1930’s in fashion for women. What did women really wear in the 1930’s? The trends, dresses, hairstyles and makeup and where to buy them.
The influence of Hollywood and Art Deco modernism on women’s fashion was never greater than in the 1930’s.
Costume designers names were almost as well known as the Paris couture designers. The crash of 1929 and the Depression which followed, only slowed the inevitable rise in consumerism and ready to wear clothing. Makeup and stockings sales steadily rose through the decade. Women’s day-wear became more tailored with single buttoned jackets and matching gored skirts.
Hems dropped to just above the ankle in 1930 and rose to below the knee by the mid 1930’s.
The gored skirt ( made from several triangular gores) created a more feminine flare at the hem.
Curves returned and newer synthetic foundation girdles were worn by women of all ages. Brassieres now came in cup sizes and 1930 saw the seamless bra go on sale.
In hairstyles, the Marcel wave replaced the 1920’s crop and bobbed hair look. Good for the hairdressers but hard on the pocket for a young woman of limited means. Makeup was now commonly worn in day time and the sale of swivel lipsticks and mascara pots soured.
These are just some highlights of the fashion trends in the 1930’s. Jump in to our time machine archive of posts on 1930’s fashion history.
The Nylon hosiery sensation of 1940 The story of how Nylon stockings shook the fashion world. Who created Nylons and the seismic impact they had on women. Up to 1940, the most a woman could expect of a three threaded silk stocking was about 150 hours of wear. A glamorous two-thread stocking might, with luck, …
June styles in Hollywood heels – Firstly, no summer season pair of heels is complete without a pair of extra fine gauge stockings. Try these silk stockings from Sears Roebuck. With fashionable seams and French heels, they look good in any pair of shoes. Heels, this season are news ! Spike heels are out. A …
Style Advice for the vintage enthusiast – The Mode in Dress and Home, by Dulcie Godlove Donovan ( I love that name !) was published in 1935 and can be found on the Prelinger Library at Archive.org. It was a textbook for secondary schools with the aim of giving young women an understanding of aesthetic …
New York Worlds Fair 1939 predicts 1940s look – Continuing our look at the collection of 1940’s fashion photographs ( albeit a precursor of the 1940’s held from April 1939 to October 1939) from the New York World’s Fair of 1939, digitized by The New York Public Library.This post features coats – fur coats mostly …
The 1939 New York Worlds Fair predicts 1940’s fashion – Collection of 1940’s fashion photographs digitized by The New York Public Library.The models featured are unknown.The styles however herald the look of the 1940’s, with some boxy shoulders and hairdos full of waves and hair rolls. In this post we feature some pretty frocks and …
Four Hats for a Spring wardrobe 1935 – Sylvia Sidney prefers brimmed hats.(Left)”Pied Piper,” in black pebble crepe straw, topped with yellow fan feather, tips far forward over one eye for that demure look in the Spring sunshine. (Right), “Gingham Girl,” for afternoon and restaurant dining, in cloudy blue. New squared crown and coquettish brim …
1936 April styles feature – Joan Crawford shows you a hat in blue suede, in a delicate light shade, Joan’s favorite. The band is navy blue. The hat is from John Fredericks, at which shop she bought more than thirty items. A tailored suit designed by Irene for Joan Crawford, is of black and white …
New lines for the new decade – Norma is wearing a silk crepe afternoon frock of the new Spring shade ( left ),fuchsia. The lines follow the curves of the figure flaring in to a slightly uneven hemline. Puffs above the wrists give interest to the sleeves, while the hat, also of fuchsia shade, reveals …
Luscious costumes by Gilbert Adrian – “Bonjour Madam, Mademoiselle !It gives me great pleasure to take you on this adventurous little voyage into 1930s fashion land. But today ladies, as an innovation, you will see our models go through the rhythmic movement of everyday life, as it responds to the ever changing flow of the …
The allure of pink over the fashion eras – Up to that fateful day in Dallas, November 1963, Jackie Kennedy had worn her soon to be iconic pink Chanel suit six times. Captured in endless blood stained photographs and moving images as the tragic day unfolded, the suit is now being held in the National …