Women:The 1940's saw two distinctive styles in women's clothing. From the beginning of World War II in 1939 till the dawn of the New Look in 1947, women's dresses were knee-length and featured padded shoulders - one of the few adornments in clothing that was otherwise simple, thanks to wartime rationing. Sportswear became more common and women used a lot of ingenuity in mixing separates to make a wardrobe seem more diverse than it was. Homemade accessories and elaborate curls allowed women to show their flair without expense or waste. Hats, especially made from fabrics recycled from older pieces, went wild.Silhouettes were austere, but even in suitsor factory overalls, curls and bright lipstick kept the look feminine.
Men Suit Up: Even today we still see elements of the suits that were popular in the mid to late 1940’s. During the war the everyday gent wore plain, functional suits in solid plain colors like navy or black with plain white shirts and minimal embellishment. After the war ended, the working man could afford to turn up to work in more elegant suits, with new designs such as the esquire jackets which featured a loose fit and broad shoulders which is still common in many men’s suits today.
The decade witnessed a surge in creativity that had never been seen before. Fashion designers were distinguishing themselves ever further from dressmakers with modern designs and luxurious fabrics.
1. The lip shape in the 1940s was a little bit plumper on the top, with swelling rounds on the cupid’s bow. The smear was also worn in the beginning of the decade. Colours were, of course, red, but also raspberry tones, and lipliner, which first appeared in 1938* was used to give the lips a more precise definition