Western fashion during the 1940s was dominated by World War II. Wartime production required silk, nylon, wool, leather, rubber, and zippers. Clothing was rationed in the United States and certain parts of Europe. Fashion designers in the 1940s were forced to be efficient and innovative when creating suits, dresses, and shoes.
Female dress styles in the 1940s typically had boxy shoulders, slim-belted waistlines, and lower hemlines, like a uniform. You might see women wearing long-sleeved dress suits of a similar shape during cold weather. Hairstyles in the 1940s were typically shoulder-length or longer, without bangs, and styled with waves and rolls. Women used the “victory roll” to manage their long hairstyles during a hard day’s work; they unrolled it later to form shapely waves.
During the 1940s, men without uniforms often wore suits in public. Many wore older suits from the 1930s. Suit vests fell out of favor as excessive use of fabric. Instead of wool, new suits were made with wool-rayon blends and often with patterned (especially striped) fabrics.
Here are some beautiful vintage photos that show what couples wore in the 1940s.
