World War II had a big impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. There was a shortage of fabrics and the economy was shrinking, which caused a lot of people to end up in poverty. Since fabrics were scarce, clothing of the 1940s women style was simple, but still costly. Because women could not afford an extensive wardrobe, a lot of items such as blouses, skirts and jackets were combined. The two piece suit became very popular, they were comfortable and practical.
Knee lenght jackets were a real fashion statement in the forties. They came in a variety of thickness, depending on the season.
The necklines of dresses and jackets were varied. We can see a lot of V-shaped necklines, -often worn with a blouse or light sweater- and collars. Shoes had a simple style, they were often plain and did not have a lot of details. However, their materials were quite special. Shoes were made of velvet, leather and animal skins. Heels were thick and short, but in the late 1940’s heels became a little bit slimmer, and eventually turned out to be pumps.
New York City fashion in 1910’s (Gallery) – Hello, Big Apple
New York City fashion in 1910’s was affected by the war in Europe in many ways. See what New Yorkers wear at the beggining of the century.
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Even though most women could not afford expensive, outstanding clothes, they did their best to look decent. At the time, there was a big demand for make up products, especially lipstick. Another way to create a personal style was wearing accessories. In the forties, bold and colourful accessories were a must-have.
A lot of the materials normally used for clothing became scarce during the war. Wool was used to make uniforms and coats for the soldiers. Leather was needed for their boots. Silk, normally used to make dresses, undergarments and stockings, was turned into parachutes and waterproof maps. Metal and various chemicals were needed to make just about everything for the war effort.
Fashion of NYC men and women in the 1920s (Gallery) – Hello, Big Apple
There was far more to women’s fashion in the 1920’s than the iconic Flapper look of bobbed hair, long necklaces, cloche hats and flapper slang. Click here!
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Civilian clothing had to resort to using new materials. Nylon, created by DuPont and introduced in 1938, replaced silk for women’s items until it began to be used for the same purposes as silk for the war. American cotton began to take over as a casual fabric of choice. Wool blends were introduced to save wool for military uses, and the synthetic fabric rayon became the most widely used fabric of the time. A softer, silkier version was used for day dresses, and a thick version replaced wool for suits and coats. ‘Vinylite’ could be used instead of leather, and other forms of plastic were used for all kinds of applications.
Hair styling is also a good method for a better look. It is relatively inexpensive and it is an easy thing to do. In the forties, most women had shoulder lenght hair. It became a trend to pin the hair up at the front, or to curl it. For a woman, it was common to wear a hat. Small hats were paricularly favoured.
New Yorkers in the 1930s. How did they dress? (Gallery) – Hello, Big Apple
The fashion of the 1930s is usually overshadowed by the great depression, but the New Yorkers in the 1930s were full of glamour and style. See our gallery!
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Originally only men were wearing pants, but because of a lot of women started to work in factories during the war, pants were designed for women as well.
Women in the forties had character and characterized themselves with powerful items. Their style is balanced, subtle and complete with a bit of feminine elegance. An authentic style to embrace.
