By: Samantha Schofield 1940s Fashion By: Samantha Schofield
Women's fashion Knee length dresses Shoulder pads Accessories (hats) Fitted waist
Men's fashion Plain solid colors More natural rounded shoulders (unlike 1930s) 4x1 suit
Men's and Women's Hairstyles
Inventions During the Decade Electronic Digital Computer The Atomic Bomb Microwave Oven The Jeep The Slinky Silly Putty Velcro
Major Events Japanese attack Pearl Harbor:1941 D-Day:1944 FDR Dies:1945 Germans surrender:1945 Bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki:1945 UN Founded:1945 Gandhi assassinated:1948
Fashion Influences Rita Hayworth: Known as the "Love Goddess" Famous for wearing silk and satin
Fashion Influences cont. Vivien Leigh Starred in Gone with the Wind Known for dressing elegantly
Fashion Influences cont. Ava Gardner Known for wearing long gloves Wore long, sleek dresses
Famous Designers Christian Dior Had the idea of setting up a fashion house in 1946 Liked architecture so made some clothing look like buildings, like the eiffel tower.
Other Influences The War Cloth and economic shortages caused women to have shorter dresses The military look, solid more plain colors
Summary of the styles The fashion during this era was mainly influenced by the war. With more solid colors, and having restraints economically and on supplies. But people adapted to this problem on their own by even making some of their own clothes and accessories, with women making their own hats, to give themselves a more unique look. And men making their jackets more short, instead of having longer jackets down to their knees like in the 1920s and 1930s.
How do world events affect fashion? Fashion in the 1940s was mainly influenced by the war. With the economy not being so well, there were budget problems on clothes and shortages of supplies. Some people even made their own unique accessories at home, like hats, to work with economic issues. The "military look" even influenced on how some of the clothes looked, having more solid colors. All in all, world events, like war, help determine the look of fashion for the population.