Well girls, we've been labouring away here at Glamour Daze and for all you vintage retro beauty and fashion fans out there, Glamourdaze proudly presents a beautiful range of 16 month 2012 vintage glamour wall calendars for instant download in high resolution PDF form or for ordering ready printed from our Zazzle shop. Celebrating womens dress, swimwear, lingerie and makeup styles and much more from the glamourous decades of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Unique and individually designed. You can select your favourite decade or get all the calendars in one great value bundle! Bring some vintage glamour into your home kitchen or office. Download Instantly for great value or purchase ready printed. The choice is yours.Visit our vintage fashion calendar store at RetroCalendar.com
1940's fashion - Wardrobe Overview How often do you find your eyes enviously drawn to an attractively dressed woman in a pleasing frock, or suit, and who keeps her hair ' just right', her nails beautifully manicured, her makeup simple but appealing, her shoes fashionable, and above all has an air of graceful and feminine confidence about her? It would be nice to be that woman and have other women gazing at you enviously instead, wouldn't it? If you are a 1940's fashion enthusiast and you want to be ' just perfect ' in your chosen style, here's some vintage pointers for the everyday woman of the mid to late 1940's.
An attractive woman 1. Is appropriately dressed for every occasion. 2.Has good posture and attractive figure 3.Keeps herself well groomed.
1940's Fashion Film - How to Dress and Makeup
How to dress appropriately every day.
Appropriate clothes are suitable to the occasion, to the season, and to the time of day.
Street Clothes
These are general purpose fashionable attire worn to the office, when shopping, out on daily visits, or to college or when travelling.Skirts and pretty tunics are particularly satisfactory. Dresses should be long sleeved and high necked. Hats should be made from material that will not spot in the rain or snow, and should have a protective brim. Coats should be simply cut and trimmed and shoes should have sturdy low heels.
Skirts and Blouses
Shoes - for street wear are practical: They may be oxfords or pumps, depending on the current style, but they should be of low heels and fit up round the foot to give all day comfort. They can be in several colors. Dark wine red, dark blue or green, and try to match your jacket, cardigan or coat. Black shoes may be worn with black or blue coats and with dresses of black, blue, red or green. Brown shoes may be worn with brown or tan coats, and dresses of green, tan, red or brown.
1940's Shoes
Hosiery - for street wear should not be sheer, fragile hose. Current styles indicate what colors of hosiery are suitable.
Jewelry - Do please be inconspicious. A class ring or pin and simple beads to harmonise with the costume.
Gloves - must harmonise with everything else you wear and be durable.
Dress Clothes
Are those worn to afternoon occasions, like parties, receptions, formal dinners etc.Such dresses typically will made of rayon, silk prints, and crepes, taffeta, organdy and voile. These of course are less simple than street clothes and frequently have curved lines, flares, ruffles, and more elaborate trimming. They can have lower necks and short sleeves than street clothes and can brighter in color.
Dress shoes - may be made of patent leather, kid, or suede and designed as Oxfords, Pumps, or sandals with dainty instep straps. Their heels are of medium height. they sometimes are a perfect match for your dress.
Women trying on dress shoes in 1942 - Source LIFE
Hose - for dress wear are fully fashioned stockings, tan and sheer in texture. Your figure may influence your choice of colors for your stockings. For example if you are short and wish to appear taller, wear the same color from head to heels, including stockings to match your dress.If you want to look shorter, wear light toned stockings to match your light colored dress.
Fully Fashioned Stockings 1949
Gloves, jewelry and purse should be lightly decorative and in keeping with the spirit of the rest of your costume.
Typical Afternoon Outfit -1947
Dressing for Housework.
Garments may be attractive, simply made, loosly fitted and washable. Do not wear wool clothes in the kitchen as they absorb odours. Slacks are also very handy, and a neat turban to keep your hair tidy and clean.
The 1940's Fashion Wardrobe Checklist
Occasions - street | college | Shops | Office | Business | Travel
Dress - simple, conservative in color. Shoes - Oxford or strap. Practical and low heel. Leather or reptile skins. Hosiery- Sturdy cotton, rayon Coats- simply cut and tailored. Hat- Practical with brim Gloves- Heavy leather, plain pull on. Accessories- Leather purse, plain handkercief, only necessary jewelry.
Occasions - Church | Visits | Movies
Dress - conservative Shoes - Oxfords, low or medium heels Hosiery - Nylon, silk or fine lisle Coat - tailored Hat - Small | Pill box Gloves - Suede, kid, mocha, chamois or fabric
Occasions - Spectator sport
Dress - Gayer colors Shoes - Same as for street Hose - Plain or fifured depending on the season Coat - Very plain, scarfs Hat - Wide brim hat Gloves -Same as for street Accessories - same as for street wear, purse of leather,linen or cotton
Occasions - Dress | Party | Afternoon
Dress - Dainty, neck somewhat low, long or short sleeves, finer, softer materials. Shoes - Pumps or strap, kid, satin, suede and in medium heels. Hosiery - harmonise with chosen dress, sheer hose with dainty light dress, semi sheer with heavier fabrics Coat - Simple or elaborate to harmonise with dress. Hat - Color to harmonise with dress and coat, small, medium or large. Gloves - Suede, glace kid, or fabric, white or color to match dress. Accessories - Kid purse, as much jewelry as desired to accent costume, handkerchief to harmonise with dress.
How nice you look Margaret !
1940's Day Dresses
The ultimate secret of correct dress is wearing the right things together, and of course you have to have taste. The secret is to have enough, but not too much, variety and contrast to make your look interesting. Less is more.
1940's Fashion Film - What Not to Wear !
Edited from Elizabeth Todds ' Clothes for Girls ' 1947 - GlamourDaze 2010.
Download original vintage makeup guides from the 1920's,1930's, and 1940's at Vintage Makeup Guide.com Is your seasonal wardrobe just a haphazard collection of outfits thrown together, or a complete and harmonious set of carefully chosen garments that will turn head and stop other women in their tracks as they envy your style and fashion sense ! Can you tell by the way they look, which other women planned their wardrobe? Back in the 1940's women meticulously planned their wardrobe down to the last detail. 1940's Fashion writer Elisebeth Todd interviewed ordinary women like Betty below, on their fashion planning in 1948.
The following is a list in her own words of Bettys wardrobe plan from 1947.
Winter Coats and Jackets
New York women out for a walk in the winter snow -1945.
Good black coat, Brown tailored coat, Tan polo coat. Pastel, plaid, tan, soft and tailored jackets.
Winter Suits
Lauren Bacall in fashionable checked tweed suit.
A powder blue herringbone tweed suit for travelling, church and dates. A pink tweed suit for the same occasions.
Winter Dresses
A gold wool dress - very dressy for dances. Can be dressed up ultra with black coat and black accessories.
Day Dresses - 1945 - The War Years look.
A red and black check dress - for church or games or a day out with friends. A powder blue lightweight wool, tailored two piece dress. This can be worn with any of the coats and with pumps or saddle shoes and anklets.
Francis Bergen wearing an off the shoulder dinner dress - 1948 - source Life
A red plaid wool one piece dress.[ My favourite dress ever !] Can be worn with brown and black coats for dates and dress up affairs.
Gene Tierney in a stunning off the shoulder red dress -1948
A gold chiffon dinner dress with long full sleeves. This is my pet ! It has silver embroidery on it.
Ingrid Bergman models a beautiful floral chiffon dress - 1948
Green net formal with a short taffetta jacket which is worn with the dress for dinners or used as a wrap.Finally, a knee length black wool dress with half sleeves. This is my head turner.
Fall and Winter Skirts.
Typical plaid skirt and matching shoes -1948 - Life magazine
Brown wool swing skirt Black crepe plaited Green plaid plaited Blue and red plaited Striped taffetta evening skirt to be worn with white blouse for parties. Green Pencil skirt
Lauren Bacall in dressing room - 1948 - Life magazine
Winter Shoes
Brown suede and alligator pumps - Two pairs Black mary janes -One pair Cuban heel oxfords -One pair Brown and white low heeled pumps. Brown ladies galoshes. [ Glamourdaze note - these were designed to fit over your high heeled shoes]
Gaytees Galoshes for Women - 1946
Winter Hats
Powder blue felt Navy Blue silk Turban, wrap around. Red felt medium brim hat.
L'Officiel Echo De la Mode - Paris hats - December 1947
Gloves for the Winter Season
Black leather gloves White long gloves - for evening wear and formals. White angora mittens - for snowy and cold weather.
Planning your wardrobe includes deciding what clothes you will need for the coming season, trying on and judging what will fit as the season progresses. Older women may add a pound or two during the colder months of winter.Planning also includes combining tops and skirts, dresses with cardigans or jackets. What hosiery to go with what outfit and in what weather. What shoes work best with what hats.
Where do you start ? With the wardrobe you left from last winter of course! What articles of clothing do you need ? One way to begin is to list all the occasions for which you will need clothes.
List the wearable garments from last year. Are they still in fashion ? If you had a successful wardrobe last year, then hang on to them and simply accessorise. Be ready for all temperatures and all occasions.
Edited from original text by Elisebeth Todd - 1947 Clothing for Women and Girls. "So as you can see, a woman need not have many garments to be well dressed !"
Continuing in the theme of vintage street fashion, here are some great photos from LIFE MAGAZINE A fabulous site to browse for a window into the past. When it comes to glamour, nothing much has changed in Manhattan. But these women in the 1940's really raised the bar when it came to dressing to the nines.Full on fashion whilst out buying the loaf of bread. Furs were all the rage then, and no one was bothered.
Two women talking on the sidewalk of Fifth Avenue 1942 Alfred Eisenstaedt
Two women chatting on Fifth Avenue 1942 - Photo Alfred Eisenstaedt
Stork Club Powder room 1944 - Photo Alfred Eisenstaedt
Learn how to be glamourous, 1940's style with correct posture
Its interesting to remember that Pilates, now a hugely popular guide to posture was developed in the 1940's and named after Joseph Pilates. Women of the 1940's simply had to master correct posture. There was no option. Corset makers like Spencer did their bit to help, but there is no better alternative than simply learning how to stand, walk, and sit like a lady.
On our Youtube channel, Miss Ratherly Stern pops back in her time machine from the 1940's with her advice on good posture.
Her finishing school for girls is a good example of what was considered important for women then. As antiquated as it appears, it's always worth grabbing the useful advice that was dished out to young women in the 1940's, as they still apply when it comes to being glamourous.
A typical yearly clothing plan for a 19 year old San Francisco woman in 1947 for 1940's dress, hats, underwear, shoes, stockings, gloves,handbags etc. The chief fabric is the new Rayon !
And the definitive guide [ instant download ] for 1940's Makeup styles.
So now, on to our typical 1940s woman's clothing plan ,It's an interesting insight not only into the normal clothes a fashionable young woman of moderate means would wear in the post world war two years, but of the actual cost ! Even with the limited budget, a 1940's woman still managed to be glamorous
2 Pairs of Street shoes - Oxfords 1 Pair of Dress shoes
Henry Fonda started out his film career as a shoe fitter to Barbara Stanwyk !
1 Bathrobe - cotton 3 Pajamas - cotton 3 Pair of Stockings - rayon 1 Pair of Slippers - leather 1 Pair of Galoshes 2 Set of Gloves - leather 1 Handbag
Total purchase cost annually - $ 112.00 Annual maintenance costs
Cleaning and pressing - $ 2.20 total Heels - 5 replacements at $ 1.35 total Toe Tips - 5 replacements at $ 1.70 Half soles and heels - 1 replacement $1.37
Clothing budgets is not a term that modern women in the developed west tend to think about these days, but back in the frugal post depression and war years, it was a necessity. These budgets for women were usually published in magazines by budgeting experts and were for anything from one year up to three years.That's all ! Original source material - Clothes for Girls -1927 by Elizabeth Todd copyright glamourdaze 2010
