Decadent 40s

Hello everyone and welcome back. I hope you are all doing well and looking forward to todays post. It's that time again, time to learn and talk about another era of our fashion history. Today is all about the decadent 40s...

With World War II (1939-1945) taking over the first half of the era the fashion industry was hit hard. Even after the war had ended there were still many consequences left behind. With a shortage of fabrics and rations on clothing the fashion industry was faced with many challenges along the way but that didn't stop them creating amazing clothing for its women. The era was all about the wide padded shoulders, nipped in high-waisted tops and A-line knee-length skirts. 

Dresses...

Due to the rationing on fabric in the 1940s dresses become a lot shorter. With calf-length being popular in the 1930s, women started to wear knee-length dresses instead to save fabric. In the 1940s women's dresses, blouses and jackets all started to have shoulder pads giving the women a more masculine look. The sleeves were also often gathered at the seams to create a larger shoulder area. The necklines on the dresses were often: square, slit, sweetheart, keyhole, shirred, wrapped or v-shaped. Women hardly ever showed cleavage in the 40s; However, evening dresses were slightly different. The necklines were often halter necks or had spaghetti straps meaning shoulders and a small part of the chest was on show.

After the war had ended women started to embrace colourful patterns and this showed in the dresses they wore. This was often to forget about the depressing war and to bring joy and happiness into the world around them. The dresses were often made from a rayon or cotton fabric to keep them light and airy. Plus size fashion also started to appear in the 1940s as women realised it was difficult for many to get the 'perfect' body image. Stores and catalogues started to show 'stout' sized clothing such as: dresses, tops, coats and shoes in designs that would flatter a larger figure. Many books also started to include beauty and fashion tips on dressing for the figure you have.

Day Dresses...

Women often wore  dresses during the day time during the 1940s. These dresses were usually made with a tailored neckline and A-line skirt. These dresses were only worn while at home, running errands and having tea with friends. The dresses were often dull block colours but after the war the dresses started to become more colourful and often incorporated prints.

Pin-up Dresses...

Pin-up dresses were a popular dress worn during the war. It was a more figure hugging dress that made women feel sexier and showed their man they had something to come home to after the war. 

Evening Dresses...

1940s evening dresses were often calf or floor-length with lots of chiffon fabric from the waist down to give a floaty full effect. A matching jacket named a bolero jacket was sometimes worn over the dresses to match. Some dresses also had a bit of sparkle around the waist and on the straps. The most popular styled evening dress was the classic a-lined dress. During the late 40s the strapless ball gown also become a trend.

Party Dresses...

Women also wore cocktail dresses in the evenings as a less formal option. These dresses were often knee-length with an A-line or pencil skirt and short sleeves. The dresses were often worn with a small hat, hair flowers or a hair clip to finish the look. Paired with heels or peep toe wedges the women were ready to party.

Suits..

Due to the rationing and shortage of fabrics during the 1940s, the two piece suits, known as a Victory or Utility suit, became popular. This allowed the women to mix and match their skirts, blouses and jackets to create a new outfit everyday using little clothing items. The suits were still popular after the war due to their comfort and practicality. The skirts worn as part of the suit were a-lined as this allowed more comfort and movement. The skirts were often plain and were not gathered or pleated as they wasted too much fabric. However, after the war pleats were sometimes added to the skirts and some even had pockets. 

The blouses worn as part of the suits were often plain and were sometimes worn with a light sweater on top. They were often a solid colour or were a stripped pattern. The blouses ranged from long sleeved to short sleeved and many had gathered tight cuffs. The blouses were often buttoned all the way down the front and had a small V-neck or peter pan collar.

The last part of the 1940s suit was the jacket. These were made from the same fabric as the skirt but women did tend to mix and match their suits. They were often made from a woollen fabric to keep in warmth and allow comfort. The jackets often had a padded shoulder and high neckline for a more masculine look but were more pulled in at the waist with a slight flare at the bottom to help give an hourglass figure. The jackets were usually hip length and buttoned down the middle. The bolero jacket was another popular jacket worn in the 40s. It was a shorter jacket that had rounded edges and they rarely had any buttons on the front. Instead they were worn open to help show off the blouse worn underneath.

Trousers...

Until the 1940s it was quite rare for women to wear trousers everyday as they were usually seem as piece of clothing worn to a specific event such as the beach or for sports. However, during the 40s trousers became quite popular within women's fashion. As women started to work during the war they needed clothing that would be safe and wouldn't get caught in machines. At first women wore the same trousers men would wear but after a while women's trousers were invented. These trousers were often very high-waisted with a wide leg and were fastened with a few buttons or a zip down the side. For comfort and practicality these trousers were made from a cotton, denim or wool blend. Although these trousers were worn at work they quickly become popular as part of a casual everyday wardrobe. Another popular item in the 40s was the overalls and coveralls which was another great option for work. These again quickly become popular as a sportswear option as well. They were made from a blue denim or sturdy cotton.

Coats...

1940s coats were often very square and boxy in a plain colour. They would usually have a few large buttons down the front with a plain or cuffed narrow sleeves. The coats were usually knee-length to keep in warmth and to help cover up in the cold weather. However, some women wore shorter boxy jackets which came to the hip. These jackets were more like capes and had large bell sleeves.

Shoes...

Women wore quite plain chunky shoes in the 1940s. They were nothing like the detailed shoes of the 30s. The shoes worn were never leather as this was needed for the war. Instead they were made from: velvet, mesh, reptile skins and wood (clogs). In the early 1940s the heels on the shoes were often short and thick  but they become slightly thinner in the late 40s. These shoes were known as pumps.

The popular shoe choice of the 40s was the wedge. The wedge would often come in different forms such as a solid slip on shoes or a cute summer sandal. Another popular style of shoe was the peep toe which came in different styles such as: pumps, sandals and wedges.

The popular casual shoe choice was often the Oxfords and saddle shoes. These shoes were either single or two toned shoes with a rounded toe. They often resembled the style of men's shoes worn at the time. Another alternative to the Oxfords were slip on loafer shoes which were a comfortable casual shoe choice popular with teenagers and working women.

Swimsuits...

1940s was the first era to introduce the two piece swimsuit. One piece swimsuits were much tighter than in the 30s and had padded bras built in for support. The straps were often very thin and the necklines were v-shaped to reveal a little bit of cleavage. Halter neck swimsuits were a popular style at this time as well. As for a two piece set the bottoms after stopped at the top of the thigh and had either a skirt or loose short shape to them. They were also very high-waisted and look very much like the one pieces with only about 4 inches of skin on show. However, in 1946 the bikini was invented and the two pieces were then often much tighter and lower on the waist. Although they weren't that popular as they were too revealing for many women.

To the beach women would often wear a playsuit which were very short dresses that was wrapped over the swimsuit. They were loose fitted dresses that would buttoned down the front. These were often made from a light cotton fabric. Another popular style was ones with high-waisted shorts and a halter neck bodice. This style of playsuit was popular within teenagers and young single women.

Hats...

There were many different styles of hats that were popular in the 1940s with only a few new styles. The beret was a new popular style in the 40s. It's a round flat French inspired hat (the same as the ones we see today) that was worn tilted at an angle. Another new style was the turban which was a piece of fabric wrapped around the head. These were often decorated with flowers, feathers or jewels. Sun hats worn in the 40s often had a veil over the front which was purely for decoration as it didn't protect against the sun at all.

For the women that worked a hair snood was a popular accessory as they had to keep their hair tied back out of their faces. It's essentially a knitted bag that your hair goes into to keep it out the way. Some women simply used a scarf to tie up the hair instead. The hair scarfs were often made from a silk fabric and had fun hand painted patterns on them.

Another popular hair accessory was flower clips. These were popular within younger girls and were a perfect summer hair decoration. Women also wore them to parties to jazz up their outfits. They were often small daisy flowers or big chrysanthemums which were made from rayon or silk and were often made at home.

Gloves...

Gloves were a popular accessory in the 1940s. They were often  a plain mid-arm length style that were only really worn for semi formal occasions such as: an afternoon tea, shopping, visiting friends and going to lunch. Women often matched the gloves to another accessory such a hat or belt and were often a neutral colour such a: black, brown, navy, tan and white. For formal evening events longer gloves were worn to match the ball gowns.

Jewellery...

Jewellery was an important part of a women's outfit during the war. They would wear bright colourful beaded necklaces, large floral brooches and chunky earrings to add colour and happiness to a plain outfit. Women also wore jewellery with a patriotic theme such as: items with a V (for victory) on, flags and gems in red, white and blue. These jewellery pieces were often made from a plastic material such as Bakelite to make them cheaper and meaning they required less metal.

Handbags...

Due to many women going to work in the 1940s they needed a bag style that would allow them to carry all their essentials around. The daytime bags worn by women were inspired by the military service messenger bags. They had long shoulder straps and were worn over the shoulder or across the body when riding a bike. As these bags were quite masculine looking some women wanted a much prettier feminine bag instead. Some women would wear a large flat envelope bag in either a black or brown leather or plastic. A popular accessory on 1940s bags was the ruched and scalloped edges.

In the evenings women would carry smaller bags made from a black satin. These bags were decorated with beads and sequins on the clasp to add elegance. After the war bags started to become much brighter in colour and were often red, yellow and green. They also had a much more geometric shape being either a box or circle.

Underwear...

The underwear worn in the 40s was essential for creating an hourglass figure, although they were very uncomfortable for women. The girdles were large granny style pants that were super tight to help flatten the stomach area. Bras were normally very large to emphasize the bust area and to encourage a natural rounded shape. To keep the body shape smooth and natural looking a slip was often worn over the top.

Stockings were also part of a women's underwear collection. These were worn with shorter dresses to help over up and stop the women feeling naked. These were made from a nylon or silk fabric but during the war women had to go without as these fabrics were needed for the war instead. The stockings worn would often be a shade darker than the natural skin colour and had a subtle seam down the back. However, seamless stocking become popular towards the end of the era. The stockings would come up to the women's thigh and were fastened with garters. Socks were also popular within teenagers and working women. During the war women would wear patriotic coloured socks.

So that's all I have to tell you about 1940s fashion and the tough times they had during the war. It's amazing how many of the trends from this era are coming back into fashion nowadays. I hope you liked this post and learn all about 40s fashion. If you want to learn more about other decades of fashion I already have posts on 20s and 30s fashion so go check them out. As for the rest of the eras, stay tuned for them as they will be coming very soon. If you want to read more discussion posts from me then head back every Friday for more. See you back here again soon....

Emma Victoria