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1930s Fashion


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1933


Fashion went from one extreme to the other in just 20 short years.

Edwardian fashions were characterized by floor-length gowns, corsets, elaborate hats and the pompadoured Gibson Girl look.

By the 1920s, modern young women were sporting silk stockings, above-the-knee hemlines, bobbed hair and makeup.

After the frivolity of the 1920s, fashion found a middle ground in the 1930s.









Hairstyles in the 1930s were soft and wavy, and a bit longer than the bobbed hairstyles of the 1920s.

Actresses like Jean Harlow inspired women to color their hair, although the practice was still considered scandalous by most people.

Eyebrows were plucked to a fine line and drawn in with an eyebrow pencil.





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at the beauty shop





basic services
*haircut, shampoo & finger wave
*shingled bob style

special hairstyles
*finger waves
*croquignole curls
*marcel waves
*croquignole wave with ringlet ends
*permanent waves

other services
*Oil of Pine Needles scalp treatment
*hair tints
*henna packs
*hair dyes
*color rinse
*facial packs
*body contouring






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There were two types of permanent waves....those using an electric permanent wave machine and ammonia-based cold waves (the "machine-less method").

A finger wave involved skillful combing of very wet hair and curling it with your fingers.

Croquignole curls were spiral or figure-eight curls on flat rods.

The marcel wave was invented in 1872, and featured natural-looking waves created by flipping the curling iron upside down.


Finger Waves
The Finger Wave
Hair Archives
1930s Authentic Coiffures



1936

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dresses
Dresses were slim and elegant. Hemlines slowly moved from well below the knee in the early 1930s to just below the knee in 1939.



1933



1933



Flattering styles for 1936


1936:
Smart styles for college students


1939











formalwear
Evening gowns were bias cut, which meant that the fabric was cut and sewed diagonally against the grain of the threads. This technique created garments with soft, flowing lines. Gowns that were bias cut had a tendency to cling to the body, which made an ultra-thin figure a neccessity.



outerwear
beachwear
casual wear







1931

In the early 1930s, some fashions from the 1920s were still popular. These included fur stoles and close-fitting "cloche" hats.



1931



Bathing beauty of 1933





Traveling to warm climates during the winter was a new trend in the 1930s. This was the resort season, and naturally it required a complete line of resort wear.

Women who worked in factories during World War I were the first to wear trousers. By the 1930s, trousers for women were a standard part of any resort wardrobe.



1936





accessories
menswear



1937



1935

fashion links
The Century In Shoes: The 1930s
1930s Fashion History
Ladies Fashions Of The 30s
1930s Fashion Resources




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