This Boomer Fashion is Actually Making a Comeback

When it comes to Baby Boomer fashions, you're looking at clothing and accessories from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Fashion trends come and go, but some make a comeback. Travel through time and explore popular fashions in those decades and find out what Boomer fashion is making a comeback. They're in alphabetical order except for the 1950s fashion that's coming back.

Julie Newmar's portrayal of Cat Woman made the catsuit incredibly popular. These slim-fitting bodysuits were a spin-off of a leotard and became everyday wear. They've come back into fashion several times thanks to additional Cat Woman portrayals.

• Decade: 1960s

Denim is a durable material, but it wasn't until the 1950s that denim jeans or dungarees became trendy for women. Early jeans had a loose fit around the hips and thighs and a high waist. Cuffs were often rolled to sit just above the ankles.

• Decade: 1950s

Bell bottoms wouldn't become a big fashion trend until the 1970s, but flared legs started gaining popularity in the late 1960s. The flared legs were not limited to jeans either. Any pants could have flared legs. It wasn't a fashion trend reserved for denim jeans.

• Decade: 1960s

Today's thigh-high boots pay homage to the go-go boots of the 1960s. These knee-high boots were typically a shiny white PVC or vinyl material that boasted a space-age look.

• Decade: 1960s

Katherine Hepburn helped solidify a pantsuit as acceptable attire for women when she donned a tuxedo in 1942. The war helped speed this trend up as women entered factory work where dresses were not suitable attire so pants became the norm. High-waisted trousers were especially trendy at the end of the 1940s.

• Decade: 1940s

Miniskirts came first, but they were quickly followed by a maxi skirt in the latter part of the 1960s. As Baby Boomers shifted towards a "Hippie" lifestyle, long, flowing maxi skirts reaching the ankles were popular.

• Decade: 1960s

Twiggy helped solidify the miniskirt and minidress as a fashion must in the 1960s. While women had worn skirts and dresses that sat at or below the knee for decades, hemlines went above the knee and became a standard fashion from that point on.

• Decade: 1960s

Instead of plain black, grey, or other solid colors for matching jackets and pants, patterns became all the rage. Synthetic materials, such as velvet, also became popular in the making of these patterned and striped blazers, jackets, and pants.

• Decade: 1960s

Most people today know pedal-pusher pants as their common name capris. Aubrey Hepburn helped make them popular. The name pedal-pushers is tied to the reason for their creation. Designers took high-waisted pants and made them safer for riding a bike.

• Decade: 1950s

Saddle shoes were popular with men as far back as the 1930s, but Elvis brought saddle oxfords to the front of fashion in 1957. When he wore them for "Jailhouse Rock," everyone suddenly wanted to copy his style, even women.

• Decade: 1950s and 1960s

Getting dressed quickly grew in popularity at the end of the 1940s. Instead of having dresses that required help to get dressed, newer dresses had buttons going up the front. The material usually matched what men's dress shirts were made from.

• Decade: 1940s

During WWII, restrictions on clothing were placed to conserve materials for the war effort. While men's suits had been double-breasted, the reduction of available fabrics led to the popularity of single-breasted suits with fewer pockets, fewer buttons, and smaller lapels.

• Decade: 1940s

Tie-dye shirts became a big part of fashion thanks to the Hippie movement. Men and women both wore these colorful fashions.

• Decade: 1960s

The Bikini Atoll gained notoriety in the 1940s when it was used as a testing site for the nuclear bomb. Fashion designer Jacques Heim created what he boasted was the "world's smallest bathing suit." This two-piece swimsuit showed more skin than ever before. A few months later, designer Louis Réard introduced his version, a string bikini.

• Decade: 1940s

While slip-on loafers gained attention in the late-1930s, Gucci made them a hot item in the 1950s. Chunky loafers are a Boomer fashion making a huge comeback in the fourth quarter of 2024 with designers like Victoria Beckham and Gucci offering updated versions.

• Decade: 1950s and 2020s

Search for loafers and other Boomer fashion options in thrift stores like these Indiana shops.