Juli Lynne Charlot - Poodle Skirt Joyful

The iconic trend of the very recognizable and adored poodle skirt started way back in 1947 that distinctly defined the 50s decade and did not actually start with a poodle but had a very fascinating history. Actress and singer Juli Lynne Charlot, then 25, was invited to a Christmas party but had nothing festive for the holiday occasion to wear. Fortunately, her mother owned a factory that used felt material, which gave her an idea. Charlot cut a large circular shape from a piece of wool felt and then cut another smaller circle in the center for the waist of the skirt. The simple donut shape had no side seams. Next, she stitched on wool felt appliqués which did not require hemming. She received so many compliments at the party that she had the idea to produce these skirts for retail sale, with each design customized for her customer. Later, her designs were bought outright from companies who reproduced them for the masses. Charlot yearned for her designs to tell a story and be "conversation starters", so much that she made sure clothing store sales associates knew the stories printed on the skirt, just in case a customer would ask. Charlot would go on to start her own fashion company, which stayed in business through the 1980s. A trend was born as these skirts were easily made at home with rudimentary sewing or stitching skills. The simplicity of the lovable garment further popularized this idea. Like Charlot, teenage girls with little sewing experience could create these skirts within just a few hours and have a special and unique design that was personal to them. Appliques such as cars, flowers, records, and cartoon characters became popular in addition to dogs on leashes. Poodle skirts were typically paired with blouses or knit tops, cardigan sweaters, bobby socks and saddle shoes. The ensemble was a popular choice worn by teens across the U.S. to school dances and other social events. Even mature women got in on the style trend adding a flare of sophistication to their skirts with embellishments such as more elaborate flourishes, the Eiffel Tower, or a martini glasses. In fact, designer Bettie Morrie combined her love of backgammon with her love of the full skirt, having board games sewn right into the felt itself! During that same year, Christian Dior had introduced the same skirt style in his 1947 New Look line, in the early years after the end of World War II to refresh women’s fashion. A lover of flare, Dior wanted to create clothing that reminded women of when they could be extravagant and glamorous. His style featured an exaggerated feminine silhouette and garments with round shoulders, cinched waists, and very full skirts which became an increasingly highlighted part of his collections in the very early years of the 1950s and helped define fashion trends in that decade.

The charming poodle skirt craze of the 50s continues to be loved by many today and makes the perfect throwback costume. I believe poodle skirts portray the emotion of joyfulness as this was a very fun and cute fashion for many teenage girls and most likely took joy in making and customizing these beautiful garments themselves. Additionally, these young women became very creative in their chosen embellishments on the fronts of the skirts that were utilized as a quirky form of self-expression. This exceptional style holds personal significance to me as I have always adored the lively and unconventional 50s mania and the retro nostalgia of such decades. Learning and researching more about the history of poodle skirts has also intrinsically motivated me to make one of my own! :)