1940s

1940s Women Clothing

1940s fashion for women can be

summarized as two distinct silhouettes:

• Early 1940s: The wedge silhouette

• Late 1940s: The hourglass silhouette
Dresses
• Evening dresses : Revealing shoulders and chest ,long and sleek skirt.
• Knee length A-line dresses with puffed shoulders in patriotic colors.
• Masculine militant look with introduction of shoulder pads.
• Neckline : Square, cross front, V with shirtwaist.
• Fabrics : colorful patterns with contrasting trims,rayon,cotton.
Victory or Utility suit
• Suit skirts : A-line not pencil, no pleats or gathers
• Suit Jackets : Wide padded shoulder , high neckline , nipped
in waist ,slight flair at the bottom, and mid hip length.
• Bolero Jackets : Short, rounded edge rarely buttoned , long
and narrow sleeve.

Blouses
• Solid color and fun striped pattern
• Short or long puffed gathers and tight wide cuffs.
• Neckline : V-neck, Round Peter Pan Collar.
 Pants
• High waisted , button or zippered down the side and
had full legs with wide cuffs
• Fabrics : cotton or wool blends

Overalls and coveralls

• Workwear-turned-sportswear.
• Landgirl wore overalls and trousers while farming.
 Coats
Square And Usually Plain
Had Few Large Button Down The Front
Sleeve : Plain, Cuffed ,Narrow
Long Coat : Knee Length
Short Coat: Hip Length, Wide-cape Like Fashion, Big Bell
Sleeves

Swimsuits And Beachwear

• One-piece: Popular-halter Top Style, With Padded
Bras, Thin Shoulder Straps, V Neck, Thigh Length,
Either In Skirt Shape Or A Loose Shorts

• Two-piece: Very High Waist Pant, With Only A Small

Gap Between Top And Bottom Piece
Headwear
Beret , Turban, Small Hats With Flat Brims And Fedora
Hat Were The Few Popular Styles.

Shoes
• Plain, Sturdy And Chunky.
• Material : Velvet , Mesh , Reptile Skins And Wood.
• Early 1940s: Short And Thick Heels
• Late 1940s: Slightly Thinner Heels (Pumps)
• Popular Styles: Wedges, Peep Toes
• Casual Style : Oxfords And Saddle Shoes , Slip On Loafers.
Jewelry
Popular Pieces: Pearl Necklaces, Similar Colorful
Bold Bead Necklaces,
Large Floral Brooches And Chunky Earrings
Themes: Patriotic (Ex: V For Victory, Flag Colors
Etc.)
Material: Cheap (Ex: Bakelite Plastic)

Gloves
1940s Menswear
The cut of the clothes, the patterns and the
stylistic details that demonstrated one’s
patriotic support of his country (or lack
thereof) is what made 1940s men’s fashion
unique to the decade.

Middle class men wore basic business suits

that haven’t changed dramatically since the
beginning of the century. During WWII the
limited fabric availability could only make
suit not style.
Men’s Suit
Coat with
Materials: thick wool, worsted wool, tweed (during war: nylon- vest
wool mix)
Colors: black, navy or medium blue, grey, tan and dark brown
Patterns: tweed, herringbone, check, over plaids and white chalk
stripes
Single breasted jackets: wide padded shoulders, patch or slit
pockets, tapered to the waist with 2 to 3 buttons
Double breasted jackets: extra width
Vest: matching to the suit, mostly knit, V-neck with 6 to 7 buttons Double breasted
suit

Zoot Suit
Jacket: Loose, Long, Wide, 2-buttoned, Huge Shoulder
Pads. Large Notch Lapels
Trousers: Extremely Baggy, Really High Waist, Tapered
At The Bottom, Tight Around Ankles
Colors: Yellow, Green, Bright Blue, Purple

Zoot suit
 Suspenders
Thick stripes with button loops.

Trousers Belts
Flat fronted or single An inch or so wide, small
pleated, high waist, metal buckles covered in
wide leg around the matching leather (tan, black
ankles, straight and brown)
hemmed bottom.
 Tie
Materials: Panel Ties Made From Silk, Rayon And Wool
Patterns: Geometrics, Curly Lines, Art Deco Style,
Monograms
Themes: Animals, Plants, Birds, Topical And Western
Themes.

Dress shirts
Made Of Cotton, Colorful With Patterns
Early 1940s: Spearpoint Collar
Late 1940s: Shorter And Classic Collar.
 Casual Clothing

Hawaiian shirt unbutton Casual shirt Casual pants

 Working Class Clothing
Pattern : Soft pointed collar ,Two patch pockets
Colors : Brown , Navy, Hunter green

Lee workwear

Work pant ,shirt and belt

Workwear set
1950s
 Women’s Clothing in Early 1950s

Rounded Shoulders, Small Waists, And Full Skirts , narrow Sheath Dress With A High V-neck
Bodice, Slim Skirt, And Short Jacket.
Long Skirts With Petticoats, Tailored Tweed Dresses, Low Neckline And Ankle-length Dresses In
Gray, Green, Blue, Purple, Or Pink.
Mid 1950s style

Medium Lengths Evening Dresses

Made Of Wool Chiffon Or Jersey Fabrics.
Matching Hats And Jackets Were Common Accessories.
Casual Wear Tailored Blouses, Striped Blazers, And
Tapered Slacks In Bright Colors And Plaid Or Paisley
Patterns.
 Late ’50s fashion

Silhouettes Began To Loosen With The Sack Dress And Relaxed Fit Blouse.
Colors : Yellow, Blue, Violet, And Green, But Beige And Neutral Tones Were Gaining Popularity
 As the decade wore on and their novels and poetry
gained popularity, the beat aesthetic became popular in
fashion, especially among the younger generation.

Grease and West Side Story, the greaser look is one of

the most common associated with 1950s fashion.

Beatniks
 The
bubble Leather and
hem suede gloves

Pearl jewelry
Swing skirts Printed
wrap dress

Schoolgirl-inspired clothes
Accessories
Early ’50s Men's looks

Matched The Coat, It Became Increasingly

Popular To Wear Vests In Complimentary Or
Contrasting Colors
 Mid 1950s style

Sport coats, shirts, and pants, Suit jackets.

 Late ’50s fashion

Continental style suit ,short fitted jackets with narrow lapels

and sharp shoulders
1960’s
 There were three main trends in 1960s women swear:
1) the fun, youthful designs popularized in Swinging sixties
2) the lady-like elegance inherited from the previous decade seen on the likes of First Lady Jacqueline
Kennedy, and
3) the Eastern-influenced hippie styles of the late 1960s. 

01 Swinging Sixties
The cultural phenomenon termed Swinging London began in 1955 but reached its zenith in the early- to mid-1960s. It
was a phenomenon that focused on youth, spotlighting music and fashion

The simple, colorful designs appealed to teenagers and young people who had more disposable income than any
generation before.

It differed from the stuffy looks of the older generation and appealed to young women who embraced the child-like
styles
 02 Jacqueline Kennedy
Skirt suits and coordinating accessories were emphasized as one decade transitioned into the next. First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy epitomized this look during her husband’s presidential campaign and short presidency. sheath and
A-line dresses and luxurious coats–all accessorized with white gloves, pearls, and a matching hat. This look was being
produced by the likes of Hubert de Givenchy and Cristóbal Balenciaga
 03 Hippie culture
we can look to the vibrant peace signs, frayed tie-dye shirts, puffed sleeves, medallion necklaces, and loungewear that men
and women used to wear. We can reflect on how popular multiculturalism was during this time, with many styles being
inspired by clothing from Africa, India, Bali, and other foreign countries. At the start of the 1960s, many believed that a
golden age was just about to begin. People exuded peace, love, freedom, and sexual liberation, which was reflected in their
flowing, relaxed wardrobes. 
In 1961, she starred as Holly Golightly in one of her most
iconic films, Breakfast at Tiffany’s .In this film, like so many
others, Hubert de Givenchy designed the costumes, including
the iconic black dress from the opening scene .Hepburn and
Givenchy worked together both on- and off-screen to create a
simple, but stylish wardrobe that was easily copied by women
of all means.
1960s pant suits- The Go Go boots- Colored tights & shift dresses  
 WOMEN’S HAIR 

• Beehive Hairdos.
• Very short styles popularized by Twiggy and Mia Farrow.
• Very long straight style as popularized by the hippies in the late 1960s.
• The chin-length contour cut and the pageboy were also popular.
• The pillbox hatwas fashionable, due almost entirely to the influence of Jacqueline Kennedy
• During the mid and late 60s, women’s hair styles became very big and used a large quantity of hair spray, as parodied in the musical
Hairspray.
• Trend: Early 60s — a-lines and pencil skirts, Jackie Kennedy style;
Mid 60s — Mod, miniskirts; Late 60s — hippie, relaxed clothes
• Silhouette: Straight line, waist less shift; trapeze dress; bell sleeves
• Fabrics: Geometric patterns, cotton, jersey, wool, crochet
• Colors: Pales, black, white, bright, bold, tie-dye, neon
• Designers: Mary Quant, Pierre Cirdin, Laura Ashley, Pucci
By the mid-1960s, even the suit itself was From the mid-1960s, men’s fashion was influenced  The Beatles’ 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely
seeing changes. Brightly striped or by military elements, with many of the rock Hearts Club Band showed the band wearing neon
patterned suits were worn by bold young influences contributing to its popularity. Mick versions of the styles Partly thanks to this style,
men, while even the trousers and jacket did Jagger and Jimi Hendrix both sported military army-and-navy surplus clothing stores and
not escape from new styling.  jackets during performances. secondhand stores became popular in the late 1960s.
 The pea coat was quite popular for men in the
mid-60s. Well, basically anything that looked
straight outta London was good to go in the mid-
60s.
Also, men’s pants became flared at the bottom almost
like women’s pants. It’s quite clear that at that time,
women’s clothes were becoming more masculine
while men’s clothes were becoming more effeminate.
The late 60s brought a whole new range of
styles for men. In 1969 seeing a man wear a
scarf was commonplace. But it wasn’t a big,
wool scarf of today. It was a silk scarf that was
tied like a loose tie
 Mod style
Wherever your fashion sense lies on the wide Mod style spectrum, it's always good to revisit our roots and get some cues from the forward thinking young
men that came before us.
 Surf fashion
Surf fashion unquestionably peaked in the early ’60s. Canvas trunks, rugged denim jeans, white T-
shirts, cable-knit sweaters, aloha shirts, and cheap leather slaps formed the typical surfer’s wardrobe.
Those weren’t necessarily even stylistic choices when you think about it; that was just the most
functional clothing of the time for a surfer. Over the next few decades, surf style became its own
marketable genre of fashion
 MEN’S HAIR 

• For professional men, the side parted short back and sides was the norm in the America from the early 60s until the end of the decade.
• Black men usually buzzed their hair short or wore styles like the conk, artificially straightened with chemicals.
• Blue collar white men, especially former military personnel, often wore buzz cuts and flat tops during the summer.
• During the early to mid 60s, rebellious Irish-American, Italian-American and Hispanic teens influenced by the greaser subculture often wore
ducktails, pompadours and quiffs.
• Due to the influence of mod bands like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, mop-top hairstyles were most popular for white and Hispanic men
during the mid 60s.
 Children 

Children’s clothing in the 1960s saw less change than their adult counterparts. While women’s and men’s fashion were changing quickly and
radically, children’s fashion changed at a much slower, subtler pace. Both boys’ and girls’ fashion continued along the same lines in the early
sixties, but they did wear clothes made from the new synthetic materials which were easier to care for.
 The Supremes. From
Couture
all-sequin gowns to
matching skirt suits
scene

1960: Yves Saint Laurent launched Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, the first freestanding Irving Penn (American, 1917–2009).  Balenciaga Mantle Coat
couture boutique. Pierre Cardin, Andre Courreges, Ted Lapidus and Emanuel Ungaro (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), 1960
soon followed suit in opening their own stores.
Norman Norell is credited as the father of American high fashion, is best remembered for redefining sleek, sophisticated,
American glamour, an accolade well-deserved for a long career which established the country's fashion industry
1970’s Groovy history
When you think 1970s
fashion, you’re probably
thinking bell bottoms
and fitted shirts. That
was a classic look
throughout the decade,
but there was a lot more
to ’70s style than this
one look. Fashion during
this time was so varied
and experimental that
Vogue declared, “There
are no rules in the
fashion game now.”
7 0 ’s

M E N S W E A R
Men’s early 1970s
fashion was largely
influenced by bright
colors and textures. Satin
shirts, sometimes with
ruffles or lace, were
often pared with hip-
hugging bell bottoms.
Bright colored three
piece and double
breasted suits in
corduroy, paisley, wool,
and crushed velvet were
popular for special and
even every day
occasions.
More casual looks for men included bell bottom jeans, Tie dye, flannel
shirts, pleated pants, and sweaters with oxford shoes, platforms, flips
flops, or boots.
The diversity in America bought forward a lot of biased and preference based
fashion game changes and some stood long and some stayed just a “fad”
WORST TRENDS

When we talk about the most adored

flamboyant garments we must also talk
about some of the most rated ‘’worst’’
pieces in menswear from some abysmal
prints and fittings .
7 0 ’s W O M E N S

W E A R
Women in the early ’70s who didn’t go for the Hippie look often chose more of a
dressy or dressy casual wardrobe.
 This look included tight t-shirts
or dresses with a fitted wide
lapel blazer, flared pants,
sweaters, cardigans, and boots.
Pastels were popular colors,
especially baby blue, yellow,
mauve, and peach.
 The early 1970’s consisted mostly of the “hippie look”.
Included with this style were tie dye shirts, ponchos and capes,
bell bottom jeans & turtle neck tees. Along with these, women
generally would wear headbands, floppy hats, scarfs and shoes
such as Birkenstocks.
Sub-urban Print dresses the hippie still thrived in this decade.
This was known as the “me decade” due to the new attitude
Americans were acquiring. Bright colors made the fashion
brilliant and dominating the market.

White definitions

Fun cap and puff sleeves

Bright day warm colours

Hippies inspired prints in

minimal classy ways
Young youthful looks included tight t-
shirts or dresses with a fitted wide
lapel blazer, flared pants, sweaters,
cardigans, and boots.
women’s fashion in the late ’70s became more relaxed. Clothes became baggier and more revealing and often resulted in an inverted
triangle silhouette.cowl-neck shirts, sundresses over tight t-shirts.
The color pallet took a turn to more earthy tones in browns, tan, grays, and light blues.
HETERONORMATIVE PAIRING TO SELL
The“DISCO era”
Disco took over fashion for everyone in the mid-late ’70s. Disco styles
for women included jersey wrap dresses, tube tops, sequined shirts,
spandex shorts, and high slit skirts with boots or chunky heels.
’70s. Disco styles for women included jersey wrap dresses, tube tops,
sequined shirts, spandex shorts, and high slit skirts with boots or chunky
heels.
It was about expressing yourself with colors and eclectic pieces. I really wanted to showcase that. The
more extravagant and colorful and glittery you could be, the better."
disco is it was about being loud and vibrant and letting
your freak flag fly,”

"
Disco alternative was sportswear

spandex &Denim shorts

glitter track pants
Embellished sweatshirts and tees
Stretchable jumpsuits
Who shaped 70’s Fashion?

Anyone who’s paid attention to the catwalk these past

few seasons will know that 70s fashion still inspires
designers such as Victoria Beckham, Chloe and Gucci
today. That decade was quite simply bold and
overstated at its best.
Diane Von Furstenberg made her now-iconic wrap dress in
1974 after setting out to create a relaxed, silk jersey dress
that could suit every woman’s body shape

Diana Ross was all about lilac eyeshadow, loose wrap

dresses and XXL hoop earrings

Cher released a whopping 10 albums in the 70s meaning,

quite simply, that she was absolutely everywhere.

Elton John, Debbie Harry, Farrah Fawcett and pretty much any
celebrity frequenting Studio 54 could be trusted to wow us with
their outfits. The list is endless.
The free 80’s