FASHION IN THE 1940s
By Natalie Dahdah
NYLONS INTRODUCED
When Nylon stockings were first introduced in 1939, by Dupont. Women
loved them, they spread throughout the country. They weren’t cheap in the
beginning and there was a major demand for them in the U.S. from the onset
of the war. The designer, Dupont couldn’t keep them on the shelves.
http://glamourd
aze.com/2013/0
1/1940swartime-fashionpaint-your-ownstockings.html
M&MS CREATED
M&Ms were first created by Forrest Mars during the Spanish Civil War for the
soldiers to eat and had a sugar coating so they wouldn’t melt in their hands.
The manufacturing process began on March 3, 1941. They were first packaged
in cardboard tubes, then changed to bags.
http://inventors.
about.com/od/
mstartinventors/
a/ForrestMars.h
tm
D-DAY INVASION
The D-day invasion was on June 6, 1944. It was the invasion of Normandy
during World War II. It was the largest amphibious invasion to ever take place.
156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches on the
Coast of France Normandy.
http://www.h
istory.com/to
pics/worldwar-ii/d-day
BIKINIS INTRODUCED
The first bikini bathing suit was introduced on July 5, 1946 by Louis Reard at a
swimming pool in Paris. They started being worn during World War II because fabric
was being rationed for the war and uniforms. He designed one called the atom,
because it was the worlds smallest bathing suit. It took until the 1950s for most
countries to allow it on public beaches.
http://www.history.co
m/this-day-inhistory/bikiniintroduced
http://www.
vintagedance
r.com/1940s
/1940sbathingsuits/
FIRST COMPUTER BUILT
The first built computer was the ENIAC, which was the Electronic Numerical
Integrator and Computer, it was an entire room. It was built as a secret World
War II military project by John Mauchly during the war, but was finished after
it ended. They needed to speed up the mathematical calculations for the Army.
http://www.u
shistory.org/
oddities/enia
c.htm
HOUSEHOLD TELEPHONE
The household telephone was created in the 1940s during World War II
because the amount of calls increased, many more people had to be reached
during the war. They did anything they could to help the war effort.
http://www.t
elephonymus
eum.com/His
tory%201940
-today.htm
1940s Everyday People and Style
1940s Everyday People and Style
1940s Everyday People and Style
WORLD WAR II
World War II was the most significant event during the decade of the 1940s. It impacted almost every
American life in every way, especially in fashion. It was from 1939 to 1945 in Europe, Russia, North
Africa and Asia. It was fought between the Axis Powers and the Allies, 60 million people died by the
end of the war, 40 million were civilians. During the war all fabric had to be rationed for soldiers’
uniform, so the style of fashion became more revealing, dresses became shorter, and they style was
very militaristic. The designers during this time period had to make do with the fabric they had, their
motto was “make do and mend”. Women also began wearing the same clothes as men. Nylon wool and
silk were restricted due to the war. Fashion was impacted on social and economic scenes.
http://fashion.
ekstrax.com/20
13/01/1940sfashion-impactof-world-war-iion.html
https://sites.google
.com/a/umn.edu/h
istorpedia/home/ar
ts-newideas/women-sfashion-duringwwi-and-ww2-fall2012
NYLONS
As soon as nylons were introduced in 1939 by Dupont, they became extremely
popular and every woman wanted a pair. They were the replacement for silk
stockings because they were being rationed for the war, no one could get them
anymore. Women also put tan makeup on their legs and used eye liner to draw
a line up the back of their legs to look like seams. They were a very popular
fashion trend during the time of the war.
http://glamourdaze.
com/2013/01/1940
s-wartime-fashionpaint-your-ownstockings.html
SHORTER HEMLINES
With the war and rationing of fabric, skirt lengths began to rise because the
fabric was needed for the war. The hemlines of dresses rose to the knee. It
was the new 1940s look, knee length button down dresses, trim waists and
padded shoulders.
http://glamourdaze.com/20
09/08/1940s-fashionwomens-dress-code.html
SHOULDER PADS
Shoulder pads became a new fashion trend in almost every jacket or dress in
the 1940s because it had a masculine look to it, this was when women began
to dress like men. This was also during the war which had a military look to it
and women's fashion began to look like men's uniforms in the war.
http://hubpages.com/hu
b/Fashion-HistoryDesign-Trends-of-the1040s
HATS
Hats became a way to express your own style in the 1940s, because everyone
had to dress the same, in the same militaristic style. Some hats were military
styled to go with the outfits they wore, others came in different shapes, styles
and colors. The most common hat styles were turbans, berets, military caps,
hair snoods, and fascinators with net veils.
http://www.vintagedancer.com
/1940s/vintage-inspired1940s-hats-for-ladies/
WEDGED-HEEL SHOES
1940s fashion shoes were the wedge, sling back, sandal, oxford, Mary Jane,
saddle shoe and peep toe pumps. They were made in different materials
because others were needed for the war. Shoes during this time were simple
and didn’t come in many different colors.
http://www.vintageda
ncer.com/1940s/1940
s-womens-shoes/
DARK COLORS
Darker color schemes were a fashion trend in the 1940s because during the
war people dressed like the mood of the war and because they dressed like
men and their military uniforms they wore dark colors, such as khaki, black
and grey.
http://www.thepeoplehistory
.com/40sclothes.html
CHRISTIAN DIOR
Christian Dior was a French Fashion designer born on January 21, 1905 in Granville, France.
He was the second of 5 children of Alexandre Louis Maurice Dior and Isabelle. When he
was young his family moved to Paris, where he grew up. He was passionate about art and
was interested in becoming an architect, in 1925 he enrolled at the École des Sciences
Politiques to begin his studies in political science, because he was pressured by his dad. Dior
opened a small art gallery in 1928 with money that his father lent him. In the few years it
was open it had very famous work in it. In 1931 he was forced to close it because of
financial purposes. After this he began selling his fashion sketches to make any money he
can get. In 1935 he got a job illustrating the magazine Figaro Illustré, years later Dior was
hired as a design assistant by Paris couturier Robert Piguet. The next year he served as an
officer in the French Army. After France surrendered in 1940 he went back to Paris, where
he was hired by couturier Lucien Lelong. He became famous for his wartime designs and
reintroduction to feminist designs, this made him the most successful fashion designer in the
world, his designs were worn by stars, royalty and the most famous models. Dior went to
Montecatini, Italy and suffered his third heart attack and died at the age of 52 on October
23, 1957.
http://www.biography.com/people/christiandior-9275315#death
CHRISTIAN DIOR TRENDS
“New Look”
-Large Amounts of fabric used post war
in 1947 when he introduced this. There
were no more war restrictions, so he could
use what ever he wanted.
-Softened women’s shoulders because
during the war the shoulders on women’s
clothing was padded, to look more
masculine.
-Emphasized women’s hips and pinched in
their waists, people thought it was a more
scandalous look.
-Full Skirts people thought were a waste
of fabric because they were still in the
rationing mind set.
http://fashion.just-theswing.com/1940s-womensfashion
CHRISTIAN DIOR
Christian Dior’s “New Look” after
World War II ended was a
reintroduction to feminine clothing.
During the time of the war, women dressed like men.
http://fashion.just-theswing.com/1940s-womensfashion
Christian Dior’s Designs
Christian Dior’s Designs
CHRISTIAN DIOR
1905-1957
NINA RICCI
Originally named, Maria Nielli, Nina Ricci was born in Turin, Italy, in 1883.
She moved to Florence when she was five years old, then her family moved to
France in 1895 when she was 12 years old. When she was 13 she began
working in a salon then she was moved up to a dressmaker and by 18 she
became the head of the salon finally by 22 she was the chief designer. In 1904
she married Luigi Ricci and had a son named Robert in 1905. In 1908 she
joined the house of Raffin as a designer and stayed there for 20 years. Then
she opened her own house with her son called House of Ricci. It grew and
became very popular. She began to create elegant, sophisticated classic style
clothes, and became a popular designer for older women. Then she went on a
tour through Europe and the U.S. to show her gowns. Her son then hired
Jules-Francois Crahay in 1954. Nina died on November 30, 1970.
http://fashionforum.org/fashiondesigners/ninaricci.html
NINA RICCI TRENDS
-Plaid Coats was a trend set by Nina
Ricci in the fall of 1948 after the war
was over, so they could use more
fabric and make full skirts.
--Pleated black satin cocktail dress set
the trend for formal dresses. They
could use satin, a very expensive
material now that the war was over
and they could use it.
--Faux fur was a trend in the cold
winters, because they didn’t want to
use animals.
--Perfume was a major trend by Nina
Ricci. L’Air du Temps was made in
1948. Many women loved wearing it.
http://headtotoefashionart.com
/nina-ricci-1883-1970/
NINA RICCI
Nina Ricci introduced more formal and
feminine clothing for women to wear.
http://headtotoefashionart.c
om/nina-ricci-1883-1970/
Nina Ricci’s Designs
Nina Ricci’s Designs
Nina Ricci
1883-1970
IN THE MOOD- GLENN MILLER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CI-0E_jses