My first love of all the vintage retro decades was with the 1940s. Perhaps because clothing was similar to that in the 1980s, the decade I grew up in, and I subconsciously wanted to relive those times? Hmm maybe. The reason doesn’t matter but the love for 1940s clothing, especially 1940s dresses, does.

At first glance, most 1940s dress styles look alike. Starting in the late 1930s dresses took on inspiration from menswear. As war approached women’ roles changed from the ultra feminine to the practical and useful. The bias cut long dress of the ’30s dress required too much fabric. Hemlines shortened to the knee to also save on fabric and free women into dresses that were easier to work in. Delicate embellishments were removed keeping the look economical and simple. Other features were:

You can skip the history and shop for a dress.

Skirt shapes were a-line. This straight skirt with a little flare at the hemline used very little fabric yet was easy to move in.  L-85 allowed for no more than 56 inches of fabric at the hip, 78 inches for the sweep. Pleats, tucks, and shirring were allowed above the waistline but were restricted to using only 10 percent of the material.

Sleeves were usually short to just above the elbow. The puff sleeve of the early years smoothed out into a deep cap sleeve. Long sleeves gathered at the wrist were an alternative in winter but not very common.