Rationing:

World War II affected virtually every aspect of American life, and fashion was no exception. In 1942, the United States imposed a rationing system similar to that implemented by Great Britain the year before, limiting, among other things, the amount of fabric that could be used in a single garment. Materials including wool, silk, leather, and a fledgling DuPont Corp. The invention called nylon was diverted for use in uniforms, parachutes, shoelaces, and even bomber noses.

Jackets may be no more than 25 inches in length, pants no more than 19 inches in circumference at the hem, belts no more than two inches in width, and heels no more than one inch in height. The hems went up to the knee in an effort to conserve the fabric. Buttons, cuffs, pockets, and decorative details such as ruffles and lace were used sparingly. Women wore shorter, more boxy jackets for a V-shaped silhouette reminiscent of military uniforms. Even Hollywood swapped elaborate suits for simplified designs, a move many claimed slow motion movies had a new air of realism.

Nylon:

As soon as it was introduced in 1938, women adopted synthetic nylon as a replacement for silk stockings. However, in the early 1940s, with silk already diverted to the war effort, the government recognized similar uses for nylon and commanded it as well. The women responded by covering their legs in tan makeup and drawing lines on the back of their calves to mimic seams. By the time the war ended and stockings were back on store shelves, nylon had become a generic term for hosiery.

Flared skirts.

The flared skirt had a round cut designed to look best in a full jitterbug twist. Swing skirts were a common sight on USO dance floors as young women danced with uniformed men to the jazz horns that characterized the Big Band era. Housewives were known to wear a more conservative version of the swing dress, sometimes with polka dots or tiny floral prints.

Hats:

Hats became one of the few ways to express individual style with minimal resources. They were used in a wide range of styles and were personalized with scraps of foil, sequins, nets, paper, and string.

Hair and makeup:

Hairstyles became more elaborate as women looked for ways to contrast their drab wardrobes. Shoulder-length or longer hair was rolled into complex shapes and secured with bobby pins. Screen mermaids like Lauren Bacall, Veronica Lake, and Rita Hayworth popularized side parts and finger waves. The makeup was spectacular, characterized by a matte base, powder, thick eyebrows and bright scarlet lips.

Platform pumps:

The wartime shortage of leather and steel forced shoe designers to be more creative, and as a result, shoes were made from materials ranging from crocodile skin to cork. The shoes were more utilitarian than elegant, with low heels and limited color options. By the mid-to-late 1940s, high-heeled platform shoes with T-straps, ankle straps, or open toes had replaced scruffy boxer shorts with their flat shape and thick cork soles.

Men’s clothing as women’s clothing:

Several men may have spent the first half of the 1940s in uniform, but their plainclothes came in handy for the women who filled their jobs at home. The women raided the wardrobes of the absent men and tailored the suits to fit them. McCalls even introduced a pattern specifically intended to modify a male suit to fit female curves. Suddenly, the sexually ambivalent gaze initiated in the late 1930s by Katherine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich ceased to be radical. The emergence of the dress pattern and the electric sewing machine led women to make their own suits from scratch, opting for the trench coat due to a shortage of wool. Many with physically demanding factory jobs soon began wearing practical pants and Rosie the Riveter jeans.

Sweaters:

By the mid-1940s, many women had abandoned the one-piece corset in favor of structured knickers and bras that lifted and accentuated the bust line. In 1946, a well-endowed Jane Russell appeared on screen in a Howard Hughes-designed cantilever bra, foreshadowing the bullet bra of the 1950s and the reign of the sweater girl. Baggy cardigans were also popular, particularly on college campuses.

Sportswear:

The virtual disappearance of French fashion houses during the war led American designers to explore their own creativity. Designers like Bonnie Cashin and Claire McCardell were instrumental in creating sportswear, that uniquely American look that features coordinated partings that can be layered or in various combinations. The trend not only gave women more options and made it seem like they had more clothes than they actually had, but it also blurred the line between haute couture and ready-to-wear by showing women that they could be stylish and comfortable without spending a fortune. .

The new look:

In the late 1940s, women craved a return to glamor, and designers were forced to wear swirling skirts and glittery evening dresses inspired by movie stars like Ingrid Bergman, Barbara Stanwyck, and Joan Crawford.

In 1947, French couturier Christian Dior almost single-handedly ended wartime austerity with a fashion line that observers dubbed New Look. The severe angles were replaced by curves, the hems fell below the knee, and the skirts were generously draped. Structured underwear was key to the New Look, which featured broad shoulders, cinched waists, emphasized bust lines, and padded hips. The pencil skirt was a tight alternative to puffed skirts. Men also yearned to break free from conservative khaki and olive tailoring. They found relief in baggy pants, long coats, and suits in a variety of colors. Both men’s and women’s pants featured higher waists, heavily cut legs and cuffs, and came in textured tweeds and jewel tones.

The New Look received protests from women who had become used to stripping their legs and were unwilling to cover themselves again. Furthermore, the opulent, fabric-rich designs seemed wasteful in contrast to the restrictions on weaving during the war. However, the desire for change prevailed and the look flourished for much of the 1950s.