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View All Available 1930s Items
For more information on this decade in fashion
history, check out our list of books and reviews at Recommended Reading. Also please visit our Links page.
For bibliography referencing, the author of this page is April Ainsworth.
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Women's Vintage Fashions of the 1930s
Silhouette For the first time in centuries, the natural,
though slim, silhouette became the style. Hair was waved and shoulder-length.
Shoulders were emphasized by puffs or padding, especially towards World War II
(1939). Fashion magazines showcased a long, sleek appearance.
Common
Designs in Vintage Clothing
- Unusually cut and pieced day and evening dresses, with oddly puffed and
fitted sleeves
- Bias-cut, high-waisted evening dresses and nightgowns
- Two-piece suits with square-shaped jackets, large buttons and narrow, lean
skirts in thin materials
Fabrics Available Natural fibers (sometimes linen, but mostly
cotton, wool, and silk), acetate, and rayon, all in light- to medium weights
(velvet, georgette, crepe, organdy, satin) for day or evening.
Popular Colors and Prints Colors were often muted or deeper hues,
but brighter color was accepted. Prints were of soft to medium hues, and though
they were still small to medium in size, they were more varied. Besides florals,
geometric and abstract prints became popular; these were of two or more
contrasting shades in streamlined designs that appear a little quirky today. In particular, cotton feedsack fabrics (literally printed on feed and flour sacks) featured these unusual combinations.
In high-status culture, surrealism also influenced prints, as artist Salvador Dali designed textiles for haute fashion collections.
Trims and Detailing Many 30s details depended on novelty-shaped
plackets, lapels, pockets, cuffs, belts, or necklines, often with button
accents. Large collar and cuff sets were very popular. Usually designs had
either a medieval or ultra-Deco air to them. A standard motif throughout the
decade was the two-piece belt or jacket clasp, worn at the center waist. To
summarize, more trim was seen in daywear, with evening a showcase for cut and
fabric drapery.
Hemlines Day and Night Day hems dropped to
mid-calf in '29 and rose through the decade to below the knee. At night, dress
was floor-length.
The Latest Fads
- Schiaparelli's controversial color, shocking pink
- The first appearance of the midriff, seen not only in swimwear but also in formal gowns and considered
scandalous
- Highly unusual sleeves, often with long fitted cuffs and a section of puffed
sleeve
- Surrealist influence
- Novelty buttons, another Schiaparelli idea
- Very low back bodices, known as being "backless" or having "back interest"
- Tanned "movie star" skin
Innovations
- Nylon invented in 1939
- First mass-manufacture of zippers in 1935
- Accepted use of costume jewelry by society, introduced by Chanel in the '20s
- Development of two-way stretch weaves in fabric
- Platforms on high-heeled dress shoes, invented by shoe designer Salvatore
Ferragamo
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