Early Swing
The 1930s and the Great Depression required economy and frugality in the area of fashion. The sizing system developed in the 20s was used by Butterick to create easy-to-make patterns so women could copy the expensive fashions of the movie stars as advertised in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. The movie stars were trend setters. Marlene Dietrich shamelessly wore pants suits. Imitating the stars in design, the dresses were revealing. Corsetting couldn't do the trick for the figure-revealing styles so women began going to gyms for exercise. The molded torso was emphasized by the flared, flounced skirts and puffy upper sleeves and squarish shoulders. Skirts grew longer. By '35-'36 they were half way between the calf and the ankle. The bias cut was often used so clothing would drape elegantly. Soft fabrics like wool for daytime and satin, crepe, chiffon, and artifical silk for long, evening dresses made elegant evening gowns. Pastels and neutrals were popular colors. Wide-legged pants were in style for sports and leisure. Underwear was minimal with only a soft bra, a garter belt, and seamed silk stockings. The 3/4 length "swagger" coat hung loose and full. Well dressed women always wore a hat and gloves. The hats were small and worn to one side like a beret. A small clutch purse was most prevalent. High-heeled shoes were the rage. Hair was given a permanent wave and many began dying their hair with the new range of colors. In make-up, narrow eyebrows were "in." A matte complexion, mascara, powder, rouge and red lipstick were the make-up choices set by the movie stars.
Please keep the posts in this thread relevant to 1930s fashion.
