Fashions of the XXth Century - The 1940s - A Personal View

First of all, let me state that fashion is a continuing revival, we just need to look at inspirational themes for new collections, be they ethnic or simply a look-back at more recent times...Even the great John Galliano produces "thematic" collections, it has all been said before, what makes fashion always new is the detail, which changes all the time, so that revivals are never really total revivals.  Fashion is copying, that dreadful word, but copying from what surrounds us is what man has been doing since the beginning of time, since for something completely new from head to toes, we would have to take our inspiration from alien entities, which we cannot know.  Aren't Martians always represented with faces, arms and legs?  We can't imagine the unknown.

If we don't want to take it this far, let us start by putting aside philosophical considerations and look at the fashions of the forties, when women started wearing masculine jackets with a matching skirt, the suit, until then reserved to manfolk.  The shortage of men after the 2nd World War wasn't as desperate as it had been after the Great War at the beginning of the century, when women first wore shirts with their still very long skirts.   It was a first step to taking over some of the tasks until then reserved to men, like going to the office, where they  mostly worked as lady typists. Work required wearing suitable clothes and a shirt allowed more movement.  Since the change is gradual in the case of fashion ( a lot faster  nowadays, admittedly, modern technology has helped a lot in that respect), after the masculine woman of the 20s, the 30s reverted to a more feminine look and with the advent of a new war it all started again, but it was here to stay this time.

As I said, suits with masculine jackets, but also trousers and unconstricting tops, already introduced by Coco Chanel  in earlier years.  Women still wore hats, high heels and gloves on most occasions, but the path had been opened for the, albeit slow, emancipation.  Obviously this was done unconsciously, but then our unconscious always betrays our deep desires.  In the 40s, we saw the return of the platform shoe (which was to make a come-back in the 70s) centuries after it had been put aside (this was due to the post-war lack of raw materials, cork was used to make platform heels instead of much-needed wood), we saw women wearing Medieval hairstyles (hair-nets holding long hair) and skirts were still short, by old standards, since fabric was not abundant.  We would have to wait for Christian Dior's "new look" with its wide, flowing, long skirts to see a change that was to lead, very gradually and not without a few setbacks, to the revolutionary new image of the 60s.

Personally, I am a great fan of jackets,  I love their strict, encasing look.  I think the masculine-cut jacket, in the 40s, was worn with some arrogance and defiance towards men, who had had the sole right to wear it before.  It is different nowadays, of course, but though the then implicit meaning of wearing it has faded away, I believe my beloved jacket is the most elegant and stylish garment a woman can own (and it doesn't have to be Armani's).