Military
When the US joined World War II, fashion felt the impact. Rations on fabric meant that skirts were no longer the poofy evening gowns that we saw in the thirties, and simple lines with shoulder pads became the style of the decade. At the very least, this could have been because of the publicity of the war effort – if a woman wanted to appear like she was supporting the men at war, she would buy herself a hat with a military emblem pinned to it and her son a playsuit designed like an army uniform. Women’s work suits became more utilitarian as they moved further into the American workforce, in shapes and styles reminiscent of menswear. American clothing designers and manufacturers embraced the American demand for their fabrics and styles to reflect the political state of the country, unlike Parisian designers, who had dictated American fashion up to this time. After the war, though, the fashion world bounced back, incorporating wartime language in advertising but using more fabric and sparkly ostentation than before – expensive furs, bigger skirts, detailed trimming and patterns.
