1930s Fashion: A close look at the reference periods of fashion, which is in a continuous cycle of development, change and turning back. Our eighth stop is the 1930s, with its glory inspired by Hollywood movies.

Fashion refers to currently popular clothing styles. It always develops and changes and returns to the beginning. Every style and trend in fashion is recalled from an absolute time or era. That is why it is very important and valuable to have an idea about the history of this evolution.

As you get an idea about a person, you also learn about his or her style. While reading the history of humanity, it is inevitable to take a look at the history of fashion.

1930s Fashion: The Golden Age of Splendor

In this article series, we will take a closer look at the periods used by fashion as a reference. Enjoy reading..

As calendars turned from the 1920s to the 1930s, women’s fashion evolved from the masculine look to the feminine silhouettes of the previous decade. With the bankruptcy of the stock market in 1929 and the opening of a new era, the skirt lengths again extended to the ankle length and the waist lines returned to their natural place.

Although it seems like the 1920s has moved away, in fact, the first periods of this decade continued to maintain the simplicity achieved in the lines. The main change was experienced in the clarity of the folds; the hidden folds emerged in the 1930s with a desire for a soft, feminine silhouette.

The fashion silhouette of the early 1930s was a slender, elongated body with extended shoulders and a figure that was pulled up by slightly wavy hair. While the lines were as simple as possible, the overall sketching became apparent with a curvaceous femininity created with skirts that open from the waist to the ankles.

Contributing to this long look was undoubtedly one of the most important developments and trends of the decade, the diagonal cut. The diagonal cutting method, obtained by cutting the fabric from the horizontal fold at an angle of 45 degrees, made it possible to design clothes that follow the contours of the body that are more fluid. With the diagonal cut, which was first used in the 1920s by the designer Madeleine Vionnet and was a popular method in the 30s, women’s clothing also gained a new character and feel.

1930s fashion 3 — Madeleine Vionnet, 1932

gabrielle chanel_1930s — Gabrielle Chanel, 1930s

While evening dresses were dominated by silhouettes that bless the body, daily wear returned to romance and femininity. The dresses were now as patterned as possible; Abstract patterns inspired by flowers, plaids, polka dots and animals. These also highlighted the waist and ended in the middle of the shin bone. Elegant suits with their perfect lines and sculptural, prominent shoulders were also among the popular styles.

The extravagant shouldered dresses or suits that marked the 1930s were the forerunners of padding, the use of layers of fabric and other decorations.

Designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who gained popularity in the 1920s, took his design approach to the next level in the 1930s by collaborating with surrealist artists such as Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau. The design line, which he has made his signature with his unique engravings, brought him into the literature as one of the leading names in the history of fashion. Schiaparelli has created unique collections with designs that glorify the shoulders, embrace the body and bless artisanism with its surprising embroidery.

1930s_fashion_01 — Elsa Schiaparelli ve Jean Cocteau, 1937

1930s fashion 5 — Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938

1930s_fashion_02 — Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938

When it comes to shoes, the inventor of the 1930s was Salvatore Ferragamo. Ferragamo, who immigrated to America in 1923 after working on shoe manufacturing in his country of Italy and opened a store in Santa Barbara, California, made him so special, besides the extraordinary fabrics and materials he used, his anatomy education at the University of Southern California happened. Her designs combining fish skin, sea leopard, lace and crystal with great ergonomics were indispensable for Hollywood stars. Salvatore Ferragamo also made its name among the pioneers of fashion history with the platform heel shoes it introduced in 1938.

1930s fashion 6 — Salvatore Ferragamo, Rainbow, 1938. Designed for Judy Garland.

Hollywood and 1930s Splendor

The 1930s were a time when women watched movie stars for inspiration. Hollywood in general, and Greta Garbo in particular, Marlene Dietrich and Bette Davis became style icons that did not come from the nobility for the first time. Many women around the world have tried to emulate their styles. The rise of the makeup and beauty industry has made the process easier as it allows this with a small budget.

The impact of the crisis on fashion, especially in America, was indisputable. Before the 1930s, buyers were seizing copies of Parisian designs and selling them in their home countries. However, with the Great Depression, all these business areas were affected and the taxation of 90% of the revenues from trade made in this way came to the agenda. However, a solution was found to this as well; it was free to get clothes molds through customs. Patterns of thousands of dollars’ worth of clothes were now being smuggled into the country and costs of almost fifty dollars could be produced.

Accessories

The hat continued to be a key accessory throughout the 1930s. Small plate-shaped hats covering the forehead were in demand. During this period, women resorted to scarves to collect their hair.

The invention of nylon in 1938 was a revolution in underwear and socks. There was no longer any sagging socks. Women’s legs were entrusted with sheer and durable charm.

Men’s Fashion

Just like women’s clothing, men’s clothing turned its gaze to movies for inspiration in the 1930s. Although suits are still worn for formal events and business, comfortable details such as knit sweaters and round-neck shirts have started to seep into the men’s style. So much so that the tie was no longer a necessity.

Formal wear of course did not disappear, and even the tuxedo remained a popular choice. Synthetic fabrics such as shark skin are gaining in popularity.

Another factor that had an impact on men’s fashion was outdoor physical activities and sports. While tennis and golf, whose popularity rose in the 1920s, became the favorite sports of the 1930s, the codes of these sports gracefully shaped men’s clothes.

Trousers continued to widen. The cuff ends are highlighted with cuffs. The most popular material among men was tweed. In the suits, the jacket cuts were wide, the shoulders were padded and the sleeves were tapered. The military-effect trench coat and bomber jacket continued to remain in trend as casual pieces.

At the end of the decade, Europe II. It entered World War II and America still hadn’t survived the effects of the depression. As the 1930s closed, the style created from wide, padded shoulders, narrow waist and short A-cut skirts was already awaiting its influence in the early 1940s.