1940-1949 Fashion

Sabrina Pratt4th period

Women's fashion:

Women’s: Dresses-With the start of the war and a strict rationing on fabric, dresses in the 1940′s got shorter bringing them

up to knee length. The war also affected the top of the dress. Women’s clothes took on a masculine militant look with the invention of shoulder pads. Every dress, blouse or jacket was fitted with shoulder pads that extended just past the edge of the shoulder. This made for a boxy or square neckline and shoulder angle. Sleeves were often puffed up a bit with gathers at the top and extended down to just above the elbow. The neckline of the 1940′s came in a variety of cut outs. They could be square, slit, sweetheart, keyhole, shirred, wrap, or button down tops. There was NO cleavage. All top designs revealed very little skin, compared to today’s fashion. Evening dresses were the only exception, they were spaghetti strapped or halter topped that revealed shoulders and chests but only mild cleavage.

Suits-The shortage of fabric also caused the popularity of the two piece suit know as a Victory or Utility suit.  Women could mix and match skirts, blouses, and jackets for a new outfit everyday. Even after the war the suits remained popular due to its’ comfort and practicality. Suit skirts were A line- not pencil, meaning they flared out gradually from the hip to the knee. Dressed from the early years didn’t have any pleats or gathers because that wasted fabric. The later 40′s had some pleats and a wide “A” shape and even included some pockets. Teenagers were the biggest fans of skirts. They loved plaids and stripes and full skirts making the latest fad- swing dancing- easier to move in.

Blouses- Could also be worn plain or with a light cardigan sweater over it. Blouses were either a solid color or a fun striped pattern. They could be short sleeved like dresses, or long sleeved with puffy gathers and tight wide cuffs at the wrist. They usually buttoned down all the way and had a small v neck or round peter pan collar neck opening.

Pants- Pants or trousers were a men’s wear item only until the 1940′s. Women working in factories needed safe clothing that wouldn’t snag in machinery. At first women just wore mens’ pants. Later manufactures made pants for women although they still looked very masculine. They were very high waisted, button or zippered down the side, and had full legs with wide cuffs at the bottom. They were made of cotton, denim or wool blends. Women wore them at work mostly but soon became a part of their casual wardrobe at home and for fun.

Shoes-The 1940′s were most notable for the popularization for the wedge. The wedge sole was all one piece, gave moderate height and were considered safer then tall pumps. They came in solid slipons or fun summer sandal types. The peep toe was one common style. It was a small slit in the front of the toe. Peeptoes could be seen on pumps, sandals and wedges.

Men’s Fashion:

Men’s: Suits-The 1940′s men suit, either for day, sport, or evening were styled to make a man feel “larger then

life.” because of world war two fabric rations limited cloth to make suits but not style.  The zoosuit with it’s bright colors, baggy legs and long jackets was a complete deviation from the norm. However, that trend was only popular with the young men during the war years. Everyone else stuck to basic men’s suits that hadn’t change much since the beginning of the century.

Pants-1940′s style pants were wide legged, a change from the 1930′s. They were straight cut with a single hem or rolled up to form a cuff. The pants had a center crease that ran the full length of the pants. Usually pants were pleated from the waist although early 40′s pants still had flat fronts to save on fabric. Finally pants came in wool or flannel in subdued colors like blue, grey, brown. One unique and popular pattern were white chalk stripes mainly called Shadow stripes today.

Jacket-The 1940′s suit jacket came in several variations of pockets. Pockets could be patched or flapped with an optional chest pocket. The collar and lapel were quite wide and sometimes made of contrasting material, like silk, for evening wear. Jackets could either be double or single breasted, although double is more stereotypical of the 40′s. To really make a man “larger then life” the shoulders were padded and the jacket fitted in to the waist.

Shirt-Detachable collared shirts went out in the 30′s. The 40′s had attached collars in the same fabric as the shirt. Colors were muted solids or stripes such as grey and white, brown and white, or yellow/white/pink. Shirt collars were wide and sharply pointed. Fabrics were usually American cotton- a popular choice that grew out of wartime. Shirts were pocketless since they may have been covered up by a vest or suspenders. Shirt cuffs were usually french or double cuff style so cufflinks could be worn with them.

Hats-Every 1940′s man had a black or grey felt fedora hat on their head. Other 40′s hats styles were very similar to the fedora shape. The Homberg hat is like a fedora with curled edges while the tribly has a single crease instead of the fedora’s pinch top. Most hats had a hat band material called Petersham. Petersham bands had multiple stripes. Bands are often made of grossgrain today. Finally, the bowler or derby hat continued to be popular through the 1940′s.

Shoes-1940′s men’s shoes came in lace up oxford, with or without a toe cap style. To be really in style you had two toned oxfords either black and white or brown and white. Solid color non lace shoes were in the brogue style.

Popular Hairstyles:

Womens Hairstyles that were popular during the forties were the peek-a-boo bang, the top reverse roll, pin curls, side rolls, the up do, victory rolls, and even the pompadour.

Men didn’t really have a popular hairstyle most of them just slicked it back.

Inventions:

1. The girdle

2. Wedge shoes

3. Rayon4. The

Zipper5. Shoulde

r pads

5 War Events:   The Zoot Suit was the height of fashion among daring young men until the War Production Department restricted the amount

of fabric that could be used in men's garments. The same restrictions led to the popularity of the women's convertible suit, a jacket, short skirt, and blouse. The jacket could be shed for more formal attire at night. Silk stockings were unavailable, so, to give the illusion with stockings with their prominent seam, women would draw a line up the backs of their legs with an eyeliner. At work, as "Rosie the Riveter" took on a man's work, slacks became acceptable attire. When the war and it's restrictions ended, Christian Dior introduced the New Look, feminine dresses with long, full skirts, and tight waists. Comfortable, low-heeled shoes were forsaken for high heels. Hair was curled high on the head in front, and worn to the shoulders in the back, and make-up was socially acceptable. Glamorous Rita Hayworth made the sweater look popular.  It took time to put the New Look together, time the women now had as the men returned to their jobs in the factories and offices.

3rd September 1942The RAF makes a record number of sorties in North Africa as desert battle rages. Rommel’s withdrawal is speeded up by heavy New Zealand pressure. The defenders of Leningrad launch an attack in a vain attempt to meet the relief forces. The pincers of the 6th Army and 4th Panzer Army finally meet up to the west of Stalingrad at Pitomnik. The Germans now attempted to break into Stalingrad from the west, but were unable to do so because of limited Red Army counter-attacks against his flanks, which diverted a significant proportion of his forces. Luftflotte 4 continues its round-the-clock air attacks against Stalingrad.

6th September 1942Rommel is back to the positions held on the 31st August, having lost 51 tanks (out of 515), 70 guns, 400 trucks and 2,865 men. The Eighth Army losses were 1,640 men and 68 tanks. The 4th Gebirgsjäger division of the 17th Army captures the Black Sea naval base of Novorossiysk, while six Axis divisions cross the Straits of Kerch to Taman. Heavy house-to-house fighting continues in the centre of Stalingrad. Australians force total Japanese evacuation of Milne Bay, with just 1,000 troops surviving to be evacuated.

7th September 1942The Eighth Army stabilizes its line at Alam el Haifa, after Montgomery suspends the battle. The 6th Army begins a four-mile advance through Stalingrad to the Volga. Roosevelt threatens to override Congress unless they take action to curb inflation. US Marines launch a surprise raid on the Japanese base at Talou, Guadalcanal.

8th September 1942Twelve British merchant seamen are awarded Russian decorations. Japanese advance from Kokoda to the Owen Stanley Mountain Range in an overland drive for Port Moresby, New Guinea.

9th September 1942Hitler sacks Field Marshal List and takes personal command of Army Group A in the Caucasus, which having been foiled by the Red Army in the western Caucasus, was now meeting increased resistance in its drive towards Astrakhan and Baku. Open pit burning of bodies begins at Auschwitz in place of burial. The decision is made to dig up and burn those already buried, 107,000 corpses, to prevent fouling of ground water. Japanese bomb Oregon forests with incendiaries for second time.

3 Celebrities who influenced:

Rita Hayworth

Jane Russell

Lana Turner

Christian Dior:

was one of the most influential Fashion designers of the late 1940′s and 1950′s where he dominated the post war fashion world with his New Look collection of nipped in waists and full calf length skirts. His lavish use of fabric was a dramatic change from the simple styles of days of rationing. He was known to use up to 80 yards of fabric in some of the later styles. Dior’s hour glass silhouette dominated the fashion world for over a decade and the house of Dior is still associated with the same feminine elegance today.

Other influences:

Garielle Bonheur:  

Jacques Fath:

Summary of Styles:

The dwindling supply of fabrics meant that designers created a new fashion code for women. 1940s womens fashion saw skirts getting shorter and cardigans replacing the elegant evening dresses of 1930s fashion. 1940’s womens fashion also became increasingly working class. Inspired by iconic images like Rosie the Riveter, 1940s womens fashion became increasingly dressed down to reflect their increased standing in the industrial world.

How do World Events Influence Fashion?

World War II had a tremendous impact on fashion in the 1940's. The government issued restrictions limiting clothing and material types. Fashion designers were only allowed to use a given amount of yards for the garments they were designing during the time. Designers turned to fabrics such as rayon, which has a tendency to shrink and wasn't durable during all seasons. They were ordered to design clothing that could be fashionable in all seasons. Women began wearing sportier garments rather than the flowing gowns from the previous decade. Skirts became shorter and straight, and were worn with short jackets. Designers encouraged women to mix and match their outfits so that it would appear that women had more outfits then they actually did. After the war leather shoes and handbags were studded with nail heads. It was a sign of luxury considering the shortage of materials in the previous years.