1930s FASHION

• 1930s Womenswear
• 1930s Menswear
• 1930s Childrenswear
• 1930s Formal Wear
• Bibliography
• Glossary

1930s Fashion

1930s Formal Wear

 

Guest Procession

This clip shows wedding guests in formal attire. There is great variety of women’s outfits - from print dresses to elegant jackets worn with toning long dresses. However, the men are all uniform in tailcoats, top hats, stiff wing-collared shirts and waistcoats. For formal occasions, men wore either black tie with dinner jacket or white tie and tailcoat.

The women have large floral corsages pinned to their jackets and wear costume jewellery.

 

Woman in Paste Neck Brooch

The woman in this clip wears an interesting example of costume jewellery – twin paste brooches pinned to a spotted neck scarf. Paste is the name given to the technique of glass cut to resemble precious stones, such as diamonds. In the 1920s and 1930s, costume jewellery - sometimes referred to as cocktail jewellery - became very popular. Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli influenced the trend, encouraging women to mix costume and real jewellery.

Two Young Boys

This clip shows a young boy in either a silk or satin buster suit – the staple wear for boys of this age but for this formal occasion made from a luxurious material. The older boy, who is probably aged about ten years old, is wearing a suit and school cap.

 

Mr and Mrs Emberton on Seat

Mr and Mrs Emberton pose for the camera on a swing seat before attending a wedding. Mr Emberton's grey pin-stripe trousers, worn with a shirt and tie, present a less formal option than the ‘black tie’ worn by other male guests at the wedding.
Mrs Emberton and the other woman both sport floral corsages on the lapels of their jackets and wear long fitted dresses and wide brimmed hats.

 

Three Women in Fur Wraps

The popularity of fur is highlighted in this image where all three women wear fur wraps to attend a wedding. Fur was worn extensively throughout the 1930s in the form of coats, wraps, stoles, trimmings and accessories. Fur coats were relatively cheap compared to today’s prices.

 

Woman with Fox Fur

Fox fur was very popular and the most sought after was silver fox. The trend was to have a whole animal - or even better two - draped around the shoulders like a scarf or carried limply over the arm.

 

Older Generation

Older people often wore clothing styles from their younger days, as is seen in this clip of wedding guests. The two women standing at the front of the group on the church steps are wearing styles of the 1910s - high-necked black dresses with lace or chiffon sleeves, strings of pearls and kid gloves.

Bridesmaids

These bridesmaids wear eau-de-nil chiffon, high waisted dresses with little puffed sleeved bolero jackets. The jackets and dresses are decorated with an art deco-style line of squares. Their pink rose bouquets match their pink silk floral headbands.

 

Bridesmaid Bonnets

The bonnets worn by these bridesmaids are reminiscent of Little Bo Peep. Frilly and girlish, they add an air of romantic innocence to the wedding ceremony.

 

Bride’s Dress

In this film, the bride wears a floor-length, high-necked ivory satin gown with long sleeves and pointed shoulders. A floral crown secures her veil and she carries a bridal bouquet of lilies.

 

Mrs. Cochrane’s wedding outfit is very similar to the one worn by this unknown woman in the same year. The photograph was donated to the Worthing Museum & Art Gallery along with the original dress. This bridal outfit is made of silver lamé, and creates the romantic, nostalgic silhouette popular at the time.

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