How2Day: Evening Gown Fashions of the 1940s

Evening wear in the 1940s meant padded shoulders and draped fabric. Plush Studios/Digital Vision/Getty Images
Shirley Miles O'Donnol in her book, American costume, 1915-1970: a Source Book for the Stage Costumer, says that the look of the 1940s was to follow the natural silhouette. Wartime shortages of fashion staples like wool, silk, metals and leather challenged the design world. Parties during the war years were often impromptu rather than planned because so many lives were interrupted by the chaos. The joy of peacetime after the cessation of war brought more leisure time, larger and more formal parties and more variety of style choices.

Daniel Delis Hill in his book, As Seen in Vogue: A Century of American Fashion in Advertising, tells that as the decade opened the evening gowns featured full skirts with fabric swathed at the hips. Bustles and large bows were common. When war broke out fabric shortages in Europe brought slim, narrow lines to skirts, new fabrics such as rayon, acetate and celanese replaced silk and other fabrics long used for gowns. Clothing became more masculine in cut and evening wear styles were subdued.

Shirley Miles O'Donnel tells that as the war heated up evening dresses were often cocktail style rather than floor-length. Shoulders were covered and padded. Backs were seldom bare. Some evening gowns came with little jackets. Sleeves were short and capped, puffed or they were long and fitted. Skirts could be slim or draped. One trend was to wear a dinner suit, which was a jacket paired with a long pencil skirt. Fabrics were the new synthetics as well as tried and true silk and light wool when available.

With the war over, fabric and other dressmaking supplies became available once again. Designers began to offer wide billowy sleeves, and full skirts with cinched waists. Rounded shoulder on gowns replaced the square shoulders of the war years. The look in evening wear became ultra-feminine and romantic. Yards of fabric were used in lavish constructions. Peplums were added: bustles, butterfly or gathered styles. Ruffles were used frequently. Lace, especially around neckline and on sleeves was common.

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