Vintage Images Of 1940s Women's Fashion

1940s Historical Events

The nineteen forties were dominated by the events of World War II, which began on 1 September 1939, when Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland. Given that Britain, France, and Poland had already signed a military alliance of mutual assistance earlier in 1939, as a consequence, Britain, which was headed by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, and France, which was headed by Albert François Lebrun, declared war on Germany, 3 September 1939. The expansion of WWII occurred when Germany shocked the Soviet Union by launching an unexpected military invasion of the USSR on 22 June 1941, which the Nazis had code named 'Operation Barbarossa'. Meanwhile, on the Island of Oahu, which is located halfway between Japan and the USA, Japan launched a devastating surprise attack on the USA naval base, 7 December 1941, which had been situated at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The Japanese high command had referred to America as the so called 'Sleeping Giant' but after this unprecedented attack, the USA was stirred and was on a quest for vengeance, as the very next day, following an emergency meeting, the US Congress officially declared war on Japan, 8 December, 1941, and since Germany and Italy had a military alliance with Japan, both of these nations declared war against the USA, a few days later.

The 1940s: The Holocaust

Paul Von Hindenburg (born 1847 - died 1934) was a German Field Marshal who had led the Imperial German Army in the First World War. Hindenburg was appointed President of Germany (also known as the German Reich) on 12 May 1925. After the 1929 Wall Street Crash in the US, it was said that out of all the European nations, Germany's economy had suffered most severely due to Germany's considerable dependency on US loans for its industries and investments at that particular time. The US Congress had deemed it necessary to officially recall vital American loans from the German government, this action unfortunately, initiated the total collapse of Germany's economy, many of its banks and businesses dissolved abruptly, and these events led to high unemployment and extreme poverty across Germany. Despite efforts within the chaotic Reichstag (German parliament), the various political parties remained stubbornly unwilling to cooperate with each other, meaning the government could not function as it should. The German economic depression persisted and an increasing number of German people were becoming convinced that their democratic system of government was unable to find a resolution to the dire economic situation in Germany, as a result, in desperation, many Germans were starting to listen to the ideas of the more extreme political parties, because it had seemed to them that only those parties could offer any kind of hope to resolve the crisis that the country was in. As a consequence, the political ideas of the Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler (born 1889 - died 1945), had captured the attention of many Germans. Hitler presented a solution to the German people by way of well-choreographed public speeches, in which he had promised to create unity and stability within the German parliament, bring the nation out of economic gloom and depression, build back the German economy, create more jobs, thereby improve people's living standards, and help Germany to become a healthy and prosperous nation once again.

After the premature dissolution of the German parliament (Reichstag) there was a general election held in Germany in 1932, resulting in a surprising victory for the Nazi Party (NSDAP). The Nazi Party's victory made it the largest party within the Reichstag for the first time in German history by winning 230 seats, which amounted to just over 37% of the votes. However, because the Nazi Party did not achieve an overall majority of 305 seats, this result meant that a coalition government would eventually be the likely outcome. Therefore, Hitler had opportunistically demanded the chancellorship as part of a deal to ensure the support of the Nazi Party to form a functional government. Initially, Hindenburg had refused to grant Hitler the position, as he detested what Hitler and the Nazi Party stood for. But following failed attempts by the other parties to successfully form a functional government, and after much painstaking deliberation, Hindenburg thought that he had conceived of a clever plan by which to control future events in his favour. Therefore, Hindenburg was prepared to take a calculated risk by appointing Adolf Hitler as the new German Chancellor on 30 January 1933. A decision that later turned out to be a very serious miscalculation of power politics by Hindenburg, as the ensuing complicated events proved that he had vastly underestimated a very sinister and dangerous adversary, whose ruthlessness had no boundaries. Moreover, Adolf Hitler was destined to become the architect of a horrific nightmare that would unfold within Germany and across various parts of Europe, a legacy that would haunt the conscience of humanity well into the distant future.

As Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party were anti-Semites, Hitler's new found power as German Chancellor enabled him to introduce new laws by which to persecute and segregate the Jewish citizens of Germany, but also, the Nazis had employed propaganda methods by way of films, radio programs, newspapers and posters to demonize the Jewish communities, in addition, the Nazis had ordered extremist right-wing groups to go around intimidating and committing acts of violence against Jewish homes and businesses. On 15 September 1935, the Nazis also enacted the infamous Nuremberg Laws, which were Anti-Semitic and racist laws designed to intensify the persecution, exclusion, and expulsion of Jews, as well as other none-white races within Germany. The so-called Nuremberg Laws sanctioned the seizure of Jewish properties along with their wealth and prohibited marriage or intimate relations between the Jewish race and the German race. Eventually, the Nuremberg Laws led to the confinement and systematic mass execution of numerous Jewish men, women, and children across different parts of Europe. Meanwhile, countless executions of various other ethnic groups were being perpetrated by the Nazi regime across Europe and beyond. The Holocaust is also known as the 'Shoah' a Hebrew term used for the organized mass execution of millions of European Jews during the Second World War. It is said that the Nazis and their collaborators across Europe had systematically carried out the mass murder of approximately 6 million European Jews between 1941 and 1945. During World War II, Jewish resistance groups began to fight back at several different Nazi run Jewish ghettos and concentration camps within Germany and across Europe. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is one of the well-known revolts that occurred in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1943. It was said to be one of the largest single Jewish revolts that had taken place against the Nazi-German army during World War II.

The 1940s: The Normandy Landings

The Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France, code-named Operation Overlord, often referred to as D-Day, was launched on 6 June 1944, during World War II. The D-Day landings remain the largest seaborne invasion in history. The Allied invasion consisted of seaborne, airborne, and land operations on French soil. The land invasions across France were led by American General Dwight D. Eisenhower and British General Bernard Montgomery. Before the operation began, the Allies had successfully employed several diversionary tactics, which had confused the Germans as to where the planned attack was going to take place. The massive military operation first began in the United Kingdom, and by the early part of 1944, over 2 million troops from over 12 different countries had assembled in the United Kingdom to prepare for the Normandy invasion. The Allied forces had consisted mostly of British and American soldiers (including at least 2,000 African American soldiers), additionally, Canadian, French, Rhodesian, Australia, Belgium, Czech, Dutch, Greek, New Zealand, Norwegian, Polish, indian, and African soldiers, both black and white. The first phase of the strategy was code-named 'Operation Neptune', which included the large transportation of military personnel, equipment, warships, and numerous other sea vessels.

The allied high command had ordered an initial assault force of approximately 160,000 allied troops, most of which were British, American and Canadian, to travel on board over 6,000 allied warships including landing sea crafts, most of which were American and British ships, acr0ss the English Channel to launch major assaults on five key heavily fortified beachheads in France code-named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, each one was situated along a 50 mile distance of France's Normandy coast, which were controlled by Nazi-German forces. The initial encounter witnessed the German forces put up extremely fierce resistance, and despite the Allied forces having suffered major setbacks and far greater deaths and injuries as compared to the German losses, nevertheless, a few days later, on 11 June 1946, the Allied forces established an important foothold when they secured the Normandy beaches. Additionally, the Allies landed over 326,000 ground troops, deposited over 50,000 army vehicles, and well over 100, 000 tons of various military equipment and ammunition, whilst at the same time continuing to receive cover support by Allied airborne personnel. Given the vast conglomerate of soldiers representing the various nationalities, languages, and cultures, the Allied commanders found it extremely challenging to communicate and direct the different sections of ground forces at their disposal. It had taken a further two months of heavy fighting before the Allies eventually reached the River Seine in the north of France at the end of August 1944. Finally, by September 1944, all of France was liberated by the Allied forces.

The 1940s: Victory In Europe Day (VE DAY)

A temporary end to the Second World War occurred on 7 May 1945, when General Alfred Jodi, who represented the German high command, signed a document called 'Instrument of Surrender' for the unconditional capitulation of Nazi-German military forces to the Supreme High Command of the Allied forces and the Red Army. The document was signed at the Allied headquarters in Reims in north-eastern France, and this event was said to mark the end of World War II in Europe. However, this first signing was not considered the definitive version for the document of surrender, as there were segments of the German army at large that had not yet capitulated. The official definitive 'Instrument of Surrender' that represented the entire armed forces of Nazi-Germany was actually signed the following night at 22:43, local time, on 8 May 1945, in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, Germany. It was this event that marked the official end of World War II in Europe, on the Eastern Front. The British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, made a national announcement on the radio, which was broadcast live from Downing Street in London, at 3 pm on 8 May British time. Churchill declared that the war had ended, and it was a victory for the Allied forces. He also said that the British people could allow themselves a brief respite by way of celebrations, before they had to engage in the long and arduous journey of rebuilding the British nation to its former glory. After hearing the news, millions rushed outside their homes, eager to join in the euphoria that had swept across the nation. In towns and cities everywhere, beneath the swirling sea of chequered flags, people danced, embraced, and sang well-known songs, well into the night, glad that they could go to sleep that night, without the experience of dread or fright.

This day in history became known as Victory in Europe Day (VE DAY), and it is said to be commemorated each year by Austria, Poland, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. However, in Russia and certain other former Soviet Union countries, Victory in Europe Day is celebrated each year on 9 May. This is because the Nazi-German forces had officially surrendered at 22:01 on 8 May Central European time, which had corresponded with 00:01 on 9 May in Moscow time. However, the entire end of World War II for all of the nations that were once involved, actually occurred on 2 September, 1945, when Emperor Hirohito had ordered his delegates from the Japanese forces to arrange a meeting on the USS Missouri, in Tokyo Bay, Japan, in association with senior staff that represented the United States and the Allied forces in order to sign the Japanese 'Instrument of Surrender' and it was this event that finally marked the official complete cessation of World War II. The forties witnessed in starkness man's great inhumanity to man. The post-war era greatly affected the second half of the 1940s and well beyond. Many nations around the world underwent severe food rationing and austerity throughout much of the war and through the remainder of the 1940s. Yet, from beneath the shroud of gloom and despair, the irrepressible human spirit began to soar once more, eternally clinging to the proverbial beacon of hope.

The 1940s: The Start Of The Cold War

In the aftermath of the Second World War, several major institutions were founded. The United Nations Charter was founded on 22 June 1945, effective from 24 October 1945. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was founded in July 1945, and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which was later renamed as the World Bank. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the NHS was founded in Manchester, England, on 5 July 1948. The Yalta Conference took place between the 4th - 11th of February 1945, in Crimea, a region of the Soviet Union. This meeting was attended by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Union Premier Joseph Stalin. The purpose of the Yalta Conference was to discuss the division and reorganization of Korea in East Asia, East and West Germany, as well as other parts of Europe, and which nations should be in control of the various regions. Additionally, proposals were put forward by each nation for post-war peace and security for all the nations concerned. This official demarcation of Western European regions and Eastern communist regions that were under the influence of the Soviet Union later became a contributing factor to the so-called Cold War years, which was a time span of intense geopolitical rivalry between two superpowers, namely, the United States and the Soviet Union, including their respective allies. This bitter and protracted contest was essentially a battle of political ideologies between capitalism and democracy in the West, and communism and dictatorship in the East, with each side attempting to expand their political ideology into other countries, and the fair and unfair means that they had used to achieve their aims.

The United States and the Soviet Union had engaged in psychological warfare by way of propaganda campaigns as well as espionage, sporting events, and the race for technological superiority. However, direct conflict between the two nations arguably reached its most critical moments when both the US and USSR gave their military support to certain opposing nations involved in major regional conflicts, also known as proxy wars. Winston Churchill had made a famous speech at Westminster College, in Fulton, Missouri, USA, on 5 March 1946, in which he coined the term, the Iron Curtain. In his speech, Churchill said that the so-called Eastern Bloc of communist nations, which was under the control of the Soviet Union, had posed a great threat to other nations, including the USA, and he also stressed the need for the Western allies to collectively counter that perceived aggression by banding together and working as a counteractive force. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was a major military alliance consisting of several nations, which was founded on 4 April 1949. The twelve founding members of NATO were Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Holland, Portugal, Norway, Britain, and the United States of America. NATO's purpose was primarily to protect the security of all members by way of political or military means if necessary. Moreover, it is said that the alliance was created to prevent the USSR from extending its political or military sphere of influence into other nations within and beyond Europe.

1940s: R&B and Jazz

Rhythm and blues and jazz music gained greater momentum in terms of popularity, diversity, and influence during the 1940s. Importantly, many jazz bands were on display across Europe, entertaining thousands of soldiers, who were either on temporary leave or on their way to the horrors of war. Music was said to be the spiritual sustenance that lifted tormented souls from the depths of despair. Many soldiers chose to wear a brave smile upon their faces and expressed frivolity to hide their fear and anxiety, whilst enjoying performances on show from a variety of music bands. American Jerry Wexler was a successful American music journalist turned music producer, who coined the term rhythm and blues in 1947, and years later, he helped to launch music artists such as Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, the Clovers, and the Drifters. R&B had replaced the old disrespectful term 'Race music', which had been used in the United States for decades previously. According to current statistics, R&B is now arguably the most influential music style in history, it is said to have influenced a variety of popular musical genres, including Jazz, which became extremely popular in the US during the so-called Roaring 20s. Also, R&B is said to have influenced gospel music, doo-op, rock & roll, and the blues. And during the 50s and 60s, rhythm and blues gave rise to music genres such as bluebeat, reggae, disco, soul, funk, and hip hop.

However, arguably, the most revolutionary style of music originating from R&B is rap music. So-called gangster rap music is a controversial style of rap music that expresses vocal lyrics which is offensive to many people due to its glorification of violence and use of misogynistic lyrics, which is especially offensive to many women. Nevertheless, it may be surprising to some people, but rap music has evolved and diversified over many decades to emerge as one of the most successful and versatile music styles in the world. It is noteworthy that according to some historians, the history of rap music actually originated hundreds of years ago from the ancient traditions of West African villagers, when the vocal artists who existed at that time practiced mastering the recitation of poems and telling stories, by way of rhyming techniques to entertain local villagers, which was skilfully enhanced by rhythmical drum beats. This ancient tradition has taken a fascinating journey through time and space to reach the shores of America, where it first took root in the Deep South, and then, over the ensuing generations, it evolved, transformed, and flourished to eventually become a global phenomenon. Excluding gangster rap music, so-called popular rap music is largely considered a positive influence on society, as it is now seen as a powerful platform by which contemporary music artists can express their ideas and opinions on some important matters, such as politics, philosophy, and poetry. Moreover, rap music is now successfully used by many advertising industries across the globe in many different languages to help with the promotion of various services and goods, as well as various fashion products, since it is a powerful medium that many ordinary people relate to, especially the younger generation.

1940s Women's Fashion

Women's fashion in the 1940s was functional and practical rather than expensive and stylish. Many nations were preoccupied with the war effort, as well as administering wartime rationings, which meant that certain materials were not imported as much or readily available. Therefore, except for very wealthy people, the fashion industries and most ordinary people paid far less attention to the quality and design of clothing items that they purchased. The majority of women wore inexpensive and unsophisticated attire, and the standard fashion was plain coloured square shoulder dresses and suits, jackets and simple tops and various blouses, high waist tops, knee high A-line skirts and dresses, high waist wide-legged pants and dresses, kitty dresses, as well as plain hats, gloves, and plain practical footwear.