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"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" was the motto of the 1940s. World War II brought rationing, which influenced both lifestyle and fashion. Women took garments apart, remaking them, much as they did during the Great Depression. The shirtwaist dress was born with its Peter Pan collar and fabric-covered belt. Skirts became straighter and shorter, as did sleeves. Women flooded the work force. They wore overalls, dungarees (denim jeans), and trousers. They joined the military, and the square-shouldered military look prevailed in civilian fashion as well. "Utility designs" emphasized frugality and practicality. The German occupation of Paris had cut the influence of haute couture, leaving British and American designers as trendsetters. Fabric rationing by the U.S. government meant women paraded bare midriffs on beaches. The name for the new two-piece swimsuit came from Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific where nuclear tests were conducted. The New Look came after the war and influenced fashion for the next decade. Luxurious fabrics were made into full skirts, accenting narrow waists. Hemlines fell and hips were stylish, accented by big pockets and gathers or pleats. Shoulder and hip pads, and corsets, underpinned the silhouette. Suit jackets matched dresses. The excessive zoot suit for men also used fabric lavishly, but the look was less popular than is assumed today. |
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