People born in the first half of the 20th century have mostly passed on. But many of those who came of age in the ‘50s are still with us, and can regale us with tales of how things were. I’m sure we’ve all heard the stories and seen the pictures. For many parts of the world, and especially America, things were better than they had ever been before, at least in terms of the economy. It was at this time that the ‘American Dream’ took off. The ideal life in the ‘50s was pretty standard and basically what we all strive for in The Sims – a marriage, kids, friends, and awesome home. And back then, they certainly achieved those things in style.
1. 1950s Dress
Check Out This CC The socially acceptable forms of dressing were pretty rigid in the 1950s. We all know this. But no one will ever deny they looked darn good. This simple dress has all of the classic assets from the era. A long skirt, belted waist, and high buttoned collar will go a long way towards that retro look. The sleeve length looks pretty old-fashioned as well. There’s just something so lovely about ‘50s dresses. I don’t know how anyone ever wore them and got things done – I’d rather wear sweatpants and a t-shirt to clean the house for sure. But they never fail to make the wearer look beautiful.
2. Retro Dress
Check Out This CC See what I mean? Look at the shape of this dress, the gorgeous patterns and low collar. You could put Shrek in a dress like this and he’d look amazing. I don’t say this to downplay the time, money, and effort ‘50s ladies put into their appearances. I know it took a lot of work. And that’s why I’m so grateful we can so easily slap a pretty dress, nice hairstyle, and some makeup on our Sims have a pretty similar look in less than a minute. If you look over this closely, you should notice a little detail that you rarely see on modern dresses…buttons! I have no idea when they went out of style or why, but I’m a little sad. Buttons make everything cuter.
3. Lady and Girl’s Bun
Check Out This CC Short hair was the norm in the ‘50s. Hence all the jokes with long hair being equated to hippies by the late ‘60s. I don’t know if there’s a definitive reason other than social norms. Even for women, hair rarely went far past the shoulders. The only guess I have is that with the active lives people led, without the help of modern machinery and amenities, no one wanted to deal with their hair getting in the way. That’s just a theory, though. I could be wrong. In any case, the hairstyles back then were pretty iconic, and there were a lot of updos. This bun from Birksche is available to both adults and children, and is just all around great. This CC just perfectly captures the slightly formal vibe all hair and clothes had back then, even if they were actually casual.
4. The ‘50s Hair
Check Out This CC If we’re talking about ‘50s hair, one of these rolly bun styles has to be included at some point. This might be the most mysterious hairstyle ever. I don’t know what it’s actually called and I don’t know how they got their hair to do that. Even if it was just curling and pinning it down, how did they manage to keep it so tight!? Well I guess that’s a question for our grandparents. This is certainly a unique and intricate look for your Sims, and one that’s very well made. There’s no clipping here or weird parts, everything is crazy smooth. It’s even hat compatible!
5. Lazy Curls
Check Out This CC As you can see, when it comes to ‘50s hair, birksche has you covered. This is a very typical short curled hairstyle that’ll work well for any Sim aged teen and up. That’s something notable about this era – the fashion didn’t vary all that much by age. At least from my point of view, teens just looked like slightly younger adults. And we all know how neglected teens are in TS4, so don’t forget you can stay well within the lines of realism and use all of this CC for all ages!
6. Charlie Collection – ‘50s Mix & Match Set For Children
Check Out This CC This perfectly illustrates my previous point – even kid’s fashion was really just shrunken versions of adult clothes. Or were adult clothes enlarged versions? Nah, it’s probably the first way. If you’re going to be playing any sort of theme where the whole family is supposed to be sporting ‘50s attire, this collection is an absolute must. There are a ton of different ways you can mix and match these items for both boys and girls. The shirts, pants, and shorts are all compatible with each other, and come in many different swatches, so you can get several different outfits out of this set. The patterned button up shirts and t-shirts are just so ‘50s. I can’t decide if it’s more because of the designs on them, or that they’re tucked into high-waisted pants. Small details like that are so important if you’re trying to get a dated look.
7. Medium Pulled Up Curls
Check Out This CC Here’s an example of slightly longer hair that’s still markedly retro. These smooth and subtle waves, pulled up by cute clips, are undeniably elegant. I think this is a classic early ‘50s look. I know I’m not the only one that has noticed hairs sometimes don’t look good in all colors. There are even official styles that only look good blonde or brown, but not both. This style, however, will look great no matter what.
8. Cute Glasses
Check Out This CC Glasses have always been a constantly changing thing. Each decade has its own distinct style of eyewear. And for the ‘50s, it’s these cat eye glasses. Those pointed frames are unmistakable, even if they have somewhat drifted in and out of fashion in recent times. If you’re trying to make a Sim with a specific decade in mind, you’ll want to use everything you can. Hair, clothes, accessories, shoes. Every little bit will help and cement the look even more. These glasses paired with the dresses and hairs above will definitely get you there.
9. Sculpted Updo Conversion
Check Out This CC Twists and waves and rolls, oh my! Here we have another option for those fancy, well-coiffed ‘dos everyone loves so much. Who can resist these tight, gorgeous curls? This is a conversion from The Sims 3, but honestly it looks so good I almost didn’t believe it. We all know that game didn’t exactly excel at textured hair. But clearly this is an outlier. It’s all around flawless!
10. Escale Shirt
Check Out This CC From my observations, ‘50s men kept things pretty simple. They had sweaters, button ups, and suits. However, not everything was black and white. Seriously, were you aware of that? Since most of the things we see from this period are in black and white, it can be hard to remember color wasn’t forbidden or anything. These shirts from simsontherope are pretty good choices. They have some wackier patterns and color schemes that’ll still work wonderfully for any retro guys. There are a handful of designs here that won’t quite fit, but I love using the leafy and striped ones!
11. Casual Jumpers
Check Out This CC This modified Cats & Dogs sweater is the bee’s knees! Is that actually a 1950s phrase? I don’t know. It does seem like the wholesome sort of thing they’d have said back then. But seriously, this is a downright necessity for your ‘50s fellas! They have so little going on as it is, their wardrobes will need every flashy pattern and bold color choice you can find. These sweaters have it all, coming in 60 swatches. And even though it is based on an item from a pack, it is base game compatible. Sweaters for everyone!
12. Retro Headdress
Check Out This CC One thing that seems to be overlooked in regards to ‘50s fashion is hats. Ladies sure loved hats back then, and I don’t mean snapbacks. There was a wide range of dainty, ornate designs back then that just aren’t available to us yet for our Sims. I just don’t think it’s possible, especially if you want them compatible with more than one hairstyle. However, you can at least have this cute hat complete with a flower and snippet of veil. With 15 colors available in this CC, you should be able to match this with plenty of dresses to create quite the refined look.
13. Phoebe Sofa Suite
Check Out This CC The Sims 4 really doesn’t have a lot going on in terms for couches. I hate to be a negative Nelly, but I personally find most of them rather, well…ugly. There are two I just use over and over. That’s probably because my furnishing tastes lean towards retro anyway, and almost all of the couches we’ve got right now are pretty modern. So if you want a true ‘50s flair in your Sim’s home, you’re gonna have to turn to CC. Fortunately, we have insanely talented creators out there like Peacemaker to back us up. This sofa set is a pretty standard style, with high straight backs and arms. There’s even a matching loveseat and chair included! And we have another big list of other custom couch CC if you want even more options.
14. Mid Century Modern Kitchen Marvels Set
Check Out This CC Kitchens have changed quite a bit through the years. So again, you’re gonna have to turn to CC if you want accuracy. These Mid Century Modern counters, stove, fridge, and more will definitely get you on the right track. The wood design of the counters with decorative embellishments are perfect for vintage kitchens. And while the appliances may not be exactly like what your great-grandma had, the style and colors are suitably dated. That spiky wall clock is a blast from the past all by itself, too.
15. Chrome Co. 1950 Kitchen Collection
Check Out This CC If you want dated furniture, look no further. Can’t you just hear the metallic rattling of those tables and chairs? Ah, I love it! Linzlu, the CC creator, has clearly got this decade down. Everything here is just right, from the design itself to the color. Even the three different sized canisters just make sense. These items will all fit really well with the kitchen set above, too. Retro plus retro equals awesome!
16. Vintage Rotary Phone
Check Out This CC You must remember, we’re talking about the stone age when it comes to communication. Cell phones weren’t even an idea yet, I’m pretty sure. Back in the day they had rotary phones instead. And I don’t know if any of you were ever handed a defunct one of these to play with as a kid, but I’ll tell you, dialing a number on one of this is much more satisfying. Sadly, it won’t be functional for your Sims. But it will still be a nice addition to any living room or bedroom.
17. Vintage Wallpapers
Check Out This CC If what I’ve seen is any indication, ‘50s walls could go one of two ways: plain colors, or super busy wallpaper. We already have plenty of the first option available in the game. But not nearly enough of the second. This pack of vintage wallpapers will definitely level things out. There are plenty of lovely floral designs available here, as well some more unique ones that are simply fitting for the era. I can totally see the bicycle or coffee cup wallpapers in a vintage kitchen, or the purple leafy pattern in a den. Yes, a den. That’s what you have to call the living room to truly embrace the 1950s.
18. Atomic Bedroom
Check Out This CC What was with the Atomic theme in the ‘50s, anyway? It seems like it was such a prevalent thing, enough so that Fallout 4 was centered entirely around a rather exaggerated version. I’ve always attributed it to the sudden boom in industry and growing technology. But where the actual inspiration came from continues to be a mystery. The results were some highly recognizable designs, like the items in this set. I mean, from the pattern on the bed to the shape of the lamps and the room divider, there is no mistaking what these things are supposed to be.
19. Laundry Set
Check Out This CC As much as things have changed, one thing that’s stayed mostly the same is laundry. Ironing boards have never had much updating, nor have irons or clotheslines. Some things are just good as they are, clearly. This set offers plenty of items to branch out your Sim’s laundry space. While you’ll have to continue to make due with modern washers and dryers, these decorative items are perfect for a little old school flair.
20. Zenith Retro Radio
Check Out This CC While television was booming in the ‘50s, radio remained a solid source of entertainment as well. It wasn’t just for music, but scripted programs, news, and sports as well. For less affluent families, radio may have even been their only source of scheduled entertainment. In any case, everyone had a radio. And they looked a lot different then than they do now. This Zenith Retro Radio CC from simsnowtato is a classic example. It’s an oblong shape with pointy legs and a simple racetrack design, available in 19 colors.
