Beautiful dresses of the 30s

The main geometric figure in the style of the 30s is the triangle - broad shoulders and narrow hips. The shoulders were extended with the help of drapes, frills, puffs, valves, various folds in the shoulder line, with the help of a special cut of sleeves or wide-open collar cuffs. Joan Crawford's overhead shoulders in 1932, the pagoda-shaped shoulders invented by Elsa Schiaparelli in 1933 and her own invention - the shoulders in the style of the British Army Guardsmen, are more popular than ever.

All kinds of inserts and yokes in the form of a triangle, a deep V-neck on the back of evening dresses, skirts that are narrow at the hips and widen from the knees downward, wide acute-angled collars, bows, kerchiefs on the neck, original capes - all these are elements from the outfits of the 30s years. The rectangular silhouette, the simplicity of the cut began to disappear, gradually acquiring the features of a female silhouette with a waist, chest, and hips. The ideal was a woman with a slender figure and long legs.

At a time when women of the 20s, day and night, danced the Charleston in shirt dresses, ladies of the 30s, no matter how poor they were, wanted to look dignified. The elegance and charm of the 30s was especially evident in the long silk evening dresses.

It was silk with an oblique cut that fell splendidly, emphasizing the figure. It was one of the most expensive materials of the period. And all the fashion designers then picked up Vionne's ingenious find - to cut the fabric along the bias.

This cut gave elasticity - on the chest, waist and hips, the dress was tight, and then fell down in natural folds. Fabrics - satin, silk, perfectly draped and tight-fitting a slender female figure, especially in a slanting cut, were among the most popular.

In the photo above the dress of the 30s
Bottom dress from Madeleine Vionne

Elsa Schiaparelli, the main competitor of Coco Chanel, made an invaluable contribution to the fashion world not only in the 30s, but also to the development of fashion in general. But it was in those years that her name was passed from mouth to mouth of modern women of fashion, and the press was full of laudatory hymns to her work. Some of her dresses have survived to this day.

Photo top and bottom - dresses from the 30s from Elsa-Schiaparelli

Fabrics appeared with a very interesting texture, which in itself was already an ornament. Vibrant color combinations began to dictate natural and light patterns. But still, the best decoration of the evening dress was the fur of the Arctic fox. Rich ladies wore furs not only in evening dress, but also during the day. Those who could not afford this luxury replaced it with a velvet cape or a bright chiffon shawl.

But there were also those for whom silk was not available. Coco Chanel took care of them. In her collection of evening wear, she has included dresses in cotton fabrics. Ladies' casual outfits were lengthened, because now everything was worn to the middle of the calves. How was it done? - ... with the help of ribbons, frills, yokes, various inserts, godets on skirts that started just below the hip line.

With the slender waist back, the corsetry industry has revived as well. But in this case, it was just a slight squeeze, and the corsets were worn just below the bust line. The chest has lifted again, in contrast to its almost incomplete absence in the 20s. The production of bras by the American company "Warners" has begun.

The set of ladies' clothes certainly included hats. And that was the time of the craziest hats. The variety of fancy models of hats was so rich that there was no question of the unity of style in them. They had only one thing in common - the ladies wore these hats, sliding them slightly obliquely on their foreheads. In a hat, gloves and a flat envelope handbag, the lady looked elegantly dressed.

Those who did not have the means to adorn themselves with expensive outfits, the existing outfit was supplemented with fashionable accessories - a hat, an envelope bag and gloves. Then the image was considered complete in accordance with the fashionable requirements of those years.Gloves were an indispensable accessory in the ladies' wardrobe of the 30s; they were even worn to a summer dress with short sleeves.

Jewelry, who had them, of course, was in fashion, brooches and necklaces were especially loved. Most were content with artificial stones and rhinestones. The latter were sewn onto expensive fabrics and imitated jewelry. Artificial fabric flowers or rhinestones. The most fashionable were violets.

In the late 1930s, when it was becoming clear to everyone that political passions in Europe were taking on a dangerous shade, clothing lines changed. Clothing takes on the character of a uniform - angular broad shoulders, narrow skirts just below the knee, gloves with cuffs, handbags over the shoulder. Shoes have become more massive - first wedge-shaped heels appear, then a platform, as well as shoes without a heel, and what is interesting is the lack of makeup.

An alarming time was approaching, it became clear to everyone that these were the last peaceful days before the great catastrophe ...

And yet, the period of the 30s can be called the period of the greatest taste, the time of new elegance. The 30s are still a source of inspiration for designers.