Great Depression influenced menswear
In the history of men's fashion, the 1930s saw dramatic changes due to the Great Depression.
It began with the great Wall Street Crash on Oct. 24, 1929. By 1931, some eight million people were out of work in the United States.
With less work or no work at all, it meant little money was spent on clothing.
It certainly had an impact on the fashion world, as the garment industry witnessed shrinking budgets and many fashion houses were forced out of business.
As a result, the focus turned away from new clothing for every season to reusing and remaking the clothes one already owned. During that time, the Edwardian tradition of successive clothing changes throughout the day finally died.
Tailors responded by offering more moderately priced styles.
The shape of 1930s fashion was long and sleek. Muted and deep hues were popular, as were abstract and geometric prints.
In the early part of the decade, men's suits were modified to create the image of a large torso. Wadding or shoulder pads were used to give a square shoulder effect. Sleeves were tapered to the wrist while peaked lapels framed the v-shaped chest and added additional breadth to the wide shoulders.
This period also saw the rise in popularity of the double- breasted suit. Jackets with long, broad lapels; two, four, six or even eight buttons; square shoulders and ventless tails, added elegance to masculine style.
It was mixed with a generous cut and long trousers.
These suits appeared in charcoal, steel or speckled gray, stale, navy and midnight blue.
Dark fabrics were enhanced by herringbone and stippled vertical and diagonal stripes. Cheviot, wool, tweed and plied were in demand. Plaids of various kinds were also popular.
In 1931, a men's fashion magazine called Apparel Arts was founded. It was aimed at bringing an awareness of men's fashion to middle-class male consumers by educating sales people in men's stores, who would make recommendations to the consumers.
The magazine became the fashion bible for middle-class American men.
In 1935, as prosperity returned as a result of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, business suits were in high demand. They came to represent the image of a successful man.
A popular one was called the London Cut, designed by London tailor Frederick Scholte. It featured sleeves tapering slightly from shoulder to wrists, high pockets and buttons, wide, pointed lapels flaring from the top rather than the middle buttons and roll, rather than flat lapels.
There was also a detail effect of drape in the shoulder area.
Other versions of the new suit included four, instead of six, buttons, lapels sloping down to the bottom buttons, and a longer hem.
It was known as the Windsor or Kent double-breasted suit.
During this period, the famous Palm Beach suit was also designed. It was a Kent double or single-breasted jacket made from cotton seersucker, silk shantung or linen. During this time, blazers also became popular for summer wear.
Men's fashion in the thirties was also influenced by gangsters, with the distinguished suits they wore, which took every detail to the extreme.
They featured wider stripes, bolder glen plaids, more colorful ties, pronounced shoulders, narrower waists and wider trouser bottoms.
At the end of the decade, England declared war on Germany, once again men's fashion would change as a result of historic events. -- Hera Diani