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.