History Of Men's Fashion - The 1940's

This is part three of what will be a ten part article on The History Of Men's Fashion. I will be covering one decade in each article. If you are interested in reading part one, The 1920's click here.



The 1940's, the decade of World War 2, Casablanca, Albert Einstein and the invigoration of the Hawaiian shirt.


1941 Chrysler in San Francisco

Here are some quick facts about America at the beginning of this decade.

1 out of 5 Americans owned a car.
1 out of 7 had a telephone.
15% of college age Americans actually attended
(below: early 40's businessmen in Philadelphia)


The beginning of the decade saw extreme social and economic conditions. Other statistics revealed that only 75% of American households had a refrigerator or ice box, 60% lacked central heat and three out of four farmhouses were lit with kerosene lamps. Remember, America was slowly getting back on it's feet after Great Depression era. The hardships of the thirties, a time when many Americans' escapism flourished through Hollywood movies.




It is impossible to discuss fashion in the 1940's without first understanding the impact of World War II, always keep in mind, social trends dictate fashion.

- September 3, 1939: England and France declare war on Germany for invading Poland
- September 3, 1940: The United States transferred destroyers to Great Britain.
- December 8, 1941: USA enters the war.
- March 8, 1942: The US Government War Production Board issued regulation L - 85, which regulated every aspect of clothing and restricted the use of natural fibers.

Wool supplies were cut, forcing the increased production of inferior artificial fibers like viscose and rayon, which tends to shrink and isn't very warm.
(chart below: wartime fashion regulations)
To minimize the amount of fabric, men’s suits were made without vests and pocket flaps, trousers lost their multiple pleats and cuffs.
Zoot suits, which first made their presence in the 1930's, were scorned because of their use of excessive fabric. This attitude, fueled by racial prejudice and tensions between American servicemen stationed in southern California and Los Angeles' Chicano community led to the Zoot Suit Riots in 1943.
Still, the Zoot suit endured, and even flourished after the war when troops came back home. Excessive fabric was now seen perceived as luxurious, so that meant long coats were back as well. (Betty Grable)

The War came to an end.
Post-war fashions also included the birth of the casual shirt. Hawaiian shirts (which were created a decade earlier as "Aloha shirts") began to appear in California and Florida. Hand-painted ties featuring skyscrapers, exotic foliage and even pin-up girls became a common sight.

Before the war, New York fashion designers would attend the shows in France for inspiration. But once France was occupied by the Germans the designers concentrated on making new fashions for sportswear, which led to U.S. becoming the sportswear capitol of the world.
(above: vintage 40's Aloha shirt)



The first bikini, 1946









In 1949 Esquire promoted the "bold look", loose fitting jackets with pronounced shoulders.
Also notched lapels were now associated with single-breasted suits and peak lapels with double-breasteds.
(right: the bold-look demonstrated)


The long dominance of London's custom tailors began to break down after World War II. The bold look in men’s clothing signaled Italian and American fashion independence from Britain, where designers still adhered to fairly conservative styles.

Carol Nolan (fashion historian) writes on the 1940's:
The end of the decade saw American men home from the war and craving a new look, tired of uniforms. American designers left their mark on the world with sportswear. Europe now looked to the United States for trends in sportswear. For the first time in history, young people were setting fashion trends and older people were following.
(above: A NYC family in 1947)Lauren Bacall

click here for History of Men's Fashion - The 1930's