Full Tea Length Skirts

• One common style of wedding dresses in the 1950s was a move toward the less formal using tea length dresses. A tea length dress falls at the calf somewhere between the knees and ankles. A tea length dress is usually worn for fancy but not black tie affairs. These dresses still had the same feminine styling and circle cut skirts as the formal length gowns of the era but were more casual.
  
  

Small Waistline

• A small waistline is a mark of femininity, and dresses were made to accentuate this feature in the 1950s. To get this look on the dress itself the skirt of your dress should be a circle skirt and start flaring out from the waist. To ensure a smooth and slim waistline under the dress, wear a shaper or corset that cinches at the middle. Add layers of tulle under the skirt to puff it out to form an extreme contrast to the small waist.
  
  

Lace Accents

• Lace a very feminine accent. Skirts were often covered with a layer of lace or trimmed with lace at the bottom. Dress bodices could be covered with a layer of lace to match the skirt or just accented with matching trims. To achieve this look on your dress, add lacy edges to an existing style or have your dress made with a floral lace pattern layer over the main fabric.
  
  

Puffed Sleeves

• Having gathers of fabric on your dress creates a lush, fancy and girl-y aesthetic. The circle skirt of the fifties was one way to do this but to add some extra fabric and lushness bridal gowns often has large puffed sleeves. The combination of this with an extravagant skirt creates a very 1950s style silhouette for your wedding dress. It's possible to overdo puffed sleeves, however, so you don't want to make them much larger than a cantaloupe or you risk looking more like you're wearing a white 80s prom dress.