Fashion from the 1940s is such a classic look that it never
really goes out of style. You'll find that almost anywhere you go
wearing 1940s fashions, you will get a lot of positive attention.
This article explains the look of the times and aims to help you
convert clothing from current times to carry a more 1940s flair, as
well as giving some key tips on hairstyles, accessories, shoes and
other relevant items.
Steps
The styles were often very creative and elaborate and the short
haircuts of the 1930s gave way to the popularity of shoulder
length, or a bit longer hair.
• Hair started to be styled with more height, not close to
the head as was popular in the 1930s.
• The finger waves that had been popular since the 1920s
became incorporated into more feminine and flirty styles. Finger
waves would be styled along the side of the face, leading up to
piles of curls. Finger waves were worn as a way to style the hair
swept up from the face into a style, rather than showing up as the
entire hairstyle.
• Curls were often tight and well defined. Pin curls were
made tight and not brushed through as much as they would be later
in the 1940s. There are more variations than there is room to
describe here, but a lot of elements in a combined form that were
popular through the decade continued into the 1950s hairstyles.
- Look for early '40s accessories that were popular. These were
generally understated.
- Small hats were popular, also with netting that would hang over
the face. A high-fashion woman may have worn large hats. These
would often have little or no brim in the back and a high oval rim
in front, which may have been any angle above the face. A woman's
hat similar to a fedora began to be popular.
- Shoes were still reminiscent of the 1930s style, where they
were close-toed, moderately high heels, and often with laces,
buckles, or buttons. The high heels that we often think of as 1940s
style were just becoming popular.
- Bakelite was popular, so there were many Bakelite bangles,
Bakelite earrings, and Bakelite pins being worn, even though they
had been in fashion since the 1920s.
- Especially popular were purses with Bakelite or Lucite
elements, even entire purses made of Lucite.
- Wear 1940s makeup. It was still using some colors that had been
popular in the 1930s, however, small changes began to come into
vogue.
- Eyes weren't emphasized with dark shadows, rather just some
mascara, though mascara was often worn on top and bottom lashes.
Eyeliner was generally worn on the top lids, not the bottom.
- Eyebrows were arched more naturally, but still had an arc to
them that could only be achieved with tweezing and shaping, and
eyebrow pencil.
- Lipstick was still darker shades of red, maroon was popular.
Mauves and corals were also popular, and Tangee lipstick, the
original color-change lipstick, is still available. It was still
common to fill in lipstick beyond the lip line, especially to
emphasize the curve of the "Cupid's bow" of the top lip to more of
a gentle arc.
Mid-1940s Fashion
- 1946 San Diego Shift to the mid-'40s. Fashion was affected by
WWII greatly. America's involvement by 1941 started changing the
fashion scene. In 1942, car production ceased, and silk and the
newly popular nylon, made by Du Pont (also the maker of the ever
famous Bakelite) wasn't as readily available because it was needed
for the war, mostly for parachutes. In fact, many stockings were
donated for this purpose. As a result, leg makeup began to be made
available as a replacement for stockings, and ladies were lucky if
they had a friend who could draw a nice straight faux seam for them
in eyeliner. Indeed, magazines of the time
