Author(s): Patricia Mears

Fashion & Jewellery

Despite the dire financial environment of the 1930s, this decade gave rise to momentous technical and aesthetic innovations in fashion. This handsomely illustrated book is the first to analyse important developments in both men's and women's fashions of that time, exploring at the same time the economic, political and cultural influences that shaped the emerging styles. It reveals how industrial capabilities, such as the production of new textiles, allowed couturiers to drape fabric in ways not previously possible, and how revolutionary dressmaking and tailoring techniques gave form to truly modern clothing. Advancements in menswear tailoring in London and Naples paralleled breakthroughs in couture draping in Paris, New York, and even Shanghai. Hollywood also played a role in defining and popularizing this glamorous style. The international trend toward softer, minimally ornamented, and elegantly proportioned clothing differed markedly from the more restrictive attire of the preceding Edwardian era. By contrast, the fashions of the 1930s were made for movement, highlighting the natural and classically idealized body.
The revival of classicism and other artistic influences were crucial to the creation of this clean, minimal and modern new look.