Men's Styles
Typical men in the 1950s wore grey, flannel suits with a tie. They carried a briefcase and kept their hair short. Ward Cleaver was most often pictured in a suit and tie with his briefcase. Wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase were indicators of holding a respectable job and earning a good income.
**Same clip as found on the Clothing Styles page**
This clip shows how important wearing a suit was. As Wally is getting older and transitioning into manhood, he feels as though he needs a suit. He even buys it with his own money. The importance of wearing a suit as a man for status is also shown when Wally's friends "oooh" and "ahhhh" over the suit. June even urges Ward to be supportive of the suit because of how excited Wally is. Note that Beaver is not looking for a suit because he has not reached manhood yet. Both Beaver and Wally really have no idea what to look for in a suit. They end up picking a striped and "loud" suit. Ward expresses his disapproval over the suit as most fathers would have because the typical suit at the time was flannel grey. Click below to read more about Teenager's Styles!