1950s Vintage Swing Dresses with Full Circle Skirts

The 1950s vintage swing dresses were very popular daytime wear for women. It was a full-skirted, dress that was stylish but casual. The swing dress was a favourite for daytime parties, resort wear, going-to-the-cinema wear, or holiday fashion.

Generally designed with a cinched waist and a full-circle swirling skirt that fell down to the calf, these day dresses sometimes came with matching fabric belts that clasped the small waists of the stylish fifties woman.

Main Styles of 50s Swing Dresses

A swing dress can be sleeveless, come with long, elbow, or short sleeves, and had varying collars styles that include:

• Halter neck
• Shirt collar
• Scoop collar
• Sailor collar
• Bow-tie collar, and collar-less.
• Collarless round neck

Some swing dresses came with matching scarves and worn with full petticoats to exaggerate the full circle cut and accentuate the skirt's elaborate flare.

Fashion designers of the mid-20th Century used a wide variety of both natural and synthetic fabrics to create their distinctive designs. However, fabrics used for daytime wear such as full-skirted dresses, circle skirts, and blouses include cotton, cotton satin, seersucker, rayon, and linen.

Floral prints, botanical prints, and neutral colours were typical of day dresses. Botanical themes included green ferns, acorns, cherries, strawberries, and cabbage roses.

The Polka dot pattern was also quite popular, as well as the diamond trellis and gingham check designs.

Today, you’ll still find vintage fifties inspired fashion; especially full-skirted gowns and similar clothing styles adopted by fashion icons like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Marilyn Monroe in fashion boutiques both off and online. Their stylish clothing is now reproduced by fashion designers as 1950s vintage-inspired styles.

Further Reading:
7 Famous Fashion Designers of the Sixties
Vintage Inspired Petticoats
How to Dress Like a 1950s Woman