{"id":408994327,"date":"2012-08-14T11:46:06","date_gmt":"2012-08-14T15:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/?p=408994327"},"modified":"2019-11-24T18:57:35","modified_gmt":"2019-11-25T00:57:35","slug":"world-war-two-fashion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/world-war-two-fashion\/","title":{"rendered":"Why World War Two Fashion Wasn&#8217;t Just About &#8217;40s Pin Up Girls"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408994367\" title=\"World War Two Fashion 1940s\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/main-image-40s.jpg\" alt=\"how working women and women in general dressed during world war two\" width=\"540\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/main-image-40s.jpg 540w, https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/main-image-40s-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Source: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/library_of_congress\/2179077617\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">US Library of Congress<\/a> on Flickr<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/1940s-fashion-trends-today\/\">&#8217;40s\u00a0fashion<\/a> during World War Two wasn&#8217;t about dressing like a sexy pin-up girl in a halter top and high-waisted bikini with a red lip and flower in your hair&#8217;s &#8220;Victory Curls.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Sure, soldiers were admiring photos of lookers Rita Hayworth and Veronica Lake in their bunkers, but these pin-up princesses weren&#8217;t representative of how the average American woman wore <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thepeoplehistory.com\/40sclothes.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">World War Two fashion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To explore the reality of fashion from 1940 (when the US entered WWII) to 1946 (when President Truman pulled American troops), I gathered amazing photos from the US Library of Congress Flickr page to illustrate how women truly dressed during this patriotic American time.<\/p>\n<div align=\"CENTER\"><a href=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/20s\/20s-clothing\/attachment\/screen-shot-2013-08-06-at-12-44-58-pm\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-408997964\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408997964\" title=\"shop now button \" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Screen-Shot-2013-08-06-at-12.44.58-PM.png\" alt=\"shop now button\" width=\"117\" height=\"43\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&lt;&lt; SHOP NOW:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575057215&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337376095&amp;customid=1940s+vintage+clothing+links&amp;icep_uq=1940s+vintage+clothing&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229466&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1940s vintage clothing<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: 0; padding: 0; margin: 0;\" src=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/roverimp\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?ff3=9&amp;pub=5575057215&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337376095&amp;customid=1940s+vintage+clothing+links&amp;uq=1940s+vintage+clothing&amp;mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]\" alt=\"\" \/>\u00a0from eBay!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!--more-->Photos illustrate how women became &#8220;hard chic&#8221; in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Dress-in-American-1940s-Fashion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8217;40s fashion<\/a>, wearing traditional men&#8217;s clothing as they filled the working roles of their husbands, brothers and sons while also minimizing materials and decoration on other wardrobe staples to abide by government regulations to conserve materials for wartime efforts.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Do you own a &#8217;40s vintage garment?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>Let me know by leaving a comment below the post or\u00a0by\u00a0saying hello on\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/sammydavis22\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sammydavisvintage\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/web.stagram.com\/n\/sammydavisvintage\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0or by\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.us1.list-manage.com\/subscribe?u=a4d107cb2b26f4eca64bf0f1e&amp;id=6e5439991d\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">subscribing to my newsletter<\/a>\u00a0(next newsletter: behind-the-scenes vintage photoshoot pics with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.etsy.com\/shop\/CarlaAndCarla\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Carla &amp; Carla<\/a> on Etsy!)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>xx, SD<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"World_War_Two_Fashion_Utility_Suits\"><\/span>World War Two Fashion Utility Suits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_50 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\" role=\"button\"><label for=\"item-649112c0a6cc3\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><input  type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item-649112c0a6cc3\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-visibility-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/world-war-two-fashion\/#World_War_Two_Fashion_Utility_Suits\" title=\"World War Two Fashion Utility Suits\">World War Two Fashion Utility Suits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/world-war-two-fashion\/#World_War_Two_Fashion_Trousers\" title=\"World War Two Fashion Trousers\">World War Two Fashion Trousers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/world-war-two-fashion\/#World_War_Two_Fashion_Blazers\" title=\"World War Two Fashion Blazers\">World War Two Fashion Blazers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/world-war-two-fashion\/#World_War_Two_Fashion_Pencil_Skirts\" title=\"World War Two Fashion Pencil Skirts\">World War Two Fashion Pencil Skirts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/world-war-two-fashion\/#World_War_Two_Fashion_Gabardine_Dresses\" title=\"World War Two Fashion Gabardine Dresses\">World War Two Fashion Gabardine Dresses<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/world-war-two-fashion\/#MORE_1940s_FASHION\" title=\"MORE 1940s FASHION\">MORE 1940s FASHION<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408994347\" title=\"World War Two Fashion \" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-jumpsuits-2.jpg\" alt=\"women wearing a jumpsuit during world war two \" width=\"540\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-jumpsuits-2.jpg 540w, https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-jumpsuits-2-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Photo: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/library_of_congress\/2179925802\/in\/set-72157603671370361\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">US Library of Congress<\/a> on Flickr\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>UTILITY SUITS &#8230;<\/strong> were worn by women who took the jobs of men who were deployed as soldiers during the war.<\/p>\n<p>These were jobs on a factory assembly line or\u00a0maneuvering\u00a0machinery in high-tech facilities and manufacturing plants.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WORN BECAUSE &#8230;<\/strong> like the uniforms of a doctor, police officer or bus driver, the utility suit became a uniform of sorts for women working these physically challenging jobs.\u00a0Wearing a utility suit, women were able to maintain modesty while still maintaining movement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ALSO CALLED JUMPSUIT BECAUSE &#8230;<\/strong> women in Great Britain kept them nearby in the event air raid alarms went off and they needed to throw something functional on in the middle of the night and &#8220;jump&#8221; into a protective bomb shelter.<\/p>\n<p>Hence the name <em>jumpsuit!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408994362\" title=\"World War Two Fashion Jumpsuit\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/jumpsuit.jpg\" alt=\"a jumpsuit from the 1940s\" width=\"540\" height=\"403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/jumpsuit.jpg 540w, https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/jumpsuit-300x223.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<em>1940s Vintage Utility Suit from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Hinesite-Vintage\/173060102732831\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hinesite Vintage\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>WORN TODAY &#8230;<\/strong> a la the influences of the &#8217;70s, the utility \/ jump suit is a modern fashion phenomena that blesses tall girls everywhere who dare to wear this all-encompassing body suit.<\/p>\n<p>I could see someone wearing this &#8217;40s utility suit from Hinesite Vintage today. Remove its original belt for a gold one and add some sequin heels, and you&#8217;ve got yourself a\u00a0glamorous\u00a0look hardly representative of the hard-working ethos this style represented for women in its day.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"World_War_Two_Fashion_Trousers\"><\/span>World War Two Fashion Trousers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408994349\" title=\"World War Two Fashion\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-pants-2.jpg\" alt=\"a women wears pants while working during the 1940s\" width=\"540\" height=\"434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-pants-2.jpg 540w, https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-pants-2-300x241.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Photo: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/library_of_congress\/2179235780\/in\/set-72157603671370361\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">US Library of Congress<\/a> on Flickr\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>TROUSERS &#8230;<\/strong> were hardly ever worn by women prior to the &#8217;40s. Palazzo pants had a moment in the &#8217;30s as did trousers for the rebellious flapper girl of the &#8217;20s.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WORN BECAUSE &#8230;<\/strong> \u00a0it was in the 1940s that a woman was wearing the pants in the family, whether it was at her job to support wartime efforts (like this lovely Rosie the Riveter lookalike above!) or as everyday garments stolen from her husband&#8217;s closet.<\/p>\n<p>Since materials were sanctioned and money was tight, women dug into their soldier husbands&#8217; closets to take pants and jackets for their own wear, which they&#8217;d self-tailor for a more feminine fit.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408994341\" title=\"World War Two Fashion Pants\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMGP0765_540.jpg\" alt=\"1940s vintage womens pants\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMGP0765_540.jpg 540w, https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMGP0765_540-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>1940s Women&#8217;s Trousers from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Hinesite-Vintage\/173060102732831\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hinesite Vintage<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>WORN TODAY &#8230;<\/strong><em> ha!<\/em> Women wear more than just trousers today. We wear the pants, the shorts, the leggings, the jeggings, the capris, the cut-offs and everything in between that involves separation of the legs with fabric.<\/p>\n<p>That doesn&#8217;t mean women always had it easy wearing the pants &#8212; even if they were doing it by the droves in the &#8217;40s. For example, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/reliable-source\/post\/update-first-woman-to-wear-pants-on-house-floor-rep-charlotte-reid\/2011\/12\/21\/gIQAVLD99O_blog.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">first appearance of pants in the US Congress<\/a>\u00a0was as late as 1969 &#8212; and the woman (Representative Charlotte Reid) who wore them said &#8220;she wouldn&#8217;t wear them again for fear of appearing facetious.&#8221; <em>Seriously!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"World_War_Two_Fashion_Blazers\"><\/span>World War Two Fashion Blazers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"1940s World War Two Fashion\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/blazers-new-2.jpg\" alt=\"women wearing blazers during world war two\" width=\"540\" height=\"344\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Photos: (left) <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/library_of_congress\/2179135945\/sizes\/o\/in\/photostream\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">US Library of Congress<\/a> on Flickr (right) <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/library_of_congress\/2179918784\/in\/set-72157603671370361\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">US Library of Congress<\/a> on Flickr\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>BLAZERS &#8230;<\/strong> were made possible for women thanks to Coco Chanel, who introduced a knit &#8220;day&#8221; suit to women in the &#8217;30s.<\/p>\n<p>When men left for the war, women were free to adopt their styles at ease. The blazer and skirt combo became a popular staple outfit amongst the well-suited, well-styled &#8217;40s lady.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WORN BECAUSE &#8230;<\/strong> while a lady was encouraged to dress in fashionable frills during decades before, she was discouraged from spreading her peacock wings in the &#8217;40s to conserve materials and to show her patriotic focus on wartime efforts, and not her appearance in the mirror.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, the wartime suit of crisp lines, little decoration and broad shoulders was considered a fashionably patriotic look.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408994364\" title=\"World War Two Fashion Blazer\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/wool-blazer.jpg\" alt=\"world war two fashion women's blazer \" width=\"540\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/wool-blazer.jpg 540w, https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/wool-blazer-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<em>1940s Women&#8217;s Pearl Trim Blazer from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Hinesite-Vintage\/173060102732831\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hinesite Vintage<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>WORN TODAY &#8230;<\/strong> every working girl has a blazer or two, and when worn the right way they can truly professionalize or personalize a look.<\/p>\n<p>The matching blazer and skirt set is still considered a &#8220;look,&#8221; whether for a wealthy heiress to wear on her lunch or a conservative banker to wear as her 9 to 5 uniform.<\/p>\n<p>Since the\u00a0millennium&#8217;s\u00a0teens are best described as the &#8220;androgynous\u00a0zone&#8221; for women, girls are often seen wearing oversize blazers or vintage men&#8217;s blazers with a blouse below and shorts, like Katya and Carlis do wearing <a href=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/80s\/vintage-blazers-1980s\/\">vintage &#8217;80s blazers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"World_War_Two_Fashion_Pencil_Skirts\"><\/span>World War Two Fashion Pencil Skirts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408994353\" title=\"World War Two Fashion\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-pencil-skirts.jpg\" alt=\"girl wearing a pencil skirt as soldier kneels before her \" width=\"540\" height=\"408\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-pencil-skirts.jpg 540w, https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-pencil-skirts-300x226.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Photo: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/library_of_congress\/2179867708\/in\/set-72157603671370361\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">US Library of Congress<\/a> on Flickr\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"yui_3_5_1_3_1344906290840_1205\"><strong>PENCIL SKIRTS &#8230;<\/strong> marked the return of the rising hemline, hitting the knee for the first time since the flapper era &#8217;20s style.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WORN BECAUSE &#8230;<\/strong> in 1942, the War Production Board regulated that every item of clothing be cut shorter and tighter to the body. Materials were to be preserved for war efforts, so fashionable consumers purchasing new goods were wearing outfits of less materials and adornment than ever before.<\/p>\n<p>For ladies, the &#8220;narrow\u00a0silhouette&#8221; became en vogue, as jackets rose to hip length and pencil skirts emerged as the new standard length of a woman&#8217;s skirt style.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408994336\" title=\"World War Two Fashion Pencil Skirts\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMGP0211_540.jpg\" alt=\"a pencil skirt in red and black pinstripes\" width=\"540\" height=\"813\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMGP0211_540.jpg 540w, https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMGP0211_540-199x300.jpg 199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<em>1940s Pinstripe Pencil Skirt from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Hinesite-Vintage\/173060102732831\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hinesite Vintage<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>WORN TODAY &#8230;<\/strong>\u00a0now, women all around the world rock the pencil skirt as a go-to professional clothing staple.<\/p>\n<p>They weren&#8217;t called &#8220;pencil skirts&#8221; in the &#8217;40s. This was a marketing term of sorts developed later in fashion&#8217;s history. Who knew that just cutting a few inches from a skirt would inspire it to become such an iconic garment?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"World_War_Two_Fashion_Gabardine_Dresses\"><\/span>World War Two Fashion Gabardine Dresses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408994344\" title=\"World War Two Fashion\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-dresses.jpg\" alt=\"women wearing dresses during world war two\" width=\"540\" height=\"439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-dresses.jpg 540w, https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1940s-dresses-300x243.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Photo: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/usnationalarchives\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">US Library of Congress<\/a>\u00a0on Flickr<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>GABARDINE DRESSES &#8230;<\/strong> were adopted into the patriotic woman&#8217;s wardrobe to wear in place of wool dresses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WORN BECAUSE &#8230;<\/strong>\u00a0wool was needed for wartime materials and discouraged from purchase for clothing so gabardine (a blend of synthetic materials like rayon) became the new material du jour for ladies looking to update their closets.<\/p>\n<p><strong>DATING TIP:<\/strong> When you hear &#8220;gabardine&#8221; in any vintage setting, you&#8217;re most likely looking at a &#8217;40s or &#8217;50s garment (particularly &#8217;50s for men&#8217;s suiting, say experts).<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-408994363\" title=\"World War Two Fashion Gabardine Dress\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/gabardine-dress.jpg\" alt=\"vintage gabardine dress from 1940s\" width=\"540\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/gabardine-dress.jpg 540w, https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/gabardine-dress-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>1940s Gabardine Dress from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Hinesite-Vintage\/173060102732831\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hinesite Vintage\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>WORN TODAY &#8230;<\/strong>\u00a0 while gabardine of the &#8217;40s was a blend of rayon and other synthetic materials,\u00a0gabardine today is a trade name for fabric made from &#8220;worsted wool,&#8221; which means the wool is more tightly woven and has a matte finish (slightly shiny).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Thank you to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Hinesite-Vintage\/173060102732831?ref=ts\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hinesite Vintage<\/a>\u00a0for loaning vintage clothing for the creation of this article.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"hinesite-logo\" src=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/hinesite-logo-e1337865549916.jpg\" alt=\"hinesite vintage logo\" width=\"217\" height=\"144\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"MORE_1940s_FASHION\"><\/span>MORE 1940s FASHION<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>CLOTHING: <\/strong>21 Reasons why your should wear<strong> <a title=\"21 Reasons Why You Should Wear 1940s Clothing &amp; Trends\" href=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/1940s-clothing\/\" target=\"_blank\">&#8217;40s clothing<\/a><br \/>\nDRESSES:<\/strong> 5 Amazing Dresses that Represent <a href=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/1940s-dress-style\/\">&#8217;40s Style<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>HISTORY:<\/strong> Why <a href=\"http:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/vintage-style\/40s\/1940s-fashion-trends-today\/\">&#8217;40s Fashion<\/a> Is Still Relevant Today<br \/>\n<strong>STOP STARING:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stopstaringclothing.com\/sunshop\/1940s-clothing-25-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8217;40s Style Dresses<\/a> That Fit Any Body Type (and Look Great)<br \/>\n<strong>TIMELINE:<\/strong> Everything You Wanted to Know About <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:1940s_fashion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1940s Fashion<\/a> Trends<br \/>\n<strong>PLUS:<\/strong>\u00a0Vintage <a href=\"http:\/\/www.etsy.com\/search?q=%2740s%20fashion&amp;view_type=gallery&amp;ship_to=ZZ&amp;min=0&amp;max=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8217;40s Fashion<\/a> Clothing on Etsy.com<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8217;40s fashion during World War Two wasn&#8217;t about dressing like a sexy pin-up girl in a halter top and high-waisted bikini with a red lip and flower in your hair&#8217;s &#8220;Victory Curls.&#8221;  To help show the reality of fashion from 1940 to 1946,  I gathered photos from the US Library of Congress Flickr page to show how women truly dressed during this patriotic American time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":408994328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[3068],"tags":[3258,1292,3256,3257,3255,3254],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408994327"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408994327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408994327\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/408994328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408994327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408994327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sammydvintage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408994327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}