1940's,THE WAR YEARS-UTILITY RANGE OF CLOTHING REPLACES FASHION DESIGN CLOTHES

In the 1940's, because of the war years, being frivolous was frowned upon. You had to make do with whatever you had available when it came to fashion design clothes.

Due to it being wartimes, uniforms were seen all over the place, and this continued even after the end of the 2nd World War in 1945.

The strictness of rationing during the war, made women  'make do and mend', because absolutely nothing went to waste. People had to use whatever they could lay their hands on, including any type of fabric, parachute silk and they even had to unravel old and worn socks to make cardigans and scarves.

Women began to wear trousers for practicability and convenience. They wore boxy jackets or tops with nipped in waists and  skirts. No fashion design clothes were promoted during these times

During the daytime, hair was kept clean under a turban or headscarf, and the short styles of the 20's gave way for curls and glamorous styles.

Clothing apparel producers were encouraged by the government to produce a utility range of clothing. The style of garments produced were also subject to 'austerity' regulations, which restricted how much cloth was used for garments. This was evident where pockets were discouraged, men's turn up trousers were banned and there was a maximum length that shirts could be.

At the time, it was trendy to appear in uniforms, so much so, that they were worn to special events and ceremonies.

This was back in the old days when "Made in China" was a good thing, and a good temporary replacement for fashion design clothes.

The 1950's represent a variety of things to many different people. It was a time of growth, capitalism, conservatism, and anti-communism.  And a return to fashion design clothes and style.

Along with the changes in the rest of life in the 1950's, haute couture fashion was undergoing many of its own changes too. It was greatly influenced by things like music and movie idols, and having haute couture  fashion style quite often meant taking luxury to the extremes.

There was a new femininity in women's fashion and style. Clothes became more conventional, and women wore scarlet lips and fingernails. Dior's New Look influenced softer shoulders, corseted waists, and fuller longer skirts aided by petticoats. Corsets held their place in a woman's wardrobe, as the ideal body figure was the figure eight hour-glass shape (to attract a man for marriage back then!). Strapless brassieres were becoming more important, since dresses were being designed without straps as well.

Clothes worn in the day were very feminine and designed to remind women they were women. Women also still craved luxury in dresses after years of deprivation during the Utility period.  Evening wear produced in the 50s, even for the masses, was often ultra glamorous and fashionable clothes. 

The trendy  clothes of the time were skirts, sweaters, and circle felt skirts. Most girls were influenced by Marilyn Monroe, and the guys by James Dean. There were cocktail dresses with corolla bosoms,  shocking pink colours, and designs by the American Charles James. 

Designs by Dior included double apron day dresses, hugely bloused tops in the style of an artist's smock, very tight skirts, and Peter Pan collars.

Balenciaga and Balmain were popular Parisian haute couture designers, whose styles were modified for the average woman. Other styles included pinafore dresses with polo neck jumpers, and for secretaries, crisp, white blouses, and somewhat sensible shoes.

Leotards with long circular skirt and stole, and corduroy smock and knickerbockers suit were also popular styles.  People in the art community preferred baggy clothes, such as raincoats and over-sized sweaters, and suits, pressed or wrinkled.

For the highly fashionable, they wore luxurious, feminine, low necked evening dresses or boned strapless dresses in taffetas, lace, nets, tulle, chiffon and satin or even nylon.

In the 1960's, there was 'revolt' against fashion houses by hippies and mods. There was an internationalisation of the fashion scene, so people shopped as happily in London or Paris, as they did in New York or Rome. The rich and trendy no longer felt that Parisian couture was better than any other found elsewhere. Though the French is still to be reckoned with when it comes to fashion design clothes, but they no longer enjoyed the exclusive rights to haute couture fashion.

Initially, they were plainly designed clothing carried over from the 50's, and looked better on older and mature people, almost looking drab. Then it started to get bold and colourful

Then little shops called boutiques promoting fashion design clothes, started to spring up, and haute couture took on a different angle.

From the early 60's, the skirts started to reduce in length, culminating in the mini by 1965. Thus the quintessential girlie look of the 60's evolved. Slim line and tubular dresses gave way to flared skirts and then the tentative beginning of the A- line skirt, that, in its many varying lengths, from maxi to mini, would remain popular for about 15 years until the late 70's

Now, because skirts and dresses became shorter, stockings went out and tights became an essential accessory. The couture style was a neat, uncluttered, and long legged look. However, towards the end of the decade, hems were dropping again,  and fashion design clothes was brought on by the influence of the hippie movement. This was accompanied with the bright bold colours and psychedelic patterns of the women and men's fashion.

Designers such as Mary Quant, boutiques such as Biba and Miss Mouse, and celebrities like Twiggy played major roles in promoting the new, more relaxed, and more colourful way of dressing that reverberated around the world.

In April 1966, 'Time Magazine' famously labelled London as the world centre of fashion and style. Being fashionable was related to the rapidly changing social, economic and aesthetic context of the times, and the central role it played out, not just on Carnaby Street, but the 60's pop culture as well.

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