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1940’s Fashion
We first need to understand the tremendous impact World War II had on everyday life during the early part of the decade. Social trends dictate fashion. World War II changed the world of fashion forever.
On June 14, 1940 Paris fell to Germany. German occupation began controlling haute couture. During the war, the Germans seriously considered moving the French couture houses to Berlin and re-establishing the seat of haute couture in Berlin. Berlin would then be known as the fashion capital of the world. On September 3, 1940, the United States transferred destroyers to Great Britain. The United States officially entered World War II on December 8, 1941.
Prior to World War II, New York fashion designers made the trek across the Atlantic Ocean to attend the flamboyant and opulent French fashion shows each year. They then returned to the United States and copied the latest Parisian haute couture designs. Once the Germans occupied Paris and the United States stationed battleships in the Atlantic Ocean, the New York designers were cut off from Paris haute couture. In their attempts to design new fashions for the United States market, they concentrated on sportswear. This led to the United States emerging as the sportswear capital of the world.
In 1941, war good manufacturing took centre stage. The government confiscated all stock of natural fabrics, forcing domestic manufacturers to concentrate on substituting other fibres for domestic garments. The industry geared up rayon production. Nylon stockings disappeared in 1943.
During 1942, the War Production Board began severely restricting the amount of yardage used in garments. On March 8, 1942 the War Production Board issued regulation L - 85, which regulated every aspect of clothing. Stanley Marcus was the apparel consultant to the War Production Board. At this time he took the stand that it was the designers patriotic duty to design fashions which would remain stylish through multiple seasons.
In an effort to comply with the restrictions outlined in the regulation, American designers created a new style of suits for wome
n. Skirts were short and straight topped by short jackets of twenty-five inches or less in length. Cardigans matched skirts and sheath evening dresses replaced the long flowing gowns of the thirties.
McCalls produced patterns for transforming men’s suits into ladies suits and women’s dresses into children’s clothing. The women of America were once again sewing their own and their family’s garments.
While the decade of the thirties saw the theme of thrift in purchasing garments, the theme of the forties was a conservative look which would remain fashionable through multiple seasons. Women’s magazines were abundant with articles on proper care of garments for maximum wear.
American designers introduced the concept of separates and co-ordinating components in order to create the illusion of more outfits than one actually had. Classic sportswear styles took hold on college campuses and were soon adopted by all levels of society and all age groups.
In order to re-establish Paris’ domination of the world of fashion, fifty-three French couturiers banded together in 1945 to create a travelling exhibition, known as théâtre de la Mode; Participating designers included Cristóbal Balenciaga, Jacques Fath, Jean Patou, Elsa Schiaparelli and Robert Ricci, son of Nina Ricci.
The exhibition, consisting of dolls positioned in fully furnished sets, derived an eighteenth century method of presenting fashion to the world by means of dressed dolls. The dolls in the Théâtre de la Mode were dressed by the couturiers, artisans and textile workers while artists and theatre people joined forces to create the sets the dolls were placed in for viewing. Miniature accessories were created for the dolls including hats, shoes, handbags, gloves, belts and umbrellas. Elegant wigs of human hair were created for the dolls by top hairdressers. Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels also joined the effort by creating miniature, to-scale jewellery for the dolls. The dolls were completely dressed including lingerie.
In 1946, Paris regained its title as seat of fashion.
After the war, the American woman was ready for a change, tired of the severely tailored garments she was forced to wear during the hostilities. In 1947, Dior introduced the New Look featuring longer lengths and fuller skirts. The use of many yards of fabric in garments was now seen as lavish and opulent. Woman’s fashion now changed to a soft, feminine and romantic image.
Many varieties of peplums were in vogue: butterfly, bustle and gathered peplums were a few. Ruffles found their way to skirt hems, necklines and waists. Gored, gathered and A-line skirts were topped with soft, feminine blouses. Blouses donned bows at the centre-front neckline and might sport full or puffy sleeves. Collars were cut generously full, in peter pan and traditional pointed shirt-collar designs. Lace also accentuated blouses around the neckline.
Undergarments at the end of the forties had finally made the transition to two separate pieces, the bra and the girdle. The term has now widely used to identify the upper portion of the outdated corset. After World War II, wire was introduced into bras and nylon stockings came back on the market.
Leather platform shoes were the rage. Their soles were often studded with “nailheads”, another sign of opulence and luxury after the severe metal rationing of previous years. The nailhead studding carried over to ladies leather handbags.
While Paris regained its grasp of haute couture after World War II, American designers were gaining momentum, credibility and respect in the area of sportswear.
Pictorial Timeline:
1940
Hardly any change from the late 1930s: Wide shoulders - emphasised even more than before -, and skirts that only just cover the knee. As if to make up for the short skirt, the neckline is high and will continue to be high the whole decade long.
1942
The angular, masculine line that had started in the 1930s is perfectly suited for this warlike era in which women stand in for the men that have left for the front line, just as they had done during WWI. No wonder that there is no noticeable change.
1943
In the fourth year of the war, fabric has become an expensive commodity. Fabric economy is essential; magazines offer advice on how to recycle old clothing. Most models are made up of two different fabrics so that they can be made by re-using parts of older garments.
1944
Ongoing scarcity of fabric supports close-fitting garments made of two different fabrics. Even shoes are recycled and done up and therefore look somewhat plump. Fashion magazines simply declare these necessities to be the current trend.
1947
After two years of scarce living among debris and considering oneself lucky if one had sufficient clothing at all, interest in fashion grows again. Fabric economy and recycling are still important since the textile industry is not up to the demand yet. Shoes are still plump, with thick soles
1948
A year after its invention, Dior’s “New Style” has finally reached the common household. Since not everyone can afford the fabric for a new-style wide skirt yet, narrow skirts are still permissible if only the bodice/jacket cinches the waist. After 10 years, the strict vertical and wide shoulders finally give way to a more female line again.
1949
Wide skirts, narrow waists, horizontal seams either above or below the waist. For the first time, two silhouettes exist side by side: The narrow skirt on the one hand, the wide one that we nowadays usually associate with the 1950s on the other.
1940’s Fashion Silhouettes
Source: www.marquise.de, www.lindyhopping.com and www.skaro.com
