Sometime around 1950 a motorcycle club in a small town in California gripped filmmaker Stanley Kramer’s imagination. It inspired him to make a film in 1953 called “The Wild One”, which starred Marlon Brando and Lee Marvin as two crazy bikers who terrorize a small town.
Their uniform and motorcycles rejected society’s accepted norms. The loud motorbikes, the short, black leather flight jackets, the jeans and white t-shirts all became the symbol style for anyone called a “greaser.”
It is important to note the slight military/police look that greasers went for. Although they tried to dress as anti-authority as possible for the times, it is ironic that they chose clothing that was worn by authority figures to express their defiance.
Two more films, “On the Waterfront” and “Rebel Without a Cause,” brought the greaser look further into the forefront.
“On the Waterfront,” once again starring Marlon Brando, featured denim jackets, jeans and plaid shirt sans tie.
Share your love for 1950s Greasers: Styles, Trends, History & Pictures
James Dean, who suffered an untimely death in 1955, became in international cult sensation with his look. Swept-up hair, jeans and leather jacket defined the look of a rebellious teenager who felt misunderstood by his parents.
Pictures of 1950s Greasers
Share your love for 1950s Greasers: Styles, Trends, History & Pictures
I remember when i was growing up in the 50’s I always wore dresses with a perfect circle bottom.
Great site!
A couple of points though;
‘Greasers’ was a term of the late ’60s and ’70s and not the ’50s.
James Dean’s look in ‘Rebel’ utilised what we call in the UK a ‘Harrington’ jacket and not a ‘bikers’ jacket. He’s also as often seen in a sports coat, shirt and trousers in the film as he is in t-shirt, jacket and jeans. JD did wear a flying jacket when riding his motorcycle in his personal life.
The bulk of bikers in the early ’50s were ex-servicemen (Korea & WWII) who struggled to adapt to civilian life and were mostly in their 20s and 30s. They wore ex-military surplus because they often had them anyway and replacements were cheap to buy from surplus stores.
The Marlon Brando film popularised the ‘look’ leading to Elvis, JD and others growing sideburns and wearing ‘biker’ jackets with their t-shirts and jeans… although it was the car which became the iconic ’50s teen transport… you couldn’t get a date to go out with you on a motorcycle!
Jim. NOPE SORRY. I was in high school at Van Nuys in Los Angeles in the 50s. I WAS a GREASER.
Harleys, Triumps, and BSA motorcycles were the bike of choice. Even the Hells Angels were in LA at the time.
Well Jim, you’re wrong. The term “Greaser” came about in the mid to late 1800’s for Mexicans that held the lowliest of jobs for greasing wagon axels and hides. And it’s been used ever since as a derogatory term for a low life. Now you know.
i remember a movie i saw in the UK in 1957 about a group of young men riding mostly 650 Triumph bikes in the desert, The plot far as i remember was a newcomer that encounters the group and becomes invoked riding with them.
I recall one scene only where the group leader tells the newbie that their sport is where one rider takes off and the other try to catch him, there may have been a reference to hare and hounds. I don’t recall it as a violent movie.
At that time i was 16 and waiting delivery of my first bike, a Triumph T20T, the movie aroused my interest in So Ca and desert riding, i made it here in ’65 and stayed, spent many happy weekends in the local deserts and mountains on a variety of bikes.
I can find no info on that movie, i have searched several times on likely sites with no success, possibly the riders were Ekins and Mulder but find no reference to a movie like that in the lists of movies that they may have featured in.
I would enjoy watching it again if i could find it.
Hi,the debate about greaser’s has missed the point,yes Mexicans we’re called greaser’s but the other gentleman is olso correct,I was a greaser in the very early sixty’s becouse it was brought into play by the mods who called us greaser’s or rockers becouse we all wore brillcream on our hair and had a tony Curtis hairstyle with a ducks arse at the back,I was at Margate on the bank holiday when the punch ups took place and the mods always lost,we were into booze and they were into blue bombers and speed and other drugs,I was Thier with the Saltbox MC from Biggin hill and had to get a lift home as the mods had cut the petrol pipes on my Vincent Shadow.Mad jock Mac Gregor membership number eleven Salt box MC.
Your life sounds like a movie! Is it?? Ha
I find it fascinating, all your feedback on this era. As someone that was born in the mid-70s and was in high school during the Golden Era of Rap music, I’ve always been fascinated with the 50’s when Rock n Roll took off and changed the culture like Hip Hop has today.
oh how i wish i grew up in the 50’s
same I would love to be a greaser every day of my life
wow crazy stuff guys!! i remember walking around CA and seeing jake and logan paul 😀 i love them sooooooo much! i ran straight to them and asked for a photo they said sure ya greaser!, haha i was like what is that and they told me to look it up and i said ok!! xD they walked away i was so happy!! <3!
I was born in the 50s but I really do not remember anything until I was 4-years-old to be quite honest. I love most things about the 1950’s, especially Greaser culture as I always loved it and I am fascinated with it.
well yall, I’m a modern greaser who keeps the traditions of the 50s greaser subculture its called the rockabilly revival movement. yall who are interested, join and countinue the style. the styles NOT dead its very much alive. There are MILLIONS who still be greasin like me.
I’ve always wanted to dress this way. Maybe it’s quarantine gettin to me, but boy, ever since middle school I’ve sorta wanted to dress like a greaser.
Hey,
just wanted to say I love this site and enjoy reading all the stories people post here. It’s a great source of research material for my little project that I’m currently working on. Keep up the good work!
Best
Andy H.
I remember switch blade knives, 1951 Mercs with fender skirts, 501 Levis and engineer boots, a “buyer” to get you beer on Friday nights, leather jackets, car club jackets. I could go on…..duck tail haircuts….those were the days…Watch a Stray Cats video of I Won’t Stand In Your Way….
i was born in 1946 so i was a teen in 1959. I do remember James Dean and loved him! I loved the styles both by the preppy people and the greasers or tough people! now i’m 75 and goin to parties wear we dress in the 50’s styles. i love it. i am Rizzo from “Grease”. Yes I am proud to say I still dance and still look pretty good