|
1940's... Main Page Entertainers Music, Radio & TV Lifestyles Around Town Movies & Theater At Home Fashion Advertising In The News Retro Links | 40's Fashion============================================================ ============================================================ ============================================================ | ||
| skirts & dresses shoulder pads tight sweaters suits sloppy joe sweaters puffed sleeves knee-length hems plaid skirts swing skirts for dancing matching mother/daughter outfits |
|
| ||
|
|
| ||
| ----- |  | |
 during the warrationing During World War II, fabric rationing limited the amount of material that could be used in clothing. Anything that used excess fabric (wide hems, full skirts, collars, cuffs, patch pockets, men's vests) was eliminated. Leather was also rationed, resulting in women's shoes made of canvas. Precious fabrics like nylon and silk were strictly rationed, which made stockings a scarce commodity. To create the illusion of wearing stockings, women used leg makeup. They even drew seams down the back of their legs with an eyebrow pencil! |
|  work style During the war, women took over the jobs that were left vacant when the men enlisted. The well-dressed worker sported coveralls and a stylish head scarf that became known as a do-rag. Underneath, hair was often wrapped up in pin-curls, which would be combed out in the evening when getting ready for the USO dance. other wartime trends It was stylish for young women to wear military clothes they "borrowed" from brothers and boyfriends who had recently returned from the service. These included pea jackets, pins, hats, insignia, and even helmets. The fad got out of hand on some college campuses, and could only be stopped when the ladies were reminded that there was a penalty for impersonating a serviceman. | ||
| lingerie beachwear formalwear girdles one-piece swimsuits the bikini
|   the bikiniIn France, Louis Reard designed the first two-piece swimsuit in 1946. Such an eye-catching fashion deserved an equally eye-catching name. In the South Pacific, the Bikini Atoll was making headlines as the site of American nuclear testing, and Reard chose this name for his new swimsuit....the bikini. | ||
|
accessories & hair hats gloves pumps bobby-socks & saddle shoes penny loafers hats with veils shoulder-length hair rolled bangs
|   | ||
 for the men Stylish men in the 40's sported dark suits, pipes, and sharp-looking hats. In the late 30's and early 40's, wild young men wore a bizarre concoction known as the Zoot Suit. The Zoot Suit: *pegged trousers reaching to armpits *oversized coat *pork-pie hat *knee-length watch chain *oversized bow-tie |
|
trousers for women Young ladies of high school and college age liked to wear oversized men's shirts, "sloppy joe" sweaters, and jeans that were rolled up to the knee. This style was especially popular on college campuses. In the 30's, women wore slacks for camping and other outdoor activities. In 1942, women were taking over many of the "un-glamorous" jobs that were left vacant when the men went to war, and trousers became wildly popular for all sorts of occasions. Sales of women's slacks in 1942 were 500 percent higher than they were in 1941. | ||
