Celebrate Victory In Vintage
Here at Revival Vintage we love all things midcentury, but we especially love the fashion! In celebration of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we've handpicked a selection of truly
authentic and period accurate 1940s outfits so you can party like it's 1945!
Before we start on the outfits, why do we celebrate VE Day? Victory In Europe day is the
celebration of Germany's unconditional surrender to allies on May 7th 1945, which effectively ended World War II in Europe. Celebrations erupted across the globe as Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced the news over the radio. People took to the streets to dance, sing, embrace their loved ones and celebrate victory. Imagine how blissful the atmosphere would have been back then!
WWII ended officially on 2nd September 1945, when Japan signed their surrender. In the States they celebrate VJ Day (Victory Over Japan Day) on 15th August. The infamous 'Kiss' photo was taken on VJ Day in Times Square.
While reserved for formal events these days, suits were commonplace in the 1940s, both for men and women. They were worn professionally and for public appearances, think family get-togethers or outings. With this in mind, let's start with our suit outfits.
For the ladies we've lined up two of our very own vintage style skirt suits, each suit is a replica design of a 1940s original in our archive. First up is our Majestic suit in Quail Brown. We developed this suit in the year that we lost our Queen Elizabeth II, and it is named in her honour. This suit is available in 3 colours and features a striking inset diamond pattern on the jacket, which has a longline cut with shoulder pads and structured darts at the waist to create that iconic 'nipped in' forties silhouette. We've styled it with a black velvet true vintage frame bag, black crochet gloves, a mustard and black Lilegance teardrop hat, and to finish off any true 40s outfit of course you need some seamed stockings!
Our second option is the Homefront skirt suit in Claret Red. This suit is a replica of an original CC41 ladies suit! CC41 is the logo for the government's second world war utility clothing scheme that was introduced in 1941. The Homefront suit has a wealth of gorgeous original details including two deep, shaped pockets on the jacket, padded shoulders and striking peak lapels. To complete this look we've added a true vintage lizard skin bag, one of our handmade Lilegance hats with feather detail, as was popular during this time, and again finished with matching crochet gloves and seamed stockings. (It's all in the detail ladies!)
Now for the gents! Our first offering is an absolute classic amongst you 40s enthusiasts, the demob suit! The original suits were given to members of the British Armed Forces after their demobilisation from the army after the Second World War. You won't find a more accurate post-war outfit! Our charcoal Deliverance suit is a fabulous replica of an original vintage Montague Burton suit. The jacket features incredible wide peak lapels with four button front fastening, and the high waisted trousers have double pleats at the front, a fishtail back and buttons for attaching braces! We've picked patriotic red and blue to brighten up this charcoal suit, with dashing striped braces, a true vintage silk tie, gold toned sleeve holders and collar bar along with our brand new spearpoint collar shirt in Light Blue.
Next we have our brand spanking new Countryman tweed suit in Shingle Blue! The tweed is a luxurious multi-shade check, with grey and brown, which we've paired with our new spearpoint shirt in Calder Brown & Blue stripe and Brown Chevron Socialite swing tie. The trousers are a variant of our popular Harry style, and the double breasted jacket features a striking blue lining, matching the waistcoat. Tweed suits were favoured in the 40s because of the durability of the fabric. It was sturdy and practical. Double breasted suits, however, didn't appear until after the war, because the extra material was seen to be excessive during times of rationing. For those truly midcentury finishing touches, we've added a ridged collar bar to elevate the tie knot for a more polished appearance and gold cufflinks.
We know not everyone wants to be suited and booted for a full day of celebrations, so we've also compiled some more casual 40s looks for you, to stay fashionably nostalgic in comfort! Our brand new Caramel colourway for the Lumber Jill dress teams beautifully with patriotic red. Our check shirtwaister dress, named after and designed with the female war labourers in mind, provides maximum comfort and style. We've styled it with our Daydream cardigan in Lipstick and our Yesteryear bag in Bright Red, for a bold pop of colour. To finish the outfit we've added a red rose hair flower and some classic seamed tights. Despite what old monochrome photos might suggest, the 1940s were full of vibrant, colourful fashion!
Our Beau Belle dress in Dollshouse Pink is the perfect springtime party dress! The design is taken directly from a 40s original and features light shoulder padding and a tie waist belt for that forties silhouette. The front of the dress has feminine bow embroidery detail, with ¾ sleeves and pleated sleeveheads. We styled it with a matching Yesteryear bag and Daydream cardi, crochet gloves and completed the look with a colour coordinated hair flower - an easy way to add some vintage flair to any outfit!
Our first men's outfit is centred around our Harry fishtail trousers. They are high waisted and feature period accurate turn-ups. We've styled them down with a collarless Orton stripe shirt, navy & blue stripe leather loop braces and a Rufus knitted waistcoat in Oatmeal Beige. To complete this leisurely look we've added a classic grey newsboy cap!
Our second civilian menswear look features our Harry trousers again, this time in Cocoa Brown. They are lightweight and perfect for going from casual to smart! They're styled with an Ivory camp collar shirt, worn underneath our Walter Fair Isle tank top in Hi-de-Ho and topped with a classic brown fedora. Simple but effective! Both are classic looks for the off-duty midcentury man.
So there you have 8 outfits for 80 years of Victory. Whatever you plan to do this VE Day, make sure you celebrate freedom in style!