USO Canteen Freeper Style...The Forties...04-10-02

The FORTIES

1940: Japan enters triple alliance with Germany and Italy.
1940: Nylon Stockings are introduced.
December 7, 1941: Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor!
1941-1945: United States mobiizes to fight on 3 fronts: Europe, Pacific & Home.
June 6, 1944: D-Day invasion.
May 7, 1945: Germany formally surrenders.
August 6, 1945: Truman feels it necessary to drop the Atomoc Bomb at Hiroshima.
August 9, 1945: After getting no surrender, Truman drops a second bomb at Nagasaki.
August 10, 1945: Japanese formally sue for peace.
1945: Coco Chanel Exiled to Switzerland for her love affair with a Nazi officer.
1945: G.I. Bill of Rights
1946: The Baby Boom Begins.
1947: Dior creates the "New Look" to revitalize Parise Couture.
1947: Truman's Fair Deal and subsequent U.S. Economic Boom.

The forties were an unparalled decade in 20th century fashion. With the advent of World War II, clothing manufacturers were restricted in the amount of cloth that could be used commercially; silk was in high demand for parachuting material and cotton for duffle bags and uniforms. Therefore, they were forced to look elsewhere for alternative sources of fabric; they turned to "artificial silks"--rayon and "acetate", a cheaper form of rayon--and used them extensively in both men's and women's clothing during the war.

I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the fashions of the forties, and what better models than the ladies, and gentlemen, of the Guild. Let's start with the ladies. All of the women's fashions were found on the front of either McCall's, Simplicity, Butterick, orVogue patterns, at THIS VINTAGE SITE. (For the seamstress reading this, with the exception of the Vogue patterns, the cost was 25 cents!) At right is the Hostess and Charter Member of the Guild, Hillary's Lovely Legs. Doesn't she look pretty?

Notice the triangle line that's created by large shoulder pads and a narrow waist. The tailored garments in the mid-1940s were the smartly-dressed woman's staple, and were acceptable for both day and evening wear.

For the well-dressed man in the early 1940s, Stanley Marcus, apparel consultant to the War Production Board, took the stand that it was the designer's patriotic duty to design fashions which would remain stylish through many seasons and also use a minimum of fabric. Therefore (unlike the suit on the left, shown on our own handsome TexasNative2000), they were made minus vests and pocket flaps, and the trousers lost their multiple pleats and cuffs. McCalls even produced patterns for transforming men's suits into ladies suits, since the men were at war and had no need for the garments!

There was one exception to the strict rationing of the early forties though - the zoot suit! It was born during the early thirties in Harlem's nightclubs, but the zoot influence remained through the 1940s, and men's coats were much roomier as a result of it. Higher-waisted trousers were also due to the influence of the zoot suit. I could have shown a really wild zoot suit, but these guys may get me for even these milder ones! At least they look like they're having fun, don't they? In the first photo below, that's Dog on the left, and HiJinx on the right. In the second photo, left to right, are Kachina, COB1, and Mr K. Ok, guys, go get your jeans and tennis shoes back on now.

I know you're ready to see some more girls! So, here, looking like they just stepped out of the covers of Vogue itself, are twelve more long-legged! wasp-waisted! lovely Guild ladies, in groups of four. Left to right: Swede Girl, Teacup, LadyX and Mombonn.

Left to right below: Timeout, ClancyJ, swheats and Snow Bunny.

And finally, here are the last four models, in more casual attire, left to right: mountaineer, BigWaveBetty, LBGA, and Cheney Chick .

One more ....for the ladies .....the wolf is just as dashing as a WWII flyboy as he is with a rose in his mouth.....

Hope you had fun and enjoyed looking at some of the clothes our parents and grandparents probably wore. The Regular Canteen returns tomorrow in its regularly scheduled slot and time.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.