By Erica Hill
In the 1950s, as a result of the United States growing consumerism, families were introduced to the television. By 1955, relatively 64.5% of families owned a TV set. While TV did not broadcast 24 hours a day, certain shows became very popular. Variety shows and sitcoms dominated prime-time slot, with shows such as Father Knows Best and I Love Lucy expressing stereotypical gender roles where the wife cooks and cleans and the father brings home the bacon. These gender roles were emphasized through the character's clothing; donning conservative dresses and dress suits. Classic 50s and early 60s fashions included calf length dresses with short sleeves and the occasional apron. Moving toward the late 60s, dresses took a turn for the mod. Dresses became shorter with no sleeves.
Recently, such television programs as Pushing Daisies use fashion to add to the appeal of the show. Pushing Daisies follows the story of Ned The Pie maker (played by Lee Pace) who can bring people back to life. He brings back his childhood sweetheart, named Chuck (played by Anna Friel). Chuck's clothing contributes to the cinematography of the show. The show uses a bright color palette and crazy patterns to offer a fairytale look.
Chuck’s style is similar to those leading ladies that came before her, including Lucille Ball. A twist is put on the traditional "housewife" dress to give it a modern feel. The waitress named Olive (played by Kristen Chenowith) that works at Ned's restaurant "The Pie-Hole" wears dresses that resemble clothing from the 60s. She wears brightly colored, mini-dresses that look like costumes from such shows as I Dream of Jeannie and Lost In Space. The clothes that both Olive and Chuck wear are modern interpretations of past designs. These fashions add to the authenticity of a futuristic fairytale show equipped with classic costumes.
On another note, Mad Men is a show that takes place in the early 1960s. The story involves Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm), who is the junior partner of the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. The agency creates advertisements evoking societal norms such as traditional gender roles, even though life isn't really like that. The show covers infidelity, divorce, and religious and racial prejudices among other things.
The clothing worn by all the characters helps convey the setting of show. The women wear rather conservative clothing, often donning dresses. However, some characters such as Joan, (played by Christina Hendricks) continuously push the envelope by wearing shorter (around knee length) dresses and more low cut tops. Peggy (played by Elisebeth Moss) often wears the customary sweater and high-waisted skirt to compliment her character's naïveté. Even the kid's clothes in the show reflect the fashion of the decade.
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