A Frock To Remember: The Fitted and Fabulous Forties

The 1940’s are of keen interest to me. The war had an interesting effect on fashion. During the war, women were thrust into jobs previously filled by men, and access to fabrics was limited. Due to the nature of the new class of working women, sportswear became more popular and the image of the woman was inching into the man's fashion world with suits, pants, and jackets. Elsa Schiaparelli popularized attention to the shoulders, adding pleats, padding and enhancing the silhouette of the 1930’s. This trend remained popular throughout the decade. I enjoy the fitted frocks and how women maintained a feminine look with a red lip and curls.
This vintage navy and green frock is from the 1940's. It belonged to my dear friend Betsey Brooks, who was a long time vintage “brick and mortar” owner in Brookline, MA. Betsey was known for her keen sense of fashion and dresses to die for!