1940’s Vintage Style Guide

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.

Although utility clothing was an important influence on fashion of the time, let’s not forget how brilliant the ladies were at home dressmaking. Most girls were taught from an early age and ladies became expert at reworking their existing dresses into more modern styles. The famous term ‘make do and mend’ evolved from this.

A classic day dress could be quickly reworked via changing the neckline using gathers or tabs and were shortened leaving spare fabric for reworking sleeves or creating trimmed pockets.

So due to the restrictions that women were required to adhere to combined with many years of rationing and working for the war effort, women, forever innovative and relentless in their pursuit of beauty, invented other ways to feel good and presentable. Dresses were regularly reworked and girls raided their mother’s costume jewellery boxes to revive overused outfits, red lipstick became a staple and women were encouraged to wear it to raise their spirits (*red lipstick in the 40s was actually an orange red not the pillar box red we associate with the era). But perhaps the most exciting element of 40s style, and one that enthusiasts of this era love to imitate, is the iconic 40s hairstyles. Hair was not restricted, although maybe cut shorter for war work, and was worn in ever opulent, innovative styles. The era of the victory roll and pompadour, snood and turban – hair was a ladies way of expression where everything else was hard to come by. If you want to ‘do ‘40s’ a modern hairstyle just doesn’t cut the mustard.