Assignment of H.A.

D (Fashion) History of 40s womens fashion

Submitted by To
Md.Asaduzzaman Nur ID.121011618 Group:C Department:AMM

Submitted
Mr.Razwanur rahman Faculty of H.A.D SMUCT

Submission Date: 27.9.12

Index

Sub Introduction About 40s womens fashion history List of fashion plates Accessories

Page No 3 3-4 4-6 6-8 9-15 16 16

Image of womens fashion Conclusion Reference

Introduction:
It is worthless to discuss fashion of the forties without first understanding the tremendous impact World War II had on everyday life during the early part of the decade. Social trends dictate fashion. World War II changed the world of fashion forever .The 1940s saw two distinctive styles in women's fashion. From the beginning of the decade until the "New Look" in 1947, women's dresses were knee-length and featured padded shoulders. This added a flair to clothing that was otherwise simple, because of wartime rationing. Women became creative in mixing separates to make a wardrobe seem more diverse than it was. Homemade accessories and elaborate hairstyles allowed women to show their flair without expense or waste. Hats became very popular.

About the History:

During the early 1940s, when some of the countries were busy battling each other, the social dynamics of that decade suffered a setback. With the war on, everything from food to clothes was short in supply. Before the war and even after that, Paris was considered to be the haute couture capital of the world with Italy coming second in line. As these countries got engulfed in the World War II, the fashion designing, fashion shows and apparel industry in general across Europe and United States took a blow. Rationing came into existence in these troubled times and the government pulled strings to control fashion and over-expenditure in order to prevent people from spending on luxurious things rather than basic necessary items. The government controlled the amount of fabric to be used in a dress and made some mandatory rules in the hope of saving the decreasing supplies. As a result, the ladies had to forgo wearing silk stockings, and make do with bobby socks, stitching seams in the skirts or by just shaving off hair from their legs. Similarly, the gentlemen also sacrificed their elaborate double-breasted suits and adopted single breasted suits with single pleated pants. Wool, silk, leather, nylon, etc. were utilized for making uniforms, shoelaces, parachutes and other items needed in

the war. As the times was tough, the men and women rose to the occasion and did not give up on war or fashion.

Fashion Plates: This account of the fashion plate is necessarily incomplete. The
earlier period has been treated in greater detail because it is generally less well-known, and the boundaries between the fashion plate and the costume picture are not all easy to define. The fashion plate has died slowly, the victim of the photograph showing the model wearing actual clothes and the sketch giving the impression of a fashion artist at a dress show. Through the centuries, the fashion plate has provided the link between the wearer and the maker of clothes.

List Of Plates :
There is an excellent reprint of Buytewechs book with an introduction by W. BRUHN (1926). 1. C. LE BLANC, Manuel de lamateur des estampes (1854), no. 549-560. 2. For examples, see A. BLUM, Loeuvre grav de Abraham Bosse (1924), nos. 957-961; the plate Pompe funbre de la Mode, by A. BLUM (in Les Modes au XVII sicle, 1927), p. 21; and F. P. WILSON, Funeral obsequies of Sir All-innew-fashions (in Shakespeare Survey, 1958), p. 98. 3. J. L. NEVINSON, Fashion Plates and Fashion, 1625-35, Apollo (1950) vol. 51, pp. 138-140. 4. GUSTAVE PARTHEY, Kurzes Verzeichniss der Hollarschen Kupferstichen (1853), nos. 606-609. 5. GUSTAVE PARTHEY, Kurzes Verzeichniss der Hollarschen Kupferstichen (1853), nos. 1908-12, 1930-33. 6. PARTHEY, ibid., nos. 1946-51. 7. JOHN EVELYN, Tyrannus or the Mode (1661). Facsimile reprint with introduction by J. L. NEVINSON (Oxford: Luttrell Society, 1951), no. 11.

8. E. S. DE BEER, King Charles IIs own fashion, Warburg Institute Journal (1935), vol. 2, no. 2, p. 105. 9. Translated, this reads: . . . nothing is more pleasing than the styles born in France . . . . This is why much relating to dress is imported from France into all the provinces of the world, though the final dress is not exactly French. 10. EMILE MAGNE, Images de Paris sous Louis XIV (1939). In this book, the social historian Dr. Magne devotes the best part of a chapter to the Mercure Galant and gives a listing of all fashion articles up to 1700. 11. See J. L. NEVINSON, The Mercury Gallant or European Fashions in the 1670s, Connoisseur (1955) vol. 136, p. 87. 12. See F. G. ROE, Prints and Tinsel, Connoisseur (1932), vol. 89, p. 302. 13. The Cryes of the City of London, Drawne after the Life, delineated by M. Lauron, engraved by P. Tempest (London: H. Overton, 1711). 14. A new Drawing book of Modes, by Mons B. Picart (printed for Richard Ware at the Bible & Sun in Amen Corner, Warwick Lane, London; no date). 15. R. COLAS, Bibliographie du costume (1933), nos. 2502, 2503. 16. G. PASTON, Social Caricature in the 18th Century (1905), pl. facing p. 10. 17. J. LE GROS, LArt de la coiffure (1768). JAMES STEWART, Plocacosmos or the whole Art of Hairdressing (1782). 18. C. L. REGNAULT DE SAVIGNY, Les almanachs illustres du XVIII sicle (1909). 19. Justus Mser of Osnabruck, a prolific writer in the 1770s, discussed, in his Patriotische Fantasien, not only national dress but whether magazines should deal with ladies fashions. 20. EVA BERGMAN, Nationella Drkten (Stockholm, 1938). 21. J. C. RYGE, Ideer til en national Smag i dansk Klaederdragt (Copenhagen, 1827).

22. GRASSET DE SAINT-SAUVEUR, Costume des Reprsentans du peuple (Paris, 1795).

Womens fashion image and accessories

1940s' Fashion Highlights

Babushka
A scarf which was folded in a triangle shape and worn as a hood by the women in the 1940s era. The two ends of the scarf are tied firmly under the chin. This look is inspired by the appearance of elderly Russian women called Babushka.

Bobby Socks
Ankle length, white socks were worn by the teenage girls of 1940s. They had thick cuff, usually trimmed with lace or ribbon which appealed to the young girls. Mostly worn as a part of school uniform, they were paired with oxford shoes or different kinds of loafers.

Jodhpurs
These were the riding pants which were worn with boots. Army issued jodhpurs for their men and women. This style of riding pants was popularized by Coco Chanel who wore it in 1920s after getting inspired by a groom.

Knickerbockers
Another clothing style which was prevalent in the early decades of 20th century was knickerbockers. These attires were baggy short pants worn by men or boys. Later on, knickerbockers were adorned by sportsmen, while engaging in golf, rock climbing, bicycling etc.

Peplum
It's a short overskirt or ruffle that became a must-have in the wardrobes for women of 1940s. It was flared to hint bigger hips. It was usually attached at the waist on a jacket or dress.
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Saddle Shoes
Worn by both boys and girls, saddle shoes were the most popular among school going children and college students. The girls' saddle shoes had a slight heel to it. It was typically made from leather. Black shoes with white saddle was also preferred by many during that decade.

Sloppy Joe Sweater

After the war was over, sloppy joe sweaters came into vogue which were a type of plain cardigan sweater. A garment for teenage girls, this sweater was usually worn by them in large sizes. Commonly, this sweater was worn with pleated skirts or pants (when they became socially acceptable in the late '40s).

Snood
It's a headgear which was worn by the ladies to keep their hair neat and tidy. This was a very practical accessory for the women who worked in factories (in the absence of men who were fighting in the war). This hairnet was secured with the help of some bobby pins, lending quite a sporty look to the wearer.

Swing Skirt
These skirts were adorned by young women in 1940s. Some of the patterns had a fitted midriff belt and V-neckline with shoulder yokes. It was preferred by young women for dancing. The older women donned a much conservative swing skirt version, especially with polka dots or small floral patterns.

Christian Dior's "New Look"

After the war was over, Christian Dior - an icon in fashion delivered his Bar suit and encouraged the ladies in the war-torn countries to embrace this new look. This suit with a flared skirt and extra emphasis on feminine form became an overnight hit.
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Rosie, the Riveter Look

Rosie, the Riveter embodied the spirit of all women who worked in the factories in 1940s during the war. This look was of a common working class woman who was employed in a male dominated trade like welding, construction, electrical work.

Spectator Shoes
Another type of oxford shoes, this style of footwear emerged to be quite popular in 1940s. Typically low heeled, it was constructed from leather and had two different colors. Mostly, darker shades were preferred for the toe and heel cap. However, the shoe's main body was experimented with varied colors.

1940s' Hair Fashion and Makeup

From hats, makeup to cloths, the fashion trends were drab and convenient, but the women in 1940s did not get discouraged due to the lack of amenities, they did one thing which women do best, that is, accessorize. They kept their long locks of hair and curled it to give a striking appearance. One of the vintage 1940s' hairstyles was making rolls of the upper strands of the hair and fixing it with the help of bobby pins. The remaining hair was left open and curled from the ends. Girls used bright red lipsticks to draw attention to their face. Mascara became a must-have item in the ladies' purses. But interestingly the eyeliner was just applied on the upper lid of the eye. As the war ceased, the austerity of the fashion world also came to an end. Femininity in the clothing style came back in to the picture and people rejoiced the victory by extravagantly dressing up and indulging themselves. Thus, the late 1940s' fashion trends was a huge contrast to the clothing worn during early 1940s.

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Conclusion: By 1947, the Paris fashion houses had reopened, and once again Paris
resumed its position as the arbiter of high fashion. The "orderly, rhythmic evolution of fashion change" had been disrupted by the war, and a new direction was long overdue. A succession of style trends led by Christian Dior and Cristbal Balenciaga defined the changing silhouette of women's clothes through the 1950s. Innovations in textile technology following the war resulted in new synthetic fabrics and easycare fabric finishes that fitted the suburban lifestyle of the 1950s with its emphasis on casual sportswear for both men and women. For the first time, teenagers became a force in fashion.

Refference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1945%E2%80%931960_in_fashion http://www.buzzle.com/articles/1940s-fashion.html http://www.fashionislife.net/uploads/6/4/4/5/6445050/7852303.jpg?278 http://www.retrosewing.net/1940s-fashion.html http://www.lphouse.com/jpg8/1940d.jpg http://www.howtolookgood.com/zz_images/catwalk_pics_sept09/cw_ladylike-landgirls.jpg http://www.gutenberg.org/files/34472/34472-h/34472-h.htm#note2

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