford – Saddle oxfords were also another traditional shoe choice during the 50’s. Saddle oxfords looked great with poodle skirts, and were worn to school, sock hop dances, and other youthful activities. Since they were so comfortable they were a popular choice for most girls.

Oxfords – Oxfords were similar to saddle oxfords, but had a different style to them. Oxfords were also a popular style for both women and men. Oxfords came in a lot of different color options, unlike the saddle shoe, which typically was only black or white.

Heels – Heels were also a good option for women. Heels could come either open toed or closed. Many of the heel options were pointy shoes, though some were rounded.

Take advantage of what the shoes had to offer. When you go to that sock hop or 50’s party you now know what to pair the poodle skirt with. Find a shoe that fits your costume choice.

During the age of the sock hop flats and penny loafers were popular shoe options. White tennis shoes were good options as well. Saddle oxfords were also other shoe options. There were quite a few different styles available for women during the 50’s.

Flats – The flats were common shoes worn by girls who were still going to school. They look similar to the ballet shoe. Flats were versatile and could go with a lot of different clothing styles.

Penny Loafer – The penny loafer was another popular shoe option. Both men and women wore penny loafers during the 50’s. They were called penny loafers because the kids in school liked to put pennies in to the diamond-shaped slit in the loafers.

Saddle Oxford – Saddle oxfords were also another traditional shoe choice during the 50’s. Saddle oxfords looked great with poodle skirts, and were worn to school, sock hop dances, and other youthful activities. Since they were so comfortable they were a popular choice for most girls.

Oxfords – Oxfords were similar to saddle oxfords, but had a different style to them. Oxfords were also a popular style for both women and men. Oxfords came in a lot of different color options, unlike the saddle shoe, which typically was only black or white.

Heels – Heels were also a good option for women. Heels could come either open toed or closed. Many of the heel options were pointy shoes, though some were rounded.

Take advantage of what the shoes had to offer. When you go to that sock hop or 50’s party you now know what to pair the poodle skirt with. Find a shoe that fits your costume choice.

Tourist- Grab your dad’s Hawaiian shirt and some tacky shorts. Top it off with a goofy hat your dad also probably has, and wear a camera around your neck. Don’t forget to pull your socks up as high as they can go.

Scuba Diver – If you have some snorkel gear take advantage of it. They make for a fun dress up costume. Put on your wet suit, snorkel mask, and if you want you can incorporate the flippers in some way as well.

50’s Sock Hop Dancer – Find that sock hop dressing attire for this fun 50’s costume. Girls can wear a cardigan with a poodle skirt and guys can wear a letterman’s jacket with jeans. Greaser outfits, such as a white t-shirt and leather jacket, also make a good sock hop costume.

Good Ol’ Grandma – Use a dress that is a few sizes too big for you and use pillows to fill it up. Use granny glasses and a scarf to use over your head for a shawl. Be sure to wear knee high socks that show underneath the dress and wear with granny shoes.

Witch – This is a classic costume because it is always so fun to do. Dress in black and carry a broom. You can wear a pointy black hat if you want, or wear a cloak too. You can have a lot of fun with makeup with this costume by doing your best to come up with the face you want to match the costume.
Overweight Farmer – This one is an easy one to do. Dress up in your overalls and put a small pillow in the middle. Put on a straw cowboy hat and chew on a toothpick. You could even draw a gap in between your teeth if you want to be silly.

Ghost – The ghost is one of the easiest costumes for Halloween. All that is required is a white sheet and cut outs for the eyes. You can purchase sheets now very inexpensively so you can throw the costume away with out feeling too guilty when you don’t want to save it.

As far as specific clothing choices that were popular during this time, women typically wore blouses that were tucked in to their poodle skirts. They also sometimes wore Capri pants and jeans. They also liked to wear cardigans to go with their blouses.

Bathing suits were usually one-piece suits. These bathing suits were halter tops or strapless. Women liked to wear saddle shoes, pumps, stiletto heels, or penny loafers.

The men also had snazzy fashion choices. They usually wore white t-shirts with jeans.  They topped those off with leather jackets, lettermen jackets, or bowling jacks.

The 1950’s were the age of the sock hop. A lot of these fashion choices were used because they worked well with dancing. Poodle skirts were a classic example of this. The full, circle skirt offered a fun effect for girls when they were dancing.

50’s fashion was unique. It was classic for that specific time period. If you want to have fun with that time period, put on a fun sock hop or 50’s party. A lot of people are searching for the perfect party plan, and a 50’s party may be the perfect choice for you.

Sock hops are a perfect dance for friends, high school dances, or even family reunions. 50’s parties are great costume parties as well, and can be a great theme. Incorporate the great fashion choices of the 50’s in your costumes to tie everything together.

The fun thing about having fashion trends is that some of those styles are actually cute. They retain a certain “classic” standing. One of example of this legacy fashion trend is the 1950’s. They had a very classic, fun clothing fashion trend.

The 1950’s was the era of rock-n-roll and sock hops. Their fashion choices during this time was very fun. The 50’s brought on a very distinct fashion trend. A lot of people like to call that era the sock hop fashion era.

The poodle skirt has always been the main clothing choice that we recall from the 50’s. The poodle skirt was the item that replaced those tight, slimmer skirts from the earlier days. Poodle skirts were a lot more full and landed at around the knees.

Poodle skirts were made out of quite a few different materials, and could be a lot of color choices. A lot of the poodle skirts were adorned with applique like a poodle or a music record. These poodle skirts were typically worn over crinoline or petticoats.

The crinoline or petticoat is what gave the skirts an extra bounce. These were very handy during the sock hop dances, which were commonly held during the 50’s era. The petticoat gave the skirt the extra full look.

Poodle skirts were not the only clothing option from the 50’s. Other clothing from the 50’s fashion include saddle shoes and bobby socks. Cardigans and ponytails were popular for the women during that era. Letterman jackets, slicked back hair, and leather jackets were popular for the guys of the 50’s.

Fashion comes in and out of style, but certain eras really stick out through out history. The 1950’s were one of those time periods that the fashion really stands out, in a good way. Be sure to take advantage of their beautiful fashion choices by hosting or joining a sock hop dance or 50’s party this year. It is something you definitely will not regret.

Have fun with your decorations. You won’t have to deal with the hot sun during this time, so you will have a little more freedom with what you choose to use for your sock hop food and decorations. Things won’t melt or get ruined because of the hot sun this time.

Incorporate the 50’s theme with your decorations. Place pictures of 50’s Hollywood stars around the room, hang old records, and have an inflatable jukebox. 50’s cars are also another great decorating choice.

Get the student body involved in the planning. They can come up with some pretty amazing details that you might overlook. Students are wonderful party planners.

Be sure to advertise the dance for a while before it is scheduled. You want the high school students to know about it in advance and talk with their friends about it before the day of the dance. The more advertising you do, the better chance you have of a good turn out.

Your school dance team may also want to be involved with the dance. Invite them to come up with their own suggestions. Perhaps they will have volunteers to teach the rest of the student body certain sock hop dance moves or 50’s swing steps.

The main thing is to plan an activity where students can mingle with one another in a safe and fun environment. A 50’s style sock hop dance is perfect for this type of activity. Add some great music, food, and entertainment and you are good to go.

Think of what you would like to do at your Halloween party. Incorporate the holiday and mix it with the 50’s theme. Everyone wants to dress up for Halloween, so what better way than to include all your friends in with the same type of costume ideas and styles.

For party favors you can buy inexpensive sunglasses from a dollar store. Place an orange napkin in between the folds of the sunglasses. For girls, you can add pearls on their table setting. Your guests can use these party favors as an accessory to their costume.

For the meal, include a burger and fries. Instead of serving coca cola, make homemade root beer. The dry ice can make quite an eerie decoration for the party, and you will impress your guests with your delicious homemade root beer in the process.

Do a mixture of songs for your music. Mix rock and roll with Halloween songs. You don’t want to just play Halloween songs, since you want your guests to get out on the dance floor and dance to come good, classic, 50’s music too.

Incorporate a good balance with decorations. You want to include the 50’s theme and the Halloween theme. Try to use the color of black and orange as the color scheme, but include other 50’s decorations like hanging old records from the ceiling or on the walls. Add a real or inflatable jukebox for a great decoration choice.

Don’t forget to include activities and games with your party. Dance contests are an amazing way to get everyone up and moving. You can also hold a costume contest, 50’s trivia contests, or other such activities. The main thing to remember is to keep everyone involved so they have a good time.

Some traditions are old, and some are new. Some have been going strong since the 50’s. Some of these traditions include sock hops, soda fountain parties, and ice cream socials.

However, some of these traditions now go by different names. Soda fountain parties are now the same as hanging out at a fast food joint with friends; ice cream socials occur on a daily basis at places like Dairy Queen. And sock hops are now just dances.

Some more basic traditions that draw generations together are things like food, music and dancing. In fact, these are some of the strongest binding factors between generations. These specific factors are also the main ingredients of 50’s sock hops.

These hops were the most popular form of dances in the 50’s. They were mainly held for high school students and took place in gymnasiums. These dances were all about enjoying the music, dancing, eating and spending time with friends; again, these things form some of the strongest bonds!

Things haven’t changed that much since the 50’s. Hamburgers and shakes are still some of the most popular food items; fashion is still in the forefront of most teenager’s minds, as are friends and crushes. Teenagers today still go to dances for the same reasons that teenagers in the 50’s went to sock hops. And the ingredients that made up those hops still make up the majority of our dances today.

Teenage girls still spend hours on their hair before dances. Boys still get nervous before asking girls to dance; and girls still giggle at everything those same boys say. There is still a good amount of shy wallflowers at these dances, too.

There are so many traditions we have today that modernized versions of traditions from the 50’s: Sonic drive-ins are imitations of 50’s hamburger joints, bowling shirts that were once only worn to bowling tournaments are now worn on the street every day, and fedora’s, a popular hat worn in the 50’s, are now back in style. Teenagers today may wear different types of clothing to dances or “sock hops” but they are still the same dances. Because they are based around some of the fundamental needs of our society, they will never cease to be popular, no matter how big the gap gets between the now and the 50’s.