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.

In order to have a successful car hop you’ll need to do some basic planning first. Once this planning is done and assignments made things won’t seem so overwhelming. The following are some things that ideas to help your activities be a smashing hit.

Publicity is key. Make sure that your event is well know by those who will be attending the event. When people know in advance they are more likely to make sure to set aside time to attend.

Decorations really make a big difference. They can make the difference between a ho hum event and an evening full of pizazz. It can be simple or elaborate, you decide, but whatever you do, do it well.

These can include putting out black and white checkered table clothes. For a center piece add a plastic record in the middle with some mint green and pink balloons. Add some Bazooka bubble gum for an added touch.

Dressing up for occasion also helps people to really get in the spirit of things. Poodle skirts, bobby socks, saddle shoes and chiffon scarves are a fun costumes for women and girls. Cuffed blue jeans, leather jackets, and black sunglasses really add something for guys.

Your food can include hamburgers and fries in a vintage style basket, along with milkshakes with whip cream and a cherry on top. Root beer floats are also crowd pleaser. These can be brought out by a waitress on roller skates to add the finishing touch.

While your car hop is in swing make sure that you play some good “swinging” tunes for everyone to listen to. Once things are planned, assigned and the party is in motion, make sure that you take a minute to enjoy yourself and all hard work you put into it. Now it’s time to Rock Around the Clock tonight.

Successful car hop shows are ones that are well planned out. Making plans ahead of time can go a long way in making your car show look well put together. A good idea is to have a theme with your car show. Here are a few ideas:

1.) Look to the past car shows for ideas. If recent car shows have been done in your area, do not repeat their theme. A theme, such as car hops, may be a good idea – but only if it has not been done for a while.

2.) Think about specific vehicle-inspired themes. You can hold a car show featuring a specific vehicle or vehicle type. Some popular choices would be mustangs or corvettes.

3.) Classic Cars are a great theme. Restore cars from the 1950’s and bring in a car hop or sock hop theme. Car hops and other activities can bring in more customers and make the car show more fun.

4.) Muscle Car themes can also be fun. These cars from the mid-1960s through the mid 1970s were large, powerful vehicles. Hold activities around the muscle car theme, such as arm wrestling, and award prizes.

5.) Antique Car shows are one of the most popular themes for car shows. A lot of people are enthusiastic about antique cars, and there is a high chance of getting a lot of people to participate. Cater towards the antique theme by having employees wear early ’20’s clothing and hiring out barbershop quartets.

6.) Have a car show for unique vehicles. There are often car shows for normal, manufactured cars. Be different by having a car show based off of various miscellaneous vehicles. These can include police cruisers, taxis, hearses, limos, and even buses. The more rare, the better.

When planning your car show the main focus should be your cars. Car shows are there to showcase the beautiful craftsmanship of the vehicles. Make that your priority with your show.

Other things that bring in business is to have other activities planned. Find one that works alongside cars that will appeal to family members who may not be interested solely in cars. Child-friendly activities can bring out the entire family to the show.

One idea is to have prizes for the best car. Have people bring in their own car for a decent prize. Categories can include the brightest car, or the best overall car. Prizes are good incentives to get people involved in the show.

Another fun activity could be to host a car hop. A car hop is when a server brings food out to your car to eat. A car hop would tie in to the car theme, as well as be fun for the customer. You could even have your server wear roller skates and a sock hop costume to tie it all in together well.

Carnival activities can be another good idea. Face painting for kids, and balloon sculpting are classics. Door prizes and raffles are also good incentives to get people to stay at the show and look around.

You could book a local band to play at the event. The band would like the publicity, and the music would lighten up the atmosphere quite a bit. Having something nice to listen to while looking at the various cars can be a nice touch, if done properly.

Car shows are meant to be fun. Make it a great experience for everyone who comes out. Plan your events ahead of time and make sure everyone has a great time.

Although poodles weren’t the only embellishment used on skirts in the 50’s, for some reason they are the best remembered. To bring back the nostalgia of the 50’s, poodles are the animal of choice to have on your skirt, complete with a leash. Traditionally the leash looped from the poodle’s neck up to the skirt’s belt.

Many poodle skirts are made to be a full circle of fabric with an opening for the girl’s waist. This way as the girl twirls around dancing, the skirt naturally spins out from her body. Of course poodle skirts are worn with lots of fluffy petticoats underneath to help fluff them out even more.

A short sleeved sweater or cotton blouse is often worn with a poodle skirt. And don’t forget the traditional pony tail with a ribbon tied in your hair. Bobby socks and saddle shoes or white tennis shoes will complete your outfit for a truly retro look.

Plus size poodle skirts can be very flattering as the fullness of the hemline contrasted with tightness at the waist can draw the eye in. Wearing a contrasting belt helps in this case. This helps create a sculptured silhouette.

Plus size poodle skirts are easy to fit. For a full circle skirt, all you need is your waist measurement and the length of the skirt.  The fullness of the skirt should take care of the rest. If the skirt is less full, your hip measurement should also be taken into consideration.

When looking for the petticoats to  go under the skirt, look for ones where the fullness doesn’t start up by the waist. Instead look for ones that have ruffles of netting down closer to the bottom half of the petticoat. This will prevent unwanted fullness in the hip area.

Remember that if you use full slips underneath, the skirt will appear shorter when it is fluffed out. For the best look, a plus sized poodle skirt should fall slightly below the knee when wearing a petticoat underneath. Above all else, remember to smile and have fun!

Some of these celebrations might be themed.  The themes could be movies or decades through out time.  There are several costumes available, especially on the Internet.

The plus size poodle skirt is the perfect costume for the 1950’s themed party or Halloween.  A plus size poodle skirt will never go out of fashion.  Poodle skirts originate from the 1950’s and are still a very popular costume.

The plus size poodle skirt is also very flattering. Poodle skirts originate at the waist.  This gives the illusion of a smaller waist and a larger bust.

Underneath the poodle skirt is a petticoat.  The petticoat helps to flare out the skirt and flatter your figure even more by emphasizing your waistline.  The petticoat also turns your figure into a pear shape that catches glances.

The petticoat can be made of several layers or just a few.  The more layers there are the more flare your poodle skirt will have.  You can even have some of the petticoat visible if you want.

The 1950s fashion of the poodle skirt would show the petticoat about four inches below the skirt line.  The petticoat would be made of crinoline.  It could also be colored for added effects.

Another way for the petticoat to be visible would be with multiple layers.  The more layers there are in the petticoat the more the skirt is flared and is raised.  The poodle skirt would then almost look like an upside down flower.  The petticoat in this version could be colorful as well.

Poodle skirts have a full circle skirt to it. This is perfect for swing and sock hops, but also for any type of dance. Poodle skirts are great for spinning. Teenagers and adults alike love this type of style. It also is a smash hit for children.

In the 1950’s poodle skirts were very popular. They were often worn by the younger crowd. Teenagers loved wearing the ultra fashionable style and making it in to their own unique style.

Poodle skirts at the time were made out of a few different materials, but felt was generally used. Felt is a good material because it is easy to use and quite inexpensive to get. Poodle skirts got their name “poodle skirts” because it was popular at the time to have an applique of a french poodle on the skirt.

While french poodles were not the only thing used on poodle skirts, they are the easiest to remember and the most popular choice of applique. Other appliques that were used were black dance records or telephones. Sometimes poodle skirts even had sayings put on them that were popular at the time.

Crinoline petticoats were also popular during this time. Petticoats were made in a variety of styles and colors to fit different styles and tastes. Crinoline were made out of netting that was starched so it would flare out. Crinoline petticoats were worn underneath poodle skirts to lift them up and give them the volume they needed.

Wearing hair in ponytails with chiffon scarves was a popular choice by girls in the 50s. Saddle shoes were also a popular shoes choice. The black and white oxford shoe was worn with white cotton socks and needed frequent polishing.

The 50s were a time of malt shops and soda shops. Teenage girls and boys loved to go to sock hops and listen to great 50’s music. The 50’s era may have passed, but they provide us with plenty of ideas for fun parties and themes.

The petticoat has been around for centuries.  A petticoat, or pettiskirt, is an undergarment that women wear for fashion.  It could be made with one layer of fabric, but it usually consisted of several layers.

Back when women underwear was not invented, a petticoat was worn as an extra layer for privacy.  This underskirt was also worn to have the latest fashion.  It also gave the appearance of a smaller waist and larger bust.

Pettiskirts were made of a variety of fabrics.  The wealthy generally had the more expensive fabrics in their pettiskirts like silk.  The generally population in the summer wore cotton fabric pettiskirts.  Wool fabric pettiskirts were worn in the winter for added warmth.

The petticoat has been in fashion since 1585.  Next to the shoe, it is an article of clothing that has lasted through out time as fashionable.  In the sixteenth century pettiskirts were visible under open front skirts.

Pettiskirts lasted into the 1700s where they were worn with long jackets.  They were used mainly in rural areas for the purpose of added warmth.  In Europe and America they were made of lace and worn with elaborate silk gowns.

In the 1800s the pettiskirt jumped in and out of fashion.  In the early years of the nineteenth century the fashionable dress was less elaborate and narrower skirts, so pettiskirts were not used.  When the waltz became popular, the pettiskirts came back into fashion.  In 1860 the “Gibson Girl” look was fashionable, which was long narrow skirts with white blouses.

Much like the nineteenth century, the pettiskirt came in and out of fashion in the twentieth century.  Petticoats were popular in the beginning, but the Great Depression put an end to them.  Just when they were coming back into fashion, World War II put them back out.  Pettiskirts were most popular in the 1950s, but they were short instead of long.

Pettiskirts are still worn today, but are not in a great demand.  They are generally worn for formal dances or with bridal gowns.  In most formal dresses the pettiskirts are sewn in and are not needed as a separate item.  Square dancing females wear short pettiskirts as well.

Petticoats were a popular choice during the Renaissance. Multi-layered dress styles offered a few pettiskirts to be worn at the same time. Wool pettiskirts became fashionable during Wales in the 1700s.

Lace petticoats were worn in the 18th Century. Elegant designs were mostly worn by the wealthy class. Lace pettiskirts were worn with corsets, and women at the time had a tendency to faint because of lack of air and the heaviness the pettiskirts provided.

Pettiskirts were also a popular Opera choice. Extended frames were built to make Opera singers skirts appear even fuller than previous pettiskirts. The full bodied effect quickly gained popularity in Europe and America.

Opera pettiskirts were a popular choice in America in the 19th Century. Movies such as The King and I and Gone With The Wind give good examples of this type of style. Full framed petticoats gave a very wide, full effect on the bottom of skirts, making waists continue to appear tiny.

The Flapper movement of the 1900s stalled the petticoat movement. Pettiskirts were worn with slender dresses and skirts, so they were made out of sheer material. Pettiskirts became even less popular during the great depression and World War II.

They became popular again during the 1950s. Multiple layered petticoats were worn to add movement to poodle skirts. Pettiskirts were very popular during this time, and could be found in a variety of styles and designs.

During the 1920s the flapper movement started. Smaller pettiskirts were worn to work with more slender dresses and skirts. Sheer underskirts were popular during this time. With the Great Depression and the shortage of materials during World War II, pettiskirts fell out of favor again.

Petticoats lost their popularity with main stream design after the 50s. During the 1970s ruffled pettiskirts became a popular western wear item which was worn underneath prairie skirts. Today, pettiskirts are most popular with bridal and formal wear.

1.      Take a trip to the library. Children can look through the books there and find a few to bring home to read. A change of scenery may be a great way to boost your children’s moods.

2.      Choose educational videos for your children to watch. If your child is bent on watching a movie or playing video games, choose a fun educational ones. They can be found online or at most department stores. Children will appreciate a fun movie to watch, and parents will be happy because there is educational backing to it.

3. Make an “idea box” together. Children can decorate a Kleenex box and put in fun activities they would like to do on ‘rainy days”. Then, when another rainy day comes they have an idea box to help with their boredom.

4.      Have a tea party with each other. Children poodle skirts can be a fun way of dressing up this activity. Poodle skirts can also come in adult sizes, so both mom and daughter can wear the poodle skirts for the tea party.

5.      Play board games with one another. Educational board games can still be fun but teach children educational things, such as spelling or art. Boggle jr. is a fun game, as are most puzzles.

6.      Have older children do the reverse writing challenge. Ask children to write a sentence backwards. When they are done you can hold it up to a mirror and see how well they did. You may be surprised with the results.

7.    Make cookies together. Children can help you get out ingredients, and help you put them away. When the cookies are out of the oven you can cuddle up with a blanket on the couch together and eat cookies while watching the rain out the window.