A Texas woman loves to dress in vintage clothing, flaunting her “historic wardrobe” worth over $10,000.
1940s Fashion Women
Women’s dress in the 1940s was commonly modelled after the functional clothing produced during wartime rations. The newest fashions were square shoulders, slim hips, and skirts that hung just below the knee. Many people wore custom suits.Although often showered with compliments for her old-fashioned style, Gwendolyn says that people usually confuse her outfits as costumes and ask her if she’s staring in a play.
Wedding Dresses for Older Women
Weddings in the 1940s were less formal than those before or later. Most weddings took place between 10 and 1 p.m., with a modest dinner and cake offered following the church ceremony. The groom’s clothes and wedding gowns of the 1940s ranged from work attire to extremely formal attire.
“Vintage is tied into my entire life—I wear vintage clothes everyday and everything I own is from the 1930s and ‘40s eras,” Gwendolyn said. "I’m just really drawn to this time—the lifestyle just feels normal and right to me.
“Although it was a more rough way of living, it was also more simple. Everything was made and built to last—people always admire the style of everything back then.”
Gwendolyn, who has always shopped in thrift stores, began purchasing the older pieces around 10 years ago.
“I loved the way they looked and fit,” she said.
She added: “It was a gradual transformation—once you accumulate a few pieces, it all starts coming together.
“Now I have the biggest vintage wardrobe for every season.
1940s Fashion Men
Throughout the 1940s, non-uniformed men commonly wore suits in public. Many people experimented with 1930s-era vintage suits. Because they were a waste of fabric, suit vests fell out of favour. Instead of wool, patterned (especially striped) fabric and a wool-rayon blend were widely used to construct new suits.
Gwendolyn and Sam met at a World War II reenactment event eight years ago. The pair’s shared admiration of all things ‘40s sparked their romance, and they even had a 1940s themed wedding two years ago.
“We both have a shared love of history, and I just happened to be at the right event at the right time,” Gwendolyn said. "Currently, we’re restoring an old home from 1910 back to how it looked back in the day.
“We’re those crazy people who live that odd lifestyle—everyday people probably think we’re nuts, but we love it.”
