Women’s Fashion from 1900-1950

1900-1909

Fashion during the early 1900’s was still very modest. Corsets were worn under dresses and were accompanied by lace collars, ruffles and ribbons. Most outfits were accompanied by wide brimmed hats decorated with flowers and lace.

1910-1919

During WWI, women join the workforce while their husbands were at war. Women strayed away from long dresses and into working clothes such as trousers and overalls. Towards the end of the decade, women started to cut their hair into short bobs.

1920-1929

During the 1920’s, the iconic flapper was born. Women’s fashion showed off their curves and confidence in much shorter, tighter dresses. Most women’s hair was short and wavy and was often seen with either a tight, bell-shaped hat or statement headbands. Jewelry during this decade became of prominent part of fashion, every outfit being accompanied by large brooches or a string of pearls.

1930-1939

The 1930’s was when women’s fashion started to branch out. Satin dresses that draped down the body were very popular. Suits started becoming popular during this decade, being the outfits during the day. These suits were usually made of wool and were accompanied by shoulder pads. Sport and beachwear became popular during this time and women first began to covet a tan.

1940-1949

As a result of WWII, there was fabric shortages that lasted the whole decade. Clothes became simpler and skirts got shorter. After 1942, most clothes were made by the government as a way of rationing fabric. These clothes were identifiable by a ‘CC41’ stamp, meaning “Civilian Clothing Act of 1941”. Most men and women were working so they were often in uniforms. Women’s hair was worn long with waves and rolls on top of their heads.

1950 -1959

Skirts were apart of the day-to-day fashion for women during this decade. They ranged from pencil skirts to full skirts and were most often worn with jackets. Some women kept short hair in curls, while other had it long and in pony tails.