Dressed to Impress

At a party hosted at one of the girls' homes, the guests are given an opportunity to dress their best, in which to impress their peers. It was also a chance for the viewers of the film to get an idea of how the characters dressed when they had no constraints (such as a school uniform).

As you can see, the feminine theme holds true once again with waist-cinching dresses and girly details. The host of the party is wearing the sleeveless, low-cut, brocade dress with the satin ribbon. She stands out in the crowd, which seemed to be her goal for the afternoon. She is also wearing very high heels, which were only worn for special occasions.

The other women are dressed in a typical '50s manner, in a dress with a full skirt and defined bodice. This was a very sophisticated look at the time. Most of the guests are teenage girls maturing into women, so the choice of what they wore to this event defined them as adult women and no longer children.

The men are wearing full, double-breasted suits and ties. They are dressed formally, and all the same. In the '50s, there was an aspect of conformity in menswear. They didn't have many options for work- grey, black, or navy suits- and wore their work clothing to most social events as well. As a result, for much of the decade, mens' style was only defined by the dark colored suit they chose to wear.