Male
Vanity
Looking good for the job and or
interview, has been a way for decades.
After the war, during the 50’s, jobs were shifting. No longer was it a work a day job, rather it
was becoming a formal job, in offices and clerks in nice department
stores. Serving the public, lots of
employers were asking that their workers dress up for the job.
Clothes manufacturers began to
pander to this vanity in men when they advertised their clothing. Wearing nice shoes became just as important
as having a dress shirt where the collar behaved. A starched cotton collar has a tendency to
curl up at the points after the top button is hooked. All types of gadgets were tried to keep the
collar in place. Collar stays of all
types were made for that distinctive look a man would want.
Upscale shirt manufacturers began
putting a small plastic tab in the points of the collar to hold it in place
when a tie was worn. This tiny piece of
plastic caught the attention of the man who had the starched shirt and
tie. Here was a way the working man
could look nice and keep things in their place with little effort.
Working in a department store, what
the store clerk was wearing would impact the choice of the customer the clerk
was helping. Like today, image is very
important with customers. During the 50’s
the work force was predominately male.
Most women left their war jobs and married their homeys to raise a family. The husband was the primary bread winner and
the woman stayed at home taking care of the family.
The fabric of American society
during the 50’s had their ideals, just like every generation has their way of
wanting to live.
Clothing makes the man, as the
saying went. Clothing does create an
image and for many was it comfortable?
Footwear became just as important to being comfortable. Large shoe manufacturers, advertised style as
much as they did comfort, even the manufacturers of soles for shoes advertised
their wares. The shoe cobbler was still
in business back then and repairing shoes was more common then replacing
them.
In choosing clothes, vanity so often
overruled, being practical. When the
garment manufacturer could satisfy both vanity and practical, they had a
winner.