1940s Style Dresses

1940s Fashion & Style Guide - How to dress 40s style

1940s Fashion Overview
When we think of 1940s fashion, we probably think of the glamour of the 40s Pin Up and the practical styles of the wartime Land Army Girls. We think of ultra feminine 1940s tea dance dresses in floral prints, wedge shoes and brogues. But it was also an era when designers, stretched to their innovative limits by austerity guidelines, created simple but beautiful draping techniques and introduced peplums onto dresses and shoulder pads to the most simple styles thus creating the fabulous Film Noir styles we admire today.

1940s clothing gives us a perfect example of how much fashion is influenced by politics, culture and social ‘situation’. This decade saw much change and what we now nostalgically view as the classic 40s look was actually represented by only a few years in this decade since Dior’s new look was launched in 1947.

The 1940s Silhouette
Initially, the wartime silhouette (1930 to '45) was angular and harsher than the willowy, curvy 30s. Slender, yet mannish with padded shoulders. There are definate differences between the UK fashions and those of the (more more glamourous) US - influenced, of course, by restrictions on materials...

A bit of History

Fashion essentially ‘paused’ during the war. Many of the couture houses in Paris who were the world leaders in fashion at the time were closed down or ceased trading during the occupation. The fabric mills turned their attention to production for the war effort and dress fabric was restricted through austerity guidelines.

They say that during time of difficulty, the most innovative solutions are found – and this is certainly the case during the 40s. New fabrics were created (some not so good) because traditional fabrics could not be produced as easily and the austerity guidelines enforced during the war resulted in some of the most creative pattern cutting ever seen in fashion. The rules of 1941 covered how much fabric could be used, trimmings, hem length, pleats, gathers and even how many buttons could be used. This resulted in the production of the aptly named ‘utility clothing‘ labelled with the CC41 logo – the fashion industry was unofficially nationalised. Somewhat ironically, original vintage garments with this label can command high prices in the market nowadays!

Made do and Mend!

Initially, the general public were less than fond of utility clothing and in 1942, designers were brought in to improve the utility styles and to simplify the manufacturing process. The more elegant 40s styles we know and love today were born. Innovative pattern cutting to use fabric to its greatest advantage included draping, peplums, gores, the use of shoulder pads and simple but intricate gathers at the bust line and shoulders. The silhouette became square or box like, the waist a little higher and the emphasis moved to the shoulders and head.

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