1930’s in fashion for women. What did women really wear in the 1930’s? The trends, dresses, hairstyles and makeup and where to buy them.
The influence of Hollywood and Art Deco modernism on women’s fashion was never greater than in the 1930’s.
Costume designers names were almost as well known as the Paris couture designers. The crash of 1929 and the Depression which followed, only slowed the inevitable rise in consumerism and ready to wear clothing. Makeup and stockings sales steadily rose through the decade. Women’s day-wear became more tailored with single buttoned jackets and matching gored skirts.
Hems dropped to just above the ankle in 1930 and rose to below the knee by the mid 1930’s.
The gored skirt ( made from several triangular gores) created a more feminine flare at the hem.
Curves returned and newer synthetic foundation girdles were worn by women of all ages. Brassieres now came in cup sizes and 1930 saw the seamless bra go on sale.
In hairstyles, the Marcel wave replaced the 1920’s crop and bobbed hair look. Good for the hairdressers but hard on the pocket for a young woman of limited means. Makeup was now commonly worn in day time and the sale of swivel lipsticks and mascara pots soured.
These are just some highlights of the fashion trends in the 1930’s. Jump in to our time machine archive of posts on 1930’s fashion history.
Leading authority on 20th Century fashion and design – Charlotte Fiell talks to Glamourdaze. Last year while browsing in the famous Blackwell’s bookstore in Oxford I was riveted to one spot and eventually one comfortable sofa (Blackwells is my kinda book shop) leafing through two thickly illustrated and sumptuous books by Charlotte Fiell and Emmanuelle …
Here’s a short glimpse in to the glamorous past. 1930’s women browsing a department store.
Glamorous 1930’s bathing beauties at the Hotel Delmonte in Monterey California. A favorite playground for Hollywood’s movie stars back then. This clip dates from 1935.
1930s Fashion -The French Beret replaces the Cloche. By 1933 the iconic Cloche hat which was so dominant in the 1920s was replaced by exciting new French styles. The beret – not exactly anything new to the French – was certainly a novelty for many women in the USA and others European countries. Not all …
Helen Temple’s Beauty Column 1938 Answers to women’s beauty questions from the late 1930s. First published in Woman – May21st 1938. Freckling: I have a large freckle on the tip of my nose, which isn’t at all beautifying – is there any way of making it disappear? Also – is walking a good way to …
The 1930s – The Golden Age of Glamour for Women’s fashion. Often regarded as some sort of stop gap between the 1920s and the 1940s, the 1930s fashion era is often overlooked as a significant decade for style. Despite the Depression, it is remembered as the era of escapism, glamorous Hollywood starlets adorning billboards and …
1930s Fashion – The Definitive Sourcebook Long overdue and very welcome comes this visual treat for all 1930s fashion fans out there. If you are not yet sold on the glamor and Art deco resplendence that was 1930s style, then this book will give you an epiphany! Published by Goodman Feill for £30 – it’s …
A while ago I stumbled across a vintage costume designer by the name of Anushka Tay. In the admittedly self indulgent and rather fluffy realm of vintage fashion blogs this girl caught my attention. In the course of her third year research she has devoted some considerable time and energy to studying and recreating – …
A Short History of 20th Century Women’s Fashion – 1900 to 1970. Glamourdaze have just published a concise history of women’s dress styles from the Edwardian era to the late 1960s. Read about the massive changes which came about in women’s fashion before, during and after the First World War. How women escaped from the …
Just a heads up to our regular readers and any newbies of course – that Glamourdaze will be producing a ‘ How to’ make-up guide in the near future with detailed step by step instructions on how to achieve the beauty looks from the 1920s , 1930s makeup styles to the 1960s look of Twiggy …