Fashion Photos from the 1940s That Continue to Inspire Today (2024)

FAQs

What was 1940s fashion inspired by? ›

The start of the World War II significantly increased the popularity of utilitarian style. Practical styles were hugely advocated since it was an era of strict rationing and patriotism. With less extravagant pieces of jewelry, embroideries, and heavy fabrics, men and women were able to do their day jobs with ease.

There to promote the trends were screen sirens, including Ingrid Bergman, Rita Hayworth, and Lena Horne. Indeed, the '40s may not have been the dreamiest decade in the annals of fashion, but it was pivotal in forming what the industry is today.

Fashion Icon: Katharine Hepburn

Central to the spread of the casual, leisure look was Katharine Hepburn. Fiercely involved with her on-screen wardrobe, both Hepburn's on-screen and off-screen wardrobes ensured her status as an icon in the 1940s.

Gordon Parks was a master of contradictions. His fashion photography captured the beauty and opulence of the 1940s and '50s elite with carefully orchestrated framing and composition. But Parks was also renowned for his stirring images of poverty and racial discrimination.

Overview of 1940s fashion

In 1942, the American War Protection Board issued Regulation L-85 which restricted the materials and methods manufacturers could use to make clothing to control resources needed for the war. Once the war ended, many of the Paris fashion houses reopened and brought a wave of new styles.

The 1940s were defined by World War II, the Holocaust, atomic bombs, and the beginning of the Cold War. Women were needed in the workforce to replace men who went to war, and wartime production pulled the U.S. out of the Great Depression. Upon their return, the GI Bill entitled soldiers to a college education.

Christian Dior - 1940's

Then, in 1946, the House of Dior opened in Paris at 30 Avenue Montaigne. The following year, Dior revolutionized the entire fashion industry with his first official collection.

An icon whose look and style defined the fashion world of the 1940s, Dorian Leigh is widely regarded as having been the first "supermodel".

Colours varied widely as well. White, navy, black, and red never fell out of fashion, and vibrant tones such as pink, aqua, yellow, wine, and royal blue tended to be popular. Stripes were widely used to create optical illusions on the body, while prints including florals and plaids were universally liked.

Ukraine born Valentina, and Claire McCardell, who was known as the mother of American sports wear. from the French couture since 1940. the Paris edition special liberation issue.

Was there photography in the 1940s? ›

Beginning in the 1940s, American photographer Eliot Porter produced subtle studies of birds and nature in which colour allowed him to render an unparalleled level of nuance. Appreciated for both their scientific and their aesthetic value, these photographs embodied the potential of colour.

Likewise in the 1930s and '40s, photographers such as Lisette Model, Berenice Abbott, Helen Levitt, and Barbara Morgan, whose work in New York explored a broad range of urban issues related to racial inequality, effects of war, and lives of children, helped actively shape the perspectives and legacy of the Photo League ...

Women's wardrobes were adapted to include slacks, warm coats, and washable frocks to suit their wartime activities. Washable cottons and separates saved dry cleaning chemicals, time, and money. These American pinafore dresses could be worn with different cotton blouses or sweaters for different looks.

Clothing Parallels 1940s

Some clothing styles in the 1940s, like loose pants, womens suits, the zoot suit and shorter skirts, can be in future decades. The loose pants in the 1940s have flown through the decades like 1970s when parachute pants and flared jeans were in style.

The early fifties in fashion (1950-1952) The beginning of the decade was marked by the effects of the war and a return to classic values. The achievements of the war made it possible to expand mass production and the use of synthetic materials, which soon became a counterpoint to the elegance of evening wear.

Women's silhouettes in the 1930s moved away from the boyish figure of the 1920s to a shape that emphasized feminine curves. The waistline returned to its natural place and hemlines dropped. By the 1940s, wartime rationing called for shorter skirts and more utilitarian looks for women.