Vintage 1940s Fashion: Women's 1940s Pants Style
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1940s womens pants, including siren suits, pinafore pants, land girl pants, and old Hollywood's influence on women's pants.
This post is all about womens 1940s pants style
Women's fashion in the 1940s and what type of clothing was popular in the 1940s?
With the world embroiled in World War II, 1940s women's fashion was heavily inspired by military uniforms and was practical and utilitarian.
As a result of fabric rationing in the United states and the united kingdom, silhouettes were slim and cut close to the body.
Dresses were still the go-to outfit for women, with house dresses being worn for chores around the house, and of course, there were all sorts of evening dresses for parties at night.
The victory suit (or skirt suit) was also a popular outfit for women. This was more of a formal style, women often got married in their suits, and it was more dressing up than a simple dress.
For more on 1940s dresses:
Examples of women’s fashion in the 1940s, from the victory suit (left) to a casual dress (middle) to womens trousers (right)
In the 1940s is when we really being to see women's pants become more accepted.
The war was a large driving factor in pants becoming more mainstream for women.
With the men away at war, women had to take over jobs usually held by men, like working in the factories and farming.
Pants were much more practical for these types of jobs than a dress.
Just imagine trying to run machinery in a factory while wearing a dress!
Pants begin to emerge as an acceptable casual style no longer just reserved for sports wear or on the beach, like the 1930s.
A driving force behind women’s pants increasing in popularity was Old Hollywood.
Old Hollywood glam stars like Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, and Lauren Bacall, were often photographed in theri pants, and made women want to copy their chic, casual style.
1930s women's pants
A pair of women's trousers in the late 1930s versus the mid and late 40s.
1930s women's pants were restricted more for active wear, or beach pajamas.
It was not a common casual style for women outside of playing sports or lounging on the beach.
But things begin to change in the 1940s, and it started to become acceptable for women to wear pants instead of a dress.
By the 1950s, pants were fully in style, and there were more styles of pants available, with the likes of Audrey Hepburn popularizing the cigarette style pants.
Wide leg trousers were more common in the 1930s, by the 1940s, the leg became a big straighter.
Fun fact:
Women were given official permission to wear pants in 1923 by the attorney general, but it wasn't until the 1930s and more like the 1940s that they became everyday clothing items for women.
Women's 1940s pants
Young women started wearing wide leg slacks that were similar to men's pants in the 1930s and 1940s.
Pants were high waisted, and sat above the belly button.
The leg was subtly tapered, with a baggy fit around the waist and slightly narrower legs.
There was often a sharp vertical crease down the front of the pants, just like a man's pant.
But, finally in the late 1940's, new fashions also made womens pants a little more flattering.
A Pair of wide leg pants made the cover of Vogue magazine in the early 1940s. (1943)
We love these vintage style trousers paired with a black blouse.
Katharine Hepburn (left) and Rita Hayworth (right) wear 1940s style pants
Katharine Hepburn and the popularity of 1940s womens pants
Katharine Hepburn was known for her feisty personality and bold fashion choices. (top left)
Her sporty, outdoorsy lifestyle made wearing pants a natural fashion choice.
She played tennis daily in her trousers and is credited with helping define modern sportswear.
Other posts you might like:
The Katharine Hepburn Style Guide - Her Vintage Tomboy Fashion
Siren suits
A jumpsuit, also called the siren suit, was also worn during the 1940s.
The siren suit was a practical suit that was was created for going over your clothes to wear in the bomb shelter, when sirens for air raids went off in Europe.
Hence the name "siren suit."
It resembled a jumpsuit, with a hood on top.
Old Hollywood star Rita Hayworth makes a siren suit look stylish in this photo from the 1940s. (Below left)
Women's 1940s Jeans
In the mid 1930s, Levi's designed the first pair of women's cut jeans the 701 Jean.
These weren't your comfy jeans with stretch as we know them today they were made of 100% cotton blue denim and were non stretch. (i.e. needed lots of break-in time)
The jeans sat at the natural waist with a straight leg.
In an early 1940s photo of Norma Jean (Marilyn Monroe) she wears 1940s jeans with a wide rolled cuff.
Norma Jean (Marilyn Monroe) wearing jeans and trousers in the 1940s
Women's 1940s Pinafore style pants
Pinafore style pants were also worn in the 1940s.
Women's pinafore pants were a style of overall, rather than pants, with suspender straps that connected the front and the back and wide legs.
They commonly had large white buttons.
Land Girls 1940s pants
In the 1940s, the "land girls" also wore pants, as again, it was much more practical to be working on a farm in pants rather than a dress.
During the war the UK created a program to grow more food in their own country.
Women were needed to work the land.
Thus the land girl army was needed.
They were called the "women's land army"
They even had their own pant suit uniform to wear.
Old Hollywood influence women's 1940s trousers
Old Hollywood stars helped popularize women's pants in the 1940s and made them stylish.
Stars like Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Rita Hayworth, and Gene Tierney made wearing pants glamorous.
Lauren Bacall wearing 1940s Womens Pants
Lauren Bacall was often photographed wearing pants, and also wore them in her films.
Below left, a photo shoot of Lauren Bacall for the 1940s film noir The Big Sleep.
For more Lauren Bacall pants inspiration:
Lauren Bacall Pants - How to Wear Pants Like an Old Hollywood Glam Star
Rita Hayworth wearing 1940s Womens Pants
The pinup icon Rita Hayworth would wear pants and shorts as a casual style.
Gene Tierney wearing 1940s Womens Pants
The gorgeous Gene Tierney makes wearing 1940s pants ultra glam.
This post was all about womens 1940s pants
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The Ultimate Guide to 1940s Fashion with Lots of Photos
11 Dazzling 1940s Vintage Style Wedding Dresses
1940s Aesthetic | How to Get the 40s Look
1940s Swimsuits - Welcome the Bikini and other Retro Bathing Suit Styles
