1940s Suits For Men

1940s Mens Suits

It is no secret that mens suits have been in fashion history for a long time now. The basic structure of the suit has remained almost the same for over centuries with only little tweaks made here and there to make them look relevant according to the changing tastes of people. This rich history of the suits has also made it possible to analyse it’s evolution and take some points that might be useful in the future. Now there are a lot of fascinating styles in the vintage suits to learn more about but in this article we discuss the 1940s mens suits and all that you need to know about the decade of fashion.

Each decade for mens fashion brought with it new styles that would later define the century and when it comes to 1940s the suits occupied this defining phase. In 1940s men enjoyed a good style for fashion with the clothes turning elegant and gentlemanly. When the decade started out near 1939 it was the time of war and this meant rationing of the raw materials in all sectors from food to clothing. But as the country came out of war people almost celebrated the end of rationing by going with the slightly extravagant styles which were definitely easy on the eye.

With the Great Depression coming to end and with the war round the corner, 1940s mens fashion were more dependent on the economics when compared to the days of First World War and the 1930s. Paris and Italy dropped from the position of being leaders in fashion and with the raw materials being rationed the designers had a hard job bringing their styles to life. This was one of the reasons why the mens fashion at that time leaned more towards practicality rather than pure style. Anyone wearing flashy clothing was frowned upon and was deemed to be unpatriotic. Natural fibers became rare since they were used for the military uniforms. The clothing that was considered to be surplus like vests and such disappeared and the fashion on the whole was austere. Most would go with the simple style without any detail for it to stand out even in the slightest.

With the war ending and the supply of the raw materials back to normal the 1940s mens fashion started to pick up. Full cut clothes and double breasted jackets along with wide trousers came back in style. Gone were the subtle and simple colors and the clothes now were made with different colors and details again came into use. Silk ties which were considered to be exotic at that time became popular and every men wore ties to showcase their individuality.

The suits were one of the garments that flourished in the 1940s mens fashion. Even today there are elements of the 1940s suit style that have carried on. During the war men stuck with the simple styles with subtle and plain colors like navy blue and black paired with white shirts. After the war the men afforded to introduced more elegant elements in the styles. The esquire jackets with their broad shoulders and loose fit is even now popular in many parts of the world.

With the war and great depressions ended the men had to get back to their jobs and this required the working men to be dressed in elegant suits. 1940s mens fashion saw the emergence of the double breasted suit jackets with peak lapels. For a more casual style the 1940s single breasted mens suits with notch lapel also came into use. As for the Accessories mens wore short and wide ties that came with patterns and these were worn with decorative tie pins. While the white shirts were the popular choice there also came into use shirts in wide variety of colors. As for the trousers the pleated ones that came to the full length, loose cut without the trouser cuffs became the most popular style.

The lift in the mood of the people were showcased in the 1940s mens fashion. There were a lot of styles that came into use which showed the relaxed and the fun look that the people aimed for. The designers started to experiment with the styles and some of the most prominent styles came into use during this decade. Some of the key styles that you can try out from the 1940s mens fashion include the long coats and the full trousers. This was also the time when the Hawaiian shirts came into use and became one of the huge trends of the 1940s mens fashion. The Hawaiian shirt style has managed to gain a major place in today’s fashion but in 1940 it was considered to be a huge development since the print was starting into enter into the styles other than the casual ones too.

As for the other styles in 1940s mens fashion one huge development was in terms of the outerwear styles. During the start of the 1940s the military inspired styles of the overcoats came into use. With the war coming to end the soldiers came back to their homes but still wore some of their military styles. The civilians were soon to get inspired by the style and some of the prominent military styles came into use as civilian style. Some of these military 1940s mens fashion styles include bomber jackets, trench coats and pea coats which all have their roots in the military styles developed for World War.

As for the casual 1940s mens fashion people were soon tired of the restricting war time styles thus embracing the casual times more easily. There were no restricting dress codes and it also helped that people did not have extravagant wardrobes since it was the time immediately at the end of the war. The freeness of the casual mens fashion was liberating in many ways and thus the casual styles like Hawaiian shirts became a popular style which the people wore both during the day and night.

When it comes to the 1940s mens suit fashion it can be defined as restrictive for the better part of the decade. This is speaking subjectively since the suit fashion in the previous decade which is the 1930s was big in all aspects. People wore suits with large cuts, wide pants and bright colors. But with the war in their hands and the USA war board issuing restrictions on the mens clothing like they did for women’s clothing all the big and bright styles became simple and subtle. Some of these restrictions included rules like the suit pockets not having flaps, suit trousers to be not more than 19 inches and that the suits must be sold without the vests.

In Britain the restrictions for the 1940s mens suit style were even harsher. The 1940s mens suit jackets were not allowed to have pleated backs or raglan sleeves. Other than this they also should not possess metal zippers or buttons and also half belts. Most people at that time saved their styles from the 1930s and made them last through the 1940s. Also to show the support of their country in war the imitations of the military styles were used by the civilians. After the end of the war with the improvement in the machinery in the textiles and the manufacturing industry the civilian clothing became one of the most profitable industry.

As for the fabric of the 1940s mens suits they were mostly made of thick wool, worsted wool or tweed but when the rationing was in place the blends of these fabrics with the synthetic rayon was used. The 1940s mens suits were used as the formal wear, workwear or a casual style since it was an everyday wear at that time. The 1940s mens suits at that time came with thick fabrics and this was mainly because of the fact that the heating system at that time was not evolved. Thus the thick fabric of the 1940s mens suits helped the men battle the cold and with the layers of materials in place people even wore the suits at home to ward off the cold.

Nowadays suits are available in different fabrics and you can choose the ones that will best suit you. If you are looking for a vintage 1940s mens suit style you can choose to go with the 1940s mens wool suits for an authentic look. But when you live in a tropical place then you can choose to go with the light weight styles like the 1940s mens linen suits and 1940s cotton mens suits. These suits are more breathable and keeps the wearer comfortable even when the temperature is hot. Now when you need a cheaper style then you can choose to try out the synthetic styles like polyester 1940s suit style or rayon 1940s mens suits. These might not be best in terms of quality and comfort but they can provide you with appropriate performance for the money that you spend on it.

As for the color of the 1940s mens suit fashion muted colors were the ones that were mostly used. 1940s mens Black suits. and navy blue 1940s mens suits were the most preferred ones since they were easy to blend in and did not require people to get second glance. Other than these 1940s mens grey suits and brown 1940s mens suits were also popular at that time. As for the summer use lighter fabric colors were considered to be the best choice. Tan 1940s mens suits and medium blue 1940s mens suits are some of the popular ones when it comes to 1940s summer suit styles.

When you are getting the 1940s mens suits it will be mostly for the semi formal events like weddings and such. For this you can choose to go with the bright colors like burgundy 1940s mens suits and emerald green 1940s mens suits. Patterns on the 1940s mens suits were also one of the most prominent details of the decade’s fashion. If you need a 1940s classic mens suit fashion then you can choose to go with the vintage suits with wide chalk stripes on it. Other than this the checkered 1940s mens suits and plaid 1940s mens suits were also popular at that time. When you need a more classic and subtle style then you can try out the 1940s herringbone suits and 1940s tweed suits.

If you are looking for vintage 1940s mens suit styles that are authentic in the look it is better to focus on the smaller details. When you need a simple and versatile style then you can choose to go with the single breasted 1940s suit jackets that come with 2 or 3 buttons on it. As for the fit of the 1940s mens suit style it should come with padded shoulders that are wide and it should taper around your waist.

You can choose to go with notch lapel 1940s mens suits or peak lapel 1940s mens suits but make sure that the lapels are wider than the ones in the modern suits. The width of the lapels made the shoulders of the man look bigger while the tapered look at the waist gave the suit jacket a fitted look. The three piece suit style became non existent at the time of 1940s mens fashion since the vests were considered to be a wasteful style. But if you want a different style you can choose to go with vests with V neck that come with 6-7 buttons.

As for the 1940s mens suit trousers you can choose to go with the flat fronted ones or the single pleated trousers. The fit of the trousers were wide around the ankle and this is a major detail since the style of the suits that we have now come with skinny fits for the trousers. Suspenders were one of the popular styles in the 1940s mens fashion but with time the belts replaced the style. Pack a retro twist to your dressing style with the 1940's suits! Classic and flattering the 1940's suit style have many takers even today. The bold prints and the daring styles of the 40’s that remind us of swing dancers are adopted in the contemporary dressing styles.

The 1940's suits for men essentially included a two or three piece suit with wide lapels, flat or small pleated front pants, and wide legs. Accessories included a fedora hat , and kerchief and flashy cuff links. Loud and gaudy colored neck ties were also popular in the 40s.

The gangsters and the Zoot Suit rioters portrayed the fashion trend of the 40's in movies. While the gangsters settled for formal suits and hats the Zoot Suiters , who were young men and women from the cities opted for oversize suit jackets in flashy colors and baggy pants that tapered at the ankles.

The World War II style of the 40s feature paired trousers with simple blazers and sport coats made of synthetic fabrics. Double-breasted jackets with minimalist style are the specialty of this cloth range whereas the 1940s swing style will have suits, suspenders and tie clips that are worn with slim fit trousers.

Shop for these trendy 40s suits at mensusa to bring in a trendy make over to your wardrobe. No matter whether it is weekend themed dinner party, a costume party or a formal party, the 1940s suits for men would be a good option to turn a few heads!