Jacques Fath: The Voice of Fashion

  Jacques Fath was considered one of the three most influential voices during post war culture. He brought about a whole new world of fashion that had men and women both turning their heads to stare. Fath was born in France with a Flemish origin. His father convinced and encouraged him to be a bookkeeper and a broker. Fath had other plans in mind. His great-grandmother was a dressmaker. This helped spur Fath to want a different career path than his father had wanted for him. Even from his younger years, Fath knew he always wanted to design clothing. He was a very artistic child. He taught himself, studied designs, costumes, and read about fashion in books. His first job started in a two-room salon, which eventually moved studios twice into bigger buildings. He always seemed to hire young assistants. This way they had fresh ideas and he could relate to them because he started off as a young adult as well. They usually went on to make their own lines of clothing and fashion. Fath introduced the first figure-fitting clothing line, which was mostly sold in high-end stores such as Lord Et Taylor and Hudsons.  

    He teamed up with Joseph Halpert to make a women’s clothing line in 1948. Fath also served in the military earlier that year and was taken to prison. When he was releasted from jail, he opened a salon with his wife. Fath brought more scandalous outfits to America that made women feel glamorous and sexy. Low necklines, tiny waists, full skirts, and very scandalous dresses were all part of his work. He always emphasized breasts and behinds. Cleavage was prevalent and slim skirts were often worn. Asymmetrical lines, draping, pockets, tight dresses, tucks, and tiers were all were a part of his designs. Also, lots of bright colors such as green and blue were included. Lower priced lines of clothing for day-to-day usage were sold in department stores. Sex appeal was a big influence with his designs. He created fabulous wedding dresses and introduced perfume. He was a very personable person and that helped to win people over and enhance his success. Fath died at the age of 42 due to leukemia. A friend of Jacques Fath said he was, “A French Designer who is out to make every women look like a great beauty…[he] should be remembered with the highest acclaim of his generation.” 

Military Uniforms

   Much of the male population fought in World War II. Men of all ages fought in what was considered the bloodiest war in the history of the United States. The uniforms supplied for soldiers came in every style and material imaginable. Military uniforms for returning and visiting soldiers were worn on off days to show their support and love for their country. They wanted all to see their dedication and the hard work they had demonstrated for America. There were many designs of clothing that the men wore when going into battle. The Eisenhower jacket named after General Eisenhower became one of the most popular jackets during wartime. This had a bigger, fuller chest and had a waist-length jacket. The soldiers were covered from head to toe in protective gear. Coats were made of many different materials and had many different uses. Wool was for colder occasions, while demin was worn for durability and movement. Pilots and airmen wore aviation coats and working coats were worn on a day-to-day basis as well. All types of coats were necessary for different soldiers who fought, for every sort of weather, and for any job that needed to be done. Jackets were also made from wool, twill, and for arctic, mountain, rain, winter, combat, and tropical service situations. Soldiers specialized in certain terrains and the lack of clothing could mean life or death. Trousers were cotton, wool, elastic, and two-piece. Pants for air corps were necessary and even the bakers and cooks had specific pants to wear. Mountain, field, khaki, and parachute pants were worn by soldiers who specialized in these areas. The pants provided swiftness for fighting, movement, and warmth. Lastly, every soldier had to wear a pair of boots. Boots such as combat, jungle, leather, rubber knee, parachute jumper, and ski-mountain were all worn. Shoes were an important item because they protected soldier’s feet from the cold and wet conditions. Being able to travel on foot was necessary and without appropriate shoes, this was impossible. Every soldier, nurse, cook, and pilot was fully and adequately dressed for battle. There were different uniforms for every occasion. The men never seemed to be lacking with their gear. This proved to be an advantage for the victory of our American troops. No matter the weather or harsh conditions that they faced, they were always ready for battle. That was an advantage to living in a country such as the United States. The coats, jackets, pants, and boots worn then have influenced the way our troops dress now.  

Men's Clothing

    Strict rations altered men’s fashion just as much as they had affected women’s fashion. Before the war, men didn’t really have the choice to wear different styles of shirts, pants, jackets, or shoes. Everyone typically wore the same types of drab things. Although after World War II, men took more chances and wore more colorful and stylish clothing. This resulted in a new kind of fashion and design to come into play. Full- cut trousers, double breasted and long jackets, wide pants, colorful Hawaiian shits, and hand-painted ties were worn. The ties were a very popular item allowing the men to express themselves by wearing these different articles of clothing. The working class wore plain, solid colored suits. Navy and black with white shirts were the most common. Elegant suits were worn more and more common after the war. The “Esquire” jacket was a loose fitting jacked with broad shoulders. Zoot Suits were common among African and Mexican Americans youth. Older generations stayed tied to their roots and considered the Zoot Suit offensive. Fedora Hats with wide brims were worn by all people; from gang members to the president of the United States. Casual shirts became more common in the late 1940’s. Hawaiian shirts were the most common type. Men wore these to the store, out on the town, and with their families. Younger generations wore sportswear and began to dismiss the drab and plain styles that older generations wore. Many of the men in the United States fought in World War II. Soldiers that were visiting or returning home wore their uniforms on a regular basis. They wore them when they weren’t on duty to show the people of America their dedication and patriotism. Soldiers were held in high regard and were looked upon as heroes. The military and war uniforms inspired the creation of the Eisenhower jacket. This was created in regards to General Eisenhower. It had a fitted waist and bigger, puffier chest. Men, like women, exchanged plain and simple for young and more edgy. Men began to dress a little more on the wild side and took more risks with what they wore. A new kind of woman and man emerged as a result and fashion continued to move forward and take off during this decade. Some of what was worn then left an effect on people and as a result are still commonly worn today. 

Women's Clothing

    World War II had a great affect on clothing. It caused a shortage of many materials, resulting in a rationing of fabric. Women’s fashion changed drastically and would set the pace for woman’s clothing to take off. Many outfits prior to the war were more modest and covered much of the body. Being conservative was every woman’s goal. After the war though, mid-calf dresses and skirts were raised to the knee. Tops had a more masculine with big, padded shoulders. There were many different styles of shirts that women wore. Square, slit, sweetheart, keyhole, cross front, and V-neck with shirtwaists were all very common. There was never any cleavage showing. Modesty was very important back then, especially before the war. Over the years though, specifically after WWII, fashion took a little turn to the wild side. Evening dresses became more scandalous and form fitting. Fabric that was made for suits was rationed, causing the creation of the two-piece suit to come about. Skirts, blouses, and jackets were worn together to create different outfits. Women tried things that people had never seen before. The two-piece suit allowed for women to mix and match tops and bottoms. Teenage girls wore A-line skirts and a lot of plaid and stripes. Blouses were both short-sleeved and long sleeved with puffy gathers at the elbows and tighter at the wrists. “Boltero” jackets became very popular with their padded and high neckline. Pants were high-waisted buttoned, zippered down the side, and wide legged.  Before, women usually wore men’s pants, which happened to be bigger and less form fitted. The coats women wore were square and had a very plain design. They were typically long and down to the knee. The shoes came in all different styles. Some were chunky and wedged. The heels were short and thick. Oxfords, or saddle shoes, became popular among young women and were very comfortable and typically worn for a casual, informal day. Swimsuits began showing more and more. They were one-piece and had padded bras and thin straps. Hats came in many different styles. Beret, turban, and small hats with veils were commonly worn. The fashion changed drastically after the war hit. Fabric was rationed, skirts and dresses became shorter, and outfits became more glamorous and free. Women felt the desire to show more of their bodies and with the rationing of fabric; it became more and more acceptable.

The History of Zoot Suits

   Zoots Suits became quite popular during the 1940’s. Mostly Mexican, African Americans, Italian, and Filipino Americans wore them. The Zoot Suit consisted of a high waist, wide-legged and ballooned pants, long coats, and big, padded shoulders. Most were bright colored and full of life. Zoot Suits originated with African American youth in jazz clubs. Mexican Americans began wearing Zoot Suits soon after and made them their own. The usage of these outfits became more and more common within these groups of people. The more Mexican Americans wore them, the more problems arose. Older Mexicans didn’t like that the younger generations were wearing these suits. Whites did not like the fact that minorities were able to express themselves freely and wear what they wanted to wear. Older Mexican Americans said Zoot Suits were not based upon their own culture and off their own ideas, rather from African Americans. 

    Discrimination of Mexican Americans became very prominent. The Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial of 1942 showed no evidence that Mexican Americans were involved in the death of Jose Gallardo Diaz. Although wrongly accused of the crime, nine youths were arrested and put in jail without bail. This made people believe Mexican Americans to be dangerous people. Therefore this led to worse and more intense treatment. They were thoughts to have joined gangs and turned into criminals. Hostilities rose between Mexican Americans and American Sailors. Both groups were said to be mistreating each other’s women. This marked the start of the Zoot Suit Riots. On May 30^th, 1943 an American sailor hit a man wearing a Zoot Suit. June 3^rd, 1943 was the worst night of the riots. Sailors ripped the suits off teenage boys, used violence against them, and set the suits to fire. These actions banned Zoot Suits from being worn. Four days later on June 7^th, a group of 5,000 people, American sailors and Mexican Americans formed mobs and fought each other. Los Angeles was then considered off-limits to Mexican Americans and sailors. The Zoot Suit epidemic started as an innocent thing. People of specific racial groups wore them to proudly proclaim their heritage and express themselves. Over time though, people began discriminating against the types of people that wore them, therefore resulting in the banning of the suits all together. This caused mass chaos and fighting among the different groups of people and the American sailors. Zoot Suits disappeared completely soon after.