1930s Fashion Style

1930s fashion style encapsulates the epitome of Art Deco glamour, embracing an era defined by sleek sophistication and refined elegance.
1920's very loose, square, drop-waist, a high knee-length hem and slightly “boyish” look fashion style replaced by soft feminine silhouette by the beginning of 1930. Form-fitting style with an accentuated natural high waist, fitted hips, longer mid-calf hemline and wide shoulders were often seen in this decade.

This style era celebrated slender and elongated silhouettes, characterized by bias-cut dresses that gracefully hugged the body, accentuating femininity with elegance. At its core, 1930s fashion style embodies a sense of understated luxury and timeless grace. Fabrics like satin and silk were popular choices, lending a luxurious drape to the garments. Women adorned themselves with chic accessories, such as long strands of pearls, elegant gloves, and decorative hats that added a touch of glamour to their ensembles. The style also embraced details like artful drapery, intricate beading, and geometric patterns, reflecting the influence of the Art Deco movement in fashion.

Certain iconic figures helped define 1930s fashion by setting trends that others followed. For example, actresses like Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow became symbols of beauty and style during this time. Their choices in clothing influenced what everyday women wore, from sleek evening gowns to chic hats. Because fashion magazines were gaining popularity, their photos reached a wide audience, spreading these trends even further. As a result, the 1930s remain one of the most memorable periods in fashion history.

Bias Cut : The main innovation in 1930s fashion was the bias cut.  The fabric is cut on the diagonal (or bias), rather than parallel to the weave, creating a garment that drapes more elegantly than a straight-cut piece of cloth.

1930s dresses were darted around the bust and fitted around the hips, falling to a straight skirt that often had gentle flutes through the insertion of bias-cut panels or pleats. 

Sailor Pants: The double-button “sailor” front was common along with wide-legged trousers. 

Backless Gown: Halter styles with plunging backs and long bias-cut were the signatures of 1930s evening wear. 

Sport Suits: A “sports suit” was not designed to play the sport in, but was a set of a tailored jacket, skirt, and blouse for daily activities.

Fur Stole: In winter, a full or half-length 1920s fur shawl continues to keep the arms warm while travelling in cold cars. Fur stoles were also popular over evening gowns. Smaller fur stoles and fur shrugs were worn over lighter scarf coats or were worn over heavy wool capes and coats.

Cloche Hats : Cloche hats are close-fitting, helmet-shaped hats that hugged the skull. They had deep rounded crowns with no brim or just a small curve at the edge. The ’20s cloche and the beret lingered on from the previous decade. The cloche evolved into the “slouch” hat, still worn low on the face but with much more of a brim, worn turned up on the forehead.

Content Disclaimer: This website features embedded Pinterest boards that may include images re-pinned from various sources. All images remain the copyright of their original creators and owners. We display this content for informational and inspirational purposes and do not claim ownership of any re-pinned material.

All vintage images depicting this fashion era are AI-generated and are not authentic historical photographs. They are created for illustrative and stylistic purposes only.

Fashion & Style (1930-1990)