Step into the Past: Embrace the Art of Being a 1950s Housewife in the Modern Era

Does the 50s housewife lifestyle appeal to you? Learn how to be a 1950s housewife and some of the ways it can benefit you and your family.

Some of the most popular posts on my blog are about being a 1950s housewife. I named my blog because this is something that appeals to me as well.

I grew up watching I Love Lucy and other sitcoms that showed the idyllic 50’s housewife. It always appealed to me. I have loved baking since I was a little kid and I always wanted a home of my own to decorate and take care of.

The clothes, the homes, the ads, all of it just makes the 1950’s housewife seem so glamorous and happy. It’s easy to see that many women are becoming attracted to this idea again.

How to Be a 1950s Housewife

First, make sure this is what you want. One of the great things about modern times is women have more choices. It’s great to now be able to choose to be a housewife instead of it being expected of most women.

If I was really a “retro housewife” I wouldn’t have this blog or my own business. I love being able to be the kind of housewife I want to be but also make an income at home. 

You can be a “1950s housewife” and have a job. Take what you want from this list, what will work for you and your family, and make it a part of your life.

Now on to the fun stuff, ways you can be more like a 1950s housewife!

Dress the Part

The fashion from the 1950s is one of my favorite parts. I love circle skirts, cute kitten heels, pearls, and all of that fun stuff. 

For a while, I dressed in vintage fashion basically every day. Now I wear a mix of things but I do still like to wear dresses every day and you will often find me in stockings with seams and cute heels. And I do still wear a lot of circle skirts.

You also don’t have to look like you stepped out of the 1950s. The bigger thing is ditching the leggings and putting on something that makes you feel good and put together. 

It’s amazing how much better you feel and how much more ready to take on the world you feel when you wear a cute outfit, even just at home.

It also means if you have a surprise guest or even a delivery guy you aren’t embarrassed to answer the door!

Putting on some makeup, if you wear it, and doing your hair helps as well. Basically, just actually get ready each day. 

Keep Your Home Clean

Having a home that looks nice, is clean, and comfortable for you and your family is a big part of being a homemaker. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just comfortable and clean.

Be sure you take time to declutter. This will help you keep your home clean more easily. While this post-war era was starting the consumer culture they still had less, lack of a better term, cheap junk in their homes. 

To steal a term from Marie Kondo, keep things that spark joy. Of course, also keep those things you need. I don’t know about you but my mop doesn’t spark joy but I should likely keep it.

Once your home is decluttered, create a cleaning schedule that works for you. Don’t forget that the rest of the family can help as well. Even in the 1950s children had chores (often a lot more than now) and the one working outside the home still helped as well.

You can even try out a 1950s housewife cleaning routine. It’s not easy but your house will be really clean! You will likely even lose a bit of weight.

Make Delicious Meals for Your Family

Eating out was treated as more of a thing reserved for special occasions and fast food was just getting started in the 1950s. Fun side note, my grandma worked at one of the first McDonald’s as a teenager in California. She even served Lucille Ball once.

Most meals were made at home from scratch. Quicker options were starting to show up but they still weren’t as common. 

Cooking more from scratch can save you money, improve your health, and even bring your family closer together. 

Depending on your family and the season of life, skip the tv at dinner time. Use this time to connect with each other.

My husband and I do eat in front of the tv, it’s one of the few times either of us makes time for tv. But we still use this time to talk about our days and enjoy each other’s company. We generally don’t pick things to watch that require much attention so this really helps.

Take Care of Your Marriage

Have you read The Good Wife’s Guide? It’s a list said to be from the 1950s about how a woman should treat her husband and act in general. 

There are things we can learn from it but it’s also outdated and shows some of the sexism that occurred during that time. I actually have created a modernized version because I think there are things we can still learn from it. Click here to read it.

The biggest thing is to make your relationship a priority. Have date nights, connect with each other often, and put real time and energy into it.

My husband and I tend to have an at-home date night on Tuesdays. This is something quick, often 30 minutes or less. Just a time each week that we commit to connecting.

Saturday we usually have a date night/day and we will go out to eat or often we will go about an hour away to the Oklahoma City area and do a bit of shopping, maybe go to a museum, and have a nice dinner. We don’t have kids and are in a place in our lives where this works well for us. We are very busy during the week so we pack in more time on the weekend.

If you can’t take a big chunk of time right now, find smaller pockets of time and take more time when it’s available. 

Be a Part of Your Community

Many housewives during the 1950s volunteered in their communities, even more during the war. It was a way to give back but also a way to not get bored and get out of the house.

It’s still important for housewives to get out of the house and it’s important for all of us to give back. 

It doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment but find some things you can do to give back often. Maybe serve food at a food bank, help an elderly neighbor with some gardening or errands, volunteer at a local animal shelter, whatever makes you happy and you have time for.

I can’t stress enough how much this can help if you start to feel bored or lonely as a housewife. It will help you connect with others and feel great about what you are doing.

You can try to be as authentic or modern as you’d like. We can all learn from the 1950’s housewives.

I have to say I feel pretty glamorous in a cute dress, baking something in my vintage kitchen. And that’s what it’s all about, doing what makes you feel good and happy and works for your family.

Join a Homemaking Club

Do you ever wish you could join one of the homemaking clubs of the past? Sip some tea and share some delicious treats while talking about homemaking.

Now you can do just that! The Retro Homemakers Club is a place to learn and connect with other homemakers with a fun retro flair.

It’s a great place to learn more 1950s housewife tips and tricks to use in your home. Plus practical advice for modern homemakers.

More 1950s Homemaking Tips