re: Have a friend that needs to wear 1950's attire to someone's 50th birthday party...

Since I lived through the 50's, you can do this without spending a lot of money.

Blue Jeans rolled up at the cuff. Get a new, round neck T shirt slightly smaller than what you wear. In the left sleeve, roll up a pack of cigarettes, White socks and black shoes. Try to find vitalis or brylcreem for your hair . Apply liberally. Comb the sides back in a ducktail. Create a flip curl for your forehead. Google the movie Grease and duplicate the character played by John Travolta. For the right touch, place a cigarette on top of your ear.