Fashion in the 1930's

The 1930's witnessed a return from the casual, boyish looks of the Roaring Twenties to a more sophisticated, ladylike style. Round busts, gentle waistlines, and sleek, streamlined forms were popular and characteristic of the era. The cloche hat of the '20's was replaced with small, flat hats. Wealthy women could afford to wear elaborate gowns at night, embellished with sequins and beads.

One of the most popular trends of this era was the so-called bias method of cross-cutting. This was a design  popularized by French designer Madeleine Vionnet, who also made famous designs such as the cowl neck and halter neck. This method, which involved cutting fabrics at a 45-degree angle rather than a straight grain, allowed the fabric to drape in sinuous folds and move with the curves of the body. Dresses of satin, silk, chiffon, and more could produce fluid, tight-fitting dress forms that showed off women's slender bodies (the invention of contraception during this era meant women could make conscious decisions about having children, and thus many chose not to). Tans were considered attractive in this time period, and thus many dresses featured open backs to show off tans.

Bias Cut Dresses

Glamorous evening gowns made of lightweight materials and following the trends of bias cuts and streamlined figures were popularized by such glamorous stars of the era such as the dancer and actress Ginger Rogers, who made the look iconic. The following are some of her gorgeous gowns, which have earned her a reputation as a style icon.

 

Actress/Dancer Ginger Rogers

Other trends that gained popularity during this era included pleated knee-length skirts longer in the back than in the front, the use of zippers in clothing (promoted by Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli, Chanel's rival), the replacement of bulky stockings with newly-invented nylon hose, and sport dress, which included suit-like patterns and the newly-permitted female trousers. 

Early in the decade, disaster struck in the form of the 1929 Stock Market crash that sent millions of Americans in economic crisis overnight. Though this crisis was mostly alleviated halfway through the decade, new conflict awaited as the stirrings of war with Europe were already being felt by the end of the ten years. At this point, the opulent, glamorous lifestyle and way of dress of the 30's was beginning to give way to the need for functionality in the form of trousers and sweaters.

Sources:
http://fashion-era.com/stylish_thirties.htm
http://tirocchi.stg.brown.edu/514/story/fashion_thirties.html