WWII Fashion

What can I say! The WWII Period fashion is truly amazing! I believe this time in fashion was for dreamers. With fabric shortages during the war you truly had to be imaginative and creative with what you had "laying around".

War broke out in Europe in 1939, the same year the first true artificial fiber, Nylon, was introduced at the World's Fair in New York. For the duration (1939-1945), fashion veered between exiting innovations and the shortages, price controls and rationing created by war.

Women's clothing went through the greatest changes in this era, both due to shortages, and due to large numbers of women engaging in work outside the home during the war. Bias cutting was promptly dropped as a waste of fabric, and "Make Do And Mend", wartime advice centered on sewing old clothes in to new ones.

 Men's suits were re-cut into women's suits, complete with the tailored details and shoulder padding previously found in the garments. Shoulder pads quickly became stylish in all women's garments, not only suits, and stayed in fashion until 1949.

Most governments issued either construction guidelines, or rationing to curtail fabric use, yet even in Europe men and women managed ways to stay fashionable during the conflict. "The Little Black Dress" was a popular method suggested by style magazines: Having a simple, short (knee length) black dress, which one varied each day and evening with sets of color-matched accessories.

 Fashion that was not rationed, like hats, and hairstyles, grew creatively elaborate. Women and girls were actively encouraged to wear pants, both for war work and warmth.

 Aloha Shirts for casual wear came to the mainland with servicemen returning from the Pacific theatre. Suit wearing increasingly was confined to work in offices, going to church, and formal occasions.

Could you only imagine the bartering between neighbors and strangers to get the items you needed? I am sure it was literally staring at the most dull boring fabrics and trying to make it FABULOUS! What a challenge for all the artists of this time!

Photos courtesy of: 1. vivenofhalloway.blogspot.com 2. vintageculture.com 3. uffnervintage.com 5. dev.alleykatsstore.com 6. picsdigger.com 7. fortiesfashions.blogspot.com 8. seattletwist.com 9. timesofglory.blogspot.com 10. capitolcharlotte.com

Depression Era Fashion

The 1920s are a truly special time in fashion to me. If you will notice this is probably a more difficult time to find flawless pieces from the depression than earlier times such as Victorian and Civil War. Why? Because it's the Great Depression!

Not many people had money to buy fine garments. Most items were resewn and repaired and worn nearly everyday in some cases. If you think of wearing your favorite/best garment everyday after a harsh handwashing in a metal tub think of the condition it would be in a month later yet alone decades later!

The 1920s was the decade in which fashion entered the modern era. It was the decade in which women first liberated themselves from constricting fashions and began to wear more comfortable clothes (such as short skirts or pants). Men likewise abandoned overly formal clothes and began to wear sport clothes for the first time. The suits which men wear today are still based, for the most part, on those which were worn by men in the late 1920s.

The 1920s were characterized by two distinct periods of fashion. The early 1920s where nature and change progressed slowly as many were reluctant to adopt the new styles. From 1925, the styles that have been associated with the Roaring Twenties were passionately embraced by the public and would continue to characterize fashion until early in 1932.

1. 1920s-fashion-and-music.com 2. fashionart.onsurgar.com 3. wikispaces.com 4. victoriana.com 5. stylehive.com 6. vintagetextiles.com

80s Fashion

I feel inspired to write about the 80s today. No rhyme or reason just sounded fun! I am a product of the 70s and very much remember all of the awesome things from the 1980s.

I spent some time in college town the other day.  College town being downtown Ann Arbor. The colors and styles really are reminisce of the 1980s. Boy, that didn't make me feel old at all watching youngsters treating it as if it was a NEW thing!

I instantly started having all  these flashbacks of wearing outrageous and colorful clothes! I, as an adult do not know HOW my mother let me go into the public dressed the way I did. Ofcourse, my mother was always good at letting us expressing yourself with clothes. Many of my friends today tell me I am lucky they wished their parents let them wear the things I got to wear.

For me personally I had a few different sides. I recall Madonnas' lucky star look was my personal favorite.

I seem to recall flipping back and forth from Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, to preppy fashion and even yacht club looks in the mix. No one ever really know how I was going to come out of the house the next day!

A friend of mine on facebook said she wanted to bring back the sideways ponytail because it so rocked! Well I'm not exactly sure about that but; lets take a look at those crazy do's I so recall wearing myself as an early teen! HMMM, What do you think?

Well I know my parents definitely had alot of spunk themselves why else would they allow their children to dress so insane. My family definitely wasn't a little 80s we were all up in those 1980s trends!!!

I think this trip down memory lane calls for a little more info on the trend setting fashions of the 1980s! Join me next time we will talk about the totally awesome swatch watches, denim skirts and over sized sweaters so many of us still love and hate to admit!


Photos courtesy of: 1. Chud.com 2. sitemaker.umich.edu 3. planning.org 4. fibers.com 5. refinery29.com 6. shewired.com 7. unkown 8. MSBlueSky on Flickr 9. marbles.com 10. stylehive.com

History of Jeans

Jeans are trousers made from denim. The American blue jean was invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss by 1873. The word "jeans" comes from the French phrase bleu de Gênes, literally the blue of Genoa.

Initially, jeans were simply sturdy trousers worn by workers, especially in the factories during World War II. During this period, men's jeans had the zipper down the front, whereas women's jeans had the zipper down the right side. By the 1960s, both men's and women's jeans had the zipper down the front.

Jeans (known as dungarees by then), along with light-blue stenciled cambric shirts, became part of the official working uniform of the United States Navy in the 20th century prior to being replaced by the coveralls, utilities and, more recently, the blue and gray digital-camouflaged navy working uniform. This was to prevent other more traditional uniforms from becoming soiled or torn in the ship's rugged working environment and thus leaving them for wear during ceremonial occasions.

 

After James Dean popularized them in the movie Rebel Without a Cause, wearing jeans by teenagers and young adults became a symbol of youth rebellion during the 1950s. Because of this, they were sometimes banned in theaters, restaurants and schools.

During the sixties the wearing of jeans became more acceptable, and by the seventies it had become general fashion in the United States, at least for casual wear.

Notably, in the mid-seventies the denim and textiles industry was revolutionized by the introduction of the stone-washing technique by GWG (Great Western Garment Co.).  Denim suddenly became an attractive product for all age groups. 

 Acceptance of jeans continued through the eighties and nineties to the point where jeans are now a wardrobe staple, with the average North American owning seven pairs.

Jeans can be worn loosely or snugly. Historic photographs indicate that in the decades before they became a staple of fashion, jeans generally fit quite loosely, much like a pair of bib overalls without the bib. Indeed, until 1960, Levi Strauss denominated its flagship product "waist overalls" rather than "jeans".

Text courtesy of: Wikipedia. Photos courtesy of: 1. jake.umwblogs.org 2.uvm.edu 3. abundancesecrets.com 4. denimology.com 5. jeanfactory.com 6. fashioninmotion.wordpress.com

Edwardian Lace

There are many gorgeous garments that come from the Edwardian Period. So many we find now a days are usually in yellowed, torn, beat up condition. Edwardian garments are just now hitting the 100 year mark. This making them technical antiques in age. My favorite collection of Edwardian Lace garments comes from http://www.vintagetextile.com/ 

Left: 1910 Lace and tulle Tea Dress.

Right: 1910 Lace Embroidered Tea Dress

Left: 1905 Lace and Silk Dress

Right: 1915 Tambour embroidered net lace tea dress

Left: 1905 Irish Lace Crochet Bolero

Right: 1905 Irish Crochet Lace Knickers

Left & Right: 1900 Belgian mixed princess lace jacket.

This collection is truly amazing! I would have to say as a professional collector and dealer Vintage Textile.com is absolutely a company to be respected for its knowledge and collection alike!

For all of you Titanic junkies (including myself) this is going to be a great week!

We are going to talk about Edwardian Fashion!

I thought it would be fun to start off with an Edwardian lace feature.

*All photos are from http://www.vintagetextile.com/ and most items shown above are available for purchase thru thier website.

Early Mid Victorian Fashion

Mid Victorian Fashion Dates from the late 1850s to 1880s. We are discussing the early Mid years from 1857 to 1865. Fashion changes drastically during the Mid Victorian period so I have broken it down into two segments. This way we will get to view more beautiful photos!

courtesy of metmuseum.org

In the Early-Mid Period dresses became more and more daring in their pattern and color. During these years women wore both dark and light shades of color such as silvery grays, lavender and magenta. These are just a few among the many popular colors worn. We also find plaids in women's wear begin to emerge.

 Popular fabrics included: silk, taffeta, cashmere, muslin, tulle, mink, seal, beaver and countless other fabrics.

               (left) courtesy of blog.historicalfashions.com                    

(right) courtesy of fashionismymuse.blogspot.com

Corsets with lacing in the back are introduced. The steel cage crinoline was introduced in 1856. On top a petticoat was worn with an elaborate design at the hem.

courtesy of uhist.com

Skirts were made fuller by using more tiers which are commonly known as flounce.  Hooks and eyes are now introduced into fashion. 

Dresses for day typically had what is called a Fan Front. Which has a typical tight narrow waist. A wider bell shape sleeve does starts to appear toward the early 1860s.

courtesy of metmuseum.org

Evening dresses were very low-necked, falling off the shoulders, and had short sleeves.

courtesy of www.osu.edu

In the Mid Victorian period we start to see white gloves and colored hosiery. The Indian Shaw becomes another fashionable garment. Hair styles become much simpler. It becomes a simple part down the middle with a bun or braid in the back.  Earrings go from simple dangles to tassel-like in form.

courtesy of yourwardrobeunlockd.wordpress.com

Tomorrow we will discuss dresses from the Late-Mid Victorian period and the bustle.