Men's Dress of the 1940s
During the 1940s, the end of the Great Depression and the onset of World War II caused many significant changes in American life. Every area was affected, including men's dress. Does this Spark an idea?
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Pre-War
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Pre-war men's fashions followed the trends of the 1930s. Men wore either a two piece suit featuring a wide-shouldered jacket and matching, loose fitting, cuffed pants or a three piece suit with a matching vest. A man completed his ensemble with a cap or hat such as the fedora.
Wartime
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Making uniforms became the clothing industry's main concern during World War II and rationing limited the amount of fabric used in civilian clothing. Men's suits lost details such as cuffed pants and become close fitting.
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Zoot-Suit
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The zoot-suit style was worn by young, urban Hispanics, blacks and Filipinos. It featured an almost knee-length coat with wide lapels and padded shoulders, high-waist flared pants that were tightly cuffed, high-heeled, pointy shoes and a wide-brimmed felt hat. In 1943, racial tensions and resentment toward zoot-suiters for ignoring rationing laws culminated in a series of zoot-suit riots.
The Bold Look
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In 1945, the War ended and men's fashion design briefly became more extravagant. In 1948, "Esquire" marketed the Bold Look to middle class men. The style featured a slimmed down zoot suit, shirts with wide collars, striped neck-ties, gold cuff links and tie clasps and snap-brim fedoras.
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References
- Fashion Encyclopedia: Men's Suits
- "Fashion, Costume and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations and Footwear Through the Ages"; Fedora ; 2004
- The Victoria and Albert Museum: Powerdressing the Zoot Suit
- "History Workshop Journal";The Zoo-Suit and Style Warfare; Stuart Cosgrove; 1984
- Fashion Encyclopedia: Bold Look
- Fashion Encyclopedia: Military Uniforms
