American fashion influence
Living standards improved rapidly during the 1950s. Launderettes and home washing machines made looking after clothes easier. The Rock and Roll and American influence was everywhere. American culture made bomber jackets and casual shirts in bright prints popular with men. Teenagers were identifiable as a distinct group with spending power of their own.As the fifties progressed, youth culture expanded. Rock and roll caught on, young men took their fashion cues from James Dean, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and other luminaries of popular culture.
In spite of the sartorial conservatism of the 1950s, the foundations were being laid for a fashion revolution, in which convention went out the window and individualism and teen style took centre stage.
1953 in Puerto Rico
The largest migration of Puerto Ricans to the United States mainland occurred, with 69,124 emigrating (mostly to New York, New Jersey and Florida).
I think the influences of the 1950s, reflected a lot of the costumes and settings of West Side Story. In the 50s, men began to wear bomber jackets and smart shirts, instead of wearing a suit all the time. This influenced what Riff the gang leader of the Jets wore. As a leader he needed to be easily identified, so he wore a yellow bomber type jacket, to signify his importance.
ReplyDeleteAlso notice how in this time period, there were a lot of Puerto Rican's immigrating to the States, to divert themselves into a better life. This most definitely influenced Robbins decisions.