Costumes from the '30s

It's interesting:
"There are those who accuse Paul of being unromantic. Well, all I can say, Linda, is that he'll prove them wrong on February 14 when he celebrates Valentine's ..."

1930s fashion was a study in contrasts. For most people, the pressures of the Great Depression restricted the amount of money spent of clothing. However, the escape offered by movies presented images of glamour and sophistication, which influenced fashion among the high-brow and hoi polloi alike. The invention of the zipper and fabrics like rayon and nylon made dressing easier and more affordable, while the contrast between daytime and evening wear was sharply emphasized.

1. Day Wear for Women

   • Most women of the 1930s were struggling through the hardships of the Great Depression, which resulted in daytime fashions that were conservative, functional and practical. Dresses were the daily uniform for women, as pants would not become a staple of women's wardrobes until the 1940s. The lines were streamlined and clean, with narrow skirts that nipped in at the waist and flared slightly at the hem. Skirts hit below the knee, and sleeves were generally worn long, at least to the elbow. Cotton, rayon, wool and nylon were common fabric choices. Stockings, either nylon or silk, and low-heeled shoes were required elements of a woman's look, and ladies rarely went out in public without a hat.

   Evening Wear for Women

   • Among the upper crust, evening wear was full of glamour. Long, sinuous dresses of silk or satin were cut on the bias to skim over curves. Necklines dipped into cowls and deep Vs, emphasizing the bust and decollete. The thirties saw the invention of new fabrics ideally suited for evening wear, like metallic lame and rayon, which could produce an effect similar to silk or satin at a much cheaper price. Popular designers included Madeleine Vionnet, Elsa Schiaparelli, Coco Chanel and Mainbocher, the favored designer of the Duchess of Windsor. The epitome of style in the 1930s, Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, set trends wherever she went.

   Day Wear for Men

   • Shirts, ties, jackets and trousers were the necessary elements of a man's wardrobe for day, with three-piece suits saved for special occasions like weddings and funerals. Suits were characterized by the "English Drape," which emphasized the shoulders and came in sharply at the waist. Lapels were large, and ties were worn wide and short, usually in a large knot called the "Windsor knot." The felt fedora was a popular hat style, especially when worn by tough guy actors like James Cagney, and the straw Panama boater hat was a dapper choice for men emulating dandies like Fred Astaire. For the younger and more fashion-forward gentleman, sportswear became acceptable for daytime wear. Plus-fours, baggy knee-length trousers, were worn on the golfcourse and the street, along with soft collar shirts and sweatervests.

   Evening Wear for Men

   • In 1935, Irving Berlin admonished men to put on their "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails," with his famous ditty that defined men's evening wear for the 1930s. For the few who had the means, evening wear meant glamour and sophistication. The "English Drape" of day wear carried over into evening suits for men. Bow-ties were the choice for neckwear, either in black or white. Men wore a tuxedo jacket or tail coat, depending on the formality of the event. Dapper dressers added spats, a linen or cotton shoe covering that fastened with buttons, to their shoes at night, all the better with which to dance the evening away.

Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: evening wear, Costumes from, Duchess Windsor, English Drape, evening wear, glamour sophistication