For women
Girls dressed up exclusively in fluffy dresses or skirts, emphasizing their femininity and playfulness at the same time. Countless shades, details, petticoats that swirled, riding up while dancing. Insanely bright colors accompanied them throughout. You could wear a set of a skirt and blouse, but it is very important that they fit together and look like a single whole with a belt. Despite all the absurdity of colors and styles, the dudes dressed very stylishly (it’s not for nothing that they were called that). The sleeves of blouses or dresses could be completely different, most often ¾, 2/3 or wings were used, but they also wore long, puffed sleeves, or they could not be there at all; there were no restrictions in this aspect.
Dresses were decorated with circle, stripe, checkered or floral prints. The more prints, the brighter the image and the better it looks. A narrow waist, often cinched with a wide patent belt, a tight-fitting bodice - the maximum sexuality of forms, challenging Soviet foundations. Spaghetti straps, revealing stockings, daring behavior, bold makeup, lined eyes and brightly painted lips. The difference was striking between Soviet girls in shapeless, dull clothes and bright feminine forms, which were emphasized by the contrast between a full skirt with a narrow cinched waist. Very often, such dresses were complemented with round beads, bracelets and other jewelry.
Hipsters were divided into castes: flashy cheap looks or laconic fashionable looks straight out of American magazines. Color variety was not always a significant criterion, but an outlandish pattern, expensive earrings, a confident gait and the ability to dance decided everything. Girls of the second type could afford to wear a laconic black dress or a tight-fitting narrow skirt, without losing a bit of the polish of the dudes.
Suit in the style of a dude
A suit in this style is represented by a skirt and blouse.
The classic option was a midi skirt. In some cases, for example, for cocktail parties, it was possible to reduce the length to mini. Initially, they were as fluffy as dresses, but over time they “transformed” and became shorter and narrower.
Blouses are distinguished by a simple, but not classic style. They can be with long or short sleeves or without them at all. Collars range from rounded to sharp-edged models.
For men
In the modern world, there is a stereotype that a guy’s image and appearance are not so important, but this does not apply to dudes. It is difficult to determine whose appearance was more colorful and bolder. The basis of the men's wardrobe of dudes was tapered colorful trousers with suspenders and a jacket - a daring analogy of the classic men's suit. The jackets were very different from those worn by most in those years. Elongated, fitted, with sewn pockets, massive shoulders - there was no end to the styles, but all demonstrated a masculine silhouette and clear lines (unlike the Soviet, most often shapeless jackets). The most popular was large checkered or plain fabric. Sometimes jackets and other details combined several colors at once, looking like spots. To this style of clothing, the men often added vests, jumpers, and pullovers, which were often also with patterns. The completion of the look was, of course, a shirt and a narrow tie (it is also called a “herring tie”), all in incredibly bright colors - this was their style; men’s fashion among the dudes played no less a role than women’s. It is worth mentioning one more detail - colorful socks, partly to demonstrate them, the dudes specially wore shortened trousers.
Little secrets of retro style
The length of outfits for girls who are fans of this style in the past was generally not above the knee, but in the modern world, outfits of short styles are becoming more and more relevant. Fluffy skirts that are slightly shorter than guipure petticoats look especially chic. The latter, in addition to “peeking out” a little, should also contrast in color, additionally drawing attention to this piquant detail.
This is a classic dude style, but not the limit. There are still plenty of options that can be chosen to imitate these reckless youth. For example, you can wear short trousers. But you should choose them in bright colors and with a contrasting sweater. Maxi dresses with a deep neckline will also look good. The main rule is to separate yourself from everyday life and create a good retro mood for yourself.
Of course, these are not dresses for every day. Less colorful outfits can be worn more often: for a walk, on a date. The image of a Hipster girl is perfect for celebrating the New Year. But, of course, it will look ideal at a themed party dedicated to those years. Then you can really have a blast.
Shoes and accessories
Accessories played one of the main roles in the image:
- evening gloves;
- voluminous earrings;
- stockings with suspenders;
- headbands or scarves
- small handbags or reticules.
Stockings were difficult to obtain in the USSR; girls sometimes sewed them themselves (like clothes) or simply drew on the seams with pencils. The most cheerful colors were selected for all accessories: yellow, pink, blue, green - the shades were almost luminescent. For men, these are, of course, ties (much less often butterflies), suspenders, and in rare cases, cufflinks - decorated with patterns, as if from modern comics. But, of course, the main accessory was the hairstyle: bob for boys, babette and bouffant for girls, curled bangs.
The hairstyles were distinguished by volume and an abundance of varnish, so the result was a neat but playful styling that went against tradition. Girls often used satin headbands, large hairpins or bows as head decorations or additions to their hairstyles.
Shoes for girls are, of course, shoes: with a pointed toe or without it at all, with a strap and a medium-height heel. It is comfortable to dance in them and, thanks to them, the images looked especially elegant and feminine. Often, instead of golf socks or stockings, short light socks were worn under shoes, adding playfulness. The main distinguishing feature of men's shoes, characterizing the dude style, were boots similar to modern oxfords or brogues, only a little rougher and with thick rubber soles. The dudes preferred shoes in classic colors, as if they calmed the image: white for boys, black for girls, but this was not typical for everyone: many still preferred rich colors in shoes.
Choosing clothes
First of all, you will need a men's dude suit. These clothes are far from classic and look very extravagant. The first dudes wore very wide trousers, however, pretty soon the baggy trousers were replaced by more elegant pipe trousers. Moreover, they must be shortened so that the socks can be seen (we will talk about choosing socks later). In addition, you will need a loose jacket, a bright shirt and a herring tie.
Trousers
Pipe trousers came into fashion in the early 60s. It was believed that the narrower the pants, the more chic the look, and since there were no stretch fabrics in those days, it was extremely difficult to pull on tight trousers.
When choosing a carnival costume, you do not have to follow the fashion of the last century. Pants made of modern fabric will also fit perfectly into the look. The main thing is to choose the right style and color.
You shouldn't wear skinny jeans, they don't fit your intended look at all. You should choose trousers made of a bright fabric, perhaps with a bright check or stripe. Pipe trousers are a narrow model that is straight along the entire length; the legs should end at ankle level.
It’s worth noting right away that skinny cropped trousers look good only on tall and slender guys. If your height is small, then it is better to abandon the seven-eighths length and purchase pipes of classic length. Yes, this is some deviation from the rules, but the legs will not seem short.
If your figure is not athletic, then you can wear pipes, you just need to take into account some points:
- The model must be strictly in size. Don't buy pants that are too tight in the hope that they will make you look slimmer; on the contrary, they will only emphasize your fullness.
- Choose a dark-colored model. In no case, not black; black color in dudes clothes can be used to a minimum. And, for example, purple or burgundy. You can choose a vertical striped option, but it’s better to avoid a large checkered pattern.
Blazer
Now you need to choose a suitable jacket. The model should be loose, even slightly baggy. The jacket and trousers can be made from the same fabric, but the use of fabrics of different colors is still more welcome. Moreover, color combinations can be very diverse. For example, dark purple trousers and a light blue jacket. Or brown trousers with small checks and a dark red jacket with large checks. A combination of striped trousers and a checkered jacket is also possible. In a word, there are no restrictions.
There are also no strict rules in the cut of the jacket. The model can have a standard length or be slightly elongated. Choose lapels of medium width or wide. It is desirable to have pockets - patch or welt with wide flaps.
Shirt
A mandatory element of the costume is a shirt. Leave classic models in neutral colors for creating office looks. A bright shirt is needed for a dude-style look. It can be monochromatic, but you can also choose an option with a bright and large pattern.
It is recommended to choose a shirt taking into account the color of the suit. If the jacket and trousers are printed, then it is better to wear a plain shirt. For a solid-color suit, you can wear a Hawaiian-style model with a large pattern.
Choose the color of the shirt at your discretion. It is advisable to use unusual colors. For example, orange, bright lemon, the color of young greenery.
It is not at all necessary to choose the color of a shirt to match your suit; on the contrary, contrasting combinations are welcome. But here it is important not to cross the fine line between the bright image of a dude and the resemblance of a multi-colored parrot. However, if you are creating an image for a fun party, then shocking will be quite appropriate.
Jumper or cardigan
If you are creating the look of a dude for a New Year's party, then instead of a jacket you can choose a bright jumper or cardigan. It would be better if it was a model with contrasting patterns.
An ideal choice for the New Year holidays would be a jumper with a bright “Norwegian” pattern - with deer or snowflakes. You can wear a solid colored shirt in a contrasting color under the jumper.
Shoes
The ideal shoes for a dude-style look are low shoes with thick white rubber soles, the so-called “semolina porridge”. But if you couldn’t find “authentic” shoes, then you can choose suitable shoes from your wardrobe.
An excellent choice of shoes would be two-tone brogues, in which the details are made of material in contrasting colors. For example, from dark gray leather and red suede. You can also wear loafers or boat shoes.
Accessories
Don’t forget that it’s the details that make an image, so pay special attention to the selection of accessories.
First of all, let's choose a tie. This detail is not mandatory, however, its presence is highly desirable. The ideal choice would be a narrow tie, which has received the funny nickname “herring”. But it should be taken into account that this type of tie is still better suited for slender guys; for large men it is better to choose a different model.
You need to tie a narrow tie so that a small, slightly asymmetrical knot is formed.
If the ensemble as a whole is bright, then you can choose a plain tie. If the remaining elements of the suit do not have patterns, then purchase a tie with a checkered pattern or a bright diagonal stripe.
You can choose an option with unusual patterns. For example, a tie can be decorated with images of the dude’s favorite musical instruments – saxophones, guitars.
If a man is overweight, then it is better for him to choose a wide tie, and in order not to “fall out” of the image, tie the tie so that its edge is 10 centimeters higher than the waistband of his trousers. A bow tie also fits well into the image of dudes.
Those guys who do not like to wear ties can be advised to pay attention to bright scarves. The scarf is tied with a knot “a la cowboy”; its ends can be tucked under the shirt to be worn by unbuttoning 1-2 top buttons.
An important detail of the image are socks. This detail of the image should be long and always bright. You can choose an option with patterns, because since the trousers will be shortened, the socks will be visible.
Another stylish detail of the look can be suspenders. This detail is definitely worth using if you have chosen a plain shirt, then bright, patterned suspenders can become the central part of the look.
A classic-style look requires choosing suspenders that match the color of your shoes and tie, but if you're creating the look of a dude, you don't have to follow this rule. Suspenders can be any bright color.
It is especially recommended to pay attention to braces for men with a plump figure. Unlike a belt, suspenders will not emphasize your protruding belly and your figure will look slimmer.
Dude's hairstyle
The final part of the look will be a suitable hairstyle, namely, a highly whipped “cock”. To create this hairstyle, a half-box haircut with long bangs is ideal. In modern conditions, it is not difficult to make such a hairstyle, you need:
- Apply styling mousse to clean, damp hair;
- Using a large-diameter round comb, lay your hair back and up so that it forms a beautiful “wave” above your forehead;
- Fix your hair well with hairspray, the ideal hairstyle for a dude is hair to hair. Messy hair is not acceptable in this style.
If you have short hair, you won't be able to get a suitable hairstyle. A stylish hat will help correct the situation. A felt or velor fedora with a wide ribbon at the crown is ideal. You can also choose a tribble hat that has a shorter brim that curves slightly upward at the back.
It’s not difficult to create an interesting image in the style of dudes. The main thing is to approach the matter creatively, show imagination and not forget about a sense of proportion.
What to wear now
Of course, now no one forbids us to wear absolutely any clothes, but we hardly want to turn to old styles, having before us all the variety of modern fashion. Many elements of dude style clothing are considered commonplace today. No one will be surprised by a banal colored shirt, tie or bag. Shoes of that time, on the contrary, have become even more popular today: brogues, oxfords, and shoes can be found in everyone’s wardrobe. Thick soles literally just came into public fashion, and fitted, fluffy dresses never left it. Although in everyday life it is better to limit yourself to a small number of petticoats and flowers, it is quite possible to wear a “stylish” style for a festive event. Crazy accessories with bright prints are back in fashion. An image that is calm in color combinations can be diluted with colored socks, a bag or a belt, this will make your look interesting. Of course, if you use catchy elements in single quantities, and not throughout the entire image.
Another thing is the combination of the entire suit together or completely stylized wardrobe items; such clothes are only suitable for a party in the style of a dude or staging a dance number. There are even special theater rental stores that sell those same dresses for women and jackets and ties for men. Today, many schools, clubs, recreation centers or dance groups like to borrow outfits or elements of the dude style, since it still remains one of the most characteristic and cheerful styles in both clothing and lifestyle. Such an outfit would be especially interesting for children, since their appearance rarely uses such bright colors as in the dude style. In part, they would want to know the history of such a colorful, stylish image. Of course, now there are many branches of already outdated subcultures, among which there may well be jazz lovers who still prefer this appearance.
Dude style is a way to make your life brighter
The first dudes were “noticed” in the USSR in the first years after the end of World War II. These were the children of diplomats and trade workers - those who often went on trips abroad. Observing Western life, young people also sought to somehow stand out, to emphasize their individuality. Western fashion trends, music and other attributes of the new subculture were taken as the basis. Thus began the history of a new subculture and everything that was connected with it.
The young people initially called themselves staffers, that is, those who follow the example of the United States. However, in 1949, on the pages of the then popular satirical magazine “Crocodile”, a feuilleton about staffers was published, in which their behavior was called unworthy and even harmful for the conservative Soviet society. In this feuilleton, its author Belyaev used the word “hipsters” for the first time. Surprisingly, fans of the ever-expanding movement were not at all offended and, reasonably reasoning that the new word comes from the concept of “style,” finally renamed themselves dudes.
Gradually, the outfits of fans of the subculture changed. Women's clothing has especially changed, becoming more elegant and functional. However, due to constant pressure from the outside, by the mid-60s the movement had practically disappeared. But even now it is considered very original and stylish to throw a party in this direction and try on unusual and extraordinary images, with the help of which everything everyday and ordinary was once challenged.
