Have you ever considered the correlation between midcentury women's fashion and their changing societal roles? From the pre-war 1930s to the late
1940s and
50s, women's roles changed drastically, as did their clothes! In celebration of International Women’s Day, this blog post explores how fashion reflected these shifts, highlighting the evolving roles and styles of women throughout the midcentury era.
1930s Womenswear
Hollywood heavily influenced women's fashion in the 1930s. Femininity was the focus of women's wardrobes; think curve-skimming silhouettes, belted waists and mid-calf hemlines. Designers drew inspiration from Grecian classical period gowns, making them draped and figure-hugging for a goddess-like appearance. These statuesque shapes are also applied to women's suiting. A slim, elongated body, nipped-in waist and shoulder detail characterised 1930s fashion. 
Another relatively new feature in the 1930s women's look was cosmetics. Makeup was now becoming readily available, thanks to brands like Max Factor and Elizabeth Arden. Magazines were also starting to feature makeup guides of the stars for the average woman to perfect her look, a 1930s alternative to MUA YouTube tutorials! Beauty styles of this period were much more refined than the previous decade with thin pencilled eyebrows and lipstick following the natural lip line, worn with short waved hair.
Women of this era were predominantly in a home role, raising children and housekeeping, though some were employed in jobs labelled 'women's work' such as nursing, teaching and secretarial work. Approximately one-third of women were employed in 1930s Britain.
1940s Womenswear
Jump forward to the outbreak of WWII, and the number of women working rose from approximately 5.1 million to 7.25 million. The number of women working increased, and the number of jobs they worked also broadened. There were vast labour shortages with men away at war; the country needed women to fill these roles.
They worked in factories, auxiliaries, and the National Service Act of December 1941 legalised the conscription of women for war work. When we think about 1940s fashion, it often conjures images of the golden age of Hollywood, in all its glamour, but what did the women outside the Hollywood circuit look like during the wartime effort?
Rationing on clothes was introduced in 1941, and restricting the amount of clothes you could purchase also dictated the style. Excessive pleats, length and even pockets were seen as a waste of fabric, which meant designs were simplified and hemlines got shorter! The hourglass silhouette remained but had a more masculine aspect than the previous decade. Could this be touching upon women's new duties?
Now that women were employed in 'men's work', what changes did they have to make to their wardrobe? The most significant change to women's clothing staples has to be trousers. At the beginning of the war effort, women wore men's work clothes due to the lack of women's suitable workwear. Women in factories wore men's overalls, but manufacturers quickly began producing trousers specifically for women.
For safety reasons, and possibly because shampoo was rationed(!), they styled their hair in up-dos or wore the iconic scarf turban to secure their hair away from the face and machines. Enter the iconic victory rolls! Keeping up appearances was seen as part of the patriotic spirit to help win the war, and thus, women were encouraged not to let their image slip. Women were to look presentable even whilst employed in dirty and laborious environments.
Makeup during the war was never rationed but bore a hefty luxury tax, making it very expensive. In true make-do and mend spirit, women were ever resourceful in using commonplace items as replacements for cosmetics. Beetroot was famously used as a lip tint, chalk for face powder and boot polish for mascara! Makeup of this time was all about looking natural; being too heavily made up was seen as an excess and too frivolous for the current circumstances.
After the war ended, women were not only expected to return to their previous roles, but most were laid off from their wartime jobs to make way for the men returning home- but after having tasted freedom and independence, would it be possible to go back to their lives in the home after what they had achieved?
The NHS was founded in 1948, and it provided jobs for a large number of women. Unfortunately, many returned to their home life, as options for work were now very limited for them. Women's wages were also much lower than men's, but they campaigned tirelessly after WWII, right through the
1950s onwards, to achieve what we can now enjoy! Bear in mind that these women mothered the teenagers of the
1960s, so they must have retained some of that fighting, rebellious spirit to pass it on to the next generation!
1950s Womenswear
As for post-war fashion, out went the boxy styles of practical clothing and in came a newly replenished feminine form, most famously in the shape of French fashion designer Christian Dior's 'New Look'. Delicate nipped-in waists were back, and that hourglass figure was once again at the forefront, this time in a newly exaggerated fashion. Skirts were fuller, hat brims were more expansive, and the peplum detail on suit jackets and blouses was all the rage. Although this did have some backlash. Some women felt that this was a step in the wrong direction; after dressing in more comfortable and practical clothing, they now felt entitled to hang on to this - and rightly so!
Dior's designs were a symbol of outdated gender roles to some women, and there were even protests. Post WWII, women's lives have continued to change, gaining more and more independence and recognition, but even though now we too 'wear the trousers,' are we genuinely equal to our male counterparts in 2025? What does contemporary women's fashion say about their roles today?
