The Best of 1940s Fashion for Women
1940s
A. L. Whitey Schafer//Getty ImagesIngrid Bergman poses for a publicity shot wearing a blouse and jacket.
21946
Genevieve Naylor//Getty ImagesSabine and Janet Stevenson model Claire McCardell swimsuits on the Gaspé Peninsula of Canada.
31946
Genevieve Naylor//Getty ImagesOne model wears a sheer white Molyneux dress, while another reclines in the shadows in a black Lanvin gown.
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41940s
Hulton Archive//Getty ImagesLena Horne sings on a stage set of stairs, wearing a floor-length column gown.
51940
John Kobal Foundation//Getty ImagesBarbara Stanwyck wears a white mink ribbed jacket with linebacker shoulders over a lace skirt.
61944
-//Getty ImagesCoco Chanel poses for a portrait wearing a ruffled collar and bow in her hair.
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71940
Bettmann//Getty ImagesRita Hayworth lies in the grass wearing a white bikini.
81943
Gilles Petard//Getty ImagesBillie Holiday poses for a studio portrait in a long-sleeved sequin dress, accessorized with a long strand of pearls and flowers in her hair.
91940s
Michael Ochs Archives//Getty ImagesClaudette Colbert chats with actor Paul Muni while wearing a midi skirt and matching jacket, accessorized with a fedora and pumps.
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101948
Bettmann//Getty ImagesModel Barbara Lawrence wears Bonnie Cashin's "Eskimo Pants" in navy blue and white polka-dotted silk.
111940s
Print Collector//Getty ImagesJoan Crawford poses in an A-line dress with pronounced shoulders and bell sleeves.
121947
Lipnitzki//Getty ImagesA model wears Elsa Schiaparelli's dressmaker suit in Paris.
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131940s
George Hurrell//Getty ImagesBette Davis wears a fur jacket and matching hat in the film Dark Victory.
141940s
Topical Press Agency//Getty ImagesModels walk in a show about British fashion for American women.
151946
George Rinhart//Getty ImagesRita Hayworth in the film Gilda wearing a black satin gown and opera gloves.
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161943
Bettmann//Getty ImagesJudith Evelyn wears an off-white gabardine suit, casually cut, with simple lines for both the skirt and belted jacket. Her shoes match the brown leather buttons on the suit pocket, and she wears a liberty scarf as an ascot.
171940
H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock//Getty ImagesA model poses on a beach in a white halter-neck bathing suit and a large straw hat.
181940s
New York Daily News Archive//Getty ImagesLena Horne wears a tailored jacket over a sleek button-down.
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19
John Kobal Foundation//Getty ImagesRita Hayworth poses beside an automobile in high-waisted trousers and a rolled-up shirt.
20
New York Daily News Archive//Getty ImagesHedy Lamarr gives the V-for-Victory sign while selling war bonds in Newark, New Jersey, wearing a dress with boxy shoulders that is nipped at the waist.
Barry Samaha is the former style commerce editor at Esquire, where he covered all things fashion and grooming. Previously, he was an editor at Harper’s Bazaar, Surface, and WWD, along with overseeing editorial content at Tod’s Group. He has also written for The Daily Beast, Coveteur, Departures, Paper, Bustle Group, Forbes, and many more. He is based in New York City and can't seem to find enough closet space for all his shoes.
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