1940s Fashion

The early stage of 1940s fashion was mostly affected by the war effort. 1940s fashion witnessed a drawing back of color. Because of the war, there was no real innovation in early 1940s fashion so most of the fashion cues were rehashed from the earlier decade with such fashion as the drop-line waist of the 1930s. Hemlines became shorter to conserve on fabric. Because of this, women’s legs became a desirable trait of the 1940s. Since more women were entering factories, the wearing of pants became acceptable in the early part of the decade. Nylon was needed for the war so women resorted to either coloring their legs or drawing vertical black lines on their calves to resemble stockings. Green and brown had become reserved for the military. To make up for the lack of creativity in early 1940s fashion, women compensated with more makeup to feel feminine and lively. Eyeliner was done lightly and lipstick mostly came in the color of red and pink. Nails matched lipstick color as well.

During the post war period, 1940s fashion saw a revival of colorful clothing and more fashionable attire. The later part of 1940s fashion was a reaction to the conservation of the earlier decade. Hips became more pronounced and the legs were covered a bit more with fashionable skirts that came to define the later part of 1940s fashion. 1940s fashion also saw the revival of the hour-glass figure, a throwback to the old Edwardian days, but without the corset. Essentially, 1940s fashion was about bringing back the elegance of the Edwardian era and mixing it with a modern appeal that would carry on into the 1950s.