By 1941 women's fashions were brighter and more colorful than ever. It seemed almost by rule that a woman was never seen in public without gloves. As a result the glove industry itself was reaping the benefits of increased sales and in turn offered an ever expanding array of styles and qualities of hand wear for the discerning woman. See Figure 1.
Retailers would routinely take out half page advertisements in fashion magazines and newspapers depicting their long sleeved gloves with gauntlets or long gloves fitted tight above the wrist and their hand stitched short shorts. This type of formal glove conveyed a sense of elegance that women appreciated and incorporated into their style choices. See Figure 2.
Women's gloves in 1941 were made of
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many different materials, lengths and styles. Deerskin was one of the most popular materials used for gloves in the 1930's and 1940's. Kid leather was also very popular. Kid leather is the skin of either a goat or lamb, and is thinner and softer than regular leather. Gloves were also made with satin, lace, nylon and knits. Gloves may evoke the most visceral response when worn long, form fitting and accessorizing a couture evening gown, but in 1941 they were also a part of every day life in America.
Major department stores employed buyers that dealt exclusively in the purchase of gloves from not only America but from around the world. Men, women and children wore gloves on a daily basis from the small towns to the cities to the red carpets of Hollywood.
Yet it was women's fashion that created this boom for the glove industry and led to so many amazing creations. An article of the period reports strong sales among college girls of sports mittens and English string gloves. Another article includes a reference to chart sketches so as to key your glove choices to the silhouettes of new sleeves in dresses and coats.
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It was commonplace to read reviews from important social events of the day which included comment on the fashions of those attending. Gloves were prominently mentioned in these reviews. Accessories played an important role in fashion in 1941. Hats were almost as commonplace as gloves for women. Jewelry was worn extensively and broaches were extremely popular. The fashions bespoke the mood in the country, which was upbeat and the way women dressed reflected that optimism. Everything would begin to change near the end of that
year. It often seemed that the style trends of the day depended on where you lived. We see reference for example of St. Louis buyers reporting that black, brown and tan leather gloves in shorter styles would be the preferred fall styles in department stores and specialty shops. A report from Fort Worth, Texas stated that the stores in that area had sold more long gloves during its spring season than ever before. There was a great demand for 12 button lengths in colors such as green and spring gloves in pastel eight button lengths were very popular. World War II would have a lasting effect on everything from the balance of power to fashion. Leather and silk gloves were phased out at the beginning of World War II due to rationing. Cotton gloves were used on a much larger scale. This actually wasn't the sacrifice originally thought as women discovered that cotton gloves came in many colors and matched easily with various outfits. As silk and leather were diverted for use in the war, the glove industry adapted by using cotton, nylon and imitation leathers. Gloves have played an important role throughout history, providing protection, adornment in religious ceremony and creating a fashion statement for both men and women. What was once exclusively the purview of royalty, religious figures and the wealthy, gloves have become omnipresent in modern day society. The women in 1941 did it with a particular flair.
A number of factors came together to contribute to the success of the women’s ready-made clothing industry. Newer industrial production techniques were developed, increasing supply, and the advertising industry rose in fame, increasing sales. In 1937, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted a study of women’s body measurements. The U.S. Department of Agriculture helped create a standardized sizing system the entire industry could follow.
Their style was introduced in the early 1910s but did not spark until the 1920s. The style was said to be more comfortable, but was not appealing to the more conservative. Before the change of style, most women were dressed modestly; however, women's fashion in the 1920s showcased a more “boyish” and comfortable, look which led to huge controversy and affects how women dress today. Although to society now, these changes may not be seen as a big deal, back then it would split society.
Coming out of the war, conformity was a major fashion rule throughout men with miserable and restrictive fashion choices on offer. There was also not many options like today when it came to buying clothes. When a man was at work, it was only socially acceptable for his to wear a suit in the shade of either charcoal, dark blue or brown. The suit had to be nicely fitted
New fashions were surfacing in both men’s and women’s fashions. Men were wearing Bermuda pants, baggy pants that were cut off at the knee, while women were wearing capris, tight pants that cut off just below the knee. Men were wearing tailored jackets and making a slight move towards the casual dress of today’s workplace. Women were wearing natural shoulders as opposed to the heavily padded ones of the war years. Flat, neck-hugging collars replaced the mannish collars of the late 1940’s. Waists were tightly fitted and skirts were long (Melinkoff 46). The jeans of the time were often lined with plaid flanel and dungarees were worn to the most casual occasions. The sandals of the fifties were not much different than the sandals of today.
In the early 1900’s, women who were married main jobs were to care for her family, manage their houses, and do housework. That is where the word housewife was come from. During the 1940's, women's roles and expectations in society were changing quickly and a lot. Before, women had very limited say in society. Since unemployment was so high during the Great Depression, most people were against women working because they saw it as women taking jobs from men that needed to work. Women were often stereotyped to stay home, have babies, and to be a good wife and mother. Advertisements often targeted women, showing them in the kitchen, talking with children, serving dinner, cleaning, and them with the joy of a clean house or the latest kitchen appliance.
Through the drastic changes in the fashion industry, to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, granting women the right to vote, women’s status in society increased as they became an important role in society. The change in the fashion industry spread not only in the United States in the 1920’s but also throughout the world.
In the mid 1960s more and more women started to look like men (maga 103). Although the trousers suit for women was launched, people suspected that some of the inspiration of the way women started dressing came from father down the ...
The 1940s provided a drastic change in women’s employment rates and society's view of women. With the end of the Depression and the United States’ entrance into World War II, the number of jobs available to women significantly increased. As men were being drafted into military service, the United States needed more workers to fill the jobs left vacant by men going to war. Women entered the workforce during World War II due to the economic need of the country. The use of Patriotic rhetoric in government propaganda initiated and encouraged women to change their role in society. Yet, at the end of the war, the same ideas that encouraged women to accept new roles had an averse affect on women, encouraging them to leave the workforce. The patriotism promoted by propaganda in the 1940s, encouraged Americans to support the war effort and reinforced the existing patriarchal society. Propaganda's use of patriotism not only increased loyalty to America during the war, but also, increased loyalty to the traditional American patriarchal values held in society.
...dia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 88-89. U.S. History in Context. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
Peacock, John. The Chronicle of Western Fashion: From Ancient times to the Present Day. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1991. Print.
Gloves are the protective clothing used to cover hands. These protective clothing were part of our history, since primitive times. Earlier, long sleeve clothing was used as mittens and gloves in many countries for protecting hands from weather elements, chemicals, and while working near a fire. However, today this clothing combines diverse aspects of safety and aesthetics. This post discusses history, and different types of gloves in use.
In the early 1900’s the ideal woman would be dressed with long dresses and would normally have long hair. Several events such as World War I, in July of 1914, changed women’s role in society. They were not only taking care of the children and the household but they were also taking the role of a man. As men went to war, women replaced them in factories. This caused woman to be more independent. Women realized that having a job was something that could be done; their sex didn’t restrict them from taking this action. This was extremely important as it lead to women being more confident and capable. In the 1920s young women began to change. They went from having long dresses and long hair, to a short haircut and wearing dresses that were above the knee. Women developed a greater interest in looking attractive. According to Russell L. Johnson, the beauty industry grew rapidly as cosmetic expenses sky rocketed from 750 million to 2 billion dollars (Johnson 3). This was one of the causes of the sexual revolution. Women became “ less formal but more expressive (Mag...
During the 1920s, women were exposed to the ideas of independence and equality, therefore causing the rise of the flappers. During WWI, men abandoned their jobs in order to fight in the war, thus allowing many women to fill the new job openings. This newfound sense of drive and passion caused “approximately 1,600,000 women [to join] the workforce between 1914 and 1918” (S. Martin). When the men returned from the war, women were not ready to give up this new sense of liberation. The flappers pushed boundaries in both their dress and their ideals.
middle of paper ... ... It also analyzed the influences of modern dresses. As Palmer and Clark (2005) mentioned earlier, both decades are the classic era in fashion history.
Fashion exists all around world ever since mankind started living on the Earth. The ways people live have changed as well as fashion changed drastically through out the human history and people are looking for fashionable and also comfortable garments that can be wear at any occasion. Simplicity and silhouette that allows the body to be comfortable while being active has also became one of the leading fashion trends in 1900s. Because of the relationship between sportswear and American lifestyle, its evolution drastically changed the fashion industry during 1900s.