Men's Fashion Of The 1940's

May, 10 2011

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The 1940’s were a time in history that signals a great change in men's fashion as far as clothes go. There are some that say that this was the decade that had the most elegance and style; A style that we will never get again.

All About Men's Fashion Of The 1940's

The 1940's brought the Great Depression to an end. This had a great effect on a lot of different aspects of people’s lives. It also affected fashion for both men and women. This had a lot to do with economics. People were not concerned with style. They wanted clothes that were durable and would last a long time. People felt that if they wore clothes that were to elegant and stylish they would like they had no patriotism.  The making of uniforms took all natural fibers. Men's suits no longer has vests and trouser cuffs. A lot of the men were away fighting at war but the ones that were at home did not want to stand out by wearing elegant suits, more so own an elegant jacket. When the war ended the swing era began. Once again fashion was on the rise. People were trying to dress more elegant again. Jackets were longer, trousers were wider and shirts became more colorful, not just in black and white colors, and in more fancy materials. Ties that were hand painted became popular. And everyone wore them. These were elegant with some and exotic with others. People now wanted to express themselves with clothing. This actually ushered the 1940s men's fashion.

The Zoot Suit

There was a vintage suit called the Zoot suit that was popular in Harlem in the thirties. They were worn by African-American and Mexican-American youths in the 1940s. This was a suit that was illegal. It was considered to be unpatriotic. It did not help that a lot of these people who were the Zoot suit were gangsters. These suits had high waist, baggy and low crotched trousers and a narrow ankle. The Zoot suit was a popular influence on men's fashion in the forties. It was the outfit that men loved to wear while dancing the popular dance called the Jitterbug. It was also comfortable and flattering. The Zoot suit made a man feel like he was more then what he was in a time when money was hard to come by.

The Swing Scene

In the 1940's the men's fashion that was most looked at is what a young man wore when he was courting women. Of course a lot of these men were their uniform. If they were not in uniform then a lot of men took to wearing Zoot suits. Some other men would just take off their single-breasted jackets and dance the night away. This way they could show off their accessories. Accessories really made the man then as they do now. The tie was also an important item in 1940. Since wide, high-cut trousers were what men were wearing in those days the ties were wider and shorter. They were made from brighter colors. These ties were help on my clips. Suspenders were a popular accessory in this decade. They were used to hold the pants up instead of a belt. This was because all leather was being used in the war. Good cufflinks were being used though. Shoes were the same as they were in earlier decades. Mostly worn by all men was wingtip, spectator shoes.

The Hat Makes the Man

1940s fashion including hats were very popular in the forties. If a man was not wearing his army hat that he was wearing a fedora. This was a stylish hat that everyone wore from the businessmen to the president.

Sportswear Arrives

After the war people were looking for fun. They wanted to forget how bad the war was. This was when sportswear came on the scene. It was bright and fun. Things like the tropical shirt became popular. It was not only popular in Hawaii but also in places like New York. All people were thrilled to leave the uniform behind and move on to fun and bright clothes, a trend that will continue into the 1950s. Photo Sources: (1) (2)