A History of Blouses Part 6 (1940s)

The first half of this decade was dominated by World War II—the second by the recovery from the war.  Fashion became subordinate to the war effort.  Blouses, like all other types of clothing, were affected by this—though in the early months of the war it was still very much "business as usual".

"BLOUSES are just as stylish, if less fluffy, than last Summer.  Plenty of muslin, organdi, crepe de chine, that adopt more or less the chemisier style, have a little lace frilling, and mostly lingerie fronts, adorned with open-work and tucks."

The Draper of Australasia, June 1940

Le Petit Echo de la Mode, Mars 10 1940

K. 90505.  Blouse en satin.  De chaque coté du devant, elle se fronce dans une découpe au-dessus de lanquelle se place un petite poche fendue.  Encolure, nouée.

McCall Style News, March 1941

4087.  A three-button blouse, softly tailored.  It is gathered below the shoulders at front and back.  High or low neck.

4091.  This blouse can be made with or without sleeves.  Belted at back to hold it in nicely.

4106.  A very smart tucked-bosom overblouse—just waistlength.  Narrow double-breasted buttoning.  Made on fitted waistband.

4124.  Shoulder-to-shoulder shirring beneath two rounded yokes.  Short V neckline.  A grand suit blouse.  Slender sleeves.

Wake's, Spring-Summer 1942-3

Dazzling White Classics

 Two impeccably tailored-shirt waists, typifying to perfection the trend towards smarter simpler beauty.  Both with new, wide rever'd collars; generously gathered yoke action backs, waists double-darted front and back for bulkless fit.  Trimmly stitched collars, cuffs, pocket flaps. Strongly sewn and neatly pinked seams.

 As the war continued, blouse styles became almost severely practical.  They began to resemble men's (open-necked) shirts, recalling the days of the "New Woman" and her shirt-waist.  Ornamentation (embroidery, tucks, lace) was not only considered wasteful and unpatriotic, but actually made illegal in some countries.

Australian Home Journal, June 1943

Blouses from Oddments.  You can make new blouses from a large patterned scarf square, the best parts of a man's shirt, and from coloured and fancy linings of discarded garments.  Smaller pieces of material will make backless fronts.  Give them collars, or fasten with bands buttoning at the nape.

Make Do and Mend (Board of Trade, 1943)

Montgomery Ward catalog, Spring-Summer 1944

5. BOLD AND BRIGHT... Screen printed Rayon Jersey; shirred yoke, 1 flap pocket.

6.  FRUIT-OF-THE-LOOM... Well-known Rayon in a muted screen print.  Has a delicate and Summery air.  Deep collar and front opening prettied with embroidered eyelet ruffling.

One of the real advantages of the blouse during wartime was it could be made out of odds-and-ends of materials—remnants, salvageable parts of a worn out dress, scarf squares.  There were some blouses made out of even stranger scrounged materials, such as the examples below.

Blouse made from an escape map, held by
Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

"A young girl working in a government drawing office was given an old linen map, which she boiled to remove the starch and printer's ink.  'Then I washed it, dyed it with a fourpenny dye.  Ironed it.  Cut it out from a much-used blouse pattern.  Made it up with a fivepenny reel of cotton and used the buttons from an old dress.  Result—one new wearable garment.  Total cost ninepence—no coupons.  I was very proud of this blouse.'"

From Norman Longmate, How We Lived Then (Chapter 21)

A new or refurbished blouse could brighten up an old outfit!

Easy Dressmaking for Spring, 1945

Our Free Pattern this month is planned to cut five simple, smart and popular blouses that are ideal for wear with a modern suit.  Here are blouses for all occasions, from the tailored shirt to the frilly little model that is dressy enough for a party.

Our models have been specially planned so that they can be cut from the least possible amounts of material.  Search your drapers for remnants from which you can make them.

Australian Home Journal Winter Fashions, 1946

Shortages did not end with the war.  While fashion designers were still deciding which way to jump, women were still having to make do and mend.

"PARACHUTE BLOUSES

When material, formerly parachute cloth, was recently released, textile manufacturing firm of Aschers engaged artists to experiment with designs suitable for blouses and evening wear.

Printing of designs succeeded only after many failures, but nylon garments attracted much attention when exhibited at Dorchester Hotel, London, recently.

All were in pastel colours except a new pink (Ophelia) and a bright cyclamen.

Apart from small patterned prints with outlined violets on a cream ground and other contrasts in the same pattern, the designs were mostly large flowers or bold outlines and crazy patterns.  Some show free sketches of different rooms in a house—including a bar—all in one dress length."

Northern Times, 29 March 1946

"ACCORDING to fashion decrees every suit is given a harem of blouses, one of which should be giddy, and maybe with stripes, dots, plaids, checks, done in bright colours. Some of the new blouses are essentially fresh and Spring-like.

ONE of the attractive points about this fashion is that a change of blouse, a simple and inexpensive thing in itself, will put a completely new-aspect on a single suit.

Choose a smart, semi-tailored suit with a plain blouse for the morning, and the same can be worn for the afternoon with a frivolous model of taffetas or quilted satin, which is now much in vogue. The woollen jumper which is seen in bright colours, striped, embroidered, and with fancy patterns, is a useful item, and must not be forgotten when choosing your blouse harem."

Hobart Mercury, 28 March 1946.

McCall Style News, January 1947

6749.  A drop-shoulder blouse.  The front yoke is simulated by a tuck edge.  It buttons down the back and the round neck is faced.

6750.  The front panel gives you a chance to do special things with stripes.  Round neck and cap sleeves, and back buttoning.

6748.  Here is a tailored shirtwaist with shoulder shirring and bishop sleeves to give it softness.  Front buttoning.

By the end of the decade fashion took a turn for the nostalgic, the feminine and the romantic.  This did not mean the abandonment of blouses, however, as separates and suits were too practical and too entrenched in women's wardrobes to discard.  It did mean that it was possible to experiment with new styles once again.

Butterick Fashion News, December 1948

4719.  "The Yoke blouse"

4721.  Tailored blouse.  "Quick and Easy" to sew.

4720.  Curvaceous bib yoke on a soft blouse.

"Blouses have definitely become glamorous.  The severe skirt collar and long sleeves have given place to frills and trimmings of all kinds.  Printed material is most fashionable for blouses at the moment."

Central Queensland Herald, 6 January 1949 

Vogue Pattern Book (British ed.) Autumn 1949

6351.  Natural sloping shoulderline to cut effectively in plaid taffeta or cotton.  Beneath the mandarin collar you can button it as high or as low as you please.

6736.  Notched horizontal tucks crisply tailored in crêpe or spun rayon.

6849.  Casual blouse with a Chinese air for clinging rayon jersey.  Forearm sleeves.

6541.  Dart detailing for a soft yoke effect.  Illustrated in a polka-dot silk.

6817.  Trim tailored shirt blouse in striped poplin.  Push-up, flared-cuff sleeves.

5843.  In dark wool jersey, this is a top for anything from slacks to dinner skirt.

6628.  Below a mandarin collar, a deep tucked yoke like a dress-shirt front.

6837.  Kimono-sleeved blouse, fastening like a man's shirt without the collar.

6704.  Three box pleats take well to moss crêpe.  Turn-down or band collar.

"Blouses are Important
 
Blouses form one part of a woman's wardrobe that is not subject to seasonal and fashion changes.
 
No wardrobe is really complete without several blouses, for they are appropriate to so many occasions, and meet the needs of housewife and business girl alike, as well as the woman who has more leisure time for social outings. 

There's no age limit to the wearing of blouses, either. Matron or maid finds them to her liking and advantage, choosing a style best suited to her taste and to the outfits for which she requires them as a complement. 

No tailored suit is complete without a blouse, and after winter wear a suit is given a new lift when the warmer days of Spring come by crisp-fresh looking blouses in white, pastels, or other colors. 

Many women prefer the look of a blouse even in winter, wearing one with a cardigan beneath a suit jacket instead of a woollen jumper."

Weekly Times (Melbourne), 8 June 1949