All Of The Ways You Can Wear 1940s Fashion

We all know movies like Rebecca, Fantasia, Day of Wrath, and I’m sure we’ve fantasized about living in their simpler times and wearing their feminine, yet masculine fashion. 

I’m going to show you some of my favorite ways of wearing 1940’s fashion in 2020.

High Wasted Workwear Trousers

This is the first era in which women wore pants as a normal part of their fashion because they started working in factories and doing traditional men’s work.

These pants are not exactly figure-flattering but they are super cute to wear with a short-sleeve shirt since they are tight around the waist. They have extra-large pockets where we can store more things, and have free hands when carrying children- we love a multitasking woman.

You could always wear these pants with heels, or flats- don’t go for sneakers as these are still fancy pants, that make you look professional. Remember, you can dress-up by adding a blazer, dress-down by wearing flat shoes, and wearing a short sleeve button up, instead of a long-sleeve.

There are also pantsuits, that are more versatile and are a sporty leisure option for chill days with friends.

Suit Skirts

These are pencil skirts that place out from the hip to the knee, they didn’t have pleats because the women back then believed that it wasted fabric. As fashion progresses, they bean making pleats in their skirts and incorporated wider A shape skirts that even included pockets.

These are a go-too for teenagers, because they love plaids and stripes and are easier to move in, and dance in.

I would reckon to go for colors that emphasize the rest of your outfit, aka flashy colors. I love the red and yellow ones down below as they show off your tan, and are super original.

Two-Piece Dress

These two-piece dresses come in a variety of necklines: square, keyhole, crossed-front, and V.

The skirt is paired with a blazer, coxed like a jacket, and one is usually solid-colored, and the other has patterns. The women liked to mix-and-match colors and patterns, but they also paired the same color to make it look more like a dress, and less of a skirt and jacket.

These dresses have a militant look since they incorporated masculine fashion, which means no cleavage! Their dresses reveal very little skin compared to our fashion. It also has shoulder pads, and puffed sleeves, so a lot of people do not appreciate the look and prefer to go for a 1940’s evening dresses. (Keep reading to know how that looks).

Evening dresses

The evening dresses were the exception to the military, militant look because they allowed spaghetti straps, halter tops, and V necks that revealed shoulder and chest, but still, mind cleavage.

Their evening dresses looked a lot like the dresses we wear at prom- fancy and long, instead of short and revealing.

The women back then liked to heavily curl their hair, and wear headbands that went with the dress. You should go for sparkles, instead of solid colors. If you like princess dress then I would recommend going for a baby pink, or baby blue one- puff it up and wear gloves. If you prefer smooth and slick, I would say go for a silk dress, that runs the length of your body! Pair both with heals, to dress up the look even more.

Blazer dress

These are my absolute favorites, and I am glad that they are making their way back into our 2020 fashion. Again, these come with shoulder pads, but they make the dresses way more professional and less seductive.

I would advise this with boot heels, instead of open-toe shoes, because it will give you a more winter/fall look. I would also suggest adding a hat, and a small one at that, because that will make your look that much more 1940’s. You can wear a foulard under the blazer to create more colors and texture, or leave a little skin to instill curiosity and intrigue your co-workers.

Love this looks for a professional environment for outings and formal dinners.

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Little black dress

This a go too since Coco Chanel in 1926, and still in 2020. We always go for a little black cocktail dress when all else fails. This little black dress can be tight if you are going out with friends, too it can be loose if you are simply going to dinner, and don’t want to look too dressed up. What the women back then liked to do was pair the dresses with some cute, but not too tall black heels, and add a small hat to spice up the look.

In 2020, I recommend wearing a blazer on top of the dress if it is spaghetti strapped, or if it has buttons that run down the entire dress.

If you want to make it look more modern that you can add a nice belt to hinge the waist. If you are going for that 1940’s look then I would recommend wearing black gloves. This will make you look more mysterious, and like you belong in a vintage magazine.

Extra tips:

The women back then loved patterns; polka dots, stripes, flowers, birds- anything that made them look all but normal. 

The women also loved hats and curling their hair, so if you are looking for accessories to dress up your look, then a hat is your go-to.

If you do not know what purse to go for, then I would recommend a clutch to half close to your body. This will not distract people from looking at your outfit like big purses often do.

The women also liked wearing heels that were closed and didn’t quite show their feet in their shoes. The heels were also not high, and comfortable to walk in. So, plus-plus.

I hope you learned a little about 1940’s fashion, and that you will be incorporating their style into yours- you might even begin a new trend! Don’t forget to comment and share this article!