The 1950s was a glorious decade—the dawn of a new era of glamour and innovation in the world of beauty. Most of the mainstay skin care and makeupbrands we still have on our shelves first emerged in the 50s, and through the years have established themselves as the pillars of the beauty industry. Technicolor had just hit the big screen, and women everywhere were drawing beauty inspiration from multicolored faces of their favorite film and TV characters. Not only that, but a lot of now brilliant cartoons and comics were being made, and the characters from these would soon be the icons we all know decades after. With Halloween just around the corner, wouldn’t it be loads of fun to dress up as one of your favorite 1950s glam icons?
Here are a few ideas to help you figure out how to emerge like your favorite character straight out of the 50s that’s guaranteed to be a hit at your Halloween bash:
1. Sandra Dee from Grease
Though this movie clearly came out in the 70s, the musical antics of the T-birds and Pink Ladies at Rydell High were actually set in the 50s as lead star, John Travolta, confirmed in an interview. And who could forget the newly transformed ‘bad girl’ Sandy in her tight, all-leather ensemble, complete with red lipstick, fab curls and hoop earrings?
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2. Lorelei Lee from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
The sexy 1950s showgirl portrayed by Marilyn Monroe in that stunning pink dress and diamonds is one of the most recognizable looks from the 50s. So unforgettable was it that Madonna herself paid homage to Lorelei Lee in her ‘Material Girl’ video. Grab that blonde wig and faux jewelry and make your grand entrance stat!
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3. Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s
As far as icons go, Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly, the glamorous New York society girl tops the list of that decade. Though this look has been done multiple times through the years, it’s always a hit and pretty easy to pull off, so get your tiara and black dress on and play ‘Moon River’ as you get dressed.
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4. Veronica Lodge from Archie Comics
Before Blair Waldorf and Serena Van Der Woodsen were brought to life in the Gossip Girl books and TV show, Betty and Veronica were already long playing frenemies in Riverdale since the 50s. As much as we love good girl Betty, Veronica the vixen is always a bit more fun to dress up as, especially on Halloween.
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5. Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy
Possibly the most decade-defining character in 1950s television was Lucille Ball’s hilarious redhead character, Lucy Ricardo, in the classic sitcom, ‘I Love Lucy’. Get those curlers on and pucker up those glossy red lips, because dressing up as the beloved Lucy is sure to be a ball!
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Text by: Yasha Barretto