1940s hairstyle fashion and history

The period of the 1940s-1950s is quite eventful. The beginning of the 1940s is the time of the Second World War. Time of large-scale hostilities, occupation, lack of food, and just industrial goods.

The war also influenced fashion. First, there is a tissue deficiency. For example, in 1940, France issued a "Decree on the Limitation of Supply", according to which a certain amount of fabric was allocated, which could be used for the production of clothing (more than 4 meters of fabric could not be spent on sewing a coat).

French fashion houses, such as Chanel, were closed during the German occupation of Paris. There were also problems with the purchase of fabric - special coupon cards were issued for the purchase of viscose, it was impossible to buy nylon stockings.

In the United States, a similar decree was also adopted - the "General Restriction Decree", while flared skirts fall under the ban, since a lot of fabric is used to produce them. Accordingly, the fashion of the 1940s is skirts without folds, straight and tight. The fabrics for skirts are the simplest - wool, linen, cotton.

Secondly, during the war years, orders are received from the state for the production of the same type of clothing. So, in the UK in 1941, the "Plan for the development of utilitarian clothing" was adopted. In total, during the war years, British designers have developed 32 types of clothing, which were selected and allowed for mass production.

Third, the center of fashion in the 1940s shifted from Europe to the United States. This was due to both the closure of fashion houses in Europe and their partial relocation to America. But, at the same time, active industrial production of ready-made dresses begins in the USA, but not haute couture clothes.

Style icons in the 1940s became movie stars - Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth.

So what, exactly, was it worn in the 1940s war?

The silhouette of the 1940s is a tight waist and hips, but with broad square shoulders (like a military uniform). Dresses, sweaters, and coats were also worn with broad shoulders.

In 1940s fashion, collars are also present - high, rounded, small.

The sleeves were both long and short, either plug-in or puffs.

They wore skirts - knee-length, straight. But there could also be pleated skirts. An interesting feature is that trousers, which entered women's fashion at the beginning of the twentieth century, have not yet taken strong positions - and women during the war years mostly wore skirts, including in the trenches.

Sandals and pumps were worn from footwear. Stockings that could not be bought were very popular. Women simply drew stockings along the leg, for example, they marked a seam or, especially diligent ones, could draw fishnet stockings.

Elements of a military suit were also in fashion - patch pockets, cuffs. The colors are also appropriate - brown, gray-blue or bottle green. And necessarily hats - small, tight-fitting, straw hats, berets, hats with wide brims or turbans that are bold in their design.

After the war - the second half of the 1940s, all of the above also remains in vogue, while civilian clothes, due to a lack of money and a shortage of fabrics, are often changed from military uniforms.

In 1940s men's fashion, men wore military uniforms during the war. Short jackets with patch pockets and short coats were widespread. They wore suits of dark colors. After the war in America, suits called zoot suits are in vogue - baggy trousers, tapered at the bottom and a long double-breasted knee-length jacket with wide lapels. Wide hats were worn with such suits.

1940s makeup - plucked eyebrows, accentuated cheekbones and bright red lipstick.

The photo from above is enlarged by clicking

Men's hairstyles of the 40s of the twentieth century:
In the 1940s, men wore short haircutsthe hair could curl.At the same time, the hairstyle was necessarily sprinkled with cologne or eau de toilette.

Women's hairstyles of the 40s of the twentieth century:
During the war years, women wore short haircuts, hairstyles made of semi-long hair, the ends of which curled inward. And also hairstyles with rollers - rollers in such hairstyles were laid on the sides of straight or side parting.

As for post-war hairstyles, then "tall" hairstyles with waves above the forehead or curled bangs, also stacked in tiers above the forehead, are becoming fashionable. Hairstyles with nets appear, in which the ends of curled hair are removed. And also hairstyles of the "corolla" type (variants of such a hairstyle - "wreath", "Hungarian corolla", "corolla of the world").