Bobby-soxer

Uncommon card · No. 167867

Bobby-soxers were a subculture of American young women in the mid-to-late 1940s. Their interests included popular music, in particular that of singer Frank Sinatra, and wearing loose-fitting clothing, notably bobby socks. Their manner of dress, which diverged sharply from earlier ideals of feminine beauty, was controversial. As a teenager, actress Shirley Temple played a stereotypical bobby soxer in the film The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947). The presence of bobby soxers signaled a shift in American youth fashion. Businesses and corporations noticed that they were able to profit from the burgeoning consumer power of teenagers—especially among girls—and began to aim products at younger buyers, creating a new subset of American culture. Teenagers became more prominent in society as they participated in activities such as dancing and going to the movies. Music and dancing grew more popular among teenagers in the 1940s; the most popular types of music were swing and jazz, which were favored...

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