This blog post is the first of three themed blogs on fashion history from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The 1940s was a decade ofwar, but also of life after.
The evolution of fashion during the war
In Europe, fashion in the first half of the 1940s was heavily influenced by rationing and restrictions, as many of the materials were suddenly needed for the military services of the different countries (including the production of parachutes!), forcing designers and housewives alike to get creative with clothing. Furthermore, many women entered the workforce because men were on duty, creating a need for practical clothing for the now active women. However, this didn't mean that the designs of the 40s were any less feminine. What characterizes this decade are feminine cuts with a defined waist, feminine puff sleeves and lots of accessories.
The Shirt Dress - the everyday dress of the 1940s
Restrictions during the war included shorter lengths and less voluminous shapes - there were simply rules on how much fabric could be bought and used for different types of garments to ensure that unnecessary resources were not used. One creative invention was the versatile shirt dress, which could be worn for both everyday and formal wear. The shirt dress was a typical everyday dress used for housework and running errands. It was a practical dress, usually with pockets, short sleeves and an a-line skirt, and was usually made from natural materials like cotton or rayon in different colors and prints.
Classic 40s style shirt dress in red from Very Cherry
Black shirt dress with 3/4 length sleeves from Very Cherry.
Classic 40s style shirt dress in navy blue from Very Cherry
The wrap dress - the practical dress
Another very popular dress from the 1940s that is still seen in today's fashion scene is the wrap dress. In 1942, American fashion designer Claire McCardell created the 'pop-over' design that became the basis for several types of wrap dresses.
The wrap dress was in every way a practical dress for housework. As women had new practical tasks and less money to spend, they had to get creative if they wanted to be fashionable.
The wrap dress was perfect for this: it was easy to put on, easy to move around in, very versatile and had a nice, feminine cut that accentuated the curves.
Red wrap dress with white polka dots from The Seamstress Of Bloomsbury
Navy blue floral print wrap dress from The Seamstress Of Bloomsbury
Green wrap dress with polka dots from The Seamstress Of Bloomsbury
"The Day-to-Night Dress - The versatile dress
The practical, waist-cinching A-line cut and smart details of the dresses made 1940s dress es very wearable, and it was with these styles that the term 'day-to-night' dress was coined. A day-to-night
dress was a dress that was practical and pretty at the same time - practical enough to do the housework
and pretty enough to wear as an evening dress to a dinner party.
The Ava Dress from The House Of Foxy is, in our opinion, the perfect 1940s day-to-night dress. You could easily wear this to work and meet up with friends for cocktail hour after work.
The Ava dress from The House Of Foxy in Teal
The Ava dress from The House Of Foxy in navy blue with a small floral print
The Ava dress from The House Of Foxy in red
A creative solution - the peplum skirt
Wartime women still wanted clothes that showed shape and figure, so creative solutions were needed to create this without using too much material. Out of this came amazing draping and sewing methods, including the peplum skirt, a pencil skirt with a sewn-in fabric detail below the waist that creates a full silhouette with minimal fabric use!
Lana pencil dress with peplum skirt from The House Of Foxy
Grey fitted dress with peplum skirt from Miss Candyfloss
Lana dress in red with peplum skirt from The House Of Foxy
The shirt blouse in the 1940s
The typical top in the 1940s was a shirt with either a round "Peter Pan" collar or a more pronounced "pointy" collar. It had small puff sleeves to broaden the shoulders, some even with shoulder pads.
"The pussy bow shirt blouse, which gave a more dressy look, became popular later in the 1940s. It added a feminine touch to the practicality, and because the tie could be tied in several different ways, it was very versatile.
One thing was for sure - all shirts were tucked into high-waisted trousers or skirts for a feminine look with a focus on the waist.
1940s inspired shirt blouse from The Seamstress Of Bloomsbury
Peter Pan collar shirt with bow print from The Seamstress Of Bloomsbury
'Pussy Bow' shirt blouse from The Seamstress Of Bloomsbury
1940s A-line skirts
The 1940s skirt, like the rest of the wardrobe, was very simple due to wartime restrictions. Skirts had to go to just below the knee, and there was a ban on pleating and other "waste" such as pockets and belt loops. Materials were usually wool or rayon.
The most popular cut was the A-line skirt, as it was practical but conformed to the rules of the time. In addition, the narrow skirt with peplum or ruffle effect over the stomach and hips.
The skirt was a very essential part of every woman's wardrobe.
Fitted skirt with "waterfall effect" from The House Of Foxy
Simple 1940s A-line skirt in navy blue from The House Of Foxy
Simple 1940s A-line skirt in black from The Seamstress Of Bloomsbury
1940s Trousers for women
High-waisted swing pants with turn-ups and zippers or side button closures are also classic early 1940s style. The first women in industrial workplaces wore men's trousers because women's workwear didn't exist when the war broke out, and when workwear and trousers for women began to be designed, it was also with a slightly edgy look that was very 'straight up and down'. In general, 1940s fashion was characterized by simple, practical designs that could be worn multiple times and in multiple ways. This changed after the war, however, with more use of fabric and detailing.
Green 1940s style pants from The House Of Foxy
Navy Blue 1940s style pants from The House Of Foxy
Red 1940s style pants from The House Of Foxy
The evolution of fashion after the war
While the first half of the 1940s was influenced by the restrictions of war, the second half was influenced by the release of the end of the war, victory and the resurgence of life.
In 1947, Christian Dior launched his two debut collections 'Corolle' and 'Huit', which took post-war Europe by storm! ('Corolle' means petals and 'huit' is the number 8 - both symbolizing the classic hourglass silhouette!) Dior's designs focused on highlighting the feminine figure with all its shapes and curves - like human flowers that, after lying dormant during the war, have just burst into bloom!
The colorful, rich and vibrant designs immediately prompted the editor-in-chief of the renowned fashion magazine 'Harper's Bazaar' to dub them the 'New Look' because they were so markedly different from the edgy, minimalist and restrictive fashion of the previous seven years. However, not everyone was equally enthusiastic about Dior's look - including Coco Chanel, who was outraged by the voluminous designs and what she thought was an obscene overuse of fabric, and she was also outraged that Dior wanted women back in corsets, which she could see was in no way beneficial to women, who had finally been included in the labor market and the public sphere. Despite Chanel's outrage, Dior's look became iconic because women in post-war Europe needed to feel feminine again after wearing uniforms during the war, and the hourglass silhouette did just that with its full shoulders, defined waist and full hips.
Mondo Kaos' selection of classic 1940s clothing
At Mondo Kaos, we have a solid selection of 1940s-inspired clothing that represents and creates
both silhouettes - the slim, narrow and angular silhouette and the full, round hourglass silhouette.
To create an early 1940s look, we have gorgeous A-line skirts, ruffled pencil skirts and classic swing pants that you can pair with delicate blouses with creative draping details. We also have classic A-line dresses with puffed sleeves, elegant cocktail dresses and practical, uniform-inspired shirt dresses.
To create the late 1940s New Look, we have wonderful soft-shouldered waist-cut dresses
in both pencil and swing versions à la Hollywood Film Noir, fitted blouses and shirts, and waist-cut swing skirts with room for a petticoat underneath!
Kirstine's fabulous 40s look.
Our Kirstine is very fond of the 1940s, so we asked her what she thinks a
classic 1940s look looks like. Kirstine put together an elegant blouse and skirt set from our
flagship store brand The House Of Foxy, creating a soft, sensual hourglass silhouette. The blouse has small, slanted sleeves and a mandarin collar with keyhole closure, and the skirt is a pencil skirt with a 'waterfall' effect on the front that - like the peplum skirt - creates shape and fullness with minimal fabric use! A classic, feminine look that creates the dramatic 'wartime silhouette' inspired by Hollywood's Film Noir stars like Ingrid Bergman and Rita Hayworth.
About the set, Kirstine says herself: "My favorite piece in the store at the moment is House of Foxy's 40s
inspired 'keyhole' blouse paired with their 'waterfall' skirt. The blouse draws clear
references to the Chinese cheongsam dresses that started to gain ground in Western
fashion in the 30s and 40s. I love it in all colors and prints! The skirt is my
absolute favorite skirt! It accentuates the waist and hips and is made of a comfortable material
that you can move around in! It makes me think of Rita Hayworth as Gilda, in her
elegant black evening gown that drapes at the side in the same way as the skirt!"
Unlike the wartime silhouette, the new look silhouette was round, curvy and voluminous, emphasizing the
female form beautifully. The dresses were detailed, waist-cut and had swing skirts to
show off both the figure and the wallet, because the more fabric in the dress, the more it
must have cost, and petticoats were perfect for the less affluent, because petticoats created extra
fullness in a skirt that might only have been two layers. However, it was in the 1950s that the hourglass silhouette really
took hold, which you can read more about in our upcoming blog on the 1950s!
If you're in the mood for a classic 40s-inspired outfit, you can find it here on the webshop
or you can also come into the shop on Birkegade, where Kirstine and the rest of us are ready to style you like a
true Wartime Pinup or Film Noir Diva!
With love,
Team Mondo Kaos ♥
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