What We Were Wearing - Fall 1941

Here's a look at what women were wearing 70 years ago this month.  America had just entered WWII after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  While L-85 restrictions were not yet in force, fabric shortages and the needs of war did influence fashion.  Hem lengths became shorter and there was less volume in silhouettes.  American designers were beginning to lead the world in new fashion trends as the Paris couture lost contact with the rest of the world.  Nylon and wool were needed for the war effort and Japanese silk was banned in the U.S., so a relatively new fabric known as rayon became the choice for most women's clothing. 

Shorter hemlines are visible in dresses and skirts as well as jackets.  Fancy decorative touches like ruffles, pleats and tucks are starting to disappear as they require more fabric.

Coats are also shorter and cut with less volume.  Even double breasted styles will go away after the L-85 restrictions are put in place in 1943.  Here you can see the beginnings of the padded shoulders that give a masculine appearance in support of the military.

Clothing becomes more utilitarian.  Basic skirts and blouses are worn for everyday wear.

In contrast to the severe look of most clothing, hats become more ostentatious.  High peaked hats are popular.....

....as are tilt hats that are worn forward over the brow.

Shoes become more utilitarian as well with thick sturdy heels.

Rubber will be needed for the war effort, so girdles made with Lastex start to appear.  Lastex was made from latex.  Stockings are now made of nylon instead of silk.  Soon, they will become scarce due to nylon being used for parachutes for our soldiers.

What We Were Wearing - Fall 1951

Here is what women were wearing 60 years ago this month.

After being introduced 3 years previous by Dior, full skirted dresses and skirts are now becoming popular and worn for everyday wear by most women.  The skirts are more bell-shaped than the full circles that will become stylish in a few years.  Most are worn without crinolines for daytime.

Every woman had a basic suit in her closet to wear in town, for meetings with professionals, for shopping in the city, or for dinner at a fancy restaurant.

For more casual daytime wear, a skirt with a blouse, sweater or twin set was the way to go.  Pants were rarely worn by women, and if they were it was strictly for work around the house or farm.

Princess line and swing coats were the newest styles that came about to accommodate the fuller skirts, but many women also wore simple straight coats.

Most women had or wanted a fur jacket or stole in their closets.  For those who could not afford expensive options like mink or fox, there were many made from less costly furs like marmot, mouton and rabbit.

Full skirted styles were popular for evening and cocktail wear.

Evening gowns were elaborate with draped skirts and trains with rich satins being most popular.

No matter who you were, you rarely left the house bare headed.  Hats were a fashion necessity.

What We Were Wearing - Fall 1961

50 years ago this month, this is what women were wearing.

Oleg Cassini

Perhaps the biggest influence on fashion here in the States, Jackie Kennedy personified the ladylike look most women tried to achieve.  Simple sheath dresses were very popular.

Jean Patou

Elegant suits had shorter and boxier jackets with 3/4 sleeves and big buttons.

Handmacher

Pillbox hats were the latest craze for the head, but hats were dwindling in popularity.  Long gloves were worn with suits and coats that had 3/4 sleeves.  Simple coats with fur wedding ring collars were everywhere.

Sue Brett

Full skirted dresses were having their last hurrah.  They were shorter in length and would disappear within a year or two.

Sweater by Braemar, pants by Geist & Geist

Skinny pants for casual wear were sometimes made of knits.  They were paired with sweaters or blouses.

Edward Abbott

Brocade was big.  Cocktail dresses were usually simple sheaths in opulent fabrics or full skirted styles in chiffon.

Pierre Balmain

Evening gowns usually had simple lines and were made of luxurious fabrics.  Brocades and heavy satins were most popular.  Every woman had or wanted a mink stole or jacket for evening.

Van Raalte

No matter what she was wearing on top, a woman in 1961 always wore a bra and girdle.  A slip was always worn under dresses and suits.

What We Were Wearing - Fall 1971

Today, the high fashion trends from 40 years ago this month, Fall 1971.  Polyester was the newest miracle fiber and double knits abound.  Quiana nylon was also being touted as a substitute for silk.  Vinyl instead of leather, faux furs instead of real.  It seems all of fashiondom was in love with synthetics.

Jean-Louis Scherrer

Wide bell-bottom pants were worn by everyone.  Suits had longer jackets.  Crazy prints were very popular.  Coats and jackets often had fur (real or faux) trim.

Guy Laroche

Large scale plaids, often in bright and jarring color combinations were very popular.  Even men got in on this trend.

Get Gaston

Hem lengths were all over the map.  Mini, midi, maxi.  Your choice!

Pierre Cardin

Hippies inspired high fashion with ethnic and folkloric styles.  Remember crocheted granny squares?

Chloe

The ubiquitous "secretary" dress, usually in wacky prints.  How can you tell the difference between a 70s and an 80s secretary dress?  70s dresses will have fitted shoulders with no shoulder pads and no dropped shoulder lines.  The blouson line of the bodice will be either non-existent or far less floppy.

Paul Bon

Hot pants!

Gil Coutin

Jumpsuits.  Vests worn over jumpsuits, hot pants, and dresses.  Vests were often midi or maxi in length, even when worn over shorter skirts and hot pants.

What We Were Wearing - Fall 1981

Here are the high fashion trends that were popular 30 years ago this month.  This is what we wore in 1981.

Jun Ashida

Business suits with big shoulders in menswear inspired fabrics.  Pinstripes, herringbones, houndstooth plaids, and subtle tweeds.  Colors ran the gamut from professional dark tones like these browns to brights like hot pink, acid yellow, and teal green.

Guy Laroche

The ubiquitous "secretary" dress with blouson bodice and pleated skirt.  These were everywhere.  They usually had shoulder pads and many had ruffles or pussy bows.  These are often misidentified as 70s these days.

Pierre Cardin Diffusion

Dirndl skirts with gathers and high waists.  Big, big sweaters.

Lanvin

Lots of volume.  Oversized garments layered one on top of the other.

Umberto Ginocchietti

Pants cut high at the waist with pleats at the front.  They were full at the hip and narrow at the cuff, and we now know they were unflattering on most women.  Silk blouses with big shoulder pads.  Colorblocking was popular with mixes of bright colors.

Yves St. Laurent

Short cocktail dresses with poufy skirts and lots of ruching.  Most were made of satin or taffeta.  If you weren't wearing black, you were wearing hot pink, teal green or purple.

Carven

Romantic inspirations with lots of lace, ruffles, bows, gathers, fullness, puffed sleeves and poufs.

What We Were Wearing - Fall 1991

I thought it might be fun to take a look at fashion trends going back in time across the decades.  This will be an ongoing series (I hope).  Today, a look at trends from high fashion from 20 years ago.  All of these looks are from Fall 1991.

Escada

Power suits with longer jackets and short skirts had a strong shoulder line.  Big shoulders were still, well big. 

Louis Feraud

Oversized coats with lots of volume.

Versace

Short black dresses that hugged the body for evening.

Thierry Mugler

Leggings, stirrup pants, and skinny pants.  Bomber jackets.

Louis Feraud

Bright blocks of color.  Huge statement jewelry with lots of bling, worn layered.  Dog collar necklaces.

Big menswear sized watches.  I wore my grandfather's watch until it finally stopped working.



Check out this video for more runway fashion from Fall 1991.

What were you wearing in 1991?