The 1950s was a very exciting time filled with quickly changing modes of transportation and rapidly developing technology. The tone of the decade was fast, confident, and optimistic.
After the close of World War II, Americans were ready for a colorful future. Inspired by the developing Space Race and the leaps in technology, homes and cars took on sleek, futuristic styles. Bright, bold colors were all the rage, and homes were commonly painted in flashy hues of pink, turquoise, orange, and yellow. Television soared in popularity, enabling consumerism to take hold and popular culture as we know it today to flourish.
As the soldiers returned, the idea of "home" became a very important fixture of the American family. Men were ready to settle down, buy homes, and have babies. The booming demand for housing led to prefabricated homes and quickly built ranch-style houses. The "nuclear family" was born.
And, because every family was expected to keep up with the Joneses, no home would have been complete without a fully tricked-out (and probably pink) bathroom! Any respectable family would have owned most of the vintage powder room objects you're about to see.
Will you recognize any of these blast-from-the-past toiletries? Let us know if you do!
Please SHARE if you enjoyed this vintage tour of bathrooms gone by!
1. Sanitary Belt And Napkins
It's hard to say what Modess found so luxurious about this "luxury" belt, but this contraption would have, unfortunately, been a necessity in every 1950s bathroom. Step into the belt, clip in the napkin, and off you go to bake pies and mend socks! Mother Nature is no match for the modern American woman!
2. "Evening In Paris" Perfume
"Evening In Paris" would have been the perfect gift for a wife, mother, sweetheart, or friend. By the 1950s, this perfume was touted as "the fragrance more women wear than any other in the world," but by 1969, it had completely disappeared.
3. Toilet Paper Cozy
Toilet paper is vulgar and ugly, and thus must be concealed beneath the frilly, cupcake-like dress of a delicate doll. Everyone knows that! No fashionable restroom would have dared to keep their toilet paper rolls on display!
4. Portable Hair Dryer
This General Electric hair dryer featured a hood, connected to the heating device, that comfortably slipped over your hair. With its own easy-to-carry tote and "Comfort Control" dial, this product was a necessity for the modern woman!
5. Lady's Electric Razor
The Lady Sunbeam electric razor would have been a must-have item for any well-groomed lady in the 1950s! With its pink body and mother-of-pearl accent, it would have looked lovely sitting on the bathroom counter.
6. Avon Lipstick Samples
Avon salesmen typically brought this by homes as a free sample. The Tiffany blue box, stamped with the Avon seal, would have been filled with lipstick colors ranging from Honey Bisque to Dewy Wine! It would have been a perfect starter kit for your young daughter.
7. Maybelline Mascara
Although this "cream" mascara must have been a nightmare to apply, it was probably easier than Vaseline and charcoal, which is how women darkened their lashes before Maybelline. Maybelline mascara has been around since 1915 — exactly 100 years! No woman's dainty eye flutter would be complete without it!
8. Hair Curlers
There were many variations of hair curlers during the 1950s — but the Spoolie hair curlers were advertised as the most comfortable to wear to bed. If a lady did not curl her hair overnight, she was forced to wear curlers during the day — covered with a fashionable scarf, of course!
9. Men's Razor Set
Before heading off to the office, husbands would have gotten a nice, clean shave every morning with this Old Spice shaving cup, brush, soap, and safety razor! After all, no one wants a rough, scratchy kiss!
10. Nail Polish
While it's a very common color today, red nail polish was considered a "promiscuous" color in the 1950s. In fact, some churches wouldn't allow a woman wearing red nail polish to attend services! They had to remove the color first. Clearly, the owner of this nail polish wore "Rose Red" loud and proud!
11. Compact
No respectable lady would have left the house without a compact tucked away in her purse. This particular compact — part powder, part mirror, part lipstick holder — was very trendy. We wouldn't want a shiny nose, now would we ladies?
12. Hair Gel
When women wanted to set their curled hair, or husbands needed to slick back their short-cropped locks, a quick dab of Dippity-do would have done the trick!
13. Prell Shampoo
Introduced in 1947, this shampoo was marketed to women "who want their hair to have that radiantly alive look." Its plastic bottle was a huge selling point, as it could fall from a shower shelf and not break.
14. Cold Cream
Can you believe this product is still successful? Since 1914, Noxzema has been wiping away our makeup, removing dirt, and firming our skin! It's no wonder it's still a must-have part of the average beauty regimen to this day!
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