Fashion from 1930-1940

In the 1930s women started to sew and make clothes at home by mending and patching garments as women started to lose interest in buying expensive ready-to-wear clothes even though fashion was changing drastically. The flapper twenties style was replaced by softer and more feminine styles. Also hemlines dropped from the knee to the ankles and this continued until the end of the decade. Torsos were molded below squared shoulders; necklines were also lowered, soft gathering replaced darts and most importantly dress’s waist were brought back to the normal waistlines.

The upper skirt yokes was introduced during the decade, they became popular for the detailed shaped of the skits. The skirt yokes was a v-shape and extending from one hip to the center of the yoke and continuing to the opposite hip. Other skirts were often designed layered/full at the bottom with pleats or gathers.

Films were influencing fashion as evening gowns were introduced by movie stars to the public. Launching the peplum in the thirties as an evening wear, empire-waist frock with ties at the back with a hemline that fell to the ankles and trains to add formal glamour to the style, boast butterfly or large, puffy sleeves, bows were also added for decoration.

Fur became popular during the thirties and women were wearing it during the day or in the evenings. Fur capes, coats, stoles wraps, accessories and trimmings decorated women’s dresses. The desired pelts were sable, mink, chinchilla, Persian lamp and silver fox.

Improvements that were accomplished during the decade was of the developments in the mass production techniques. This gave women the opportunity of accessing well-made clothes, however when the World War II started limited women from accessing to manufactured clothing as men and women were focused on their responsibilities.