Typical Gangster Clothing

Our earliest film being ‘The Godfather’ released in 1972,  we thought it would work to our advantage if we did some research on the background, specifically the 1950’s, of where the typical gangster clothing originated from so we were able to not only get a better understanding but also reflect this into our own work. In the 1950’s Gangsters were often features on Television and in films which made their distinctive fashion well known. However, most Gangsters in the 1950’s portrayed an image of a stereotypical business man because of their formal attire. Typical gangster clothing was extremely similar to the usual outfit worn by a large majority of men in the 50’s enabling them to blend in. This kind of outfit consisted of included a slim-fitting suit, fedora and a skinny tie with a simple design.

Fedora

In the 1950s, men's fashion was dominated by conformity. A distinguishing feature of gangsters in the 1950s was their hats, which was commonly known as a fedora. The gangster fedora originated in the 1930s and came in a range of colours. Gangsters were looked upon negatively and stereotyped as thieves and murders; yet a majority of gangsters conveyed an image of a typical businessman because of their formal attire.

Skinny Necktie

Another distinctive feature of gangsters in the 1950s was the skinny necktie. The 40s and 50s was a brilliant time in history for the classic necktie, especially for fashion aficionados or men with money. However, there was much advancement in the men's necktie, which became an essential for the '50s gangster. Men acted and dressed less conservatively after WW II so tie designers were able to expand their necktie lines. In the late '50s, ties became very narrow and were decorated with simple designs. Many gangsters wore the skinny up until the early '60s when neckties became wider and more colourful.

Slimmer Suits

In the 1950s gangsters dressed very similar to the common businessman, not only because of their fedora, but also because they wore suits. The style of men’s suits in the '50s remained conservative and didn’t change an awful lot from the '40s styles. Suit trousers typically hid the cuffs and normally the pleats. The suit jackets were much slimmer than they are today and classically had two to four buttons. Wool was one of the most popular fabrics used for suits, while sharkskin was sometimes worn by wealthier men. Usually the suits were sold and paired with a fedora style hat and a skinny tie.