DECADES OF FASHION

Cork Heeled Shoes- In the 1940s, during World War Two, rubber had to be recycled from tires and shoes to be used for regular purposes because one of our enemies, Japan, was the country that America used to import rubber from. When America entered the war, it was necessary to cut off relations with enemy countries therefore people in the states had to find a new material for make soles out of. Many shoes produced in the 1940s had wood or cork soles for this very reason.

New Nylon- Nylons were created in 1939 and were proven to be useful, although nylons quickly went out of fashion when the nylon material had to be used in the war for parachutes and other important materials. As soon as the war was over in 1845, nylons were back on the market and as popular as ever.

Sturdy Pant Suits- During the war, women were allowed to work and therefore some women needed a outfit that is good for the workplace and is useable if laboring tasks needed to be done. Also, women were allowed to wear pants in the factories and other places that required clothing that would not get caught on dangerous machines. Since women wore the pants on a daily basis, when it came time to dress up women wanted to feel more comfortable in their outfit.

Strong Shoulder Pads- Women were going for a more masculine effect. Truly, women were going and utilizing the men’s jobs and since their husbands and sons were gone the women of the ‘40s had to be the man in the house rather than the men who had left for the war.

Amazing A-line Skirts-  This is one of the clothing styles that was utilized in the ‘40s. The designers at the time were trying to cut down on fabric for the every-day woman and the a-line skirt had a great look, yet it used less fabric and was easier to fit than something like a pencil skirt. A-line skirts were perfect for America when she was slowly getting out of a depression and had just entered a war.

Shorter Hemlines- The 1940s brought on a lot more options when it came to dresses. Dresses became shorter, at most as 10 inches off the ground! It is not really known what caused the raise in hemline, but it could have been due to having to use less fabric either for the war or to have the cost of a dress go down