Overview: 1940s Fashion

For the first half of the 1940s, fashion was dramatically influenced by World War II. France fell in 1940, halting Paris styles and leaving America with its own creativity and on its own resources. The next year, the U.S. Government moved to confiscate the nation’s stock of raw silk. Rayon soon became scarce, as was nylon hosiery. Factories offered substitutes when the War Production Board began dramatically restricting use of items such as wool and dyes. The Board even dictated the yardage for certain clothing articles. At this point, “fashion” was conservative clothing intentionally designed for quality and longevity in the fashion world. Housewives were encouraged to take up sewing their own clothes.

Hollywood had a fair say in the dictates of fashion as well. The very early 1940s were obsessed with Gone With the Wind; catalogues offered gowns and hats inspired by the film. Meanwhile, girl’s hats were influenced by those worn by Deanna Durbin; younger girl’s outfits by the wardrobe of Shirley Temple. Carmen Miranda and Dorothy Lamour escalated sales of the turban, while Joan Crawford made a sensation with her square-shouldered suits. Even Marie Dressler inspired a collection of dresses for larger women. The trench coat was fashionable for civilians, even more so when Ingrid Bergman wore one in Casablanca.

The later 1940s introduced a different feel with California-inspired clothing and Western garb. The silhouette had also changed by 1948. This “New Look” prevailed—a style emphasizing “flare, fullness, and soft curves.” Clothes became even dressier as more fabric became available—skirts were longer and fuller, waists belted, shoulders unpadded. Although some groups opposed the idea of longer hemlines, the New Look stayed.

The 1940s idea of being feminine remained the dress and skirt. Early in the decade, suits, dresses with jackets, and separates (skirts and blouses) were popular. Styles were “utilitarian” during the war, and hemlines rose because of rationed fabric. Long, formal gowns were gone by 1942. Skirts were short and narrow, being a little below the knee. Dresses had V-necks and pleats, sailor-type and sweetheart necklines, and notched collars. After the war, fashion involved slim waists, full skirts, blouses with bows, shorter sleeves, and peplums. Men, tired of uniforms, selected suits with plenty of fabric, cuffed trousers, pleats and pockets. In the late forties, long pants replaced boy’s knickers. Boys wore Roy Rogers jeans and jackets. Girl’s dresses were heavily ruffled.

New to be seen in catalogues of the era were women’s slacks. Slacks originated in California because of the relaxed lifestyle of the state, being worn for manual work, chores, play, and at the beach. A Well-Dressed Lady’s Pocket Guide notes that by World War II, because of clothes rationing and factory work, “women first began to wear their husbands’ civilian clothes and then, as they acquired a taste for wearing trousers, they began to buy their own.”

Hats were an important necessity. The early 1940s presented teen girls with popular favorites such as tams, and high-crowned, roll-brimmed hats. Little girls wore Shirley Temple-inspired pillboxes and velvet bonnets. Boys wore Eton caps. Men wore fedoras. Hats were a woman’s specialty, however. “Make your face a picture!” one 1940 catalogue exclaimed. World War II effected hats in size (growing smaller) and in decoration (less becoming the rule). Wartime America saw more women wearing berets and sometimes scarves; snoods and hair nets became handy. The New Look saw larger hats in styles which sat more off the head.

Another woman’s necessity was the purse. During the war, as military styles prevailed, the shoulder bag was common. Mid-forties favorites were “box bags”, flat envelope-style pocketbooks, and clutches. The later 1940s popularized leather purses of all different shapes and sizes.

Americans stepped confidently across the country in Oxfords and Mary Janes. Saddle shoes were advertised as “free ‘n’ easy classics in quality,” and were available at finest quality for $3.85 (early forties); but despite the price, the children’s fad was to wear them dirty. During the war, footwear was both expensive and hard to acquire (some types of shoes were rationed). Because of this, long-lasting shoes were chosen. Spectators were a popular women’s shoe (“Watch what the models wear in your favorite style magazines. You’ll see lots of Spectators”). During the later forties the peep toe was seen often, as were Baby Doll pumps and ballerina flats.

Fashion is constantly changing, but it can be argued that the 1940s granted us classics which in some respects, are still recognizable in 21st-century clothing. For example, the collared shirt and dress remain ingrained in the classic look, and boys never returned to knickers. However, 1940s Americans were appealing because women dressed to look feminine and men dressed to accentuate the masculine. This was a large part of 1940s fashion that cannot be ignored, and which lent a special feeling to the era.

Photograph Credits- thelordsdaughtermorgan.blogspot.